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Tesla Sentry Mode captures crazy parallel parking incident on camera

Credit: YouTube/Daily Hive News

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Tesla’s Sentry Mode recently captured an odd incident on camera involving a car flipping over while trying to parallel park between two Model 3 vehicles in Vancouver.

The incident happened on Tuesday, October 8, 2019, when the driver of a Honda Accord was trying to pull into a parking space on one of the city’s streets. The vehicle began backing into the spot normally but then shot quickly onto the sidewalk in reverse, slamming into a concrete barrier in front of a building before tumbling up and over onto its roof. The vehicle’s parking mishap resulted in two pedestrians getting injured.

Reports indicate that multiple people ended up in the hospital, including the two pedestrians who were nearly crushed by the car. When trying to avoid the toppling vehicle, they fell to the ground and injured themselves. People nearby rushed to the scene, attempting to help those who were injured. There is currently no word on what their injuries were or if they have been released.

Based on the Sentry Mode footage, it seems that the driver of the Accord may have accidentally pressed the gas pedal instead of the brake while parallel parking. That being said, the official cause of the accident remains unknown at this time.

The incident is undoubtedly unfortunate, but it does highlight the need to develop self-parking features that emphasize pedestrian safety. Tesla’s Smart Summon only moves at a maximum of 5 mph forward and reverse, for example, which means that incidents similar to the Accord’s mishap will likely not happen in a Tesla that is operating using its Full Self-Driving suite.

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This would likely be the same case when the company releases its Smart Parking feature, which Elon Musk hinted at on Twitter recently. In the same way that Smart Summon is overly cautious, stopping for pedestrians and moving at a deliberate pace, there is a good chance that Smart Parking will function the same way. Elon Musk himself has predicted that Smart Parking will be quite “silly” at first, but even in such a state, it would most definitely behave in a manner that is a lot more controlled than the Honda Accord captured in the Sentry Mode video.

Unfortunately, human error when driving vehicles is all too common, but luckily Sentry Mode was able to catch the incident on camera. This could potentially help police figure out what went wrong during the Accord’s ill-fated parallel parking attempt.

The video of the accident caught by a Tesla Model 3’s Sentry Mode can be seen below.

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Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on X @KlenderJoey. If you're looking for great Tesla accessories, check out shop.teslarati.com

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SpaceX’s Starship FL launch site will witness scenes once reserved for sci-fi films

A Starship that launches from the Florida site could touch down on the same site years later.

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Credit: SpaceX/X

The Department of the Air Force (DAF) has released its Final Environmental Impact Statement for SpaceX’s efforts to launch and land Starship and its Super Heavy booster at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s SLC-37.

According to the Impact Statement, Starship could launch up to 76 times per year on the site, with Super Heavy boosters returning within minutes of liftoff and Starship upper stages landing back on the same pad in a timeframe that was once only possible in sci-fi movies. 

Booster in Minutes, Ship in (possibly) years

The EIS explicitly referenced a never-before-seen operational concept: Super Heavy boosters will launch, reach orbit, and be caught by the tower chopsticks roughly seven minutes after liftoff. Meanwhile, the Starship upper stage will complete its mission, whether a short orbital test, lunar landing, or a multi-year Mars cargo run, and return to the exact same SLC-37 pad upon mission completion.

“The Super Heavy booster landings would occur within a few minutes of launch, while the Starship landings would occur upon completion of the Starship missions, which could last hours or years,” the EIS read.

This means a Starship that departs the Florida site in, say, 2027, could touch down on the same site in 2030 or later, right beside a brand-new stack preparing for its own journey, as noted in a Talk Of Titusville report. The 214-page document treats these multi-year round trips as standard procedure, effectively turning the location into one of the world’s first true interplanetary spaceports.

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Noise and emissions flagged but deemed manageable

While the project received a clean bill of health overall, the EIS identified two areas requiring ongoing mitigation. Sonic booms from Super Heavy booster and Starship returns will cause significant community annoyance” particularly during nighttime operations, though structural damage is not expected. Nitrogen oxide emissions during launches will also exceed federal de minimis thresholds, prompting an adaptive management plan with real-time monitoring.

Other impacts, such as traffic, wildlife (including southeastern beach mouse and Florida scrub-jay), wetlands, and historic sites, were deemed manageable under existing permits and mitigation strategies. The Air Force is expected to issue its Record of Decision within weeks, followed by FAA concurrence, setting the stage for rapid redevelopment of the former site into a dual-tower Starship complex.

SpaceX Starship Environmental Impact Statement by Simon Alvarez

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Tesla Full Self-Driving (FSD) testing gains major ground in Spain

Based on information posted by the Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT), it appears that Tesla is already busy testing FSD in the country.

