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Tesla Semi rival Daimler on electric trucks: ‘The best battery solution is going to win’
Amidst the emergence of all-electric long-haulers like the Tesla Semi, an established brand is adopting an optimistic stance about the trucking industry’s upcoming electrification. During a recent media roundtable at the American Trucking Associations’ annual Management Conference & Exhibition, CEO of Daimler Trucks North America Roger Nielsen stated that the industry’s transition towards electrification is happening at a “greater speed than expected.”
Daimler is no stranger to the idea of using electric trucks as a viable alternative to diesel-powered vehicles. Last June, Daimler took the wraps off the all-electric Freightliner eCascadia heavy-duty, which has a range of 250 miles per charge and the capability to be charged to 80% in 90 minutes. The company also unveiled the mid-duty Freightliner eM2, which offers a 230-mile range and the ability to recharge 80% of its battery in 60 minutes.
Tesla has not released the actual specs of its battery for the Semi, though Elon Musk noted that the company would be launching two versions of the vehicle — a 500-mile long range variant and a 300-mile short range version. Musk’s later statements teased improvements to the Semi’s range as well, with the CEO stating that the vehicle would likely have closer to 600 miles of range per charge. When asked by reporters about his stance on the Tesla Semi, Nielsen noted that battery quality and energy consumption would be the determining factor in the emerging electric truck market.
“The best battery solution is going to win. It’s all about energy consumption,” he said, according to Fleet Owner.
That said, the Daimler executive remains optimistic about the German legacy carmaker’s chances in the electric truck industry. Nielsen, for one, noted that he believes Daimler would have the highest number of electric trucks in the commercial trucking segment by 2020. Apart from this, Nielsen also stated that Daimler’s offerings could have an edge against the Tesla Semi, since customers would likely opt for electric vehicles that are similar to trucks they are already familiar with. With this in mind, Nielsen believes that the Freightliner eCascadia and the eM2 would probably perform very well.
“That helps create a smooth transition from a diesel-powered truck to an electric-powered truck,” Nielsen said.
While the Tesla Semi is yet to enter production, the all-electric long-hauler has the potential to be a serious disruptor in the trucking industry. The vehicle’s range and performance, coupled with the support of the upcoming Megacharger Network, would allow the vehicle to be competitive even against diesel-powered semi-trailers. Tesla is also in the process of improving the Semi, as noted by the company’s President of Automotive Jerome Guillen during the second quarter earnings call.
“Obviously, it’s going to be better than what we showed last year. There is a lot of improvements,” he said.
Tesla has so far been tight-lipped about the Semi’s improvements since its launch last year, though recently published patents have teased a number of compelling features that might make it to the vehicle. Last month, for example, a patent for an automatic tire inflation system for the Semi was published. While the ATIS would likely be used initially for the Semi, the feature could pave the way for the off-road capabilities of Tesla’s other vehicles, such as the Tesla pickup truck, the Model Y, and the Model X.
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Tesla begins probing owners on FSD’s navigation errors with small but mighty change
Previously lumped under “Other,” these incidents made it harder for Tesla’s AI team to isolate and prioritize map-related issues in their reinforcement learning models. There was a lot of disagreement on how certain interventions should be reported.
Tesla has started probing owners on how often its Full Self-Driving suite has Navigation errors with a small but mighty change last night.
In its latest Software Update, which is Version 2026.2.9.9 featuring Full Self-Driving (Supervised) v14.3.2, Tesla has introduced a targeted improvement to how owners will report interventions.
With the initial rollout of v14.3.2, Tesla introduced a new Intervention Menu that appears when a disengagement occurs. It allowed owners to choose from four different categories: Preference, Comfort, Critical, or Other.
Tesla has voided the Other option and replaced it with a new “Navigation” choice, which seems much more ideal given the complaints owners have had about navigation. This seemingly minor UI tweak, rolled out widely in recent days, marks another step in Tesla’s ongoing effort to refine its autonomous driving stack through precise, crowdsourced data.
“Other” has been replaced with “Navigation” in the Tesla Self-Driving intervention reasons menu pic.twitter.com/mBOi3uYs8C
— Whole Mars Catalog (@wholemars) April 28, 2026
Tesla made this change in direct response to longstanding community feedback. For years, FSD users have noted that navigation errors—such as incorrect speed limits, suboptimal routes, or directing the vehicle to a building’s rear entrance instead of the main one—frequently force interventions.
Previously lumped under “Other,” these incidents made it harder for Tesla’s AI team to isolate and prioritize map-related issues in their reinforcement learning models. There was a lot of disagreement on how certain interventions should be reported:
I chose to label this Navigation error as “Critical” while testing FSD v14.3.2
Here’s why:
✅ This intervention wasn’t “preference,” as the maneuver FSD routed was illegal
✅ If a police officer saw this maneuver, it would result in a ticket https://t.co/znhHb4haAo pic.twitter.com/bZOiLwWmQa— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) April 23, 2026
By adding a dedicated “Navigation” label, the company can now tag disengagements more accurately, feeding cleaner data into its neural networks. This supports faster iteration on routing algorithms, map accuracy, and intent-aware navigation.
Community consensus around Tesla’s navigation system has been consistent and candid. While the end-to-end AI driving behavior in v14.x earns widespread acclaim for smoothness and safety, navigation remains FSD’s clearest Achilles’ heel.
Owners frequently cite outdated map data, failure to learn from repeated corrections, and routing decisions that feel less intuitive than Google Maps or Apple Maps. Common complaints include phantom speed-limit changes, inefficient local roads, and poor point-of-interest handling.
