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Tesla Semi breakdown has people losing their minds
A Tesla Semi has been spotted broken down on a Nevada highway, leaving far more questions than answers.
Tesla Semi deliveries began immediately at launch, with the first models going to Pepsi and Frito-Lay. According to Tesla’s year-end production report, it delivered a total of just over 30 trucks as production began on the new product. However, as the trucks have taken to public roads, perhaps the truck’s first-ever breakdown was spotted in Nevada earlier this week.
The Tesla Semi was spotted broken down by Twitter user @Trumpery45 via a live feed setup from the Nevada DOT. The Semi was spotted broken down at the roundabout intersection of Nevada State Route 439 and U.S. 50, just west of Silver Springs, Nevada.
$tsla captured the broken Tesla semi getting towed on NYE. https://t.co/X4TcxpDEW3 pic.twitter.com/qMw37WLYvU
— Justin (@Trumpery45) January 1, 2023
Very little else is known about the broken-down truck. In the video, the Semi is seen coming to a stop, turning on its blinkers, and then waiting a couple of hours before a full towing rig arrives to bring the truck away.
Teslarati reached out for information in a few locations but has found very little information thus far. Local towing companies were either unaware of the vehicle’s breakdown or were incapable of towing such a large rig. Further, local police weren’t available for comment when contacted earlier this week.
As electric vehicles generally have so few failure points, many were quick to make predictions about the cause of the truck’s stop. Some believed that, due to a lack of available charging, the truck was forced to stop as it ran out of battery. Though this has been disputed as Nevada has received some of the largest amounts of Semi charging as it is the state where the vehicles are being manufactured. Further, if the truck simply ran out of battery, it could have been quickly charged before resuming its drive.
Still others have wondered if it were a motor or battery malfunction, as these are some of the few parts of the Semi that could prevent the vehicle from driving. But the truck’s flashers indicate that at least some power is still available. And because the truck could be pulled away without a full flatbed, it is unlikely that a catastrophic motor malfunction occurred.
We may not know what forced the new Tesla Semi to stop during its drive earlier this week, but if Tesla’s engineering video is anything to go by, it has at least been battle-tested before coming to American roads. Hopefully, the truck can make its way back to driving shortly.
What do you think of the article? Do you have any comments, questions, or concerns? Shoot me an email at william@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @WilliamWritin. If you have news tips, email us at tips@teslarati.com!
Tesla launched its fastest Full Self-Driving Speed Profile with the v14.1.2 Software Update on Wednesday, as “Mad Max” mode has overtaken “Hurry” as the most spirited travel option on FSD.
On Wednesday evening, Tesla’s Head of AI, Ashok Elluswamy, teased that the v14.1.2 Software Update would be released to those drivers in the Early Access Program (EAP). He said it was a “much-awaited feature.”
Tesla just teased something crazy with the next Full Self-Driving update
Many people, myself included, believed it would be the introduction of “Banish,” which would be a perfect complement to the Actually Smart Summon (ASS) suite, as it would find a parking spot and park itself after dropping you off at the front door of your destination.
However, Elluswamy’s post on X finished with two emojis: one a race car, the other being smoke behind the car.
FSD v14.1.2, going to early access today, will debut a much awaited feature 🏎️💨
— Ashok Elluswamy (@aelluswamy) October 15, 2025
On Wednesday night, we received the v14.1.2 software update to the new Model Y, which revealed that “Mad Max” mode was the new addition:
BREAKING: Tesla Full Self-Driving v14.1.2 is here!
MAD MAX MODE is here! pic.twitter.com/AKM2VwxiXV
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) October 16, 2025
The release notes state that:
“Introduced new speed profile MAD MAX, which comes with higher speeds and more frequent lane changes than Hurry.”
It is pretty interesting that Tesla would introduce yet another speed profile that is even faster and more aggressive than “Hurry.” Personally, I’ve found Hurry to be realistic in terms of other drivers and their aggressiveness, speed of travel, and overall lane change behavior, especially on interstates.
Mad Max mode will be an interesting adjustment.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk first talked about Mad Max mode back in 2018 in posts on X, first mentioning the feature with the Tesla Semi:
It’s real pic.twitter.com/L9h3F86Guo
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 25, 2018
Musk then teased Mad Max mode in 2019 with an early Autopilot update, stating that it would be an ideal option for aggressive traffic seen in places like Los Angeles. There was formerly a mode of the same name back in the late 2010s:
Are you on Mad Max Mode? This may be too meek for places like the LA Freeway …
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 6, 2019
Now that it’s here, we’ll be testing it very soon and giving you a good idea of what to expect when it releases to others in the coming weeks.