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Credit: Grok Imagine

Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) program is accelerating across Europe, with Spain emerging as a key testing hub under the country’s new ES-AV framework program.

Based on information posted by the Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT), it appears that Tesla is already busy testing FSD in the country.

Spain’s ES-AV framework

Spain’s DGT launched the ES-AV Program in July 2025 to standardize testing for automated vehicles from prototypes to pre-homologation stages. The DGT described the purpose of the program on its official website.

“The program is designed to complement and enhance oversight, regulation, research, and transparency efforts, as well as to support innovation and advancements in automotive technology and industry. This framework also aims to capitalize on the opportunity to position Spain as a pioneer and leader in automated vehicle technology, seeking to provide solutions that help overcome or alleviate certain shortcomings or negative externalities of the current transportation system,” the DGT wrote. 

The program identifies three testing phases based on technological maturity and the scope of a company’s operations. Each phase has a set of minimum eligibility requirements, and applicants must indicate which phase they wish to participate in, at least based on their specific technological development.

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Credit: DGT

Tesla FSD tests

As noted by Tesla watcher Kees Roelandschap on X, the DGT’s new framework effectively gives the green flight for nationwide FSD testing. So far, Tesla Spain has a total of 19 vehicles authorized to test FSD on the country’s roads, though it would not be surprising if this fleet grows in the coming months.

The start date for the program is listed at November 27, 2025 to November 26, 2027. The DGT also noted that unlimited FSD tests could be done across Spain on any national route. And since Tesla is already in Phase 3 of the ES-AV Program, onboard safety operators are optional. Remote monitoring would also be allowed. 

Tesla’s FSD tests in Spain could help the company gain a lot of real-world data on the country’s roads. Considering the scope of tests that are allowed for the electric vehicle maker, it seems like Spain would be one of the European countries that would be friendly to FSD’s operations. So far, Tesla’s FSD push in Europe is notable, with the company holding FSD demonstrations in Germany, France, and Italy. Tesla is also pushing for national approval in the Netherlands in early 2026.

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Tesla FSD V14.2.1 is earning rave reviews from users in diverse conditions

Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software continues its rapid evolution, with the latest V14.2.1 update drawing widespread praise.

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Credit: Grok Imagine

Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software continues its rapid evolution, with the latest V14.2.1 update drawing widespread praise for its smoother performance and smarter decision-making.

Videos and firsthand accounts from Tesla owners highlight V14.2.1 as an update that improves navigation responsiveness, sign recognition, and overall fluidity, among other things. Some drivers have even described it as “more alive than ever,” hinting at the system eventually feeling “sentient,” as Elon Musk has predicted.

FSD V14.2.1 first impressions

Early adopters are buzzing about how V14.2.1 feels less intrusive while staying vigilant. In a post shared on X, Tesla owner @LactoseLunatic described the update as a “huge leap forward,” adding that the system remains “incredibly assertive but still safe.”

Another Tesla driver, Devin Olsenn, who logged ~600 km on V14.2.1, reported no safety disengagements, with the car feeling “more alive than ever.” The Tesla owner noted that his wife now defaults to using FSD V14, as the system is already very smooth and refined.

Adverse weather and regulatory zones are testing grounds where V14.2.1 shines, at least according to testers in snow areas. Tesla watcher Sawyer Merritt shared a video of his first snowy drive on unplowed rural roads in New Hampshire, where FSD did great and erred on the side of caution. As per Merritt, FSD V14.2.1 was “extra cautious” but it performed well overall. 

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Sign recognition and freeway prowess

Sign recognition also seemed to show improvements with FSD V14.2.1. Longtime FSD tester Chuck Cook highlighted a clip from his upcoming first-impressions video, showcasing improved school zone behavior. “I think it read the signs better,” he observed, though in standard mode, it didn’t fully drop to 15 mph within the short timeframe. This nuance points to V14.2.1’s growing awareness of temporal rules, a step toward fewer false positives in dynamic environments.

FSD V14.2.1 also seems to excel in high-stress highway scenarios. Fellow FSD tester @BLKMDL3 posted a video of FSD V14.2.1 managing a multi-lane freeway closure due to a police chase-related accident. “Perfectly handles all lanes of the freeway merging into one,” the Tesla owner noted in his post on X.

FSD V14.2.1 was released on Thanksgiving, much to the pleasant surprise of Tesla owners. The update’s release notes are almost identical to the system’s previous iteration, save for one line item read, “Camera visibility can lead to increased attention monitoring sensitivity.”

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