News
Tesla revises late-night driving and its affect on Safety Score
Tesla has revised how late-night driving can affect your Safety Score.
Tesla’s Safety Score gives drivers feedback on how they drive and uses a variety of factors to determine the probability of an accident in the future.
Although the feature has been available for some time, Tesla continues to refine and improve it, just like it does with other offerings, aiming to constantly improve its operational accuracy.
Tesla’s Safety Score system will be key to in-house insurance’s affordability
In a new update, which is referred to as Version 2.1, Tesla has refined how late-night driving can affect your score.
Previously, Tesla considered any driving between 10 PM and 4 AM when calculating a Safety Score. They have shifted this back by an hour, and it will now consider the amount of driving that takes place between 11 PM and 4 AM.
Tesla writes about it on its Safety Score page on its website:
“Updated Late-Night Driving to be risk weighted based on driving from 11 PM – 4 AM (previously 10 PM to 4 AM). The impact of late-night driving on your Safety Score will depend on the proportion of time spent driving in each hour from 11 PM – 4 AM.”
“Due to the variable risk level associated with driving during each late-night hour, each hour is weighed differently, and driving at each hour will affect your Safety Score differently. For example, driving at 11 PM will not affect your Safety Score as heavily as driving at 2 AM.”
How Tesla Determines Your Safety Score
Tesla uses eight different factors to determine a Safety Score:
Forward Collision Warnings per 1,000 Non-Autopilot Miles
When an object is detected in front of the vehicle, both audible and visual alerts prompt the driver of a potential front-end collision. The number of these warnings per 1,000 non-Autopilot miles is formulated and can affect the Safety Score.
Hard Braking
Any braking that is in excess of 0.3g is defined as hard braking. “This is the same as a decrease in the vehicle’s speed larger than 6.7 MPH in one second,” Tesla writes.
Aggressive Turning
Like Hard Braking, aggressive turning monitors g-forces in excess of 0.4g.
Unsafe Following
The vehicle will measure its own speed, along with the speed of the vehicle in front, and the distance between the two vehicles.
“Based on these measurements, your vehicle calculates the number of seconds you would have to react and stop if the vehicle in front of you came to a sudden stop.”
Excessive Speeding
This is defined as the proportion of time spent driving faster than 85 mph.
Late Night Driving
The number of seconds you spend driving at night from 11 PM to 4 AM is divided by the number of seconds you spend driving during the day and night.
Each hour is weighted differently, as previously discussed. 11 PM will not affect Safety Score as heavily as driving at 2 AM.
Forced Autopilot Disengagement
If a driver has received three audio and visual warnings, Autopilot will disengage for the remainder of a trip. These warnings will occur when the vehicle determines the driver has not applied sufficient steering wheel resistance or is inattentive.
Unbuckled Driving
Pretty simple: Wear your seatbelt. However, Tesla says that this is defined as time spent driving above 10 MPH without a seatbelt.
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Tesla expands US LFP battery supply with LG Energy Solution deal: report
The report was initially published by TheElec, citing industry sources.
LG Energy Solution (LGES) will manufacture lithium iron phosphate (LFP) energy storage system (ESS) batteries for Tesla at its Lansing, Michigan facility.
The report was initially published by TheElec, citing industry sources.
LG Energy Solution’s Lansing plant, formerly known as Ultium Cells 3, was previously operated as a joint venture with General Motors. LGES acquired GM’s stake in May 2025 and now fully owns the site. With a production capacity of 50 GWh per year, it is one of the company’s largest facilities in North America.
LG Energy Solution is converting part of the Lansing factory to produce LFP batteries for energy storage systems. Equipment orders for the new lines have already been placed, and mass production is reportedly expected to begin in the second half of next year.
Last July, LG Energy Solution disclosed a 5.94 trillion won battery supply agreement running from August 2027 to July 2030. While the company did not name the customer, industry sources pointed to Tesla as the buyer.
Tesla has primarily used CATL’s prismatic batteries for its Megapack systems. The move to source prismatic LFP cells from LG Energy Solution’s U.S. plant could then be seen as part of Tesla’s efforts to bolster its North American supply base for its energy storage business.
For the Lansing conversion, LG Energy Solution reportedly plans to use electrode equipment originally ordered under its Ultium Cells venture with General Motors. Suppliers reportedly include CIS and Hirano Tecseed for electrode systems, TSI for mixing equipment, CK Solution for heat exhaust systems, A-Pro for formation equipment, and Shinjin Mtech for assembly kits.
