The upgraded Volkswagen ID.4 and ID.5 models are now available for pre-order.
Volkswagen enhanced the new ID.4 and ID.5 electric vehicles with a better infotainment system and improved software. Some variants of the VW ID.4 and ID.5 also received a new electric drive motor, promising better performance of the electric vehicles.
“Our customers can look forward to exceptional technical performance with the new ID.4 and ID.5. Software and infotainment are state-of-the-art. In addition, there are extensive assistance systems that leave nothing to be desired. The further improved ID.4 and ID.5 models are at the top of the segment with their new technologies and the acknowledged balance of driving, comfort, and spaciousness,” noted Volkswagen
Infotainment and Software Improvements
The upgraded Volkswagen ID.4 and ID.5 have a new infotainment system with an increased screen size of 12.9 inches. The German automaker says its latest software introduces a new menu structure and enhanced head-up display to the electric vehicles’ infotainment system.
The new ID.4 and ID.5 now have illuminated touch sliders for the air conditioning and volume control. Volkswagen also removed the driving mode selector from the cars’ Digital Cockpits. Now, drivers can select a driving mode through a steering column switch, similar to the ID.7. The upgraded ID.4 and ID.5 also feature new premium sound systems from Harman Kardon with 480 Watts of music output and 10 speakers—including a center speaker and a subwoofer.
New Drive Motor
Volkswagen’s upgraded ID.4 and ID.5 vehicles have a new electric drive motor and the German automaker’s next-generation 77kWh battery. The new drive motor reduces energy consumption and increases power simultaneously.
The ID.4 and ID.4 Pro variants used a 210 kW electric driver motor, resulting in 60 kW more power than previous models. The torque of the 210 kW (286 PS) drive motor jumped from 310 to 545 Nm, yielding an extra 75% of torque.
Meanwhile, the All-Wheel-Drive ID.4 Pro 4Motion has a system power of 210 kW (286 PS), an increase of 15 kW (21 PS). Volkswagen’s sporty GTX models deliver up to 250 kW (340 PS) of system power, up by 30 kW (41 PS). Volkswagen claims that the GTX models’ improvement in dynamic characteristics is noticeable, as indicated by its 0 to 100 km/h in under 6 seconds.
Longer Range, Faster Charging
With Volkswagen’s new 77 kWh battery, the upgraded ID.4 and ID.5 vehicles have a longer range. The new ID.4 Pro covers 17 kilometers more range than its predecessor. It can run for 550 kilometers per charge. Meanwhile, the upgraded ID.5 has a range of up to 556 kilometers, an increase of 11 km compared to the previous iteration.
The AWD variants of the new ID.4 and ID.5 offer an increased DC charging capacity of 175 kW from 135 kW. With their new charging capacity, the ID.4 and ID.5 AWD variants can charge to have enough range to cover 178 km in just 10 minutes.
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News
Tesla wins FCC approval for wireless Cybercab charging system
The decision grants Tesla a waiver that allows the Cybercab’s wireless charging system to be installed on fixed outdoor equipment.
Tesla has received approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to use Ultra-Wideband (UWB) radio technology in its wireless EV charging system.
The decision grants Tesla a waiver that allows the Cybercab’s wireless charging system to be installed on fixed outdoor equipment. This effectively clears a regulatory hurdle for the company’s planned wireless charging pad for the autonomous two-seater.
Tesla’s wireless charging system is described as follows in the document: “The Tesla positioning system is an impulse UWB radio system that enables peer-to-peer communications between a UWB transceiver installed on an electric vehicle (EV) and a second UWB transceiver installed on a ground-level pad, which could be located outdoors, to achieve optimal positioning for the EV to charge wirelessly.”
The company explained that Bluetooth is first used to locate the charging pad. “Prior to the UWB operation, the vehicular system uses Bluetooth technology for the vehicle to discover the location of the ground pad and engage in data exchange activities (which is not subject to the waiver).”
Once the vehicle approaches the pad, the UWB system briefly activates. “When the vehicle approaches the ground pad, the UWB transceivers will operate to track the position of the vehicle to determine when the optimal position has been achieved over the pad before enabling wireless power charging.”
Tesla also emphasized that “the UWB signals occur only briefly when the vehicle approaches the ground pad; and mostly at ground level between the vehicle and the pad,” and that the signals are “significantly attenuated by the body of the vehicle positioned over the pad.”
As noted by Tesla watcher Sawyer Merritt, the FCC ultimately granted Tesla’s proposal since the Cybercab’s wireless charging system’s signal is very low power, it only turns on briefly while parking, it works only at very short range, and it won’t interfere with other systems.
