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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In a groundbreaking new report from Reuters, SpaceX is reportedly discussing merger possibilities with xAI ahead of the space exploration company’s plans to IPO later this year, in what would be a blockbuster move.
The outlet said it would combine rockets and Starlink satellites, as well as the X social media platform and AI project Grok under one roof. The report cites “a person briefed on the matter and two recent company filings seen by Reuters.”
Musk, nor SpaceX or xAI, have commented on the report, so, as of now, it is unconfirmed.
With that being said, the proposed merger would bring shares of xAI in exchange for shares of SpaceX. Both companies were registered in Nevada to expedite the transaction, according to the report.
On January 21, both entities were registered in Nevada. The report continues:
“One of them, a limited liability company, lists SpaceX and Bret Johnsen, the company’s chief financial officer, as managing members, while the other lists Johnsen as the company’s only officer, the filings show.”
The source also stated that some xAI executives could be given the option to receive cash in lieu of SpaceX stock. No agreement has been reached, nothing has been signed, and the timing and structure, as well as other important details, have not been finalized.
SpaceX is valued at $800 billion and is the most valuable privately held company, while xAI is valued at $230 billion as of November. SpaceX could be going public later this year, as Musk has said as recently as December that the company would offer its stock publicly.
The plans could help move along plans for large-scale data centers in space, something Musk has discussed on several occasions over the past few months.
At the World Economic Forum last week, Musk said:
“It’s a no-brainer for building solar-powered AI data centers in space, because as I mentioned, it’s also very cold in space. The net effect is that the lowest cost place to put AI will be space and that will be true within two to three years, three at the latest.”
He also said on X that “the most important thing in the next 3-4 years is data centers in space.”
If the report is true and the two companies end up coming together, it would not be the first time Musk’s companies have ended up coming together. He used Tesla stock to purchase SolarCity back in 2016. Last year, X became part of xAI in a share swap.
Tesla has announced it has hit a major milestone with Full Self-Driving subscriptions, shortly after it said it would exclusively offer the suite without the option to purchase it outright.
Tesla announced on Wednesday during its Q4 Earnings Call for 2025 that it had officially eclipsed the one million subscription mark for its Full Self-Driving suite. This represented a 38 percent increase year-over-year.
This is up from the roughly 800,000 active subscriptions it reported last year. The company has seen significant increases in FSD adoption over the past few years, as in 2021, it reported just 400,000. In 2022, it was up to 500,000 and, one year later, it had eclipsed 600,000.
NEWS: For the first time, Tesla has revealed how many people are subscribed or have purchased FSD (Supervised).
Active FSD Subscriptions:
• 2025: 1.1 million
• 2024: 800K
• 2023: 600K
• 2022: 500K
• 2021: 400K pic.twitter.com/KVtnyANWcs— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) January 28, 2026
In mid-January, CEO Elon Musk announced that the company would transition away from giving the option to purchase the Full Self-Driving suite outright, opting for the subscription program exclusively.
Musk said on X:
“Tesla will stop selling FSD after Feb 14. FSD will only be available as a monthly subscription thereafter.”
The move intends to streamline the Full Self-Driving purchase option, and gives Tesla more control over its revenue, and closes off the ability to buy it outright for a bargain when Musk has said its value could be close to $100,000 when it reaches full autonomy.
It also caters to Musk’s newest compensation package. One tranche requires Tesla to achieve 10 million active FSD subscriptions, and now that it has reached one million, it is already seeing some growth.
The strategy that Tesla will use to achieve this lofty goal is still under wraps. The most ideal solution would be to offer a less expensive version of the suite, which is not likely considering the company is increasing its capabilities, and it is becoming more robust.
Tesla is shifting FSD to a subscription-only model, confirms Elon Musk
Currently, Tesla’s FSD subscription price is $99 per month, but Musk said this price will increase, which seems counterintuitive to its goal of increasing the take rate. With that being said, it will be interesting to see what Tesla does to navigate growth while offering a robust FSD suite.
News
Tesla confirms Robotaxi expansion plans with new cities and aggressive timeline
Tesla plans to launch in Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, Miami, Orlando, Tampa, and Las Vegas. It lists the Bay Area as “Safety Driver,” and Austin as “Ramping Unsupervised.”
Tesla confirmed its intentions to expand the Robotaxi program in the United States with an aggressive timeline that aims to send the ride-hailing service to several large cities very soon.
The Robotaxi program is currently active in Austin, Texas, and the California Bay Area, but Tesla has received some approvals for testing in other areas of the U.S., although it has not launched in those areas quite yet.
However, the time is coming.
During Tesla’s Q4 Earnings Call last night, the company confirmed that it plans to expand the Robotaxi program aggressively, hoping to launch in seven new cities in the first half of the year.
Tesla plans to launch in Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, Miami, Orlando, Tampa, and Las Vegas. It lists the Bay Area as “Safety Driver,” and Austin as “Ramping Unsupervised.”
These details were released in the Earnings Shareholder Deck, which is published shortly before the Earnings Call:
🚨 BREAKING: Tesla plans to launch its Robotaxi service in Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, Miami, Orlando, Tampa, and Las Vegas in the first half of this year pic.twitter.com/aTnruz818v
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) January 28, 2026
Late last year, Tesla revealed it had planned to launch Robotaxi in Las Vegas, Phoenix, Dallas, and Houston, but Tampa and Orlando were just added to the plans, signaling an even more aggressive expansion than originally planned.
Tesla feels extremely confident in its Robotaxi program, and that has been reiterated many times.
Although skeptics still remain hesitant to believe the prowess Tesla has seemingly proven in its development of an autonomous driving suite, the company has been operating a successful program in Austin and the Bay Area for months.
In fact, it announced it achieved nearly 700,000 paid Robotaxi miles since launching Robotaxi last June.
🚨 Tesla has achieved nearly 700,000 paid Robotaxi miles since launching in June of last year pic.twitter.com/E8ldSW36La
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) January 28, 2026
With the expansion, Tesla will be able to penetrate more of the ride-sharing market, disrupting the human-operated platforms like Uber and Lyft, which are usually more expensive and are dependent on availability.
Tesla launched driverless rides in Austin last week, but they’ve been few and far between, as the company is certainly easing into the program with a very cautiously optimistic attitude, aiming to prioritize safety.
SpaceX reportedly discussing merger with xAI ahead of blockbuster IPO
Tesla hits major milestone with Full Self-Driving subscriptions
