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New Tesla Service Center in Pittsburgh given the green light for construction
Tesla’s mysterious plans for a Pittsburgh Service Center have been rumored for several years but nothing could be confirmed. Then about a two months ago, concrete information began appearing on the public record. In June, Marshall Township planners gave their approval for the plans to move forward and now that they have been approved by the township supervisors, it’s time to release all the known details.
If you look closely at the pictures, you may recognize a logo imprinted on the face of the main entrance: the logo of Ethan Allen Furniture.
The store was sold to a Florida-based LLC in February. That LLC retains ownership of the building and will lease it to Tesla. In accordance with legislation already passed by the state government, the company is allowed five “dealerships” statewide. The property is located north of the city between Wexford and Cranberry in Marshall Township. As early as April, Tesla was on the agenda for the Planning Commission, but then postponed their appearance.
The upper red Tesla mark is the Cranberry Township Supercharger (map). I’ve placed a red dot on the site of the former Ethan Allen. The red Tesla mark in the middle of the map is the Ross Park Mall store location where the company recently held an exclusive grand opening event. The light grey Tesla mark is likely used to denote the geographic center of our local Ranger’s service area. The two smaller dark grey marks are destination chargers in the city.
The former Ethan Allen is on Route 19 (also known as McKnight Road as it passes through the closer suburbs), a busy commercial corridor that stretches through the entirety of the northern Pittsburgh region and on up through Cranberry (where the Supercharger is). The section pictured above is the third major concentration of car dealerships along the road, between the Wexford and Warrendale exits of I-79. The former Ethan Allen is circled in red. The brighter two blue circles are existing Lexus, Volvo, Land Rover and Jaguar dealerships. The blue circle closest to the Ethan Allen is currently being developed into a Maserati dealership. Somewhere in that row there will also be a Bentley dealership.
The new service center shares a plaza with another building that houses some medical offices and a backyard playground equipment store. The terrain necessitates that customers choose between driving down a blank-walled alley or around the side of the store (which looks like it should be the front).
The lot is somewhat awkward, but it does have a commanding view over the nearby dealerships from the side-oriented main entrance. The shaded parking spaces indicate Tesla’s planned areas for inventory cars. One of the supervisors questioned if that was an adequate number, but given Teslas are built-to-order they rarely have a lot of on-hand inventory– unlike a traditional dealership.
There is a lot of additional parking along the backside of the store– but that’ll expanded even further for service loaners, deliveries and customer cars waiting to be serviced or picked up.
Having never shopped for a retail property, it’s hard to gauge how big some of the stats on the realty company’s brochure are– but the building certainly seems large enough and Tesla will have no problem filling it from wall-to-wall.
The interior of the store looked wide open for possibilities on paper, but that ignores some of the facts on the ground as you’ll see in a moment. The side-mounted lobby splits the building down the middle, with service on the backside edges and retail on the front sides where the windows are. Not much can be done along the alley-facing wall other than offices and storage, since all the restrooms and utilities are there.
Here’s the approach from Route 19 to the building. The dated beige and pink will be going away, replaced with a clean and modern palette of white and dark grey.
It’s only after you drive up to the building that realize the front door isn’t the front door. There’s no parking here and no room to add any. Tesla will also be putting some money into new exterior lighting and removing the awnings and their metal frames.
A large side-folding door will be added to the road-facing façade. It will accordion open to allow customers to drive their newly delivered cars out onto the street for the first time.
Sneaking a peek inside the glass doors, the building’s former life is still quite evident. Walls for all of the display “rooms” for the furniture litter the floor plan. They’re not substantive but it will still be a lot of debris to clear. The tiled “path” around the store will also be demolished. Floor treatments are expected to be a combination of tile and polished or painted/sealed concrete.
Rounding the corner, it becomes clear that I didn’t respect the handicapped parking lines during my scouting run last winter. There, I admit it—but I wasn’t exactly putting anyone out, so save your letters for the bro-trucks blocking Superchargers.
The main entrance shows the Ethan Allen logo engraved into the façade. All the other signage was simply painted over with what seem to be black rattle-spray cans. Tesla will be renewing the stucco and painting it in their own colors with back lit signs similar to their other locations. You’ll note in all these pictures that the current state of the parking surface is not particularly inspiring either. More expense but also more confirmation that Tesla is willing to make some major capital investments into the Pittsburgh market.
Looking inside the main doors, you can see how the lobby splits the building into two halves. Tesla’s current floor plans indicate a receptionist will guide you to the right for sales, straight ahead to a lounge area or to the left where service advisors have their desks.
