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Tesla and its Supercharger Network dominate 11-way 1,000-mile EV test
An 11-way, 1,000-mile endurance test has proven that long trips with an electric vehicle in the United States are now possible, though those who are not driving Teslas may find themselves a bit challenged. These were the findings of motoring publication Car and Driver, which held a long-distance race between 11 EVs that are currently sold in the United States.
The vehicles that participated in the test were the Tesla Model S Long Range Plus, Tesla Model Y Performance, Tesla Model 3 Performance, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Porsche Taycan 4S, Kia Niro EV, Audi e-tron, Volkswagen ID.4, Volvo XC40 Recharge, Polestar 2, and Nissan Leaf Plus. Participants in the event, which were comprised of two-person teams, were given free rein to select their own route, provided that they hit checkpoints in Cincinnati; Athens, Ohio; Morgantown, West Virginia; Erie, Pennsylvania; and Ann Arbor.
Despite using apps like A Better Route Planner (ABRP), some teams immediately started hitting some challenges just a couple of dozen miles into the race. The team in the Nissan Leaf Plus, for example, made its first stop at a charging station just 23 miles into the race, reportedly as suggested by the ABRP app, but this resulted in them being the last group to arrive at a single ChargePoint DC fast charger in Lima, Ohio, behind three other teams. The team in the Audi e-tron eventually gave up their spot in the queue to look for another charging station, but they eventually returned after the other charger they were hoping to use turned out to be offline.
The non-Tesla EVs with longer range such as the Ford Mustang Mach-E and the Volkswagen ID.4 fared slightly better, driving longer distances before needing a charge. When the vehicles did need a charge, however, the teams ended up experiencing similar issues as their competitors. From single ChargePoint DC fast chargers in some locations to areas with only Level 2 chargers available, some of the teams in the race ended up wasting valuable time. This was especially true for the Ford Mustang Mach-E team, whose lead against its non-Tesla peers tricked down as slowly as the Level 2 stations it ended up using north of Morgantown.
In comparison, the Tesla Model S, Model 3, and Model Y teams went through the race without much issues, and a good reason for this was the Supercharger Network. With the rapid charging station being as robust as it is today, the trifecta of Teslas dominated the 1,000-mile race. The Model S Long Range completed the race in commanding fashion, and it was followed by the Model Y team, who beat the Model 3 team through some extra assertiveness. This all but proved that if drivers wish to conduct long road trips in an electric vehicle today, Teslas are still the way to go. The Supercharger Network is just that good.
Ultimately, the Tesla Model S completed the 1,000-mile run in 16:14, followed by the Tesla Model Y, which finished the race in 17:50. The Tesla Model 3 took third place with a 17:55 time. The rest of the competition arrived over the following hours. The Ford Mustang Mach-E, the electric vehicle hailed by Car and Driver as its 2021 EV of the Year, came in at fourth place with a total time of 20:31, followed by the Porsche Taycan 4S, which had a total time of 21:00. The Kia Niro EV, the Audi e-tron, and the Volkswagen ID.4 all took over 23 hours to complete the 1,000-mile run, and the Volvo XC40 Recharge needed 25:47 to finish the race. The Polestar 2 took a surprisingly long 26:52 to complete its run, while the Nissan Leaf Plus took a whopping 32:57 before it crossed the finish line.
Watch Car and Driver’s 11-way 1,000-mile EV test in the video below.
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Tesla Full Self-Driving v14 ‘Lite’ for older cars finally gets released
Tesla has finally released its Full Self-Driving v14 ‘Lite’ suite for older cars that equip the Hardware 3 or AI 3 chip, which have not been able to handle the newest versions of the company’s driver assistance software.
Tesla officially started releasing the v14 Lite suite to owners in the Early Access Program last night. The company’s Head of AI, Ashok Elluswamy, said that the rollout will continue over the next few weeks. The build distills the driving behavior from AI4’s v14 series into both the camera and compute configurations of an AI3 car.
🚨 Tesla is releasing v14 Lite for AI3 owners who are in early-access
This will give AI3 cars the ability to experience new FSD features like parking preferences. https://t.co/pp6Q5FOKoz pic.twitter.com/tqexMB8SVy
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) June 29, 2026
It also includes a variety of new features that were available to AI4 cars running v14, including:
- Start Self-Driving from Park
- Arrival and Parking Options
- Speed Profiles
The release is highly anticipated because those owners with AI3 vehicles were early adopters into the FSD platform and were promised that their cars would be capable of achieving Full Self-Driving.
However, Tesla CEO Elon Musk admitted during the company’s recent Q1 Earnings Call that these vehicles would not be capable of achieving unsupervised Full Self-Driving, which is what Tesla had originally said.
Owners were not pleased with this answer, or the idea that their commitment to buying the suite outright for thousands of dollars would not yield the ability to drive without operating the car. Tesla gave some solutions for this, including a discount on a new car, or an upgrade to an AI4 or AI5 self-driving computer and new, upgraded cameras.
Tesla owners do not seem pleased with these options, as they require giving the company more money.
Nevertheless, it is important to note that Tesla came through for owners here by releasing v14 Lite before the end of Q2, something it had promised owners during the previous Earnings Call. Tesla has had trouble keeping up with timelines, but this is a big achievement for the team.
