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Tesla’s V11 Software Update and Elon Musk’s ‘Yes’ Tweets

(PHOTO: AUSTIN SELLERS VIA YOUTUBE)

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Tesla has released its last three major software overhauls in September and October of 2016, 2018, and 2019 with the V8, V9, and V10 updates. With each of the new software editions, Tesla has added many new features and accessibility options to make for a more well-rounded ownership experience for drivers.

With Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirming several new features to its vehicles on Twitter, some have not yet made their way to V10 updates. This hints that they could be included in Tesla’s V11 Software Update, which was recently discussed in a video with owner-enthusiast and tech YouTuber Ben Sullins.

https://twitter.com/BenSullins/status/1318596916666511360

Sullins compiled a few examples of features that owners have requested, and Elon Musk has confirmed, but have not yet been added to the company’s vehicles. Because of this, Ben believes they could be added to Tesla’s V11 Software Update based on the timing that the previous three overhauls have been released to the public.

Vector-Space Bird’s Eye View

On October 3rd, Twitter account @TeslaOwnersSV requested that Tesla’s Driving Visualization be capable of a new “Birdseye view” feature that would give owners a perspective above their car. This would essentially give drivers a 360-degree view from above the vehicle, allowing for a full-scale indication of what surrounds their vehicle. Sullins mentions that this feature is available in the Porsche Taycan. Many Tesla owners would likely benefit from the addition of the view, simply because of the benefits of a wide-range perspective.

Enlarged Side Cameras for Backing Up

@ThatT3slaGuy requested that the side cameras could be enlarged while backing up, which could provide drivers with more confidence when in reverse. A single-camera setup, which only provides a view of what is directly behind the vehicle, can prove problematic in tight parking spaces where the driver’s point of view is limited. Musk confirmed that this feature would be “coming soon” on October 1st, but it has yet to be released.

GPS Waypoints

Musk has always been a firm believer in Tesla’s GPS. When owners repeatedly requested the addition of Waypoints, he denied it time and time again. However, on September 21st, Musk finally gave owners who have been seeking the feature a glimpse of hope when he said, “Fine, we’ll do it already,” after @Model3Owners asked one final time. The addition of GPS Waypoints will give owners full customization of which route they would like to take on a trip, making for the perfect road trip.

Blind Spot Warnings/Side Repeater View with Turn Signal

Another use of the Side Repeater Cameras could be used as a Blind Spot Warning feature. @AusTeslaOwners gave Musk the idea to have the Repeater Cameras show full-screen images of what is beside the vehicle when traveling. If the driver were to be on a highway and looking to move into a lane to their left, the left turn signal would be activated, and the left-side camera would also activate and be displayed on the dash screen.

Video Conferencing inside of a Tesla

This request was also made by @TeslaOwnersSV in May. The interior cabin-facing camera that is included in the Model 3 and Model Y would allow owners to set up video conferencing from inside the vehicle. Musk stated, “Yeah, definitely a future feature,” but it has also not been added yet. Sullins believes this could be another addition to V11.

Interior Camera Activation with Sentry Mode during a break-in

@Model3Owners also suggested that the interior camera be activated during a break-in. This feature makes a lot of sense, especially if a thief is successful during their attempt to enter a Tesla. It could make the pursuit of the criminal much easier for law enforcement.

Sullins’ full video on what is coming with Tesla’s V11 Software Update is available below. Be sure to subscribe to his YouTube channel, or follow him on Twitter @BenSullins.

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Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on X @KlenderJoey. If you're looking for great Tesla accessories, check out shop.teslarati.com

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Tesla surges Robotaxi fleet ahead of Cybercab launch event

Tesla’s unsupervised robotaxi fleet quietly grew sevenfold in three weeks just before Cybercab Day arrives.

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Tesla’s unsupervised Robotaxi fleet has grown far faster than the public numbers suggested, and the timing lines up with the company’s biggest autonomy showcase yet. According to data compiled by the crowdsourced Robotaxi Tracker, Tesla now has nearly 200 vehicles operating without a safety monitor across Austin, Dallas and Houston, yielding a roughly 7X increase in about three weeks.

The jump lands four days before this week’s Tesla Cybercab launch event in Austin, where the company plans to show off its purpose-built, two-seat robotaxi with no steering wheel or pedals in a live commercial setting for the first time. Stick with us on X and Facebook for live reporting from the event.

The strategic logic is straightforward. Tesla has spent the past year scaling Robotaxi in small, deliberate steps, first widening geofences, then extending operating hours, then quietly growing fleet size, usually with little advance notice. Ashok Elluswamy told investors on the Q2 earnings call that the program had logged more than 380,000 unsupervised miles with zero notable incidents, a safety record the company has leaned on to justify moving slowly. Critics have used the flip side of that caution, a fleet that appeared stuck around two dozen vehicles for months, as evidence that Tesla’s driverless ambitions were outrunning its actual deployment.

A fleet quietly scaling to nearly 200 vehicles right before Cybercab Day undercuts that argument without Tesla having to say anything about it directly. It also sets up the event to do double duty. Rather than simply introducing new hardware, Tesla can point to an operating base of unsupervised Model Ys already running at meaningful scale, then argue the Cybercab, which uses the same underlying Full Self-Driving stack according to earlier coverage of the fleet’s software upgrades, is a natural next steps. Tesla has separately been registering the two-seat Cybercabs with Texas regulators this week, with the count climbing from seven to 45 in a matter of days.