Like the road-facing façade, the main façade will be gaining a large door. Located on the far left side, the door will be a large commercial sized rollup door. The door will open into a drive-through passage leading behind the service desks and customer lounge and into the work areas of the service department. According to the plans, it seems necessary that this will designated as either an entrance or exit.
The layout of the building means that the back of the store is actually the side next to the front of the store… instead of the side opposite. For Tesla this presents an interesting opportunity in their renovations in that everyone who visits will get a clear look at the work going on as cars are driven in for service. For most dealerships the service area is hidden away behind the store and often a bit grimy, but for Tesla it’s actually a selling point with typically clean and bright work areas with colorful machinery and tools. Hopefully they’ll include windows from the customer lounge area to the service area.
If you consider that the existing loading dock is level with the internal floor, you can see there is an elevation change issue for that main wall’s new vehicle access. Not sure how they’ll resolve that discrepancy but the floor plans suggest a ramp up into the service area will be necessary while the loading dock is retained for parts delivery.
The rear of the property will be getting an additional 24 parking places and extensive landscaping. The parking expansion is probably just for the ebb and flow of deliveries but could also indicate that Pittsburgh might host some of the regions CPO cars as they await reconditioning and resale. A number of other parking stalls are added here and there as the lines are revised, but there is no immediate evidence of customer HPWCs or charging slots. Chargers for service/store use are expected to be in the ten shaded spots marked in the middle of the back lot.
The presence of an easement for utilities would suggest power for part of the lot could be made readily available even though the building’s utilities are currently located on the farthest alley corner.
Completing our lap around the outside, the alley/driveway between the former Ethan Allen and the neighboring building shows an arrow straight driveway from Route 19. This will be great for trucks delivering new cars and for the Rangers (and their trailers) who will be based out of here. Tesla’s plans indicate another large rolling garage door will be added to the front half of this side. That door will access the service area directly and will probably be designated as either entrance or exit only. Exiting the parking lot on the other side provides easy access to another arrow straight road back to Route 19.
If all goes according to what appear to be Tesla’s plans, it’ll– quite literally– be an uphill battle for the some of the local dealers because Tesla will hold the high ground in Marshall Township. Construction is expected to begin almost immediately with a grand opening late this year, perhaps November.
One interesting prohibition that did come from this meeting. The supervisors are limiting the site to the sales of car and associated retail merchandise and accessories. The company is specifically forbidden from selling “other product lines” such as the Powerwall. If Tesla decides later they’d like to market those (or SolarCity panels), they’ll have to reappear in front of the board for approval.
News
Tesla refines Full Self-Driving, latest update impresses where it last came up short
We were able to go out and test it pretty extensively on Saturday, and the changes Tesla made from the previous version were incredibly impressive, especially considering it seemed to excel where it last came up short.
Tesla released Full Self-Driving v14.2.1.25 on Friday night to Early Access Program (EAP) members. It came as a surprise, as it was paired with the release of the Holiday Update.
We were able to go out and test it pretty extensively on Saturday, and the changes Tesla made from the previous version were incredibly impressive, especially considering it seemed to excel where it last came up short.
Tesla supplements Holiday Update by sneaking in new Full Self-Driving version
With Tesla Full Self-Driving v14.2.1, there were some serious regressions. Speed Profiles were overtinkered with, causing some modes to behave in a strange manner. Hurry Mode was the most evident, as it refused to go more than 10 MPH over the speed limit on freeways.
It would routinely hold up traffic at this speed, and flipping it into Mad Max mode was sort of over the top. Hurry is what I use most frequently, and it had become somewhat unusable with v14.2.1.
It seemed as if Speed Profiles should be more associated with both passing and lane-changing frequency. Capping speeds does not help as it can impede the flow of traffic. When FSD travels at the speed of other traffic, it is much more effective and less disruptive.
With v14.2.1.25, there were three noticeable changes that improved its performance significantly: Speed Profile refinements, lane change confidence, and Speed Limit recognition.
🚨 Many of you asked us to test highway driving with Tesla Full Self-Driving v14.2.1.25. Here’s what we noticed:
✅ Speed Profiles are significantly improved. Hurry Mode is no longer capped at 10 MPH over the speed limit, and now travels with the flow of traffic. This is much… pic.twitter.com/48ZCGbW0JO
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) December 13, 2025
Speed Profile Refinement
Speed Profiles have been significantly improved. Hurry Mode is no longer capped at 10 MPH over the speed limit and now travels with the flow of traffic. This is much more comfortable during highway operation, and I was not required to intervene at any point.
