Tesla’s 2-million-vehicle Autopilot “recall” involved the company releasing software version 2023.44.30 as a free over-the-air update to affected vehicles. With their updated software in place, Tesla’s electric vehicles would be able to display more prominent alerts to drivers who are using features like Autopilot and Full Self-Driving, among other things.
Considering the fact that the Autopilot recall was the result of a years-long investigation from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the changes that were required by the safety agency were surprisingly minor. For one, the recall did not temper down or remove any Autopilot or FSD features. It simply made the features more difficult to abuse.
But a 2-million-vehicle Tesla recall is still sensationalist news, and in a recent series of posts, US Senator Richard Blumenthal opted to make his stance known. The Senator noted that the NHTSA recall is far from sufficient, and that the agency “must put its legal muscle where its mouth is.” Blumenthal’s comments caught quite a bit of criticism considering its tone, which was notably alarmist for an over-the-air software update.
The record of Tesla crashes, fatalities & injuries should be bone chilling to regulators. Musk mocking them is hardly cause for comfort or complacency. NHTSA must put its legal muscle where its mouth is.— Richard Blumenthal (@SenBlumenthal) December 16, 2023
“This Tesla recall is only a first step—far from sufficient. NHTSA must meet the breadth of Tesla Autopilot safety flaws—virtually every Tesla on American roads is now under recall—with real action & enforcement. Many use features on roads where they weren’t designed to work reliably. This danger puts everyone at risk. The record of Tesla crashes, fatalities & injuries should be bone chilling to regulators. Musk mocking them is hardly cause for comfort or complacency. NHTSA must put its legal muscle where its mouth is,” Blumenthal wrote.
Among those who responded to the US Senator’s comments was Tesla VP of Public Policy and Business Development Rohan Patel. As per Patel, the Tesla team is looking forward to working even with its most aggressive critics, though the company also stands by its data, which shows that systems like Autopilot — when used as intended and not abused — are significantly safer than a human driver.
In case anyone is wondering, yes we have made earnest attempts by other means to educate and provide our best data and safety evidence. Figured I’d give X a try also!— Rohan Patel (@rohanspatel) December 19, 2023
“Apparently Senator Blumenthal missed my previous post below, but we’ll continue to try and correct his misunderstandings and misstatements. If the Senator took the time to meet with our hardware and software safety teams, he wouldn’t just get an education. He’d be inspired by their work. If I were his constituent in Connecticut, I’d at least want him educated on the data and facts.
“In case anyone is wondering, yes we have made earnest attempts by other means to educate and provide our best data and safety evidence. Figured I’d give X a try also!” the Tesla VP wrote.
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While Elon Musk has mostly served as Tesla’s de facto spokesperson over the years, it is pretty encouraging to see other executives step up and provide context and insights about the company’s data and its technologies. With Musk essentially playing the role of a joker in the world’s deck of cars today, after all, executives such as Patel and IR Head Martin Viecha, who are well-versed in social media, could express Tesla’s stance on issues — all without the usual Elon Musk drama. And that, ultimately, is something that the EV maker needs at this point.
Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.
Tesla Energy has introduced the Powerwall Lease in conjunction with Tesla Electric, making the service available in Texas. This new option delivers whole-home backup power using two Powerwall units for a net monthly cost of $35 after credits, accompanied by a low fixed electricity rate.
Under the lease terms, customers pay a one-time order fee of $100. The base lease payment for the two Powerwalls is approximately $122 per month during the first year, subject to a 3 percent annual escalator thereafter. Enrollment in a qualifying Tesla Electric Backup plan or Virtual Power Plant plan provides an $87 monthly credit.
Powerwall Lease is now available with Tesla Electric in Texas
Whole-home backup for $35/month, with a low fixed electricity rate
– Two Powerwalls, $0 installation
– Storm Watch outage protection
– One app to manage it all pic.twitter.com/oTzqc6K3aF— Tesla Energy (@teslaenergy) August 13, 2026
This credit lowers the effective cost to roughly $35 per month plus applicable tax.
Installation of the standard system carries no additional charge. The package features Storm Watch for outage protection and allows complete management through a single Tesla application. The system supplies continuous whole-home backup capability.
The Powerwall system enables households to maintain electricity during severe storms that disrupt the utility grid. When outages occur, the batteries automatically provide seamless backup power to the home.
