News
Tesla Semi Supercharger stop teases sleeper features and 26-camera system
After being sighted on Des Moines, IA on Thursday, the Tesla Semi has been spotted smoothly gliding through Colorado. The Semi was sighted at the Brush, CO Supercharger, where Tesla’s employees accompanying the truck answered questions about the vehicle while it was charging.
The Tesla Semi sighting was shared by recording engineer Erik J. Martin on Twitter. Martin’s posts, one of which was retweeted by the official Tesla Twitter account, featured the Semi as it was rolling into the Brush Supercharger station. Erik mentioned in a series of posts that he was informed that the prototype is the short-range version of the truck, with a range of 300 miles. The Tesla engineers accompanying the vehicle reportedly noted that the Semi was hand-built and that it was largely made of carbon fiber as well.
— Erik J. Martin (@soundanswer) August 30, 2018
Being the short-range version of the electric truck, the Semi currently making its way across the United States is a daycab vehicle, though Tesla’s employees reportedly informed Martin that there would be a variant of the truck that would have space for sleeper features. Such features would be perfect for the long-range version of the electric truck, with drivers being able to take short naps while the Semi is charging at Tesla’s upcoming Megacharger network.
Also notable were the Semi’s cameras, of which there are 26 around the prototype. Tesla’s employees accompanying the Semi reportedly mentioned that there would likely be fewer cameras in the final iteration of the vehicle. Interestingly, while the Semi’s crew was very willing to address inquiries about the truck’s features, they were particularly secretive about the vehicle’s current charging system.
The Tesla Semi is designed to be supported by the upcoming Megacharger network, which is not operational yet. For now, the Semi is using Tesla’s current Supercharger network, though Erik noted that the engineers appeared to be using around 4-6 Superchargers to charge the all-electric Semi truck.
Yep! It was The closest superchargers. They hobble together an adhoc megacharger until those are built out in preparation for the roll out of production #teslasemi
— Erik J. Martin (@soundanswer) August 31, 2018
Tesla’s engineers also reportedly noted that so far, the only locations that have leaked the truck’s visit to their facilities were J.B. Hunt and UPS. This suggests that the Semi might have visited facilities of other reservation holders. One of these is Ruan Transportation Management Systems, which is based in Des Moines, IA. Ruan published a blog post about the Semi’s visit to their facility yesterday, even discussing some of the truck’s remote monitoring features.
“We will continue to be involved with the team at Tesla Motors as they introduce the trucks to the market,” said Cade. “We will work with them directly to ensure the vehicles will serve us and our customers to the level we both expect,” Ruan vice president of fleet services James Cade wrote in a blog post.
Tesla appears to be going full throttle in its efforts to refine the Semi before the vehicle enters production. The truck’s initial specs are already impressive, with its four Model 3-derived electric motors, its 0-60 mph time of 5 seconds flat, and its Class 8 hauling capacity. The Semi is also equipped with several key features, such as jackknife protection, near-infinite brake pads due to its powerful regenerative braking system, and Convoy Mode, a feature that allows the Semis to semi-autonomously draft in close proximity with each other, reducing energy usage from wind resistance.
Watch Erik J. Martin’s video outlining the information he received from the Tesla engineers accompanying the Semi below.
News
Tesla Full Self-Driving shows stunning maneuver in Europe to silence skeptics
In a striking demonstration of autonomous driving prowess, Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) system recently showcased its capabilities on the narrow rural roads of the Netherlands. Captured in two in-car videos, the system encountered scenarios that would challenge even the most experienced human drivers.
Tesla Full Self-Driving, fresh on the heels of its approval for operation on European roads for the first time, showed off a stunning maneuver that will certainly silence any skeptics on the continent.
Fresh off its approval in the Netherlands, Full Self-Driving is working toward a significant expansion into more parts of Europe.
In a striking demonstration of autonomous driving prowess, Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) system recently showcased its capabilities on the narrow rural roads of the Netherlands. Captured in two in-car videos, the system encountered scenarios that would challenge even the most experienced human drivers.
In the first clip, a wide tractor occupied more than half the lane on a tight two-way road. Rather than braking abruptly or forcing a collision risk, FSD smoothly edged the vehicle onto the adjacent bike path—using the extra space with precision—before seamlessly returning to the lane once clear.
The second clip was equally demanding: while overtaking a group of cyclists, an oncoming car approached at speed.
FSD maintained a safe, minimal buffer to the cyclists while timing the pass perfectly, avoiding any swerve or hesitation that could unsettle passengers or other road users.
People wonder if FSD is safe on narrow European roads. Well have a look what it did when a tractor took up more than half of the road or when overtaking bicycles with fast oncoming traffic. pic.twitter.com/z37Csa09sP
— Chanan Bos (@ChananBos) April 14, 2026
This maneuver highlights FSD’s advanced spatial reasoning and predictive planning. On roads often under three meters wide, with no room for error, the system calculated available clearance in real time, incorporated shoulder and path geometry, and executed a controlled deviation without compromising safety.
It treated the bike path as a legitimate extension of navigable space, something many drivers might hesitate to do, while respecting Dutch road norms and cyclist priority.