The two ramps, one in software-driven Model Y deployment and one in physical Cybercab registrations, are happening in parallel rather than in sequence. That suggests Tesla wants Thursday’s event to land as proof that the robotaxi business is already running at scale, not just a reveal of a new vehicle shape. Whether the unsupervised numbers hold up once Cybercabs start mixing into the same fleet is the detail worth watching once the event wraps.

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Tesla Cybertruck windshield protection just got cheaper

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla is lowering the monthly price of its Cybertruck Windshield Protection Plan from $35 to $25. The new rate will apply to the first payment on or after October 1, 2026. Tesla has told subscribers that all other benefits stay the same.

The plan covers unlimited repairs for chips and minor cracks on the front windshield. It also includes one full replacement every 12 months at no extra charge. Additional replacements in the same year carry a $100 deductible. Service is performed with Tesla glass and camera calibration, which matters because Autopilot and Full Self-Driving rely on those lenses behind the windshield.

There is no long-term contract. Coverage applies only to the front glass and does not include collision, vandalism, or weather damage.

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The Cybertruck’s large, complex windshield has been more expensive to replace than glass on Tesla’s cars, which is why the pickup started at a higher subscription price. The $10 monthly cut reduces the annual cost from $420 to $300. Tesla has not publicly explained the change. The timing coincides with a year of claims data after the plan was extended to the Cybertruck.

Tesla sells several related protection products as monthly subscriptions through the Tesla app. The Windshield Protection Plan is also offered on other models. Model 3 and Model Y currently cost $16 a month. Those passenger-car rates are unchanged in the latest Cybertruck notice.

The Wheel and Tire Protection Plan covers road-hazard damage such as potholes, nails, and debris. Repairs are unlimited. Each wheel or tire replacement appointment has a $25 deductible. Pricing varies by model and whether the vehicle is a Performance version. Tesla is raising some of those rates on the same October 1 date.

Reported examples include Model 3 Performance moving from $16 to $24 and Model Y Performance from $20 to $24. Cybertruck wheel-and-tire coverage has been listed at $20 a month for the standard configuration.

A separate Luxe Package bundles four years of windshield coverage, wheel-and-tire coverage, and recommended maintenance on certain new Model S, Model X, and Cyberbeast orders, although the Model S and X are now defunct.

Tesla also offers an Extended Service Agreement after the basic vehicle warranty ends. That product covers many Tesla-manufactured parts rather than glass or tires. Together, the plans give owners a menu of targeted, cancel-anytime coverage instead of relying only on auto insurance.

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Tesla Cybercab fleet grows in Austin ahead of launch event

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Credit: Teslarati

UPDATE: The number has now been updated to 45 units, up from 7!

Tesla is bolstering its Cybercab fleet with the State of Texas’s regulatory bodies ahead of the planned launch of the all-electric ride-hailing vehicle this Thursday.

Seven purpose-built Tesla Cybercabs have been added to Texas’s official automated vehicle registry, appearing in the Texas Motor Carrier Credentialing System (TxMCCS) public lookup just three days before Tesla’s invite-only Cybercab launch event in Austin on September 3.

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The records, visible through TxDMV’s Motor Carrier and Automated Motor Vehicle Operator Lookup, list seven 2026 Tesla Cybercabs under Tesla Robotaxi, LLC. Their VINs begin with the 5YJA prefix, distinct from the 7SAYG Model Y robotaxis that already dominate Tesla’s Texas fleet.

Community trackers that scrape the same public database recorded the new entries on August 31, bringing Tesla’s authorized Texas robotaxi total to 276 vehicles: 269 Model Ys and the seven Cybercabs:

Texas Senate Bill 2807, which took effect in late May 2026, created a self-certification framework for commercial Level 4 operations. Operators file through TxMCCS, attest to SAE Level 4 capability, maintain insurance, and keep an active vehicle list.

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Tesla completed that process months earlier for its existing Model Y Robotaxi service, which has carried paying passengers in Austin, Dallas, Houston and other markets. Adding the Cybercabs to the same authorization means the new two-seat, steering-wheel-free vehicles are now legally recognized for commercial use on Texas roads.

The timing is deliberate as Tesla scheduled the September 3 event at its Austin campus after sending invitations to selected Robotaxi riders and other guests. The company has described the evening as a chance to “experience the future of full autonomy” and plans to livestream it.

Production Cybercabs, which lack pedals and a steering wheel, have been rolling off the Giga Texas line for months; some earlier examples still carried temporary driver controls for data collection. Registering a small fleet of the finished design immediately before the public event signals that Tesla intends to move the purpose-built vehicle from factory and test tracks into the same Robotaxi app already used by Model Y passengers.

The seven units remain a tiny fraction of Tesla’s overall Texas authorization and far smaller than competing fleets. Registration does not automatically equal unsupervised public rides; it is the legal prerequisite.

Still, the sudden appearance of Cybercab VINs in the state’s lookup system, after a year of Model Y-only listings, is the clearest official confirmation yet that Tesla’s dedicated robotaxi hardware is entering the regulatory pipeline at the same moment the company is preparing to show it to invited guests and a global livestream audience.

Whether those seven vehicles appear at the September 3 event or begin carrying passengers shortly afterward, their presence in TxMCCS marks a concrete regulatory step that has been anticipated since the Cybercab concept was first revealed.

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