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Tesla Semi’s temporary ‘Megacharger’ system glimpsed in Madonna Inn sighting

[Credit: jerryswhip/Instagram]

Published

8 years ago

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More than a year since unveiling the vehicle, Tesla continues to conduct real-world tests of the Semi across the United States. In its recent sighting, the Semi was spotted while it was charging at the iconic and quirky Madonna Inn, located at San Luis Obispo, CA. This time around, the sighting provided what could very well be the first glimpse at Tesla’s temporary “Megacharger” solution for the Semi test mule.

When Elon Musk unveiled the Tesla Semi, he noted that the vehicle would be supported by a network of “Megachargers,” which are capable of replenishing 400 miles of range in as little as 30 minutes of charging. Unlike the Supercharger Network, which has a power output of roughly 120 kW, speculations are high that Tesla’s Megacharger will see around ten times the power levels. During the vehicle’s unveiling, an image was taken of the long-hauler’s charging port, revealing an 8-pin configuration that’s noticeably larger than the Supercharger ports found on the Model S, X, and 3.

Tesla’s Megacharger Network is yet to be built, though some reservation holders of the long-hauler are already installing dedicated charging stations for the Semi in some of their key facilities. Considering that the Semi test mule is currently conducting real-world tests across the United States, though, Tesla has been utilizing a temporary charging solution for the vehicle using its existing Supercharger Network. That said, the electric car maker has been notably secretive about the Semi prototype’s temporary “Megacharger” system. That is, until recently. 

The Tesla Semi charging at the Madonna Inn Supercharger. [Credit: jerryswhip/Instagram]

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During the vehicle’s recent sighting at Madonna Inn, a part of the Semi’s charger was photographed and shared online by auto enthusiast jerryswhip on Instagram. A member of the r/TeslaMotors subreddit who was present at the Semi’s sighting, u/Jace11, further noted that the long-hauler was connected to a hub that was, in turn, linked to three Supercharger stations. This hub seems to be visible in one of the images taken of the vehicle, as a contraption with a red light could be seen in the area beside the Semi’s charging port.

Following its charging session at the Madonna Inn Supercharger, the Semi headed back into the highway towards San Francisco. Footage taken by Tesla enthusiast Steven M. Conroy showcased the Semi’s impressive speed once more, while capturing the vehicle’s unique, unearthly sound as it accelerated on the freeway. At several points in the video, the now-iconic futuristic whine of the vehicle’s four Model 3-derived electric motors was clearly audible.

The Tesla Semi sighted at the Madonna Inn Supercharger. [Credit: jerryswhip/Instagram]

Being a vehicle designed to compete in the trucking industry, the Semi has the potential to be the most disruptive offering from Tesla. The vehicle, after all, has several features that make it a viable alternative to diesel-powered semi-trailers, from its four Model 3-derived electric motors, its comparable Class 8 hauling capacity, to its superior speed. In true Tesla fashion, the company continues to develop and improve the Semi, with President of Automotive Jerome Guillen stating that the all-electric truck has been given notable improvements since it was unveiled last year. Some of the Semi’s improvements have been teased by Elon Musk earlier this year as well, with the CEO stating that the long-range variant of the vehicle would have closer to 600 miles of range per charge.

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The Tesla Semi has attracted a notable amount of support from several high-profile companies, including PepsiCo, JB Hunt, UPS, and FedEx, to name a few. Even foreign companies such as ASKO in Norway and Bee’ah in the Middle East have also placed orders for the electric long-hauler. Tesla is yet to announce where the Semi would be manufactured, though the company is expected to start producing the vehicle sometime in 2019.

Watch the Tesla Semi leave the Madonna Inn Supercharger and accelerate on the highway in the video below.

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Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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Investor's Corner

Lucid denies rumors of bankruptcy after over 40% stock drop

Published

17 hours ago

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July 14, 2026

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Credit: Lucid

Electric vehicle maker Lucid Group has denied rumors of an imminent bankruptcy after a report from this morning sent the stock on a dramatic drop on Wall Street, seeing losses of more than 40 percent during trading hours.

Lucid’s Director of Communications, Nick Twork, responded to the report from Eletric-Vehicles.com, which stated the company’s restructuring advisor, AlixPartners, was asked to review two decisions: taking Lucid shares private or filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

The report also claims AlixPartners told the Lucid board to “concentrate on Gravity production while improving its quality, and to temporarily hold back the Lucid Air, the sedan that has defined the company since its launch.”

Twork said:

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Shares rebounded after the response to the report, halving its losses as the trading day neared 3 p.m. Eastern.

Lucid has struggled to get its sales off the ground and into more respectable numbers, but the company is in its early years, when things are hard to begin with. It is also backed by several notable investors, including the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), which has nearly limitless money and likely would not ditch an investment of this size so soon.

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Lucid shares were down just 14 percent at the time of publication, a far cry from the 55 percent its losses topped out at during the day.