Tesla announces 100k Powerwalls are participating in Virtual Power Plants
Tesla Storm Watch monitors weather forecasts and ensures the units are fully charged ahead of anticipated severe weather events so that power remains available throughout the disruption, keeping lights, refrigeration, and other essential systems operating without interruption.
Availability is restricted to select Texas locations where retail electric choice exists. Participants must lease exactly two Powerwall units and maintain continuous enrollment with Tesla Electric. Solar panels cannot be included under this particular lease arrangement.
The monthly credit activates automatically once the system is installed, receives permission to operate, and enrollment is confirmed. To retain the credit, customers are required to stay enrolled in Tesla Electric and fulfill all program conditions.
Nonstandard installations that involve electrical upgrades or special permitting may lead to extra expenses and might impact eligibility for the credit, so be sure to check with either your installer or Tesla to ensure you will still qualify.
Elon Musk continues to tease the unveiling event for the Tesla Roadster, a continuing trend that has grown into a bigger game of “When” for fans who have been waiting years for the car to finally enter production.
A video shared on X of the Joe Rogan Experience podcast that Musk appeared on last year, teasing the Roadster unveiling, was shared once again on the social media platform. The poster said the Roadster event will be “unforgettable.”
Musk agreed:
Yes
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 12, 2026
The timing is interesting because just yesterday, Musk said that we will be getting flying cars, and for years, Tesla has hinted that it could develop a SpaceX cold gas thruster package that would help the car float or fly for a short period of time.
It would be reasonable to assume Tesla’s major delays with this unveiling event are likely caused by the company’s need to break the rules and push the envelope on nearly everything. Last July, Lars Moravy, Tesla’s VP of Vehicle Engineering, said:
“Roadster is definitely in development. We did talk about it last Sunday night. We are gearing up for a super cool demo. It’s going to be mind blowing. We showed Elon some cool demos last week of the tech we’ve been working on and he got a little excited.”
The latest updates that Tesla has given us are that the Roadster is in design development, and it did have several potential dates for an unveiling event this year, including April. It was then pushed to August.
However, there are no clues as to when Tesla will be ready, and fans are certainly getting frustrated with the delays.
For what it is worth, Franz von Holzhausen told Jay Leno this week that the event would be “very soon.”
We sure hope.
Lifestyle
Tesla’s driverless Cybercab just passed a big test with State Governor
Florida’s governor rode Tesla’s Cybercab at a closed test track and called the experience impressive.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis rode in a Tesla Cybercab on a closed test track this week and came away impressed, posting on X that the vehicle “successfully navigated all hazards — a kid running into the street, a crash with police stopping traffic, a Model S cutting us off, etc.” He called the ride “impressive.”
The stop was part of a broader event Monday at SunTrax, a 775 acre state owned proving ground in Auburndale that Florida built specifically to test autonomous and connected vehicles before they reach public roads. Standing next to a gold Cybercab, DeSantis described the car in plain terms: “You go in there and you just sit. You have a screen. There’s no steering wheel, no pedals. Clearly these things could be very beneficial.”
We took a ride on a robotaxi on the Suntrax course and it successfully navigated all hazards — a kid running into the street, a crash with police stopping traffic, a Model S cutting us off, etc.
Impressive! https://t.co/FVAkzFLz3r
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) August 11, 2026
DeSantis paired the praise with a caveat that has followed autonomous vehicles since the category existed. “You don’t want to be in an autonomous vehicle and it drives you into a ditch. That would not be good,” he said, framing safety validation as the gate before wider deployment.
SunTrax, the 2.25 mile oval which the state calls the only high speed autonomous vehicle test track in the Southeast, can simulate rain, pedestrian crossings, hills and crowded urban conditions at highway speeds, letting companies push a car past what an early public rollout would risk. Tesla, Waymo and Beep all use the facility, and Florida’s regulatory approach, among the most permissive for autonomous vehicles in the country, doesn’t require a human operator inside a fully autonomous car.
Tesla has reason to want the blessing of Florida and states beyond, as the Cybercab entered volume production at Gigafactory Texas this spring and has since self certified as SAE Level 4 under Texas law. Public road testing so far has kept a safety monitor in the passenger seat, and Florida is where Tesla has been expanding its existing Model Y based Robotaxi service instead, adding Miami in July and then Orlando and Tampa two weeks later. A closed track endorsement from a sitting governor doesn’t change any of that, but it does put Tesla’s newest hardware in front of a state that has already shown it will move fast on rules.
Tesla launches Powerwall Lease for affordable home backup
Elon Musk teases Tesla Roadster unveiling once again
