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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.
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Neuralink’s third brain chip patient shares first video edited with BCI
The third Neuralink brain chip patient is the trial’s first patient with ALS and its first non-verbal patient, and he has detailed his experience regaining speech and more.

Elon Musk’s Neuralink has officially installed its brain-chip interface (BCI) into a third human patient, and the individual shared a video this week detailing his experiences gaining control of external devices and regaining the ability to talk through the use of AI.
On Monday, X user Bradford G Smith shared a video detailing his experience as the third person in the world to receive the Neuralink BCI, and as the first non-verbal patient and the first with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) to receive the implant. In the video, Smith details how the BCI works, how it’s less limiting than his previous eye tracker technology, and how it has literally helped him regain his voice through AI.
“I am typing this with my brain,” Smith wrote. “It is my primary communication.”
The video, which he says is the first edited directly with a BCI, is narrated by an AI-generated version of his old voice. Prior to the BCI, he was also unable to leave the house using his eye tracker, as it made it difficult to communicate unless he was in dark or low-light settings.
The video also shows how he’s able to connect with external devices using the BCI, with a live shots of him controlling his computer using a cursor.
You can see the full update below, which runs a little under 10 minutes.
READ MORE ON NEURALINK:
The news follows Neuralink’s initial update with Brad and other initial BCI patients, as was shared in a post on the company’s website in February. In it, Brad also explained how groundbreaking it was to be able to communicate outside and see his son win a robotics award, along with being able to consider leaving the city area for the first time in half a decade:
The most significant thing that happened this week will sound strange to you: I got to use the computer on the porch, and it worked!!
I went to [my child’s] soccer game, and the referee thought I was sleeping. I was actually able to talk outside. I [am] actually thinking about traveling outside the [city] metro [for] the first time in 5 years.
Both of Neuralink’s studies focus on restoring autonomy to people who are paraplegic through the use of external devices. The company gained initial approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to install the first BCI in a human patient in May 2023, with Noland Arbaugh being the first, a patient named Alex being the second, and Brad being the third.
Neuralink opened its Patient Registry worldwide earlier this month, allowing participants to submit to take part in the company’s initial PRIME and CONVOY studies. The firm also announced plans to operate the PRIME study out of a second location in Miami, Florida in January, after an initial location was launched in Phoenix, Arizona.
Last week, it was reported by Bloomberg that Neuralink is currently targeting a $500 million funding round at a valuation of $8.5 billion. Meanwhile, Neuralink has also been constructing office buildings near Austin, Texas, which initially aimed to be completed in May 2025.
Elon Musk
Tesla fends off new attack that will hurt consumers more than anyone else
Consumers stand to be hurt the most by a new bill that aims to take away Tesla’s Direct-to-Consumer licensing

Tesla is likely going to be forced to fend off a new attack that is much different than the petty vandalism, arson, and domestic terrorism it has faced from those who oppose the company and its CEO Elon Musk. It would hurt consumers more than anyone else.
Over the past several months, we have reported numerous instances of vandalism against Tesla. No victim is too big or too small to be a potential target, as everything from keying vehicles to having Molotov cocktails thrown at showrooms is sufficient in the eyes of perpetrators.
However, the latest attack appears to be politically motivated and could hurt Tesla, its consumers, and even other automakers, and it seems to be some form of retaliation against Musk due to his affiliation with President Trump.

President Donald J. Trump purchases a Tesla on the South Lawn, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (Official White House Photo by Molly Riley)
Lawmakers in New York state are now attempting to shut down Tesla showrooms in a move that would force the company to sell through dealer franchises, complicating the sales process and making the direct-to-consumer platform the company has used for years obsolete.
The New York Times reported that New York State Sen. Patricia Fahy is one of several lawmakers that is looking to hit Tesla where it hurts the most: its accessible and stress-free showrooms.
The problem is that this will hurt consumers more than Tesla.
Sen. Fahy said in March that the ease-of-sales platform Tesla uses has to be taken “from Elon Musk,” because “he’s part of an effort to go backwards.”
The licenses Tesla uses in the state allow it to sell cars directly to consumers instead of going through the traditional dealership model. These licenses, in Sen. Fahy’s perfect world, would be revoked from Tesla and given to other EV manufacturers. At one time, she was a proponent of Tesla and supported the company operating its D2C sales, stating it would cut emissions.
Now, Sen. Fahy believes Musk’s association with the Trump Administration is counterintuitive, as she says it is “killing all the grant funding for electric vehicle infrastructure, killing wind energy, killing anything that might address climate change.”
She continued by stating:
“The bottom line is, Tesla has lost their right to promote these when they’re part of an administration that wants to go backwards. Elon Musk was handed a privilege here.”
The bill is with the Senate and Assembly Finance committees.
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Tesla posts Semi factory update, shares new Semi logo design
As per Priestley, there are a lot of exciting things coming to the Semi factory and the Tesla Semi itself.

Tesla has posted an update video on the construction of its Semi factory near Giga Nevada.
The electric vehicle maker also shared the new logo of its Class 8 all-electric truck, which is pretty slick and classic Tesla at the same time.
Semi Factory Update
In the video, Tesla Semi program lead Dan Priestley stated that the last few months were spent building the factory shell of the facility, from its walls to its columns to its concrete floors. With the Semi factory shell completed, it is now time to equip the facility with the necessary equipment that would allow it to mass produce the Tesla Semi. The Tesla executive also shared the facility’s target output.
“This factory is designed with an annual capacity of 50,000 units a year. So over the next several quarters, we’re going to be industrializing the factory, installing the equipment, and preparing for high volume production. First units are set to be on the line by the end of this year, and we’ll be ramping the factory through 2026,” Priestley stated in the video.
The Tesla Semi is arguably Tesla’s most underrated product, with the vehicle operating in real-world fleets over the past years. As per Priestley, there are a lot of exciting things coming to the Semi factory and the Semi itself. These things, the Tesla executive noted, would prove that electric trucking is ready to scale.
New Tesla Semi Logo
The end of the Tesla Semi factory update video featured a logo for the vehicle that had not been shared by Tesla before. Similar to the Cybertruck, it appears that Tesla will be giving the Semi its own stylized logo. Unlike the Cybertruck’s graffiti print, however, the Class 8 all-electric truck’s logo features the word “Semi” written in a futuristic, thin font. Interestingly enough, the “E” in the word “Semi” was written with three horizontal lines, similar to the Tesla Model 3’s original logo.
Below is the Tesla Semi’s new logo.
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