News
Tesla Roadster to fill the void left by canceled Model S Plaid Plus: Musk
Elon Musk has confirmed that Tesla would be focusing on the next-generation Roadster as the company’s dedicated flagship halo car. The Tesla Model S Plaid Plus, which was canceled before the Model S Plaid’s unveiling event in 2021, will remain canceled.
Musk’s comment was posted on social media platform X as a response to a Tesla community member who inquired if there will ever be a Model S Plaid Plus that will be released, or if the company would simply be focusing its efforts on the next-generation Roadster. In his response, Musk noted that the next-generation Roadster would fill the void left by the Model S Plaid Plus.
Roadster— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 29, 2024
It would not be inaccurate to state that Tesla’s lineup today lacks a flagship halo car, a vehicle that is designed to compete at the highest levels of automotive performance. This vehicle was expected to be the next-generation Roadster, but amidst its delays, it appeared for some time that the Model S Plaid Plus would be Tesla’s halo car — at least temporarily.
The specs of the Model S Plaid Plus hinted at its halo car status. It was listed with a 0-60 mph time of 1.99 seconds, the same as the next-generation Roadster. It was also listed with 1,100 horsepower and a range of 520 miles per charge. But while the Model S Plaid Plus was exciting, Elon Musk announced before the regular Model S Plaid’s first delivery event that the Plaid Plus variant was being canceled. This, Musk noted, was because the “Plaid is just so good.”
0 to 60mph in under 2 secs. Quickest production car ever made of any kind. Has to be felt to be believed.— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 6, 2021
Such a statement was certainly true when the Model S Plaid was first delivered to customers in June 2021, but the story has become very different today. Amidst the arrival of halo cars like the $250,000 Lucid Air Sapphire, which boasts 1,234 horsepower and a 0-60 mph time of 1.89 seconds, the Tesla Model S Plaid has lost its crown as the electric vehicle sector’s smackdown against combustion cars.
Of course, there is still no car that can match the Model S Plaid’s performance at its starting price of $89,990, but it is undeniable that it is no longer the best and fastest car that the electric vehicle sector can offer. For drivers who are looking for the ultimate EV regardless of budget, cars like the $2.2 million Rimac Nevera or the $250,000 Lucid Air Sapphire are better options.
With this in mind, Tesla does seem to be in need of a flagship, halo car that simply demonstrates just how far ahead the company is compared to its rivals. The next-generation Tesla Roadster seems to fit this bill, especially considering Musk’s previous comments stating that the upcoming all-electric supercar would be a collaboration between Tesla and SpaceX, his space exploration company.
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Energy
Tesla Powerwall distribution expands in Australia
Inventory is expected to arrive in late February and official sales are expected to start mid-March 2026.
Supply Partners Group has secured a distribution agreement for the Tesla Powerwall in Australia, with inventory expected to arrive in late February and official sales beginning in mid-March 2026.
Under the new agreement, Supply Partners will distribute Tesla Powerwall units and related accessories across its national footprint, as noted in an ecogeneration report. The company said the addition strengthens its position as a distributor focused on premium, established brands.
“We are proud to officially welcome Tesla Powerwall into the Supply Partners portfolio,” Lliam Ricketts, Co-Founder and Director of Innovation at Supply Partners Group, stated.
“Tesla sets a high bar, and we’ve worked hard to earn the opportunity to represent a brand that customers actively ask for. This partnership reflects the strength of our logistics, technical services and customer experience, and it’s a win for installers who want premium options they can trust.”
Supply Partners noted that initial Tesla Powerwall stock will be warehoused locally before full commercial rollout in March. The distributor stated that the timing aligns with renewed growth momentum for the Powerwall, supported by competitive installer pricing, consumer rebates, and continued product and software updates.
“Powerwall is already a category-defining product, and what’s ahead makes it even more compelling,” Ricketts stated. “As pricing sharpens and capability expands, we see a clear runway for installers to confidently spec Powerwall for premium residential installs, backed by Supply Partners’ national distribution footprint and service model.”
