Lifestyle
Top 5 Reasons Why I’m Addicted to Tesla Autopilot

As a lucky owner whose Autopilot software update was received at 4:30am on Day 1 of the roll out, I’ve had as much time as anyone to get to know the system and in a nutshell, I can’t see owning a Tesla without it.
Here are the top 5 reasons why I’m addicted to Autopilot:
1. Feedback
This may go without saying, but the Tesla Autopilot System is excellent at giving you feedback to let you know what’s up. I have a basic cruise control feature in my other car and I never use it. I mean never. Given that I use AP nearly every time I’m in the Tesla, I wondered what I hated about my other car’s cruise control, so I attempted to use it recently. I can get over it not being traffic aware and thus only maintaining one speed. What I can’t get over is that I have no idea how to determine when cruise control is engaged. Sure, the word “cruise” shows up when I press a series of confusing buttons to engage but there’s no feedback to tell me when I cancel. I can jam on the brake or take over the accelerator pedal but I have no idea what effect this has on cruise. I pressed the button labeled ‘cancel’ but was still unsure what was going on.
In the Tesla, there is a simple yet clear gray steering wheel symbol to the right of the speedometer that lets you know when the AutoSteer feature is available, and a TACC indicator on the left. A pleasing bright blue is used throughout the displays. In this case, that steering wheel lights blue when AutoSteer is in use. The TACC symbol is simple yet dynamic; showing you what speed it is set to. Blue also plays a role in showing you how the car is controlling itself while engaged in AP driving. Either the road lines light blue to indicate they are being read, or the car ahead of you on the screen lights blue to indicate it is being followed. Blue = on. Gray = available. Got it? Good.
2. It’s Fun
Two words: Pennsylvania Turnpike. Go ahead and insert the most boring and scene-less drive you regularly make. No matter what occasion, time of day, mood or sleep level, driving between Philly and Wilkes-Barre, PA is an instant bore in my mind but Autopilot makes it so much more enjoyable. Call me crazy but open highway driving, despite being responsible for all parts of it, happens automatically for most of us. Staying between painted lines doesn’t require much thought and isn’t at all stimulating. Now you may think that engaging Autopilot would make you even more bored or tired but I’ve found the opposite to be true. You’ve gone from having a monotonous assembly line job to a supervisory one, which activates different thought processes and keeps you interested. Your eyes and mind focus on the lines, the cars around you, and what your own car is doing (or will do) so the drive suddenly becomes a lot less dreadful. Autopilot is no “one trick pony” though, it’s quite good at having the opposite effect on a driver…
3. Relaxation
It wasn’t until I was on the phone with my husband last week while he was driving (hands free of course) that I realized I’m like a slobbering dog when I hear the Autopilot activation chime. He and I were discussing our rather stressful week and when I heard that chime from him activating AP, I was instantly calmed. I firmly believe the Tesla makes all driving better and more relaxing. Despite neck-snapping acceleration, I love driving this car slow and steady. It cradles me safely and luxuriously, and I rarely want my time with it to end. Even so, the ability to enjoy a drive gets tested in any large city’s rush hour traffic. Enter Autopilot, a glorious companion willing to take over some or all of the driving responsibility. Which leads me to…
4. Customization
I’ve written an entire post on this but it bears repeating. You can choose, with very little effort, how much you want the car to do. This is a function of how smart the car is and how quick at processing inputs it is, as well as how easy those inputs are to execute. A little tug of a wheel, tap on the brake or slap of a stalk and you’re changing what you want to do relating to speed, steering, following distance and more. This also includes the ability to use what I’ve heard referred to as “micro corrections.” That is, you can very slightly adjust steering yourself within the lane and without disengaging AutoSteer, which comes in handy when there are concrete barriers or a lack of shoulder in your lane. Plus it gives the system a hint that you’re holding the steering wheel and paying attention.
