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Tesla Semi & Convoy Mode are a perfect fit for EU Commission’s updated mobility strategy
The Tesla Semi and its Convoy Mode feature could gain a strong foothold in Europe now that the EU Commission has released its plans to promote sustainable and smart transportation options in the region. The EU Commission released its Sustainable and Smart Mobility strategy last week.
The strategy focused on three key factors, namely sustainability, smart mobility, and resilience. It included goals for the passenger car industry, but also prominently discussed making public transportation and heavy-duty vehicles carbon neutral.
Zero-Emission Lorries and the Tesla Semi
The EU Commission plans to have at least 30 million zero-emission cars and 80,000 carbon neutral lorries, or heavy duty trucks like the Tesla Semi, in operation by 2030. It will propose a revision in CO2 standards for cars and vans in Europe by June 2021 and review carbon standards for heavy-duty vehicles by 2022.
The EU Commission’s plans for zero-emission lorries puts the Tesla Semi in an advantageous position. Besides being carbon neutral, the Tesla Semi also aligns with the EU Parliament’s truck manufacturing law.

Last year, the EU Parliament voted for a law that required heavy-duty vehicle manufacturers to produce more aerodynamic, energy efficient trucks. Regulations in the law depicted a truck with 80-90 cm cabs and bigger windshields for a better view of the road. The European Federation for Transport and Environment released an illustration of the EU Parliament’s ideal heavy-duty vehicle design and it was very similar to the Tesla Semi.
Between the EU Commission and EU Parliament, it seems the game has been set for Tesla. The scales seems to tip more in favor for Tesla and the Semi when the Commission’s Smart Mobility plan comes into play.
Tesla Semi’s Convoy Mode in Europe
As for Smart Mobility, the EU Commission wants to proactively create favorable conditions for the development of new technologies. The Commission even stated that it would provide “all necessary legislative tools for their [new technologies’] validation.”
Support for autonomous vehicles is specifically mentioned in the EU Commission’s strategy, giving the Tesla Semi yet another advantage in Europe’s heavy-duty vehicle industry. Tesla’s advanced driver-assist software, Full Self-Driving, has been laid with some restrictions in Europe, but that may change in the future.
Tesla’s autonomous software development will definitely make it to the Semi and one feature in particular could be a gamer changer in the industry–Convoy Mode. Back in 2017, when Tesla unveiled the Semi, Elon Musk shared that the company’s Class 8 truck was already capable of Convoy Mode, which would allow multiple Semis to semi-autonomously draft in close proximity with each other. Since then, Tesla’s FSD and Autopilot software have gone through vast improvements, suggesting that Convoy Mode only improved as well.
Trucking veteran Sean Chenault was impressed by the Semi’s feature set and was particularly taken by Convoy Mode. “Having autonomous vehicles, you don’t need to pay a driver, and you don’t need to worry about hours of services,” he said. The trucking industry has been struggling with a shortage of drivers lately due mostly to safety concerns. Features like Convoy Mode have been one possible solution to solving driver shortage.
The Tesla Semi’s place in the EU Future
Chenault said the Semi was “a good thing for the trucking industry as a whole.” And it may be good for the EU Commission’s Sustainable and Smart Mobility strategy, too, specifically when it pertains to lorries.
Tesla’s business as an all-electric car maker would definitely benefit for the EU Commission’s new strategy. Tesla has already been gaining some more ground in Europe over the years with the Tesla Model 3. Next year could be another big year for Tesla in Europe with Giga Berlin and the release of the Model Y in the region. With the Semi in the picture, Tesla could cement itself as a key player in the region’s transportation sector.
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Tesla Cybertruck Dual Motor AWD estimated delivery slips to early fall 2026
Tesla has also added a note on the Cybertruck design page stating that the vehicle’s price will increase after February 28.
Tesla’s estimated delivery window for new Cybertruck Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive (AWD) orders in the United States has shifted to September–October 2026. This suggests that the vehicle’s sub-$60,000 variant is now effectively sold out until then.
The updated timeline was highlighted in a post on X by Tesla watcher Sawyer Merritt, who noted that the estimated delivery window had moved from June 2026 to September-October 2026, “presumably due to strong demand.”
The Dual Motor AWD currently starts at $59,990 before incentives. Tesla has also added a note on the Cybertruck design page stating that the vehicle’s price will increase after February 28.
If demand remains steady, the combination of a later delivery window and a pending price increase suggests Tesla is seeing sustained interest in the newly-introduced Cybertruck configuration. This was highlighted by Elon Musk on X, when he noted that the Cybertruck Dual Motor AWD’s introductory price will only be available for a limited time.
