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Tesla Semi rival Nikola buys 400 acres in AZ for manufacturing facility
Nikola Motor Company, a hydrogen-electric semi truck manufacturer competing with Tesla’s all-electric long-hauler, has acquired approximately 400 acres of prime development property of an up-and-coming vehicle manufacturing hub in Pinal County, Arizona. Nikola announced the geographic location of the facility earlier this year which is expected to bring an estimated $1 billion in economic stimulus to the region by 2024.
Nikola estimates the project will create approximately 2,000 jobs to the region as well as facilitate thousands of additional jobs brought by its presence via other suppliers coming into the area. “Imagine what it will do for property values, schools, parks, and other city improvements…[Nikola] will be a huge benefit to [Pinal County’s City of] Coolidge and the surrounding areas for decades to come,” Trevor Milton, CEO of Nikola Motors, said in a company press release announcing the purchase.
The acquired acreage for Nikola’s semi truck manufacturing facility is in the Inland Port Arizona (IPA) part of Heritage, an 11,438 acre prime development site owned by Saint Holdings, LLC. IPA itself is described as a nearly 3,000 acre “manufacturing mega site” located in the Central Arizona Corridor between Tucson and Phoenix and currently served by the Union Pacific Rail Line, according to Saint Holdings’ IPA marketing brochure.
Nikola’s partnership with Saint Holdings appears to benefit both companies in their endeavors to expand the automotive industry in Arizona and provide value to the areas where their businesses are located. “When we set out to build a factory, part of my vision was to help an entire community,” Milton remarked. Tom Stringer, the practice leader who lead the national site selection process for Nikola, echoed Milton’s sentiments as applied to the industry benefits. “Nikola’s vehicles and market vision coupled with Saint Holdings’ world-class manufacturing destination has created the perfect economic development engine for the new automotive industry in Arizona,” he commented.
Nikola’s initial trucks will be built by Fitzgerald Glider Kits while its Arizona manufacturing facility is under construction. First in line for production is the Nikola One sleeper followed by the Nikola Two day cab. A Nikola Tre for the European market is also being developed for production during the 2022-2023 timeframe previously set forth for the U.S. versions. The trucks’ hydro-electric engines produce 2,000lbs.-ft torque and 1,000 hp with a 320 kWh battery that’s estimated to provide 500-1,200 miles of range depending on load.
Follow us @Teslarati for behind the scenes coverage from Nikola World, taking place on April 16-17 in Scottsdale. We’ll be bringing you a first look at Nikola’s upcoming all-electric Semi-truck.
News
Tesla launches ‘Mad Max’ Full Self-Driving Speed Profile, its fastest yet

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.
News
Tesla just teased something crazy with the next Full Self-Driving update

Update 9:56 p.m. ET: We got it…
Tesla launches ‘Mad Max’ Full Self-Driving Speed Profile, its fastest yet
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.
News
Tesla benefits from new incentive program that’s active after tax credit loss

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.
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