Supply Partners noted that a joint go-to-market launch is planned, including Tesla-led training for its sales and technical teams to support installers during the home battery system’s domestic rollout.
Elon Musk
Tesla Giga Berlin growth could stall if not “free from external influences”: Elon Musk
The comments were delivered in a pre-recorded video discussion.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has reportedly warned that future expansion of Gigafactory Berlin could be jeopardized if the site does not remain “free from external influences.”
Musk’s comments were delivered in a pre-recorded video discussion with employees and came at a sensitive moment for the facility, where union representation has been a recurring issue.
According to reports from Handelsblatt and Der Spiegel, citing participants at the event, Musk suggested that if Giga Berlin is no longer “free from external influences,” further expansion would become unlikely. He did not, however, hint that the plant would shut down.
While Musk did not name IG Metall directly, his remarks were widely interpreted as referencing the union, which is currently the largest faction on the works council but does not hold a majority, as noted in an electrive report.
The video conversation was conducted between Musk in Austin and Grünheide plant manager André Thierig, then played back to the workforce in Germany. Works council elections are scheduled for early March, heightening the tension between management and organized labor.
The CEO has previously voiced concerns that stronger union influence could limit Tesla’s operational flexibility and long-term strategy in Germany.
Despite the warning on expansion, Musk praised the Giga Berlin site during the same address, describing it as one of the most advanced factories worldwide and highlighting its cleanliness and team culture.
The discussion also reportedly touched on battery cell production. According to attendees cited in German media, Musk indicated that Tesla has begun ramping cell production at the site. That would mark a notable shift from earlier expectations that large-scale cell manufacturing in Brandenburg would not begin until 2027.
Elon Musk
Tesla Full Self-Driving’s newest behavior is the perfect answer to aggressive cars
According to a recent video, it now appears the suite will automatically pull over if there is a tailgater on your bumper, the most ideal solution for when a driver is riding your bumper.
Tesla Full Self-Driving appears to have a new behavior that is the perfect answer to aggressive drivers.
According to a recent video, it now appears the suite will automatically pull over if there is a tailgater on your bumper, the most ideal solution for when a driver is riding your bumper.
With FSD’s constantly-changing Speed Profiles, it seems as if this solution could help eliminate the need to tinker with driving modes from the person in the driver’s seat. This tends to be one of my biggest complaints from FSD at times.
A video posted on X shows a Tesla on Full Self-Driving pulling over to the shoulder on windy, wet roads after another car seemed to be following it quite aggressively. The car looks to have automatically sensed that the vehicle behind it was in a bit of a hurry, so FSD determined that pulling over and letting it by was the best idea:
Tesla appears to be implementing some sort of feature that will now pull over if someone is tailgating you to let the car by
Really cool feature, definitely get a lot of this from those who think they drive race cars
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) February 26, 2026
We can see from the clip that there was no human intervention to pull over to the side, as the driver’s hands are stationary and never interfere with the turn signal stalk.
This can be used to override some of the decisions FSD makes, and is a great way to get things back on track if the semi-autonomous functionality tries to do something that is either unneeded or not included in the routing on the in-car Nav.
FSD tends to move over for faster traffic on the interstate when there are multiple lanes. On two-lane highways, it will pass slower cars using the left lane. When faster traffic is behind a Tesla on FSD, the vehicle will move back over to the right lane, the correct behavior in a scenario like this.
Perhaps one of my biggest complaints at times with Full Self-Driving, especially from version to version, is how much tinkering Tesla does with Speed Profiles. One minute, they’re suitable for driving on local roads, the next, they’re either too fast or too slow.
When they are too slow, most of us just shift up into a faster setting, but at times, even that’s not enough, see below:
What has happened to Mad Max?
At one point it was going 32 in a 35. Traffic ahead had pulled away considerably https://t.co/bjKvaMVTNX pic.twitter.com/aaZSWmLu5v
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) January 24, 2026
There are times when it feels like it would be suitable for the car to just pull over and let the vehicle that is traveling behind pass. This, at least up until this point, it appears, was something that required human intervention.
Now, it looks like Tesla is trying to get FSD to a point where it just knows that it should probably get out of the way.