Tesla owners may soon have HBOGo, HBO Now, Comedy Central, Twitch, Crunchyroll, and a number of other streaming apps in their in-car entertainment system. Tesla owner and hacker @greentheonly spotted the unused assets in the carmaker’s operating system and he’s predicting that these streaming apps may roll out in an upcoming software update, perhaps sooner rather than later.
Aside from the streaming apps mentioned above, the links also include video game streaming platforms Twitch and Mixer, and there are also Chinese video streaming services such as Tencent, YouKu, and iQiyi. Green also spotted Monty Python, which already pops up as an Easter Egg with V10 provided that Tesla owners rename their vehicles after characters in the iconic comedy franchise.
As Tesla continues to bolster its roster of games and video streaming apps, the electric car maker is creating an ecosystem for in-car entertainment that will only scale into the future. Beyond the benefit of creating an additional revenue stream from a ‘Premium Connectivity’ subscription plan, having popular consumer services easily accessible will emphasize an unparalleled level of in-car entertainment experience.
Just realized something pic.twitter.com/aHxpRyv24g
— green (@greentheonly) December 10, 2019
With the release of more streaming services for Tesla’s in-car entertainment, users will likely consume more data on the go, and this is where Tesla’s new “Premium Connectivity” service becomes pertinent. While it will set back customers roughly $10 a month, Premium Connectivity allows access to popular in-car features such as video streaming, Caraoke, music streaming, and internet browser even when Wi-Fi is not available. Tesla has started emailing customers about their in-car data subscription. Premium Connectivity expiration warnings via Software Menu have also been reported on vehicles’ displays.
In a previous statement, managing director at Wedbush Securities and Tesla analyst Dan Ives said that the electric carmaker is bringing the infotainment center into a whole new level, putting the company miles ahead of other manufacturers. “Consumers are used to the technologies they see in their smartphone, they see in their living room, but yet they go into their automobile and they have a flashback to 1988. They want the technology that they see in 2019 in their car,” Ives said in an interview
During an earnings call, Elon Musk admitted that Tesla has not really thought of a way to monetize in-car entertainment. Nevertheless, Brian Moody of Autotrader said that this might not be the case in the future, especially when infotainment systems will likely become one of the biggest factors in the economics of automakers. “As the driver becomes less necessary, there will be more options for in-car purchases and partnering with outside vendors so that you can buy stuff from inside the car, probably even buy stuff for the car from inside the car,” Moody said.
As we see Tesla add more features and services to its in-car entertainment system, the brand will have the opportunity to explore the possibilities of using their vehicles as a platform to deliver services that consumers are willing to spend on. As Will Kaufman of Edmunds suggests, “If Tesla gets to the point where they’re moving millions of units annually, their control over their platform gives them leverage.” And that only means one thing for Tesla — more $$$ to attain its ambitious goals.
Elon Musk
SpaceX Starship V3 gets launch date update from Elon Musk
The first flight of Starship Version 3 and its new Raptor V3 engines could happen as early as March.
Elon Musk has announced that SpaceX’s next Starship launch, Flight 12, is expected in about six weeks. This suggests that the first flight of Starship Version 3 and its new Raptor V3 engines could happen as early as March.
In a post on X, Elon Musk stated that the next Starship launch is in six weeks. He accompanied his announcement with a photo that seemed to have been taken when Starship’s upper stage was just about to separate from the Super Heavy Booster. Musk did not state whether SpaceX will attempt to catch the Super Heavy Booster during the upcoming flight.
The upcoming flight will mark the debut of Starship V3. The upgraded design includes the new Raptor V3 engine, which is expected to have nearly twice the thrust of the original Raptor 1, at a fraction of the cost and with significantly reduced weight. The Starship V3 platform is also expected to be optimized for manufacturability.
The Starship V3 Flight 12 launch timeline comes as SpaceX pursues an aggressive development cadence for the fully reusable launch system. Previous iterations of Starship have racked up a mixed but notable string of test flights, including multiple integrated flight tests in 2025.
Interestingly enough, SpaceX has teased an aggressive timeframe for Starship V3’s first flight. Way back in late November, SpaceX noted on X that it will be aiming to launch Starship V3’s maiden flight in the first quarter of 2026. This was despite setbacks like a structural anomaly on the first V3 booster during ground testing.