Tesla Summon got insanely good in FSD v14.3.2 — Navigation? Not so much
Many drivers report intervening on navigation far more often than on core driving maneuvers, with some estimating it accounts for the majority of disengagements outside of edge cases.
Long-term users note that the same mapping glitches persist across years and software versions, despite thousands of collective miles of feedback. Yet the addition of the “Navigation” option has been met with optimism. It signals Tesla’s commitment to data-driven progress and suggests navigation improvements could arrive sooner.
For a community that already logs millions of FSD miles monthly, this small change could unlock meaningful gains in reliability and user trust—potentially accelerating the path to unsupervised autonomy.
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Tesla expands Robotaxi in a way that was long anticipated
Instead, it has to do with the consumer base it offers Robotaxi to, because it has not offered it to everyone in the past.
Tesla has expanded Robotaxi in a way that was long anticipated, and it does not have to do with a new, larger geofence in a city where it already offered its partially autonomous ride-hailing suite, or a new city altogether.
Instead, it has to do with the consumer base it offers Robotaxi to, because it has not offered it to everyone in the past.
Tesla has taken a major step forward in its autonomous ride-hailing ambitions with the official launch of the Tesla Robotaxi app for Android users. Released on the Google Play Store on April 24. Titled simply “Tesla Robotaxi,” the app is now available to download directly from Tesla.
The @Tesla Robtoaxi App has just officially launched for Android users. Go get some rides y’all!
Download: https://t.co/D2jIONXc91 pic.twitter.com/rQ6TD14zkC
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) April 24, 2026
This rollout fulfills a long-anticipated expansion that opens the service to hundreds of millions of Android smartphone users who were previously unable to access it on iOS alone.
The app delivers a streamlined, driverless ride experience powered by Tesla’s automated driving technology.
Users sign in with a Tesla Account, view the current service area map within the app, enter a destination, and receive an estimated fare and arrival time before confirming the ride. When a Model Y from the Robotaxi fleet arrives, riders confirm the license plate, enter the vehicle, fasten their seatbelt, and tap “Start Ride” on either the app or the vehicle’s touchscreen.
During the trip, passengers have access to all the same controls that iOS users do, and can adjust climate settings, seat positions, and music while tracking progress on an in-app map. The interface also allows drop-off changes or support requests if needed. After the ride, users exit, close the doors, and submit feedback.
This Android availability directly broadens the rider base for Robotaxi in its initial service areas. Unfortunately, Android users are used to being subject to delayed launches of new features available to Tesla owners.
By removing the iOS-only barrier, Tesla instantly expands the addressable market, enabling far more people to summon and use the autonomous vehicles already operating on public roads.
The move is a foundational requirement for scaling ride volume and gathering the real-world data needed to refine the unsupervised Full Self-Driving system that powers every trip.
For the Robotaxi program itself, the launch signals steady operational progress. It prepares the service for higher utilization rates as the fleet grows and supports the transition from limited early deployments to a more robust network.
Tesla expands Unsupervised Robotaxi service to two new cities
Tesla has indicated that users outside current service areas can sign up at the company’s website for future notifications, pointing to a deliberate, phased geographic rollout.
Looking ahead, the company plans to incorporate Cybercab vehicles to increase fleet capacity and efficiency while continuing to expand service territories. With the Android app now live, Tesla has removed a key adoption hurdle and positioned Robotaxi for the next phase of growth in autonomous urban transportation.
The infrastructure is now in place to support significantly larger rider demand as production and deployment accelerate.
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UPDATE: SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy that launched a Tesla into space is back on a mission
SpaceX Falcon Heavy returns after 18 months away to deliver a satellite that only it could carry.
UPDATE: 10:29 a.m. et: SpaceX is standing down from today’s Falcon Heavy launch of the ViaSat-3 F3 mission due to unfavorable weather. A new target date will be shared once confirmed.
After an 18-month absence, SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy is returning to mission on Monday morning when it’s scheduled to lift off from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center at 10:21 a.m. EDT.
The mission is called ViaSat-3 F3, and the heavy satellite payload needs to reach geostationary orbit, sitting 22,236 miles above Earth where its speed matches the planet’s rotation. Getting a satellite that heavy to that altitude demands more thrust than a single-core Falcon 9 can deliver.
This marks the Falcon Heavy’s 12th flight overall since its debut in February 2018, and its first since NASA’s Europa Clipper mission in October 2024.
Arguably, the most exciting element for spectators will be watching the booster recoveries in action when the two side boosters, B1072 and B1075, will attempt simultaneous landings at Landing Zone 2 and the newer Landing Zone 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, while the center core will be expended over the ocean.
SpaceX wins its first MARS contract but it comes with a catch
Following satellite deployment, expected roughly five hours after launch, ViaSat-3 F3 will spend several months traveling to its final orbital slot before undergoing in-orbit testing, with service entry expected by late summer 2026
As Teslarati reported, NASA awarded SpaceX a $175.7 million contract on April 16, 2026, to launch the ESA Rosalind Franklin Mars rover aboard a Falcon Heavy no earlier than late 2028, which would mark the first time SpaceX has ever sent a payload to Mars. That contract came on top of an already deep pipeline that includes the Roman Space Telescope, the Dragonfly Saturn mission, and multiple national security payloads.
SpaceX executed 165 missions in 2025 and now accounts for approximately 85% of all global orbital launches. With Starlink surpassing 10 million subscribers and an IPO targeting a $1.75 trillion valuation still ahead, Monday’s launch is one more data point in a company that has quietly become the backbone of both commercial and government space access worldwide.
Tesla begins probing owners on FSD’s navigation errors with small but mighty change
Tesla expands Robotaxi in a way that was long anticipated
