News
Tesla Top 5 Week in Review: TSLA surge, 0-60 mph 2.05 sec, neural nets, and more
Tesla has been in the news a lot this week, as usual, but the biggest headlines surrounded its unexpectedly strong stock market performance. Another event that made the Tesla crowd happy was the release of a new over-the-air software update which removed a power limiting safety feature. In a related story, a team of creative folks reverse engineered the maximum theoretical acceleration of a car; if you didn’t read this story, you’ll be amazed what they found out. Tesla CEO Elon Musk was a featured speaker in the UAE at the World Summit, which coincided with Tesla’s entrance into that market. And Musk also offered some fascinating insights about artificial intelligence and what the future might look like if humans don’t stay current with AI’s potential. Here are those stories.
Tesla (TSLA) shares surge across 52-week high as Model 3 production takes stage
Over a six month period, Tesla shares rose by nearly 25% and traded this week above $280. This is within grasp of the company’s all-time high, with a market cap that has grown by $10 billion. Investors have begun to give more weight to Tesla’s highly anticipated Model 3, which is slated to begin production on February 20. Development and planned timeline launch for the Model 3 look good and are critical to Tesla’s continued success moving forward. If all goes as hoped, the vehicle will help take the company from producing about 100,000 cars annually today to 500,000 annually in 2018.
Tesla removes performance restrictions in latest software update
Tesla’s policy on limiting the power output of its performance vehicles due to frequency patterns of launch mode engagement and maximum power levels has ended. This week, the car manufacturer pushed a software update to its customers that removes power limiting on Performance variants of its Model S and Model X. Tesla continued to remind its customers that prudent habits can prevent premature wear of components due to high stress launches. Tesla confirmed that they will now “monitor the condition of the powertrain and display an alert if service is needed so we can take proactive steps, such as by replacing parts if necessary, to maintain the vehicle’s performance.”
Math says, Tesla’s “Maximum Plaid” mode could achieve 0-60 mph in 2.05 seconds
In this article scoop, Teslarati related how a group of really creative folks at Engineering Explained decided to reverse engineer the maximum theoretical acceleration that a Tesla Model S could achieve. The team worked somewhat counter-intuitively. They began by calculating the maximum deceleration first. Then they moved back up to acceleration, focusing on a stock Model S with stock tires. The result? Tesla’s next generation Roadster with “Maximum Plaid” mode may have the ability to accelerate from 0-60 mph in 2.05 seconds.
Elon Musk presents at the Tesla Launch Event in the UAE (Video)
Tesla CEO Elon Musk was a celebrity speaker at this week’s World Government Summit in Dubai. In his remarks, Musk noted, “We expect to invest tens of millions of dollars in the UAE for charging, service and support infrastructures. By next year, you’ll be able to travel anywhere in the GCC with an electric vehicle.” As he spoke about sustainability, Musk acknowledged that EV availability wouldn’t necessarily translate into immediate sales, as the region still considers fossil fuel-powered cars to be the preferred method of transportation. Following Musk’s visit, the UAE announced that it had ordered 200 Model S and Model X vehicles for use as a limousine service.
Elon Musk says human brains need to merge with AI to stay competitive with machines
As artificial intelligence technology improves, as some point humans will become irrelevant. That’s why we must learn to merge with machines, according to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who explained some of his beliefs about the dangers of artificial intelligence this week. “I think we need to be very careful in how we adopt artificial intelligence and that we make sure that researchers don’t get carried away,” he stated. “Sometimes what will happen is a scientist will get so engrossed in their work that they don’t really realize the ramifications of what they’re doing.” Musk described how humans can mitigate those dangers through a type of merger of biological and machine intelligence, which he said would solve the problem of humans losing control over artificial intelligence.
Cybertruck
Tesla Cybertruck undergoes interior mod that many owners wanted
Tesla Cybertruck is significantly different from traditional pickups on the market in a lot of ways. However, one feature that was recently modified with its interior was a highly requested characteristic that is present in other trucks, but was void from Cybertruck.
Tesla went with a five-seat configuration with Cybertruck: two in the front and three in the back. The spacious interior is matched with plenty of storage, especially up front, as a pass-through, center console, and other storage options, but some Tesla fans wanted something different: bench seating.
Bench seating is popular in many full-size pickups and allows three passengers to sit up front. The middle seat is usually accompanied by a fold-down storage unit with cupholders.
Tesla decided to opt for no bench seating up front, despite the fact that it equipped bench seating in the unveiling in 2019. Interior photos from the unveiling event from nearly six-and-a-half years ago show Tesla had originally planned to have a six-seat configuration.
This was adjusted after the company refined the design:

(Tesla Cybertruck interior configuration in 2019)
Despite Tesla abandoning this design, it does not mean owners were willing to accept it. One owner decided to modify their Tesla Cybertruck interior to equip that third seat between the driver’s and passenger’s thrones.