While the approval clears the way for Tesla’s wireless charging plans, the Cybercab does not appear to depend solely on the new system.
Cybercab prototypes have frequently been spotted charging at standard Tesla Superchargers across the United States. This suggests the vehicle can easily operate within Tesla’s existing charging network even as the wireless system is developed and deployed. With this in mind, it would not be surprising if the first batches of the Cybercab that are deployed and delivered to consumers end up being charged by regular Superchargers.
Elon Musk
Tesla posts updated FSD safety stats as owners surpass 8 billion miles
Tesla shared the milestone as adoption of the system accelerates across several markets.
Tesla has posted updated safety stats for Full Self-Driving Supervised. The results were shared by the electric vehicle maker as FSD Supervised users passed more than 8 billion cumulative miles.
Tesla shared the milestone in a post on its official X account.
“Tesla owners have now driven >8 billion miles on FSD Supervised,” the company wrote in its post on X. Tesla also included a graphic showing FSD Supervised’s miles driven before a collision, which far exceeds that of the United States average.
The growth curve of FSD Supervised’s cumulative miles over the past five years has been notable. As noted in data shared by Tesla watcher Sawyer Merritt, annual FSD (Supervised) miles have increased from roughly 6 million in 2021 to 80 million in 2022, 670 million in 2023, 2.25 billion in 2024, and 4.25 billion in 2025. In just the first 50 days of 2026, Tesla owners logged another 1 billion miles.
At the current pace, the fleet is trending towards hitting about 10 billion FSD Supervised miles this year. The increase has been driven by Tesla’s growing vehicle fleet, periodic free trials, and expanding Robotaxi operations, among others.
Tesla also recently updated the safety data for FSD Supervised on its website, covering North America across all road types over the latest 12-month period.
As per Tesla’s figures, vehicles operating with FSD Supervised engaged recorded one major collision every 5,300,676 miles. In comparison, Teslas driven manually with Active Safety systems recorded one major collision every 2,175,763 miles, while Teslas driven manually without Active Safety recorded one major collision every 855,132 miles. The U.S. average during the same period was one major collision every 660,164 miles.
During the measured period, Tesla reported 830 total major collisions with FSD (Supervised) engaged, compared to 16,131 collisions for Teslas driven manually with Active Safety and 250 collisions for Teslas driven manually without Active Safety. Total miles logged exceeded 4.39 billion miles for FSD (Supervised) during the same timeframe.
Elon Musk
The Boring Company’s Music City Loop gains unanimous approval
After eight months of negotiations, MNAA board members voted unanimously on Feb. 18 to move forward with the project.
The Metro Nashville Airport Authority (MNAA) has approved a 40-year agreement with Elon Musk’s The Boring Company to build the Music City Loop, a tunnel system linking Nashville International Airport to downtown.
After eight months of negotiations, MNAA board members voted unanimously on Feb. 18 to move forward with the project. Under the terms, The Boring Company will pay the airport authority an annual $300,000 licensing fee for the use of roughly 933,000 square feet of airport property, with a 3% annual increase.
Over 40 years, that totals to approximately $34 million, with two optional five-year extensions that could extend the term to 50 years, as per a report from The Tennesean.
The Boring Company celebrated the Music City Loop’s approval in a post on its official X account. “The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority has unanimously (7-0) approved a Music City Loop connection/station. Thanks so much to @Fly_Nashville for the great partnership,” the tunneling startup wrote in its post.
Once operational, the Music City Loop is expected to generate a $5 fee per airport pickup and drop-off, similar to rideshare charges. Airport officials estimate more than $300 million in operational revenue over the agreement’s duration, though this projection is deemed conservative.
“This is a significant benefit to the airport authority because we’re receiving a new way for our passengers to arrive downtown at zero capital investment from us. We don’t have to fund the operations and maintenance of that. TBC, The Boring Co., will do that for us,” MNAA President and CEO Doug Kreulen said.
The project has drawn both backing and criticism. Business leaders cited economic benefits and improved mobility between downtown and the airport. “Hospitality isn’t just an amenity. It’s an economic engine,” Strategic Hospitality’s Max Goldberg said.
Opponents, including state lawmakers, raised questions about environmental impacts, worker safety, and long-term risks. Sen. Heidi Campbell said, “Safety depends on rules applied evenly without exception… You’re not just evaluating a tunnel. You’re evaluating a risk, structural risk, legal risk, reputational risk and financial risk.”