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Tesla Q2 delivery consensus confirms this long-standing theory
Tesla released what analysts believe the company will report in terms of deliveries and energy deployments for Q2, but the figures seem to confirm a long-standing theory on the company’s vehicle division.
For years, Tesla was just looked at as a car company. Now that it has established itself as a powerhouse in energy, AI, and tech as a whole, the company is now less hellbent on achieving quarterly growth, on a sequential basis, at least from a major standpoint.
Tesla topped out its annual deliveries in 2023 at 1.81 million, and in the two years since, the company has reported a decrease in deliveries for the entire 12-month term both times.
With Tesla delivering 358,023 cars in Q1, a 6.3 percent increase over Q1 2025, but falling short of Wall Street expectations at 365,000-370,000 units, the narrative around vehicle deliveries and their importance continued to change earlier this year. Some might say it is convenient, but others might say it is the typical evolution of a company that continues to change over time.
For Q2, Tesla’s delivery consensus estimates sit at 406,024 units, analysts believe. They were surveyed from Daiwa, DB, Wedbush, Cowen, Canaccord, Baird, Wolfe, BMP Paribas, Goldman Sachs, RBC, Evercore ISI, Barclays, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Morgan Stanley, Truist, UBS, Jefferies, JPM, Needham & Co., HSBC, and William Blair.

Credit: Tesla
Tesla is also expected to report deployments of 13.8 GWh this quarter.
The change to Tesla’s overall narrative now leans less on vehicle deliveries and more on its other projects. Most notably, Tesla’s Robotaxi project has taken the priority over most of its other business ventures, and investors and the public are more concerned about the deployment of vehicles into the fleet, the operation of a driverless ride-hailing service, Cybercab production and operation, and expansion into new cities.
Tesla analyst realizes one big thing about the stock: deliveries are losing importance
This big narrative switch happened when Tesla indicated it was looking at making transportation a service by launching a ride-hailing service that will operate using Tesla’s Full Self-Driving suite. Once unsupervised operation begins, Robotaxi could be a new way for people to get around, all without a driver in their car.
Instead, they will rely on the billions of miles Tesla has accumulated from its real-world fleet.
It is important to note that Tesla remains significant in the automotive sector, and deliveries must continue as they have for years. Tesla still has a strong automotive business and needs to execute further on all facets to keep its investors happy.
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Tesla looks keen to bring larger Model Y L to the U.S.
Tesla launched the slightly larger Model Y L in China last year, and it became a hit in no time. The longer wheelbase, larger interior, and slightly more forgiving legroom area in the Model Y L became a sought-after possibility for U.S. buyers, who have been begging the company for a larger SUV.
Now, Tesla needs it more than ever, especially considering the Model X was discontinued alongside its Model S sibling earlier this year. It looks to be more likely than ever, and based on recent reports, it will fall in line with CEO Elon Musk’s prediction that it would arrive in the United States in late 2026.
Recent reports from Forbes and Not a Tesla App both have indicated Tesla plans to bring the Model Y L to the U.S. this year. The reports cite “credible sources,” and an analyst from AutoForecast Solutions named Sam Fiorani stated that the car would enter production later this year.
Fiorani said:
“China, Australia, and India are supplied by the factory in China, which will not supply vehicles to the U.S. Production of the Model Y L is expected to begin in the U.S. in September, which will lead to sales beginning before the end of 2026.”
Production would take place at Gigafactory Texas.
Additionally, a few Model Y L units have been spotted under wraps in the United States, giving more indication that Tesla plans to bring the vehicle to the U.S. When Tesla is close to launching a vehicle in the U.S., it is not uncommon to see these models with the exact car covers that you see below:
Looks like another Tesla Model Y L was spotted in the U.S.! pic.twitter.com/jhsdkcN5Go
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) June 26, 2026
It makes sense, especially considering Musk hinted the Model Y L would make it to the U.S. in late 2026, but it was up in the air. The CEO said the advent of self-driving might not warrant a larger SUV coming to the U.S. market specifically.
The problem is, consumers do not want to hear that. They love Tesla’s tech, FSD, and other features, but they need more space for growing families. The Model X is gone, and the most anyone can fit in a Tesla right now is seven people in the seven-seat Model Y. That back row is truly only large enough to fit small children comfortably.
Tesla fans have requested a full-size SUV, and the company has made some hints that it could be in the plans.
The Model Y and Model Y L differ noticeably in size, with the Model Y L being a stretched, six-seat variant designed for great interior room. The Standard Model Y measures approximately 4,790mm in length, 1,982 mm in width with the mirrors folded, 1,624mm in height, and 2,890mm in wheel base.
In contrast, the Model Y L extends to be about 4,969–4,976mm long (roughly 179mm or 7 inches longer), stands 1,668mm tall (+44mm), and features a significantly longer 3,040 mm wheelbase (+150mm), while maintaining the same width.
This elongation primarily benefits rear passenger space and enables a 2+2+2 seating layout with captain’s chairs, though it slightly reduces maximum cargo capacity behind the rearmost seats and adds a bit of overall mass and turning radius. The result is a more spacious family hauler that still shares the core footprint and agile character of the original Model Y.