5. Improvement
This whole entire system came as an update. One day my Tesla had regular cruise control, the next it was traffic aware and thus in my opinion as a former anti-cruise controller, worth using. A few months later, AP as we now know it rolled out and brought us here. Only, there were a ton of tiny improvements in between. Tesla’s fleet learning is revolutionary. We are all more than happy to provide data by using our cars, and Tesla is more than happy to take that knowledge and give it back to us in the form of sometimes imperceptible refinements.
The things I’ve noticed the most are the smoothness of the car’s speed changes and the car’s preference for staying on the highway rather than following a splitting exit lane. Both of these things left much to be desired in early iterations of both TACC and AP but both have gotten infinitely better. It’s sort of a self-fulfilling prophecy. The more you use AP, the more data Tesla gets to make improvements. The more improvements Tesla makes, the more you are willing and wanting to use AP. This is just one of many reasons Tesla’s semi-autonomy is leaps and bound ahead of the competition.
Bonus: Psychedelic Cowbell
For those few Tesla drivers who (begrudgingly so in my case) are considered “millennials,” there is something really magical and even sort of obvious about software updates bringing fun features to the car. After all, we are the generation with smart phones all but surgically implanted in our hands. Forget that though, what I really intend to say is that kids my age grew up playing MarioKart on Nintendo 64 and know the “psychedelic” is really that damned Rainbow Road board that you couldn’t help but fall off of 100 times. Unless you were wimp and chose 50cc engine mode, but friends don’t let friends do such a thing.
For everyone else, it is much more likely you got the “More Cowbell” reference from the Saturday Night Live episode where the phrase was first spoken by Christopher Walken 16 years ago. I doubt many of my fellow 10th grader classmates were watching SNL at that time so I only understood the reference second hand.
All of us can agree though, a company with both the sense of humor and engineering prowess to program and push an Easter egg like this over the air, not 10 days after a random person on Twitter made a joke, is something special. In one single hidden gem like this, there was something for everyone. (And no, the novelty hasn’t worn off yet.)
Lifestyle
Tesla Cybertruck takes a bump from epic failing Dodge Charger
The Cybertruck seemed unharmed by the charging Charger.

There comes a time in a driver’s life when one is faced with one’s limitations. For the driver of a Dodge Charger, this time came when he lost control and crashed into a Tesla Cybertruck–an absolute epic fail.
A video of the rather unfortunate incident was shared on the r/TeslaLounge subreddit.
Charging Charger Fails
As could be seen in the video, which was posted on the subreddit by Model Y owner u/Hammer_of_something, a group of teens in a Dodge Charger decided to do some burnouts at a Tesla Supercharger. Unfortunately, the driver of the Charger failed in his burnout or donut attempt, resulting in the mopar sedan going over a curb and bumping a charging Cybertruck.
Ironically, the Dodge Charger seemed to have been parked at a Supercharger stall before its driver decided to perform the failed stunt. This suggests that the vehicle was likely ICE-ing a charging stall before it had its epic fail moment. Amusingly enough, the subreddit member noted that the Cybertruck did not seem like it took any damage at all despite its bump. The Charger, however, seemed like it ran into some trouble after crashing into the truck.
Alleged Aftermath
As per the the r/TeslaLounge subreddit member, the Cybertruck owner came rushing out to his vehicle after the Dodge Charger crashed into it. The Model Y owner then sent over the full video of the incident, which clearly showed the Charger attempting a burnout, failing, and bumping into the Cybertruck. The Cybertruck owner likely appreciated the video, in part because it showed the driver of the Dodge Charger absolutely freaking out after the incident.
The Cybertruck is not an impregnable vehicle, but it can take bumps pretty well thanks to its thick stainless steel body. Based on this video, it appears that the Cybertruck can even take bumps from a charging Charger, all while chilling and charging at a Supercharger. As for the teens in the Dodge, they likely had to provide a long explanation to authorities after the incident, since the cops were called to the location.