The fit is snug, and while it looks great, it is important to remember that this does not abide byregulations, as it would require an airbag to be technically legal. Please do not do this at home with your own Cybertruck:
- Credit: @blueskykites
- Credit: @blueskykites
- Credit: @blueskykites
The Cybertruck is a popular vehicle in terms of publicity, but its sales have been underwhelming since first delivered to customers back in 2023. It’s hard to believe it’s been out for two-and-a-half years, but despite this, Tesla has not been able to come through on its extensive order sheet.
This is mostly due to price, as Cybertruck was simply not as affordable as Tesla originally planned. Its three configurations were initially priced at $39,990, $49,990, and $69,990. At release, Cybertruck was priced above $100,000.
This priced out many of those who had placed orders, which is the main reason Cybertruck has not lived up to its expectations in terms of sales. The adjustments to the specific features, like the removal of the bench seat, likely did not impact sales as much as pricing did.
This modification shows some creativity by Tesla owners, but also shows that the Cybertruck could always be the subject of a potential refresh to include some of these features. Tesla routinely adjusts its vehicle designs every few years, so maybe the Cybertruck could get something like this if it chooses to refresh its all-electric pickup.
Elon Musk
Tesla CEO Elon Musk drops massive bomb about Cybercab
“And there is so much to this car that is not obvious on the surface,” Musk said.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk dropped a massive bomb about the Cybercab, which is the company’s fully autonomous ride-hailing vehicle that will enter production later this year.
The Cybercab was unveiled back in October 2024 at the company’s “We, Robot” event in Los Angeles, and is among the major catalysts for the company’s growth in the coming years. It is expected to push Tesla into a major growth phase, especially as the automaker is transitioning into more of an AI and Robotics company than anything else.
The Cybercab will enable completely autonomous ride-hailing for Tesla, and although its other vehicles will also be capable of this technology, the Cybercab is slightly different. It will have no steering wheel or pedals, and will allow two occupants to travel from Point A to Point B with zero responsibilities within the car.
Tesla shares epic 2025 recap video, confirms start of Cybercab production
Details on the Cybercab are pretty face value at this point: we know Tesla is enabling 1-2 passengers to ride in it at a time, and this strategy was based on statistics that show most ride-hailing trips have no more than two occupants. It will also have in-vehicle entertainment options accessible from the center touchscreen.
It will also have wireless charging capabilities, which were displayed at “We, Robot,” and there could be more features that will be highly beneficial to riders, offering a full-fledged autonomous experience.
Musk dropped a big hint that there is much more to the Cybercab than what we know, as a post on X said that “there is so much to this car that is not obvious on the surface.”
And there is so much to this car that is not obvious on the surface
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 2, 2026
As the Cybercab is expected to enter production later this year, Tesla is surely going to include a handful of things they have not yet revealed to the public.
Musk seems to be indicating that some of the features will make it even more groundbreaking, and the idea is to enable a truly autonomous experience from start to finish for riders. Everything from climate control to emergency systems, and more, should be included with the car.
It seems more likely than not that Tesla will make the Cybercab its smartest vehicle so far, as if its current lineup is not already extremely intelligent, user-friendly, and intuitive.
Investor's Corner
Tesla Q4 delivery numbers are better than they initially look: analyst
The Deepwater Asset Management Managing Partner shared his thoughts in a post on his website.
Longtime Tesla analyst and Deepwater Asset Management Managing Partner Gene Munster has shared his insights on Tesla’s Q4 2025 deliveries. As per the analyst, Tesla’s numbers are actually better than they first appear.
Munster shared his thoughts in a post on his website.
Normalized December Deliveries
Munster noted that Tesla delivered 418k vehicles in the fourth quarter of 2025, slightly below Street expectations of 420k but above the whisper number of 415k. Tesla’s reported 16% year-over-year decline, compared to +7% in September, is largely distorted by the timing of the tax credit expiration, which pulled forward demand.
“Taking a step back, we believe September deliveries pulled forward approximately 55k units that would have otherwise occurred in December or March. For simplicity, we assume the entire pull-forward impacted the December quarter. Under this assumption, September growth would have been down ~5% absent the 55k pull-forward, a Deepwater estimate tied to the credit’s expiration.
“For December deliveries to have declined ~5% year over year would imply total deliveries of roughly 470k. Subtracting the 55k units pulled into September results in an implied December delivery figure of approximately 415k. The reported 418k suggests that, when normalizing for the tax credit timing, quarter-over-quarter growth has been consistently down ~5%. Importantly, this ~5% decline represents an improvement from the ~13% declines seen in both the March and June 2025 quarters.“
Tesla’s United States market share
Munster also estimated that Q4 as a whole might very well show a notable improvement in Tesla’s market share in the United States.
“Over the past couple of years, based on data from Cox Automotive, Tesla has been losing U.S. EV market share, declining to just under 50%. Based on data for October and November, Cox estimates that total U.S. EV sales were down approximately 35%, compared to Tesla’s just reported down 16% for the full quarter. For the first two months of the quarter, Cox reported Tesla market share of roughly a 65% share, up from under 50% in the September quarter.
“While this data excludes December, the quarter as a whole is likely to show a material improvement in Tesla’s U.S. EV market share.“







