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Tesla’s next Easter Egg will greet car vandals with Bach and Beethoven

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Tesla CEO Eon Musk revealed additional details on how the company’s upcoming Sentry Mode theft-deterrent system will function, which includes a humorous look against the background of something as serious as addressing vehicle break-ins. According to Musk’s latest Tweet about the Iron Man-reminiscent feature, when an intrusion is detected while Sentry Mode is activated, composer Johann Sebastian Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565 will play, drawing as much attention as possible to the would-be perpetrator(s). Tesla’s combined commitment to its customers’ safety, security, and more-cowbells-fun is something frequently on display, and this amusing spin on a vehicle alarm system is no different.

Also added to the playlist about tactical intruder mitigation was a heavy metal version of the same 18th-century composer’s masterpiece. As with many of Musk’s Twitter rounds, the Tesla CEO was open to further suggestions and responded accordingly. An appropriately metal version of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata was proposed by NicheGamer, to which the Tesla executive agreed to include with the upcoming over-the-air software update. Of course, this isn’t the first time a Tesla has been involved in epic heavy metal music with a classical flair. The Model X features a holiday-themed Easter Egg wherein an entertaining light and winged-door show to the song “Wizards in Winter” by Trans Siberian Orchestra is enacted.

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Sentry Mode was first revealed by Musk in a tweet-response to a Tesla owner complaint about a dent found in his car made while the vehicle was parked. While the car manufacturer has been rolling out security improvements over the last few months, including an in-car dash cam system and motion-sensing Enhanced Anti-Theft system, this latest reveal was seemingly in response to the most recent rise in Tesla-targeted thefts popping up all over social media and Internet forums. A few days later, Musk estimated that a ‘rough beta’ would be released in 2 to 3 weeks. While specific official details of the Sentry Mode feature are slim, one of the assumed components is an enhanced use of vehicles’ built-in dashcam, itself developed in response to issues of theft and hit-and-run incidents. The array of sensors and cameras which provide 360-degree visibility on Tesla vehicles equipped with the hardware were leveraged to provide the cam feature in the Version 9.0 software updated in September 2018.

When Elon Musk takes to Twitter to discuss new product ideas and features, it may not always be clear whether he’s serious, but it’s always amusing to imagine that he is and more often than not a safe bet to take. After all, The Boring Company (TBC), now poised to take on the traditional underground public transportation construction industry, infamously began with a tweet about “soul crushing” traffic. Considering the rapid expansion into TBC merchandising and positive response therefrom – hats, not-a-flamethrowers, etc. – the trend of tweets-turned-tangibles only has reasons to continue.

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In the realm of new software features and Easter Eggs, anything Musk says is probably game for reality once Emissions Testing Mode (ETM) went live in a December 2018 software update. After teasing an upcoming “Toilet Humor” feature via Twitter, Tesla drivers saw the tease-promise kept via ETM which gives the option of directing fart noises to emit from a designated seat in the vehicle. In a tweet that sounds like it came from Musk himself, the official Tesla Twitter account recently pointed out that Romance Mode, the fireplace playing, heater-blasting, mood music setting fun feature released at the same time as ETM, “accommodates up to 5” in the Model 3. Whatever that means. Or doesn’t mean.

Altogether, Sentry Mode probably suggests it’s going to be horns-up for anyone nearby while a would-be robber tests out a Tesla vehicle’s proneness to theft. Either that, or anyone subjected to any intrusion detection system’s misidentifications won’t be so annoyed. (See: obnoxious car alarms that don’t quit.) Oh, and as for keeping Summer safe? Let’s hope things don’t come to that. Auto insurance is pricey enough.

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Accidental computer geek, fascinated by most history and the multiplanetary future on its way. Quite keen on the democratization of space. | It's pronounced day-sha, but I answer to almost any variation thereof.

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Cybertruck

Tesla drops latest hint that new Cybertruck trim is selling like hotcakes

According to Tesla’s Online Design Studio, the new All-Wheel-Drive Cybertruck will now be delivered in April 2027. Earlier orders are still slated for early this Summer, but orders from here on forward are now officially pushed into next year:

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(Credit: Tesla)

Tesla’s new Cybertruck offering has had its delivery date pushed back once again. This is now the second time, and deliveries for the newest orders are now pushed well into 2027.

According to Tesla’s Online Design Studio, the new All-Wheel-Drive Cybertruck will now be delivered in April 2027. Earlier orders are still slated for early this Summer, but orders from here on forward are now officially pushed into next year:

Just three days ago, the initial delivery date of June 2026 was pushed back to early Fall, and now, that date has officially moved to April 2027.

The fact that Tesla has had to push back deliveries once again proves one of two things: either Tesla has slow production plans for the new Cybertruck trim, or demand is off the charts.