With v14.2.1, I was sometimes assisting it with lane changes, and felt it was in the wrong place at the wrong time more frequently than ever before.
However, this was one of the best-performing FSD versions in recent memory, and I really did not have any complaints on the highway. Speed, maneuvering, lane switching, routing, and aggressiveness were all perfect.
Lane Changes
v14.2.1 had a tendency to be a little more timid when changing lanes, which was sort of frustrating at times. When the car decides to change lanes and turn on its signal, it needs to pull the trigger and change lanes.
It also changed lanes at extremely unnecessary times, which was a real frustration.
There were no issues today on v14.2.1.25; lane changes were super confident, executed at the correct time, and in the correct fashion. It made good decisions on when to get into the right lane when proceeding toward its exit.
It was one of the first times in a while that I did not feel as if I needed to nudge it to change lanes. I was very impressed.
Speed Limit Recognition
So, this is a complex issue. With v14.2.1, there were many times when it would see a Speed Limit sign that was not meant for the car (one catered for tractor trailers, for example) or even a route sign, and it would incorrectly adjust the speed. It did this on the highway several times, mistaking a Route 30 sign for a 30 MPH sign, then beginning to decelerate from 55 MPH to 30 MPH on the highway.
This required an intervention. I also had an issue leaving a drive-thru Christmas lights display, where the owners of the private property had a 15 MPH sign posted nearly every 200 yards for about a mile and a half.
The car identified it as a 55 MPH sign and sped up significantly. This caused an intervention, and I had to drive manually.
It seems like FSD v14.2.1.25 is now less reliant on the signage (maybe because it was incorrectly labeling it) and more reliant on map data or the behavior of nearby traffic.
A good example was on the highway today: despite the car reading that Route 30 sign and the Speed Limit sign on the center screen reading 30 MPH, the car did not decelerate. It continued at the same speed, but I’m not sure if that’s because of traffic or map data:
🚨 We listened to and read a lot of you who had a complaint of Tesla Full Self-Driving v14.2.1 incorrectly reading Speed Limit signs
This appears to be resolved in v14.2.1.25.
Here’s a breakdown: pic.twitter.com/TEP03xrMbt
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) December 13, 2025
A Lone Complaint
Tesla has said future updates will include parking improvements, and I’m really anxious for them, because parking is not great. I’ve had some real issues with it over the past couple of months.
Today was no different:
🚨 My lone complaint with my drive on Tesla FSD v14.2.1.25 was this strange parking instance.
FSD swung out wide to the left to pull into this spot and this is where it seemed to be stumped. I gave it about 10 seconds after the car just stopped moving for it to make some… https://t.co/ZEkhTHOihG pic.twitter.com/TRemXu5DLf
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) December 13, 2025
Full Self-Driving v14.2.1.25 is really a massive improvement over past versions, and it seems apparent that Tesla took its time with fixing the bugs, especially with highway operation on v14.2.1.
News
Tesla hints at Starlink integration with recent patent
“By employing polymer blends, some examples enable RF transmission from all the modules to satellites and other communication devices both inside and outside the vehicle.”
Tesla hinted at a potential Starlink internet terminal integration within its vehicles in a recent patent, which describes a vehicle roof assembly with integrated radio frequency (RF) transparency.
The patent, which is Pub. No U.S. 2025/0368267 describes a new vehicle roof that is made of RF-transparent polymer materials, allowing and “facilitating clear communication with external devices and satellites.”
Tesla believes that a new vehicle roof design, comprised of different materials than the standard metallic or glass elements used in cars today, would allow the company to integrate modern vehicular technologies, “particularly those requiring radio frequency transmission and reception.
Tesla has recently filed a US patent application on integrating RF transparent materials into the roof structure.
“facilitating clear communication with external devices and satellites”
Tesla fleet is getting @Starlink connectivity integration soon. LFG @Tesla @elonmusk… pic.twitter.com/bLa8YtPLd1
— Chansoo Byeon (@Chansoo) December 9, 2025
Instead of glass or metallic materials, Tesla says vehicles may benefit from high-strength polymer blends, such as Polycarbonate, Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene, or Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate.
These materials still provide ideal strength metrics for crashworthiness, stiffness for noise, vibration, and harshness control, and are compliant with head impact regulations.