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Tesla owner attempts resale of Model S Signature Edition for over $260k

Published

20 hours ago

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July 14, 2026

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Credit: Tesla

A Tesla owner who purchased a Model S Signature Edition, one of the final 250 units of the all-electric flagship vehicle that the company discontinued earlier this year, is attempting to sell the car despite a no-resale clause that prohibits reselling for the first year.

The car is being sold by J&S Autohaus in Ewing, New Jersey, and is priced at $260,490, well above the $159,420 that Tesla sold it for earlier this year.

To those who do not know, the Model S Signature was a highly exclusive, limited-run farewell variant of the Model S Plaid that was produced this year to mark the end of production of both the Model S and Model X, Tesla’s two flagship vehicles.

Limited to just 250 units with invite-only sales, it serves as a collector’s item celebrating the legacy of the Model S, which helped pioneer Tesla’s electric vehicle success since its 2012 launch.

It bundles top-tier performance with bespoke cosmetic and luxury upgrades, plus Tesla’s Luxe Package. Here’s what the Model S Signature has over the typical Model S Plaid:

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  • Exclusive Exterior – Unique Garnet Red Paint, matching door handles, gold Tesla “T” badges upfront, gold Plaid and Signature badging at the rear.
  • Premium Interior – White Alcantara upholstery with gold piping/accents, gold Plaid seat badges, Signature-marked door sills, individually numbered dashboard plaque, gold puddle lights, special interior lighting sequence, and a custom Signature key fob.
  • Performance Upgrades – Carbon-ceramic brakes with gold calipers
  • Bundled Luxe Package – Full Self-Driving (Supervised), four years of Premium Connectivity, free lifetime Supercharging
  • Performance Metrics – ~1,020 horsepower, sub-2-second 0-60 MPH, ~390-mile range

Tesla quickly introduced a No Resale Agreement for the Signature Editions of the Model S and Model X, which would penalize the seller for “the amount of $50,000 or the value received as consideration for the sale or transfer, whichever is greater.”

The company continues:

“If you sell or otherwise transfer the ownership of your Model S or Model X, the remainder of the Recommended Maintenance, Wheel and Tire Protection Plan, and Windshield Protection Plan will transfer automatically to the buyer. The Full Self-Driving (Supervised), Free Supercharging and Premium Connectivity will not transfer with the vehicle and will terminate once the ownership of the Model S or Model X is transferred.”

Tesla will likely come after the seller, especially as it has been about two months since Tesla launched deliveries.

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Tesla Full Self-Driving v14.3.5 Early Impressions: new features and early performance

Published

24 hours ago

on

July 14, 2026

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Credit: TESLARATI

Tesla rolled out Full Self-Driving (Supervised) v14.3.5 yesterday, and about fifty miles of driving on the new version has given me enough time to highlight what seems to be strong about the release and what is not.

Additionally, Tesla has added a few new features with this specific update, which we’ll highlight as well.

Tesla Full Self-Driving v14.3.5 Performance

The new update is business as usual. Things seem to be running completely normal and necessary, but there are a few things that we’ve seemed to pick up on based on our own experience with v14.3.5, as well as what other users are seeing.

Initially, it seems to be more aware of its surroundings, making moves that are incredibly courteous to other drives and operating just a tad more reserved than what the suite might have done previously.

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We had two instances where it showed this, the first being FSD needing to pass a Flagger Force vehicle that was placing down signage for the day. Their work truck was right at the front corner of a right-hand turn; typically where most cars travel when they take that turn.

FSD v14.3.5 recognized this, slowed down, and took the turn wide with no issues:

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Additionally, v14.3.5 backed up for a semi truck that was making a wide turn onto a road my car was on. This is not new, but it seemed to be backing up for courtesy; it didn’t seem completely necessary, but it might have put some peace of mind in the truck driver’s head:

X user Mike P, also a Pennsylvania native like myself, shared three clips of his Tesla running v14.3.5 performing similar maneuvers. He said:

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“FSD turns right into a small alley that only fits one car at a time, sees oncoming car, reverses out of alley to make space, realizes oncoming car is actually parking, re-enters alley.”

Check it out here:

It seems like Speed Profiles are still in need of some tweaking; I am adjusting what Speed Profile I’m in frequently, constantly changing it to get it to travel at the correct speed. This was an issue for me on v14.3.4. It seems like they’re just a little inconsistent.

Terrible Parking

Parking attempts on v14.3.5 were not good. There are quite a few people who have said this:

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David Moss, the Tesla owner who has taken multiple coast-to-coast drives without any interventions, also has had some issues with parking early on with v14.3.5:

New Features

Tesla has added the ability to open Camera Preview at any time. Previously, it was only available in Park. Here’s what that feature looks like in action:

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Check back later this week for a longer review of what we’ve noticed on Full Self-Driving v14.3.5.

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