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Judging by how Tesla is already planning to raise the price based on demand in just a few days, it seems like the company knows it is giving a tremendous deal on this spec of Cybertruck, and units are moving quickly.

That points more toward demand and not necessarily to slower production plans, but it is not confirmed.

Tesla Cybertruck’s newest trim will undergo massive change in ten days, Musk says

Tesla is set to hike the price on March 1, so tomorrow will be the final day to grab the new Cybertruck trim for just $59,990.

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It features:

  • Dual Motor AWD w/ est. 325 mi of range
  • Powered tonneau cover
  • Bed outlets (2x 120V + 1x 240V) & Powershare capability
  • Coil springs w/ adaptive damping
  • Heated first-row seats w/ textile material that is easy to clean
  • Steer-by-wire & Four Wheel Steering
  • 6’ x 4’ composite bed
  • Towing capacity of up to 7,500 lbs
  • Powered frunk

Interestingly, the price offering is fairly close to what Tesla unveiled back in late 2019.

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Elon Musk

Elon Musk outlines plan for first Starship tower catch attempt

Musk confirmed that Starship V3 Ship 1 (SN1) is headed for ground tests and expressed strong confidence in the updated vehicle design.

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Credit: SpaceX/X

Elon Musk has clarified when SpaceX will first attempt to catch Starship’s upper stage with its launch tower. The CEO’s update provides the clearest teaser yet for the spacecraft’s recovery roadmap.

Musk shared the details in recent posts on X. In his initial post, Musk confirmed that Starship V3 Ship 1 (SN1) is headed for ground tests and expressed strong confidence in the updated vehicle design.

“Starship V3 SN1 headed for ground tests. I am highly confident that the V3 design will achieve full reusability,” Musk wrote.

In a follow-up post, Musk addressed when SpaceX would attempt to catch the upper stage using the launch tower’s robotic arms. 

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“Should note that SpaceX will only try to catch the ship with the tower after two perfect soft landings in the ocean. The risk of the ship breaking up over land needs to be very low,” Musk clarified. 

His remarks suggest that SpaceX is deliberately reducing risk before attempting a tower catch of Starship’s upper stage. Such a milestone would mark a major step towards the full reuse of the Starship system.

SpaceX is currently targeting the first Starship V3 flight of 2026 this coming March. The spacecraft’s V3 iteration is widely viewed as a key milestone in SpaceX’s long-term strategy to make Starship fully reusable. 

Starship V3 features a number of key upgrades over its previous iterations. The vehicle is equipped with SpaceX’s Raptor V3 engines, which are designed to deliver significantly higher thrust than earlier versions while reducing cost and weight. 

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The V3 design is also expected to be optimized for manufacturability, a critical step if SpaceX intends to scale the spacecraft’s production toward frequent launches for Starlink, lunar missions, and eventually Mars. 

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Tesla FSD (Supervised) could be approved in the Netherlands next month: Musk

Musk shared the update during a recent interview at Giga Berlin.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla CEO Elon Musk shared that Full Self-Driving (FSD) could receive regulatory approval in the Netherlands as soon as March 20, potentially marking a major step forward for Tesla’s advanced driver-assistance rollout in Europe.

Musk shared the update during a recent interview at Giga Berlin, noting that the date was provided by local authorities.

“Tesla has the most advanced real-world AI, and hopefully, it will be approved soon in Europe. We’re told by the authorities that March 20th, it’ll be approved in the Netherlands,’ what I was told,” Musk stated. 

“Hopefully, that date remains the same. But I think people in Europe are going to be pretty blown away by how good the Tesla car AI is in being able to drive.”

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Tesla’s FSD system relies on vision-based neural networks trained on real-world driving data, allowing vehicles to navigate using cameras and AI rather than traditional sensor-heavy solutions. 

The performance of FSD Supervised has so far been impressive. As per Tesla’s safety report, Full Self-Driving Supervised has already traveled 8.3 billion miles. So far, vehicles operating with FSD Supervised engaged recorded one major collision every 5,300,676 miles. 

In comparison, Teslas driven manually with Active Safety systems recorded one major collision every 2,175,763 miles, while Teslas driven manually without Active Safety recorded one major collision every 855,132 miles. The U.S. average during the same period was one major collision every 660,164 miles.

If approval is granted on March 20, the Netherlands could become the first European market to greenlight Tesla’s latest supervised FSD (Supervised) software under updated regulatory frameworks. Tesla has been working to secure expanded FSD access across Europe, where regulatory standards differ significantly from those in the United States. Approval in the Netherlands would likely serve as a foundation for broader EU adoption, though additional country-level clearances may still be required.

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