Tesla just teased something crazy with the next Full Self-Driving update, which will be released to Early Access Program (EAP) members today.
Tesla just recently released the v14 Full Self-Driving update, and it followed up just a few days later with v14.1.1.
The subsequent release helped refine a handful of things, especially an issue with stuttering at intersections and overall indecisiveness, but it was more of a smoothing over of the initial v14.1 Full Self-Driving release.
However, on Wednesday evening, Tesla’s Head of AI, Ashok Elluswamy, said that the company would be releasing v14.1.2 to EAP members today, and that it would “debut a much-awaited feature.”
He followed that up with a racecar emoji and a smoke emoji, potentially hinting toward something speed-related. However, it could mean something totally different.
FSD v14.1.2, going to early access today, will debut a much awaited feature 🏎️💨
— Ashok Elluswamy (@aelluswamy) October 15, 2025
Some suggested it was potentially a new Speed Profile that could rank above the “Hurry” option, but that seems unnecessary. As far as other features that have been teased, one that definitely comes to mind is the “Banish” feature that was recently teased by CEO Elon Musk.
Banish is essentially the finishing touch to Tesla’s Actually Smart Summon (ASS), which launched earlier this year.
While ASS will bring your car to your location using the Tesla app on your phone, Banish does just the opposite by dropping you off at the door of your destination and finding a parking spot on its own.
Elon Musk teases ‘Banish’ feature to pair perfectly with Summon
This was recently teased by Musk yet again, as he said earlier this month that Full Self-Driving would be capable of it very soon.
Based on what we’ve seen out of v14.1 and v14.1.1, there is some potential that Banish could be released and could be the feature that Elluswamy is hinting toward, although there is no direct evidence of that.
Luckily, I was able to get into the EAP, so as the feature is released and the Release Notes are available, we’ll be able to report on exactly what feature is on the way.
Tesla benefits from an incentive program in Texas that has become active following the loss of the $7,500 EV tax credit, which was a significant advantage for EV drivers.
In Texas, the State Commission on Environmental Quality has a grant program for light-duty motor vehicles that are either purchased or leased by consumers.
Referred to as the Light-Duty Motor Vehicle Purchase or Lease Incentive Program (LDPLIP), the program opened on October 13 and provides grants for consumers who want to buy new energy vehicles.
Will Tesla thrive without the EV tax credit? Five reasons why they might
The program allows for grants of up to $2,500 for electric or hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.
These are the eligibility criteria:
- Individuals or entities who purchase or lease an eligible vehicle on or after September 1, 2025, and who apply for or acquire title and registration of the vehicle in Texas
- Applicants must have taken possession of the vehicle before applying
- Applicants must commit to operating and registering the vehicle in Texas for at least one year
Additionally, the car must:
- Be included on the TCEQ Eligible Vehicle List
- Be new and must not have been the subject of any prior retail sale or lease
- Have a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less
They are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
The good news is that Tesla’s entire vehicle lineup, as of October 7, qualifies. Here is what the LDPLIP’s list of qualifying vehicles shows for Tesla:
- Tesla Cybertruck AWD
- Tesla Cybertruck Beast
- Tesla Model S AWD
- Tesla Model S Plaid
- Tesla Model X AWD
- Tesla Model X Plaid
- Tesla Model Y Long Range RWD
- Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD
- Tesla Model Y Performance
- Tesla Model 3 Long Range RWD
- Tesla Model 3 Long Range AWD
- Tesla Model 3 Performance
This list was published during the day of October 7, which is coincidentally the same day Tesla launched its Tesla Model 3 ‘Standard’ and Tesla Model Y ‘Standard.’
We reached out to the program to confirm that these vehicles qualify for that grant, and we will update when we hear back.
With the loss of the Federal EV Tax Credit, local programs are still available to help with the cost of an EV. Although electric cars are affordable, there are benefits to choosing one, especially as these grant programs continue to become available.
The full list of vehicles that qualify for the grant is available here.
Tesla launches ‘Mad Max’ Full Self-Driving Speed Profile, its fastest yet
Tesla just teased something crazy with the next Full Self-Driving update
Tesla benefits from new incentive program that’s active after tax credit loss
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