Lifestyle
Tesla power limiting may also occur on extreme G-forces
New racetrack discovery indicates Tesla power limiting may go beyond just temperature sensing.
We recently set out to conquer (once more) the Streets of Willow Springs racetrack, a technical, 1.6 miles long, with 13 turns, located approximately an hour north of Los Angeles. Being a short track with a lot of turns (most tracks are 2 to 3 miles long), it’s considered a relatively low speed track. There’s opportunity to briefly reach 100+ mph on straightaways, but most of the time is spent within the 40mph to 80mph range.
Streets of Willow Springs is an excellent track for practicing turns at lower speeds. Unlike our race at Laguna Seca which proved to be one of the more difficult and dangerous tracks we’ve driven, this track had no retaining walls, smooth shoulders and overall a much less dangerous track to race on.
Tesla Model S Configuration
Tesla’s infamous power limiting feature to prevent overheating was not nearly as pronounced this time around because of the short bursty nature of the track. We could easily achieve a full five timed-laps without the dotted power limit line dropping below 160kw mark.
We used a set of new Toyo R888 racing tires (19″, 265 width) this time around as opposed to our usual BFGs. The Toyo’s held up exceptionally well in terms of wear and durability while also providing great traction. It was a cold day (temperature in the 50s) so we kept tire pressure higher than usual, aiming for 36 psi hot.
The Model S experienced a bit of steering wheel lockup through turn 1 (known issue), but it was very short lived.
New Tesla Power Limiting Feature?
A new phenomenon was discovered on the Model S where the vehicle appears to cut power when experiencing high lateral G-forces along, and when the car is angled from flat level ground.
Case in point is the track’s #8 bowl turn which sports a 20 degree bank. This is where we experienced losing power for a brief second or two as we into the bank pushing nearly 1.2 Gs. The behavior can be seen in the video (2:20 min mark) where we were unable to accelerate past 40mph. We speculate that the combination of G-forces and angle from level ground (measured by the vehicle’s internal gyro) might be simulating an accident scenario, hence Tesla’s onboard system disables any additional use of power.
Performance
Best lap time was 1:31, which was a nice improvement over last year’s 1:39. Our Teslarati 48 ran within the Green (Advanced) group with Speed Ventures. The fastest time in the class came in at 1:26 (Formula Mazda) while the slowest was 1:36. We felt that there was still a lot of room for improvement and with a little more practice, we should easily break below 1:30 next time. If not for the power limiting features of the Model S our lap times could be at minimum five seconds faster.
The max lateral G came in at 1.2 G which is on par with what we experienced in the past (using G-Force Rival tires).
Charging and Power Consumption
Power consumption came in at 1.2 kw / mile which translates to approximately 4 rated miles used per 1 actual mile of distance travelled.
There is a set of RV stalls within a 5 minute walk from the Streets. Unfortunately, there was only one stall with a 50 amp outlet which happened to be taken. We ended up pitting one mile away by the garage at Big Willow which had a couple of 240v 50amp outlets.
Travel
There are several possibilities of getting to and from the track.
ALSO SEE: Interactive Tesla Supercharger Map
From the South / East
- Hawthorne Supercharger has been the charger of choice for us thus far. It’s 95 miles away, but because of significant elevation changes, coming to Willow Springs will consume over 110 miles of range, even when driving super conservatively. Coming back it will take only 90 rated miles.
- Oxnard Supercharger just opened which is a little closer to the track at 87 miles away. Coming back will require only 66 rated miles making it a very attractive option.
- Barstow Supercharger is 103 miles away from the track (EV Trip Planner estimated 105). The shortest route seems to be through Victorville, however it used 120 miles of range even while driving very conservatively likely due to the strong winds and elevation changes.
- The Rancho Cucamonga Supercharger that’s currently under construction, appears to be a good option at 93 miles away.
From the North or West
And traveling from the North or West, Tejon Ranch Supercharger is the best option. 60 miles away, requiring 73 rated miles to get there but only 55 back.
Elon Musk
Trump’s invite for Elon just reshuffled Tesla’s big Signature Delivery Event
Tesla rescheduled its final Model S farewell to May 20 after Musk joined Trump in China.
Tesla has rescheduled its Model S and Model X Signature Edition delivery event to Wednesday, May 20, 2026, after abruptly calling off the original May 12 celebration. The event will take place at Tesla’s factory at 45500 Fremont Boulevard in Fremont, California, the same location where the Model S first rolled off the line in 2012. Invitees received a follow-up email asking them to reconfirm attendance and download a new QR code ticket, with Tesla noting that all travel and accommodation expenses remain the buyer’s responsibility.
The reason behind the original cancellation came into focus the same day it was announced. President Trump invited Elon Musk, Apple’s Tim Cook, BlackRock’s Larry Fink, Boeing’s Kelly Ortberg, and executives from Goldman Sachs, Blackstone, Citigroup, and Meta to join his trip to China this week for a summit with President Xi Jinping. The agenda covers trade, artificial intelligence, export controls, Taiwan, and the Iran war, following weeks of escalating friction between Washington and Beijing over AI technology, sanctions, and rare earth exports. Trump wrote on Truth Social, “I am very much looking forward to my trip to China, an amazing Country, with a Leader, President Xi, respected by all.”