Lifestyle
Anti-Elon Musk group crushes Tesla Model 3 with Sherman tank–with unexpected results
Ironically enough, the group’s video ended up highlighting something very positive for Tesla.

Anti-Elon Musk protesters and critics tend to show their disdain for the CEO in various ways, but a recent video from political action group Led By Donkeys definitely takes the cake when it comes to creativity.
Ironially enough, the group’s video also ended up highlighting something very positive for Tesla.
Tank vs. Tesla
In its video, Led By Donkeys featured Ken Turner, a 98-year-old veteran who served in the British army during World War II. The veteran stated that Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, is “using his immense power to support the far-right in Europe, and his money comes from Tesla cars.”
He also noted that he had a message for the Tesla CEO: “We’ve crushed fascism before and we’ll crush it again.” To emphasize his point, the veteran proceeded to drive a Sherman tank over a blue Tesla Model 3 sedan, which, of course, had a plate that read “Fascism.”
The heavy tank crushed the Model 3’s glass roof and windows, much to the delight of Led By Donkeys’ commenters on its official YouTube channel. But at the end of it all, the aftermath of the anti-Elon Musk demonstration ended up showcasing something positive for the electric vehicle maker.
Tesla Model 3 Tanks the Tank?
As could be seen from the wreckage of the Tesla Model 3 after its Sherman encounter, only the glass roof and windows of the all-electric sedan were crushed. Looking at the wreckage of the Model 3, it seemed like its doors could still be opened, and everything on its lower section looked intact.
Considering that a standard M4 Sherman weighs about 66,800 to 84,000 pounds, the Model 3 actually weathered the tank’s assault really well. Granted, the vehicle’s suspension height before the political action group’s demonstration suggests that the Model 3’s high voltage battery had been removed beforehand. But even if it hadn’t been taken off, it seemed like the vehicle’s battery would have survived the heavy ordeal without much incident.
This was highlighted in comments from users on social media platform X, many of whom noted that a person in the Model 3 could very well have survived the ordeal with the Sherman. And that, ultimately, just speaks to the safety of Tesla’s vehicles. There is a reason why Teslas consistently rank among the safest cars on the road, after all.
Lifestyle
Tesla Model 3 driver is using FSD to travel to Mt. Everest Base Camp
The ambitious, nearly 4,000-kilometer (2,485-mile) Tesla FSD journey is being livestreamed on Chinese social media.

Count on Tesla drivers in China to push Full Self Driving (FSD) as far as it could go. As could be seen in videos posted on Chinese social media, a brave Model 3 owner is currently going on an epic journey from Henan Province to the base camp of Mt. Everest on FSD.
Recent posts from the Model 3 driver suggest that the ambitious destination may be within reach.
Epic FSD Journey
As noted by Tesla owner-enthusiast Aaron Li, the journey from Henan Province to the base camp of Mt. Everest spans almost 4,000 kilometers (2,485 miles). The journey itself is epic, with stunning vistas and roads that require some drivers to bring oxygen canisters with them. The fact that it is being done using FSD makes it extra impressive.
Based on the videos that have been recently shared, the Model 3 running FSD seems to be nearing the Everest Base Camp. There seems to be a good chance that the Tesla Model 3 may reach its destination this Friday.
Previous Everest Trips
This is not the first time that a Tesla has driven to Mt. Everest’s base camp. That would be a Model 3 that was driven in September 2020. That vehicle, which went on a long 5,500 km (3,400-mile) journey, was manually driven to its destination.
In April 2021, Tesla China announced that it has completed the buildout of 11 Supercharger stations in the picturesque route from Chengdu to Tingri. This route would allow drivers to reach the base camp of Mt. Everest. Sure enough, in July 2022, Tesla China shared a video of two Teslas—a Model X and Model Y—reaching the Everest base camp without any issues. Numerous other Tesla drivers have since taken on the long, picturesque journey.
Check out this Tesla Model Y’s journey to the Mt. Everest base camp in the video below.
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