Such feats align closely with a growing library of impressive FSD maneuvers documented on camera worldwide.
In urban Amsterdam, for instance, FSD has navigated the world’s densest cyclist environments, weaving through hundreds of unpredictable bike movements on canal-side streets with tram tracks and pedestrians.
One uncut drive showed it yielding smoothly at crossings, overtaking where needed, and even handling a near-perfect auto-park in a tight residential spot, demonstrating the same low-speed precision seen in the rural clips.
Teslas using FSD have tackled turbo roundabouts in the Netherlands, complex multi-lane circles notorious for geometry challenges, merging confidently while yielding to traffic. Similar clips depict smooth handling of construction zones, emergency vehicle pull-overs, and gated parking barriers, where the car stops precisely, waits for clearance, and proceeds without driver input.
Collectively, these examples illustrate FSD’s evolution toward handling the unpredictable.
The rural Netherlands maneuvers aren’t isolated. Instead, they reflect a pattern of spatial awareness, cyclist deference, and traffic anticipation seen from city streets to highways.
As FSD continues refining through real-world data, videos like this one are certainly building a compelling case for its readiness on Europe’s varied roads.
News
Tesla utilizes its ‘Rave Cave’ for new awesome safety feature
Part of the massive interior overhaul of both the Model 3 “Highland” and Model Y “Juniper” was the addition of interior accent lighting to help bring out the mood of the vehicle, increase the customization of the interior, and to create a unique listening experience.
Tesla is utilizing its ‘Rave Cave’ for an awesome new safety feature that will arrive with the upcoming Spring Update for 2026.
Part of the massive interior overhaul of both the Model 3 “Highland” and Model Y “Juniper” was the addition of interior accent lighting to help bring out the mood of the vehicle, increase the customization of the interior, and to create a unique listening experience.
Tesla added a Sync Lights feature that will strobe the accent strips with the beat of the music.
It is one of the most unique and one of the coolest non-functional features of a Tesla, as it does not improve the driving of the vehicle, but makes it a cool and personal addition to the interior.
However, Tesla is going to take it one step further, as the Rave Cave lights will now be used for blind spot recognition. This feature will be added as the Spring 2026 Update starts to roll out.
A lot of CRAZY new features coming with Tesla’s 2026 Spring Update, including a new FSD app!
– Self-Driving App (AI4 hardware): New app in App Launcher > Self-Driving for one-tap FSD subscriptions, activation guides, and ongoing stats.
– “Hey Grok”: Voice-activated Grok with… https://t.co/ljeYPlq9Qt— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) April 13, 2026
Tesla writes:
“Accent lights now turn red when an object is in your blind spot and your turn signal is engaged, or when an approaching object is detected while parked.”
This neat new safety feature will now increase the likelihood of a driver, who is operating their Tesla manually, of seeing the blind spot warnings that are currently available on the A pillar and on the center touchscreen.
These new alerts will now warn drivers of cross traffic as they back out of a parking space with little to no visibility of what is coming. It is a great new addition that will only increase the safety of the vehicles, while also utilizing something that is already installed in these specific Model 3 and Model Y units.
The Model 3 and Model Y were the central focus of the Spring 2026 Update, especially considering the fact that the Model S and Model X are basically gone, with only a few hundred units left. Additionally, Tesla included new Immersive Sound and Car Visualization for the Model 3 and Model Y specifically in this new update.
News
Tesla parked 50+ Cybercabs outside its Texas Factory with some crash tested
Dozens of Tesla Cybercabs have been spotted at Giga Texas crash testing facility ahead of launch.
Drone footage captured by longtime Giga Texas observer Joe Tegtmeyer shows over 50 units of Tesla Cybercab at the Austin factory campus, including several units clustered by Tesla’s on-site crash testing facility.
The outbound lot at Gigafactory Texas sits just outside the factory exit and serves as the primary staging area where finished vehicles are held before being loaded onto transport carriers or dispatched for validation testing. On any given day, the lot holds a mix of Model Y and Cybertruck units alongside the growing Tesla Cybercab fleet, as can be seen in the drone footage captured by Joe Tegtmeyer.
Roughly 50 Cybercab units are visible across the campus, parked in tight organized rows. Most of the units visible still carry steering wheels and pedals, temporary additions Tesla included to satisfy current safety regulations while the vehicles accumulate real-world data ahead of full regulatory approval for a steering wheel-free design. Tesla operates dedicated Crash Labs at both its Giga Texas and Fremont facilities that are purpose-built for controlled structural crash tests. Historically, automakers begin intensive crash testing roughly one to two months before volume production kicks off. The Cybertruck followed almost exactly that pattern. The Cybercab appears to be on the same track facility that we first saw back in October 2025. The first production Cybercab rolled off the Giga Texas line on February 17, 2026. Volume production is now targeted for April. Musk previously wrote on X that “the early production rate will be agonizingly slow, but eventually end up being insanely fast,” and separately stated Tesla is targeting at least 2 million Cybercab units per year. Commercial robotaxi service in Austin is targeted for late 2026.


