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Tesla pits human vs. computer while cars operate in ‘Shadow Mode’
No one doubts that Elon Musk wants Tesla to be the first car company to offer fully autonomous cars to the public. After last night’s announcement that second generation Autopilot hardware, with 8 cameras and 40x more powerful computer, is now included in every car built at the Fremont factory, the question is not if Tesla will be first to market with self driving cars, but when.
As noted by white hat hacker Jason Hughes, it took a year for Tesla to activate the first version of Autopilot after the hardware was first added to production cars. New Tesla vehicles with self-driving hardware will likely see the same timeline before their vehicles become fully autonomous. But why?
I find it strange that @TeslaMotors is going to ship another #autopilot that doesn't actually work on day 1. Year wait for AP1.0 software…
— Jason Hughes (@wk057) October 20, 2016
Remember, Tesla has gotten some push back on its Autopilot system since Joshua Brown was killed on a Florida highway last May. German regulators recently sent a letter to all Tesla owners warning them that Autopilot is not a self-driving system and they must always pay close attention to their driving. The California DMV has proposed regulations that would prohibit Tesla or any other company from using the words “self driving” or “auto-pilot” in company literature.
Until this point, Tesla has been free to operate Autopilot in beta mode. Regulators have deemed it to be little more than a “super cruise control” feature. But before Tesla can activate a system that purports to offer true Level 5 autonomy, it will need to convince regulators that the system functions as advertised and is safe not only for Tesla owners but for all members of the public. That is going to require data — massive amounts of data.
New Tesla Model S and Model X automobiles will run Autopilot in “shadow mode” and collect driving data that pits a human versus computer. Autopilot vehicles running in shadow mode will not take any driving-assist or self-driving actions. Rather they will only log instances when Autopilot would have taken action and compare those results to the real life actions taken by human drivers. Musk told the press that the ultimate goal is to improve its self-driving algorithms until they are better than human drivers. By having statistical data to back up the safety of its self-driving model, Tesla will have a better chance of proving to regulators that its vision for a Tesla-powered autonomous future will be safer for humanity.
However, experts in the field of autonomous driving say billions of miles of driving will be needed to verify the validity and safety of self-driving systems. Tesla now has collected approximately 220 million miles worth of data collected from Autopilot-equipped vehicles. As Tesla wirelessly adds millions more miles of driving data collected through previous generation and new ‘Enhanced Autopilot’ enabled vehicles, the company will take a commanding lead over the rest of the automotive and transportation services industry that is just beginning to understand what the future will look like.
For Tesla owners whose cars are manufactured on or after October 19, 2016 — which will include all Model 3 sedans — they will have the satisfaction of knowing their car is capable, as Elon suggests, of driving from Los Angeles to New York City without any input from the driver, then navigating New York traffic, finding a parking spot, and parking itself all without input from a human driver. It couldn’t be a better time to be a Tesla owner, especially if you care about shaping the inevitable future.
Elon Musk
Lufthansa Group to equip Starlink on its 850-aircraft fleet
Under the collaboration, Lufthansa Group will install Starlink technology on both its existing fleet and all newly delivered aircraft, as noted by the group in a press release.
Lufthansa Group has announced a partnership with Starlink that will bring high-speed internet connectivity to every aircraft across all its carriers.
This means that aircraft across the group’s brands, from Lufthansa, SWISS, and Austrian Airlines to Brussels Airlines, would be able to enjoy high-speed internet access using the industry-leading satellite internet solution.
Starlink in-flight internet
Under the collaboration, Lufthansa Group will install Starlink technology on both its existing fleet and all newly delivered aircraft, as noted by the group in a press release.
Starlink’s low-Earth orbit satellites are expected to provide significantly higher bandwidth and lower latency than traditional in-flight Wi-Fi, which should enable streaming, online work, and other data-intensive applications for passengers during flights.
Starlink-powered internet is expected to be available on the first commercial flights as early as the second half of 2026. The rollout will continue through the decade, with the entire Lufthansa Group fleet scheduled to be fully equipped with Starlink by 2029. Once complete, no other European airline group will operate more Starlink-connected aircraft.
Free high-speed access
As part of the initiative, Lufthansa Group will offer the new high-speed internet free of charge to all status customers and Travel ID users, regardless of cabin class. Chief Commercial Officer Dieter Vranckx shared his expectations for the program.