Tesla launches 200mph Model S “Gold” Signature in invite-only purchase
The vehicles at the center of all this are the last Model S and Model X units Tesla will ever build. Priced at $159,420 each, the 250 Model S and 100 Model X Signature Edition units come finished in Garnet Red with a one-year no-resale agreement, giving Tesla right of first refusal if the owner decides to sell. As Teslarati reported, the Model S defined Tesla’s early identity as a serious luxury automaker, and the Fremont factory line that built it is now being converted to manufacture Optimus humanoid robots.
Musk’s inclusion in the China delegation drew attention given his very public relationship with Trump, and the invitation signals the two have moved past and past grievances. Trump originally brought Musk on to lead the Department of Government Efficiency following his inauguration, and despite a sharp public dispute in mid-2025, the two have appeared together repeatedly in recent months. A seat on the China trip, the most diplomatically consequential visit of Trump’s current term, puts Musk back at the table on U.S. economic policy at a moment when Tesla’s China revenue remains one of the company’s most important financial pillars.
Lifestyle
Tesla Semi hauls fresh Cybercab batch as Robotaxi era takes hold
A Tesla Semi was filmed hauling Cybercab units out of Giga Texas for the first time.
A Tesla Semi loaded with Cybercab units was recently filmed leaving Gigafactory Texas, marking what appears to be the first documented delivery run of Tesla’s autonomous two-seater. The footage shows multiple Cybercabs secured on a flatbed trailer being hauled by a production Tesla Semi, a truck rated for a gross combination weight of 82,000 lbs. The location is consistent with Giga Texas in Austin, where Cybercab production has been ramping since February 2026.
The sighting follows a wave of Cybercab activity at the Austin facility. In late April, drone operator Joe Tegtmeyer spotted approximately 60 Cybercabs parked in two organized groups in the factory’s outbound lot, the largest concentration observed to date. Units being staged in an outbound lot is a standard pre-delivery step, and the Semi footage is the logical next frame in that sequence.
En route with @tesla_semi pic.twitter.com/ZfuOjaeLH1
— Tesla Robotaxi (@robotaxi) May 7, 2026
This is not the first time Tesla has used its own Semi to move Tesla products. When the Semi was unveiled in 2017, Musk noted it would be used for Tesla’s own operations, and over the years Semi prototypes were spotted carrying cargo ranging from concrete weights to Tesla vehicles being delivered to consumers. In 2023, a Semi was photographed transporting a Cybertruck on a trailer ahead of that vehicle’s delivery launch.
The Cybercab itself was first revealed publicly at Tesla’s “We, Robot” event on October 10, 2024, at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, where 20 pre-production units gave attendees rides around the studio lot. Musk stated at the event that Tesla intends to produce the Cybercab before 2027. The first production unit rolled off the Giga Texas line on February 17, 2026, with Musk posting on X: “Congratulations to the Tesla team on making the first production Cybercab.”
Tesla’s annual production goal is 2 million Cybercabs per year once multiple factories reach full design capacity, with the company targeting a price under $30,000 per unit. Tesla has confirmed plans to expand its robotaxi service to seven cities in the first half of 2026, including Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, Miami, Orlando, Tampa, and Las Vegas, building on the unsupervised service already running in Austin. Musk has said he expects robotaxis to cover between a quarter and half of the United States by end of year.
Tesla has taken home the “Overall Loyalty to Make” award from S&P Global Mobility for the fourth consecutive year, reinforcing Tesla owners’ willingness to come back. The 2025 awards are based on S&P Global Mobility’s analysis of 13.6 million new retail vehicle registrations in the U.S. from October 2024 through September 2025. The complete list of 2025 winners includes General Motors for Overall Loyalty to Manufacturer, Tesla for Overall Loyalty to Make, Chevrolet Equinox for Overall Loyalty to Model, Mini for Most Improved Make Loyalty, Subaru for Overall Loyalty to Dealer, and Tesla again for both Ethnic Market Loyalty to Make and Highest Conquest Percentage.
Tesla’s streak in this category started in 2022, and the brand has now won the Highest Conquest Percentage award for six straight years, meaning it keeps pulling buyers away from other brands at a rate no competitor has matched. Tesla’s retention among Asian households reached 63.6% and among Hispanic households 61.9%, rates that significantly outpace national averages for those groups. That breadth of appeal across demographics adds a layer of significance to a win that some might dismiss as routine.
The timing matters too. After several consecutive quarters of decline, Tesla’s share of U.S. EV sales jumped to 59% in Q4 2025. That rebound, arriving just as competitors were flooding the market with new models and incentives, suggests Tesla’s loyalty numbers are not simply the result of limited alternatives. Buyers are still choosing it when they have plenty of other options.
What keeps Tesla owners coming back has a lot to do with the and convenience of charging. The Supercharger network is the most straightforward example. With over 65,000 Superchargers globally, it remains the largest and most reliable fast-charging network in the world, and owners who have built their routines around it face a real practical cost when considering a switch. Competitors have made progress, but the consistency, speed, and availability of Tesla’s network is still the benchmark the rest of the industry is chasing. Then there is the software side. Tesla has built a model where the car you own today is functionally different from the car you bought two years ago, through over-the-air updates that add continuous game-changing improvements such as Full Self-Driving that has moved from a driver-assist feature to an increasingly capable autonomous system. For many Tesla owners, leaving the brand means starting over with a car that will not get meaningfully better over time, and that is a trade-off fewer and fewer are willing to make.
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