“Starship’s twelfth flight test remains targeted for the first quarter of 2026,” the company wrote in its post on X.
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Tesla China rolls out Model 3 insurance subsidy through February
Eligible customers purchasing a Model 3 by February 28 can receive an insurance subsidy worth RMB 8,000 (about $1,150).
Tesla has rolled out a new insurance subsidy for Model 3 buyers in China, adding another incentive as the automaker steps up promotions in the world’s largest electric vehicle market.
Eligible customers purchasing a Model 3 by February 28 can receive an insurance subsidy worth RMB 8,000 (about $1,150).
A limited-time subsidy
The insurance subsidy, which was announced by Tesla China on Weibo, applies to the Model 3 RWD, Long Range RWD, and Long Range AWD variants. Tesla stated that the offer is available to buyers who complete their purchase on or before February 28, as noted in a CNEV Post report. The starting prices for these variants are RMB 235,500, RMB 259,500, and RMB 285,500, respectively.
The Tesla Model 3 Performance, which starts at RMB 339,500, is excluded from the subsidy. The company has previously used insurance incentives at the beginning of the year to address softer seasonal demand in China’s auto market. The program is typically phased out as sales conditions stabilize over the year.
China’s electric vehicle market
The insurance subsidy followed Tesla’s launch of a 7-year low-interest financing plan in China on January 6, which is aimed at improving vehicle affordability amid changing policy conditions. After Tesla introduced the financing program, several automakers, such as Xiaomi, Li Auto, Xpeng, and Voyah, introduced similar long-term financing options.
China’s electric vehicle market has faced additional headwinds entering 2026. Buyers of new energy vehicles are now subject to a 5% purchase tax, compared with the previous full exemption. At the same time, vehicle trade-in subsidies in several cities are expected to expire in mid-November.
Tesla’s overall sales in China declined in 2025, with deliveries totaling 625,698 vehicles, down 4.78% year-over-year. Model 3 deliveries increased 13.33% to 200,361 units, while Model Y deliveries, which were hampered by the changeover to the new Model Y in the first quarter, fell 11.45% to 425,337 units.
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Tesla hiring Body Fit Technicians for Cybercab’s end of line
As per Tesla’s Careers website, Body Fit Technicians for the Cybercab focus on precision body fitment work, including alignment, gap and flush adjustments.
Tesla has posted job openings for Body Fit Technicians for the Cybercab’s end-of-line assembly, an apparent indication that preparations for the vehicle’s initial production are accelerating at Giga Texas.
Body Fit Technicians for Cybercab line
As per Tesla’s Careers website, Body Fit Technicians for the Cybercab focus on precision body fitment work, including alignment, gap and flush adjustments, and certification of body assemblies to specification standards.
Employees selected for the role will collaborate with engineering and quality teams to diagnose and correct fitment and performance issues and handle detailed inspections, among other tasks.
The listing noted that candidates should be experienced with automotive body fit techniques and comfortable with physically demanding tasks such as lifting, bending, walking, and using both hand and power tools. The position is based in Austin, Texas, where Tesla’s main Cybercab production infrastructure is being built.
Cybercab poised for April production
Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently reiterated that the Cybercab is still expected to start initial production this coming April. So far, numerous Cybercab test units have been spotted across the United States, and recent posts from the official Tesla Robotaxi account have revealed that winter tests in Alaska for the autonomous two-seater are underway.
While April has been confirmed as the date for the Cybercab’s initial production, Elon Musk has also set expectations about the vehicle’s volumes in its initial months. As per the CEO, the Cybercab’s production will follow a typical S-curve, which means that early production rates for the vehicle will be very limited.
“Initial production is always very slow and follows an S-curve. The speed of production ramp is inversely proportionate to how many new parts and steps there are. For Cybercab and Optimus, almost everything is new, so the early production rate will be agonizingly slow, but eventually end up being insanely fast,” Musk wrote in a post on X.
SpaceX Starship V3 gets launch date update from Elon Musk
Tesla China rolls out Model 3 insurance subsidy through February