Tesla currently manufactures energy storage products at facilities in California and Shanghai, though another Megafactory that produces the Megapack is also expected to be built in Texas. As per recent reports, the Texas Megafactory recently advanced with a major property sale.
News
Tesla begins Grok AI chatbot rollout to Australia and New Zealand fleet
The update follows earlier deployments in the United States and Europe.
Tesla has rolled out its Grok AI assistant to Australia and New Zealand, embedding the conversational chatbot directly into compatible vehicles via an over-the-air update.
The system, developed by Elon Musk’s xAI, is now live on select models, giving drivers access to a voice-based assistant that goes well beyond traditional command-driven controls.
The update follows earlier deployments in the United States and Europe.
Tesla Australia confirmed Grok is available on Model S, Model 3, Model X and Model Y vehicles equipped with an AMD processor and running software version 2025.26 or later.
“Grok is coming to Teslas in Australia and New Zealand. It can answer almost any question using real-time information & also add/edit navigation destinations to become your personal guide. Phased rollout has now begun to eligible vehicles,” Tesla Australia and New Zealand wrote in a post on its official X account.
Drivers can activate Grok using the steering wheel controls once the update is installed. Access requires either a Premium Connectivity subscription or a stable Wi-Fi connection.
Unlike conventional in-car voice assistants that rely on fixed prompts, Grok is designed to respond conversationally. It can adjust navigation mid-trip, locate nearby points of interest, explain dashboard warnings, provide driving guidance and reference the owner’s manual.
Tesla noted that interactions with Grok are processed by xAI and remain anonymous to Tesla, adding that conversations are not linked to a specific driver or vehicle.
Grok has attracted attention overseas for offering multiple interaction modes. In the U.S., users can select personalities such as Assistant, Language Tutor, Therapist, Storyteller and Meditation. Additional optional modes for adult users include settings labeled Unhinged, Motivation, Argumentative, Romantic and even Sexy.
Viral clips shared online have shown Grok adopting sarcastic or playful tones that differ from more neutral digital assistants, with the AI assistant typically catching drivers off-guard with its sharp personality and wit.
News
Ford is charging for a basic EV feature on the Mustang Mach-E
When ordering a new Ford Mustang Mach-E, you’ll now be hit with an additional fee for one basic EV feature: the frunk.
Ford is charging an additional fee for a basic EV feature on its Mustang Mach-E, its most popular electric vehicle offering.
Ford has shuttered its initial Model e program, but is venturing into a more controlled and refined effort, and it is abandoning the F-150 Lightning in favor of a new pickup that is currently under design, but appears to have some favorable features.
However, ordering a new Mustang Mach-E now comes with an additional fee for one basic EV feature: the frunk.
The frunk is the front trunk, and due to the lack of a large engine in the front of an electric vehicle, OEMs are able to offer additional storage space under the hood. There’s one problem, though, and that is that companies appear to be recognizing that they can remove it for free while offering the function for a fee.
Ford is now charging $495 on the Mustang Mach-E frunk (front trunk). What are your thoughts on that? pic.twitter.com/EOzZe3z9ZQ
— Alan of TesCalendar 📆⚡️ (@TesCalendar1) February 24, 2026
Ford is charging $495 for the frunk.
Interestingly, the frunk size varies by vehicle, but the Mustang Mach-E features a 4.7 to 4.8 cubic-foot-sized frunk, which measures approximately 9 inches deep, 26 inches wide, and 14 inches high.
When the vehicle was first released, Ford marketed the frunk as the ultimate tailgating feature, showing it off as a perfect place to store and serve cold shrimp cocktail.
Ford Mach-E frunk is perfect for chowders and chicken wings, and we’re not even joking
It appears the decision to charge for what is a simple advantage of an EV is not going over well, as even Ford loyal customers say the frunk is a “basic expectation” of an EV. Without it, it seems as if fans feel the company is nickel-and-diming its customers.
It will be pretty interesting to see the Mach-E without a frunk, and while it should not be enough to turn people away from potentially buying the vehicle, it seems the decision to add an additional charge to include one will definitely annoy some customers.
Tesla expands US LFP battery supply with LG Energy Solution deal: report
Tesla begins Grok AI chatbot rollout to Australia and New Zealand fleet
