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Tesla Supercharger team is taking on the Arctic challenge

Tesla’s teams do not seem to be content even if things are already excellent.

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Credit: TeslaCharging/X

The Tesla Supercharger team recently shared its intentions to establish a network of chargers that would enable EV owners to travel to the Arctic. The team’s comments followed a recent post from CEO Elon Musk on social media platform X. 

Supercharger Network in North America

The Tesla Supercharger Network is undoubtedly the best rapid charging system available for electric vehicle owners in the world, more so in North America. This is one of the reasons why most electric vehicle makers that sell their cars in the region have opted to adopt Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS). The Supercharger Network is just that good.

This was highlighted recently by CEO Elon Musk, who noted that Tesla Superchargers enable long distance travel anywhere in North America except the Arctic. This was true, as proven by the experience of the members of the Arctic Cybertrek Expedition last year. The Cybertrek team reached the Arctic Ocean, but they did so without the use of Superchargers.

Supercharger Team’s Response

Tesla’s teams, just like Musk himself, do not seem to be content even if things are already excellent. This seems to be the case with the Supercharger Team, which responded to Musk’s post through its official Tesla Charging X account with the words “challenge accepted.” This suggests that Tesla’s Supercharger team will take on the task of establishing several sites in the Arctic.

Tesla’s charging team is pretty aggressive, both in the United States and abroad. This was highlighted by Tesla China’s Supercharger team four years ago, when it built a whole network of 11 charging stations from Chengdu to Tingri. The Superchargers were designed to allow Tesla owners to travel all the way to the base camp of Mt. Everest. A Tesla Model 3 completed this trip recently—using FSD the whole trip.

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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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Tesla Full Self-Driving changes your perception of travel — long or short

Tesla Full Self-Driving will ruin controlling your vehicle manually.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla does not tell you what Full Self-Driving will do to your perception of travel. Whether your next trip is a two-minute ride up the street to the grocery store or a 1,500-mile trip across multiple states, you’ll never look at driving the same way.

This past weekend, I was lucky enough to have a new Tesla Model Y for the weekend. Equipped with the company’s Hardware 4 computer, the latest software version, and all of the new Model Y’s improvements from the legacy iteration, I knew much of my weekend would be spent testing FSD, as I have never had an extended experience with it.

By the time the weekend was over and it was time to pick up my non-Tesla car, I realized I was not ready to let go. Having the car drive me around from location to location all weekend was something I truly enjoyed, but it was more than just a convenience thing. I felt impressed, relaxed, and even, in some instances, safer.

What Tesla Full Self-Driving Did Well

Now, before I truly begin, I do want to say that I don’t think I’ll ever feel safer than when I’m in ultimate control of the vehicle. However, a lot of things that give me stress during a drive were handled with relative ease by the car — and I was happy I didn’t have to deal with it.

One instance was merging onto a busy highway with a very short merge lane. Full Self-Driving took a no-holds-barred approach, taking the space it was given and grabbing a spot in the right lane quickly.

It was not willing to be passive, but it was also not willing to sacrifice safety. It will not wait for others to pull the trigger and go at intersections or four-way stops. If there are a few seconds of stagnation from the car and another driver in that instance, it will go, of course, proceeding safely.

It even did a handful of things I didn’t expect it to do. It would stay in the right lane if multiple on-ramps were approaching. I took it on a stretch of highway where three on-ramps are all within a mile of one another.

It passed a tractor-trailer just before we made it to the first of those three on-ramps. It stayed in that left lane after overtaking the 18-wheeler, as Driver Visualization showed more cars approaching to merge. It was one of those moments that, even though I have written about this topic for several years, was unbelievably impressive.

It not only drives people safely, but it is also considerate of other drivers, which is very impressive.

I was incredibly surprised to see my Fiancè have so much ease when it was operating.

I figured, just because she is not as familiar with what Tesla does to make FSD better and how it works, that she would be very on edge during our rides. This was the opposite. She felt comfortable enough to look away from the road while in the passenger seat. Scrolling her phone or looking out at the blooming flowers was what she did in the car. It was no different from when I’m driving, and I think that was what was most impressive to me.

Driving after FSD

I found that picking up my car and driving manually back home truly brought me back to real life. Everyone with a Tesla and Full Self-Driving says that when you go back to another car, you feel like you’re stuck in the past.

I really did feel that way. Not only because of the aesthetic of the interior, but just because I was doing something that I just realized could be done for me with the right vehicle.

While I love the car I own now, I’m still deciding whether I love it enough to keep it. To be completely honest, I have hopped around with the idea of trading in my car for the new Model Y. Whether I will or not truly depends on the next few weeks and how I feel, but I know that I will be considering it for the next few months easily.