When the Cybertruck was first unveiled in November 2019, Tesla listed the Dual Motor AWD variant at $49,990. Adjusted for inflation, that figure equates to roughly $63,000 in 2026 dollars, based on cumulative U.S. inflation since 2019.
That context makes a potential post-February price in the $64,000 to $65,000 range less surprising, especially as material, labor, and manufacturing costs have shifted significantly over the past several years.
While Tesla has not announced a specific new MSRP, the updated delivery timeline and pricing note together suggest that the Cybertruck Dual Motor AWD could very well be the variant that takes the all-electric full-sized pickup truck to more widespread adoption.
Elon Musk
SpaceX targets 150Mbps per user for upgraded Starlink Direct-to-Cell
If achieved, the 150Mbps goal would represent a significant jump from the current performance of Starlink Direct-to-Cell.
SpaceX is targeting peak download speeds of 150Mbps per user for its next-generation Direct-to-Cell Starlink service. The update was shared by SpaceX Spectrum & Regulatory Affairs Lead Udrivolf Pica during the International Telecommunication Union’s Space Connect conference.
“We are aiming at peak speeds of 150Mbps per user,” Pica said during the conference. “So something incredible if you think about the link budgets from space to the mobile phone.”
If achieved, the 150Mbps goal would represent a significant jump from the current performance of Starlink Direct-to-Cell.
Today, SpaceX’s cellular Starlink service, offered in partnership with T-Mobile under the T-Satellite brand, provides speeds of roughly 4Mbps per user. The service is designed primarily for texts, low-resolution video calls, and select apps in locations that traditionally have no cellular service.
By comparison, Ookla data shows median 5G download speeds of approximately 309Mbps for T-Mobile and 172Mbps for AT&T in the United States, as noted in a PCMag report. While 150Mbps would still trail the fastest terrestrial 5G networks, it would place satellite-to-phone broadband much closer to conventional carrier performance, even in remote areas.
Pica indicated that the upgraded system would support “video, voice, and data services, clearly,” moving beyond emergency connectivity and basic messaging use cases.
To reach that target, SpaceX plans to upgrade its existing Starlink Direct-to-Cell satellites and add significant new capacity. The company recently acquired access to radio spectrum from EchoStar, which Pica described as key to expanding throughput.
“More spectrum means a bigger pipeline, and this means that we can expand what we can do with partners. We can expand the quality of service. And again, we can do cellular broadband basically, cellular broadband use cases, like AI or daily connectivity needs,” he stated.
SpaceX has also requested regulatory approval to deploy 15,000 additional Direct-to-Cell satellites, beyond the roughly 650 currently supporting the system. The upgraded architecture is expected to begin rolling out in late 2027.
News
Tesla seeks approval to test FSD Supervised in new Swedish city
Tesla has applied to conduct local Full Self-Driving (Supervised) testing in the city of Jönköping, Sweden.
Tesla has applied to conduct local Full Self-Driving (Supervised) testing in the city of Jönköping, Sweden.
As per local outlet Jönköpings-Posten, Tesla has contacted the municipality with a request to begin FSD (Supervised) tests in the city. The company has already received approval to test its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software in several Swedish municipalities, as well as on the national road network.
Sofia Bennerstål, Tesla’s Head of Public Policy for Northern Europe, confirmed that an application has been submitted for FSD’s potential tests in Jönköping.
“I can confirm that we have submitted an application, but I cannot say much more about it,” Bennerstål told the news outlet. She also stated that Tesla is “satisfied with the tests” in the region so far.
The planned tests in Jönköping would involve a limited number of Tesla-owned vehicles. Trained Tesla safety drivers would remain behind the wheel and be prepared to intervene if necessary.
Tesla previously began testing in Nacka municipality after receiving local approval. At the time, the company stated that cooperation between authorities, municipalities, and industry enables technological progress and helps integrate future transport systems into real-world traffic conditions, as noted in an Allt Om Elbil report.
If approved, Jönköping would become the latest Swedish municipality to allow local Full Self-Driving (Supervised) testing.
Tesla’s Swedish testing program is part of the company’s efforts to validate its supervised autonomous driving software in everyday traffic environments. Municipal approvals allow Tesla to gather data in urban settings that include roundabouts, complex intersections, and mixed traffic conditions.
Sweden has become an increasingly active testing ground for Tesla’s driver-assistance software in Europe, with regulatory coordination between local authorities and national agencies enabling structured pilot programs.