“In our anniversary year, in which we are celebrating Lufthansa’s 100th birthday, we have decided to introduce a new high-speed internet solution from Starlink for all our airlines. The Lufthansa Group is taking the next step and setting an essential milestone for the premium travel experience of our customers.
“Connectivity on board plays an important role today, and with Starlink, we are not only investing in the best product on the market, but also in the satisfaction of our passengers,” Vranckx said.
Elon Musk
Tesla locks in Elon Musk’s top problem solver as it enters its most ambitious era
The generous equity award was disclosed by the electric vehicle maker in a recent regulatory filing.
Tesla has granted Senior Vice President of Automotive Tom Zhu more than 520,000 stock options, tying a significant portion of his compensation to the company’s long-term performance.
The generous equity award was disclosed by the electric vehicle maker in a recent regulatory filing.
Tesla secures top talent
According to a Form 4 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Tom Zhu received 520,021 stock options with an exercise price of $435.80 per share. Since the award will not fully vest until March 5, 2031, Zhu must remain at Tesla for more than five years to realize the award’s full benefit.
Considering that Tesla shares are currently trading at around the $445 to $450 per share level, Zhu will really only see gains in his equity award if Tesla’s stock price sees a notable rise over the years, as noted in a Sina Finance report.
Still, even at today’s prices, Zhu’s stock award is already worth over $230 million. If Tesla reaches the market cap targets set forth in Elon Musk’s 2025 CEO Performance Award, Zhu would become a billionaire from this equity award alone.
Tesla’s problem solver
Zhu joined Tesla in April 2014 and initially led the company’s Supercharger rollout in China. Later that year, he assumed the leadership of Tesla’s China business, where he played a central role in Tesla’s localization efforts, including expanding retail and service networks, and later, overseeing the development of Gigafactory Shanghai.
Zhu’s efforts helped transform China into one of Tesla’s most important markets and production hubs. In 2023, Tesla promoted Zhu to Senior Vice President of Automotive, placing him among the company’s core global executives and expanding his influence beyond China. He has since garnered a reputation as the company’s problem solver, being tapped by Elon Musk to help ramp Giga Texas’s vehicle production.
With this in mind, Tesla’s recent filing seems to suggest that the company is locking in its top talent as it enters its newest, most ambitious era to date. As could be seen in the targets of Elon Musk’s 2025 pay package, Tesla is now aiming to be the world’s largest company by market cap, and it is aiming to achieve production levels that are unheard of. Zhu’s talents would definitely be of use in this stage of the company’s growth.
News
Tesla counters Norway’s VAT hike with dedicated consumer bonus
The move follows Tesla Norway’s stunning finish in 2025, where the company saw substantial sales during the final weeks of the year.
Tesla has rolled out a price incentive in Norway, effectively offsetting a notable VAT increase that hit electric vehicle buyers at the start of 2026.
The move follows Tesla Norway’s stunning finish in 2025, where the company saw substantial sales during the final weeks of the year.
A “Tesla bonus”
Once the VAT increase kicked in at the start of 2026, Tesla Norway’s sales cooled almost immediately, as noted in a CarUp report. Tesla’s response was swift, with the electric vehicle maker rolling out what it calls a “Tesla bonus.”
This bonus effectively cuts prices by up to 50,000 kronor across eight model variants. All versions of the Tesla Model Y qualify for the incentive, along with most Tesla Model 3 trims, save for the base entry-level model.
This means that for Tesla Norway’s best-selling vehicles, the bonus effectively restores pricing to pre-VAT levels. This blunts the impact of the new tax and makes Tesla’s vehicle offerings competitive again in Europe’s most EV-saturated market.
Stabilizing demand
In addition to the “Tesla bonus,” the electric car maker is also offering a promotional interest rate for up to three years, with terms varying by model. The incentive applies to orders placed between January 9 and March 31, 2026, with delivery required by the end of the first quarter.
The stakes are high in Norway, where electric vehicles dominate new-car registrations. From the vehicles that were sold in 2025, 96% of new cars sold were fully electric. And from this number, Tesla and its Model Y made their dominance felt. This was highlighted by Geir Inge Stokke, director of OFV, who noted that Tesla was able to achieve its stellar results despite its small vehicle lineup.
“Taking almost 20% market share during a year with record-high new car sales is remarkable in itself. When a brand also achieves such volumes with so few models, it says a lot about both demand and Tesla’s impact on the Norwegian market,” Stokke stated.
Lufthansa Group to equip Starlink on its 850-aircraft fleet
Tesla locks in Elon Musk’s top problem solver as it enters its most ambitious era
