News
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 will increase its Full Self-Driving subscription price, meaning it will eventually be more than the current $99 per month price tag it has right now.
Already stating that the ability to purchase the suite outright will be removed, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said earlier this week that the Full Self-Driving subscription price would increase when its capabilities improve:
“I should also mention that the $99/month for supervised FSD will rise as FSD’s capabilities improve. The massive value jump is when you can be on your phone or sleeping for the entire ride (unsupervised FSD).”
This was an expected change, especially as Tesla has been hinting for some time that it is approaching a feature-complete version of Full Self-Driving that will no longer require driver supervision. However, with the increase, some are concerned that they may be priced out.
$99 per month is already a tough ask for some. While Full Self-Driving is definitely worth it just due to the capabilities, not every driver is ready to add potentially 50 percent to their car payment each month to have it.
While Tesla has not revealed any target price for FSD, it does seem that it will go up to at least $150.
I should also mention that the $99/month for supervised FSD will rise as FSD’s capabilities improve.
The massive value jump is when you can be on your phone or sleeping for the entire ride (unsupervised FSD). https://t.co/YDKhXN3aaG
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 23, 2026
Additionally, the ability to purchase the suite outright is also being eliminated on February 14, which gives owners another reason to be slightly concerned about whether they will be able to afford to continue paying for Full Self-Driving in any capacity.
Some owners have requested a tiered program, which would allow people to pay for the capabilities they want at a discounted price.
Unsupervised FSD would be the most expensive, and although the company started removing Autopilot from some vehicles, it seems a Supervised FSD suite would still attract people to pay between $49 and $99 per month, as it is very useful.
Tesla will likely release pricing for the Unsupervised suite when it is available, but price increases could still come to the Supervised version as things improve.
This is not the first time Musk has hinted that the price would change with capability improvements, either. He’s been saying it for some time. In 2020, he even said the value of FSD would “probably be somewhere in excess of $100,000.”
The FSD price will continue to rise as the software gets closer to full self-driving capability with regulatory approval. It that point, the value of FSD is probably somewhere in excess of $100,000.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 18, 2020
Tesla has chosen to axe the ability to purchase Full Self-Driving outright from a select group of cars just days after CEO Elon Musk announced the company had plans to eliminate that option in February.
The company is making a clear-cut stand that it will fully transition away from the ability to purchase the Full Self-Driving suite outright, a move that has brought differing opinions throughout the Tesla community.
Earlier this week, the company also announced that it will no longer allow buyers to purchase Full Self-Driving outright when ordering a pre-owned vehicle from inventory. Instead, that will be available for $99 per month, the same price that it costs for everyone else.
The ability to buy the suite for $8,000 for a one-time fee at the time of order has been removed:
NEWS: Tesla no longer allows buyers to purchase FSD outright in the U.S. when ordering a pre-owned vehicle directly from inventory. Tesla now gives you the option to either subscribe for $99/month, or purchase FSD outright after taking delivery (available until February 14th). pic.twitter.com/1xZ0BVG4JB
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) January 23, 2026
This is a major move because it is the first time Tesla is eliminating the ability to purchase FSD outright for one flat fee to any of its vehicles, at least at the time of purchase.
It is trying to phase out the outright purchase option as much as it can, preparing people for the subscription-based service it will exclusively offer starting on February 14.
In less than a month, it won’t be available on any vehicle, which has truly driven some serious conversation from Tesla owners throughout the community.
There’s a conflict, because many believe that they will now lose the ability to buy FSD and not pay for it monthly, which is an attractive offer. However, others believe, despite paying $8,000 for FSD, that they will have to pay more money on top of that cost to get the unsupervised suite.
Additionally, CEO Elon Musk said that the FSD suite’s subscription price would increase over time as capabilities increase, which is understandable, but is also quite a conflict for those who spent thousands to have what was once promised to them, and now they may have to pay even more money.
News
Tesla Robotaxi has a highly-requested hardware feature not available on typical Model Ys
These camera washers are crucial for keeping the operation going, as they are the sole way Teslas operate autonomously. The cameras act as eyes for the car to drive, recognize speed limit and traffic signs, and travel safely.
Tesla Robotaxi has a highly-requested hardware feature that is not available on typical Model Ys that people like you and me bring home after we buy them. The feature is something that many have been wanting for years, especially after the company adopted a vision-only approach to self-driving.
After Tesla launched driverless Robotaxi rides to the public earlier this week in Austin, people have been traveling to the Lone Star State in an effort to hopefully snag a ride from one of the few vehicles in the fleet that are now no longer required to have Safety Monitors present.
BREAKING: Tesla launches public Robotaxi rides in Austin with no Safety Monitor
Although only a few of those completely driverless rides are available, there have been some new things seen on these cars that are additions from regular Model Ys, including the presence of one new feature: camera washers.
With the Model Y, there has been a front camera washer, but the other exterior “eyes” have been void of any solution for this. For now, owners are required to clean them manually.
In Austin, Tesla is doing things differently. It is now utilizing camera washers on the side repeater and rear bumper cameras, which will keep the cameras clean and keep operation as smooth and as uninterrupted as possible:
🚨 Tesla looks to have installed Camera Washers on the side repeater cameras on Robotaxis in Austin
pic.twitter.com/xemRtDtlRR— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) January 23, 2026
Rear Camera Washer on Tesla Robotaxi pic.twitter.com/P9hgGStHmV
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) January 24, 2026
These camera washers are crucial for keeping the operation going, as they are the sole way Teslas operate autonomously. The cameras act as eyes for the car to drive, recognize speed limit and traffic signs, and travel safely.
This is the first time we are seeing them, so it seems as if Safety Monitors might have been responsible for keeping the lenses clean and unobstructed previously.
However, as Tesla transitions to a fully autonomous self-driving suite and Robotaxi expands to more vehicles in the Robotaxi fleet, it needed to find a way to clean the cameras without any manual intervention, at least for a short period, until they can return for interior and exterior washing.
Tesla to increase Full Self-Driving subscription price: here’s when
Tesla starts removing outright Full Self-Driving purchase option at time of order