They would also enable better performance with modern technologies, like internet terminals, which need an uninterrupted signal to satellites for maximum reception. Tesla writes in the patent:
“By employing polymer blends, some examples enable RF transmission from all the modules to satellites and other communication devices both inside and outside the vehicle.”
One of the challenges Tesla seems to be aware of with this type of roof design is the fact that it will still have to enable safety and keep that at the forefront of the design. As you can see in the illustration above, Tesla plans to use four layers to increase safety and rigidity, while also combating noise and vibration.
It notes in the patent that disclosed examples still meet the safety requirements outlined in the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS).
Starlink integrated directly into Tesla vehicles would be a considerable advantage for owners. It would come with a handful of distinct advantages.
Initially, the inclusion of Starlink would completely eliminate cellular dead zones, something that is an issue, especially in rural areas. Starlink would provide connectivity in these remote regions and would ensure uninterrupted service during road trips and off-grid adventures.
It could also be a critical addition for Robotaxi, as it is crucial to have solid and reliable connectivity for remote monitoring and fleet management.
Starlink’s growing constellation, thanks to SpaceX’s routine and frequent launch schedule, will provide secure, stable, and reliable internet connectivity for Tesla vehicles.
Although many owners have already mounted Starlink Mini dishes under their glass roofs for a similar experience, it may be integrated directly into Teslas in the coming years, either as an upgrade or a standard feature.
News
Tesla supplements Holiday Update by sneaking in new Full Self-Driving version
It seems Tesla was waiting for the Hardware 4 rollout, as it wanted to also deploy a new Full Self-Driving version to those owners, as it appeared in the release notes for the Holiday Update last night.
Tesla has surprised some owners by sneaking in a new Full Self-Driving version with the wide release of the Holiday Update, which started rolling out to Hardware 4 owners on Friday night.
Tesla has issued a controlled and very slow release pattern with the Holiday Update, which rolls out with Software Version 2025.44.25.5.
For the past two weeks, as it has rolled out to Hardware 3 and older Tesla owners, the company has kept its deployment of the new Software Version relatively controlled.
It seems Tesla was waiting for the Hardware 4 rollout, as it wanted to also deploy a new Full Self-Driving version to those owners, as it appeared in the release notes for the Holiday Update last night.
Tesla Full Self-Driving v14.2.1.25 made its first appearance last night to Hardware 4 owners who are members of the Early Access Program (EAP). It appears to be a slight refinement from FSD v14.2.1, which has been out for a couple of weeks.
Tesla v2025.44.25.5 Holiday update incoming
Also Full Self-Driving v14.2.1.25!!! pic.twitter.com/74D7S0UGXz
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) December 13, 2025
Many owners welcome the new FSD version, us included, because we’ve been less than impressed with v14.2.1. We have experienced some minor regressions with v14.2.1, especially with Speed Limit recognition, Speed Profile tinkering, and parking performance.
As it stands, Full Self-Driving is still particularly impressive, but Tesla is evidently having an issue with some of the adjustments, as it is still refining some of the performance aspects of the suite. This is expected and normal with some updates, as not all of them are an improvement in all areas; we routinely see some things backtrack every once in a while.
This new FSD version is likely to take care of those things, but it also includes all of the awesome Holiday Update features, which include:
- Grok with Navigation Commands (Beta) – Grok will now add and edit destinations.
- Tesla Photobooth – Take pictures inside your car using the cabin-facing camera
- Dog Mode Live Activity – Check on your four-legged friend on your phone through periodic snapshots taken of the cabin
- Dashcam Viewer Update – Includes new metrics, like steering wheel angle, speed, and more
- Santa Mode – New graphics, trees, and a lock chime
- Light Show Update – Addition of Jingle Rush light show
- Custom Wraps and License Plates – Colorizer now allows you to customize your vehicle even further, with custom patterns, license plates, and tint
- Navigation Improvements – Easier layout and setup
- Supercharger Site Map – Starting at 18 pilot locations, a 3D view of the Supercharger you’re visiting will be available
- Automatic Carpool Lane Routing – Navigation will utilize carpool lanes if enabled
- Phone Left Behind Chime – Your car will now tell you if you left a phone inside
- Charge Limit Per Location – Set a charge limit for each location
- ISS Docking Simulator – New game
- Additional Improvements – Turn off wireless charging pad, Spotify improvements, Rainbow Rave Cave, Lock Sound TRON addition
Tesla also added two other things that were undocumented, like Charging Passport and information on USB drive storage to help with Dashcam.
Tesla refines Full Self-Driving, latest update impresses where it last came up short
Tesla hints at Starlink integration with recent patent