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Anti-Elon Musk group crushes Tesla Model 3 with Sherman tank–with unexpected results

Ironically enough, the group’s video ended up highlighting something very positive for Tesla.

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Credit: Led By Donkeys/X

Anti-Elon Musk protesters and critics tend to show their disdain for the CEO in various ways, but a recent video from political action group Led By Donkeys definitely takes the cake when it comes to creativity.

Ironially enough, the group’s video also ended up highlighting something very positive for Tesla.

Tank vs. Tesla

In its video, Led By Donkeys featured Ken Turner, a 98-year-old veteran who served in the British army during World War II. The veteran stated that Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, is “using his immense power to support the far-right in Europe, and his money comes from Tesla cars.” 

He also noted that he had a message for the Tesla CEO: “We’ve crushed fascism before and we’ll crush it again.” To emphasize his point, the veteran proceeded to drive a Sherman tank over a blue Tesla Model 3 sedan, which, of course, had a plate that read “Fascism.” 

The heavy tank crushed the Model 3’s glass roof and windows, much to the delight of Led By Donkeys’ commenters on its official YouTube channel. But at the end of it all, the aftermath of the anti-Elon Musk demonstration ended up showcasing something positive for the electric vehicle maker.

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Tesla Model 3 Tanks the Tank?

As could be seen from the wreckage of the Tesla Model 3 after its Sherman encounter, only the glass roof and windows of the all-electric sedan were crushed. Looking at the wreckage of the Model 3, it seemed like its doors could still be opened, and everything on its lower section looked intact.

Considering that a standard M4 Sherman weighs about 66,800 to 84,000 pounds, the Model 3 actually weathered the tank’s assault really well. Granted, the vehicle’s suspension height before the political action group’s demonstration suggests that the Model 3’s high voltage battery had been removed beforehand. But even if it hadn’t been taken off, it seemed like the vehicle’s battery would have survived the heavy ordeal without much incident.

This was highlighted in comments from users on social media platform X, many of whom noted that a person in the Model 3 could very well have survived the ordeal with the Sherman. And that, ultimately, just speaks to the safety of Tesla’s vehicles. There is a reason why Teslas consistently rank among the safest cars on the road, after all.

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Tesla Cybertruck Range Extender gets canceled

Tesla will be refunding any payments that were provided for the canceled item.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla has officially canceled the Cybertruck Range Extender. Screenshots of Tesla’s message to Cybertruck owners informing them about the update were shared on social media platform X.

The Cybertruck Range Extender was marketed as a way to push the all-electric pickup truck’s range closer to its announced specs in 2019. 

Tesla’s Message

As shared by Cybertruck owners on X, Tesla’s message indicated that the company will no longer be producing the range extender for the all-electric pickup truck. As a result, Tesla noted that the company would be refunding any payments that were provided for the canceled item.

Following is Tesla’s message:

Update to Your Cybertruck Range Extender Order

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Hi (Owner). Thank you for being a Cybertruck owner. We are no longer planning to sell the Range Extender for the Cybertruck. As a result, we will be refunding your deposit in full. The amount will be returned to the original payment method used for the transaction. Thank you for your understanding. — The Tesla Team. 

The cancelation of the Cybertruck Range Extender was met with polarizing reactions from owners of the all-electric pickup truck. Some owners supported the item’s cancellation, stating that Tesla may simply be releasing a Cybertruck with more range in the future. Others, however, argued that the Range Extender was the only upgrade that could bring the Cybertruck’s range closer to its announced specs back in 2019.

Cybertruck Range

When the Cybertruck was unveiled in late 2019, Tesla announced that the vehicle would be offered in three trims—a base Rear Wheel Drive (RWD) model with over 250 miles of range, a mid-tier All Wheel Drive (AWD) variant with over 300 miles of range, and a top-tier version with over 500 miles of range. When the Cybertruck started deliveries in 2023, however, the AWD variant had a listed range of 340 miles per charge, and the top-tier Cyberbeast had a range of just 320 miles per charge.

The adjusted range on the Cybertruck AWD and Cyberbeast also received polarizing reactions from EV enthusiasts. The Cyberbeast, after all, seemed to be missing almost 200 miles of range from its 2019 specs. Seemingly to address these concerns, Tesla offered a Range Extender for the Cybertruck. With the item in place, the Cybertruck AWD was estimated to have a range of 470+ miles per charge , and the Cyberbeast was estimated to have a range of 440+ miles per charge. The price, however, was quite premium as it was estimated to cost $16,000.

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