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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Elon Musk
Tesla AI5 chip nears completion, Elon Musk teases 9-month development cadence
The Tesla CEO shared his recent insights in a post on social media platform X.
Tesla’s next-generation AI5 chip is nearly complete, and work on its successor is already underway, as per a recent update from Elon Musk.
The Tesla CEO shared his recent insights in a post on social media platform X.
Musk details AI chip roadmap
In his post, Elon Musk stated that Tesla’s AI5 chip design is “almost done,” while AI6 has already entered early development. Musk added that Tesla plans to continue iterating rapidly, with AI7, AI8, AI9, and future generations targeting a nine-month design cycle.
He also noted that Tesla’s in-house chips could become the highest-volume AI processors in the world. Musk framed his update as a recruiting message, encouraging engineers to join Tesla’s AI and chip development teams.
Tesla community member Herbert Ong highlighted the strategic importance of the timeline, noting that faster chip cycles enable quicker learning, faster iteration, and a compounding advantage in AI and autonomy that becomes increasingly difficult for competitors to close.
AI5 manufacturing takes shape
Musk’s comments align with earlier reporting on AI5’s production plans. In December, it was reported that Samsung is preparing to manufacture Tesla’s AI5 chip, accelerating hiring for experienced engineers to support U.S. production and address complex foundry challenges.
Samsung is one of two suppliers selected for AI5, alongside TSMC. The companies are expected to produce different versions of the AI5 chip, with TSMC reportedly using a 3nm process and Samsung using a 2nm process.
Musk has previously stated that while different foundries translate chip designs into physical silicon in different ways, the goal is for both versions of the Tesla AI5 chip to operate identically. AI5 will succeed Tesla’s current AI4 hardware, formerly known as Hardware 4, and is expected to support the company’s Full Self-Driving system as well as other AI-driven efforts, including Optimus.
News
Tesla Model Y and Model 3 named safest vehicles tested by ANCAP in 2025
According to ANCAP in a press release, the Tesla Model Y achieved the highest overall weighted score of any vehicle assessed in 2025.
The Tesla Model Y recorded the highest overall safety score of any vehicle tested by ANCAP in 2025. The Tesla Model 3 also delivered strong results, reinforcing the automaker’s safety leadership in Australia and New Zealand.
According to ANCAP in a press release, the Tesla Model Y achieved the highest overall weighted score of any vehicle assessed in 2025. ANCAP’s 2025 tests evaluated vehicles across four key pillars: Adult Occupant Protection, Child Occupant Protection, Vulnerable Road User Protection, and Safety Assist technologies.
The Model Y posted consistently strong results in all four categories, distinguishing itself through a system-based safety approach that combines structural crash protection with advanced driver-assistance features such as autonomous emergency braking, lane support, and driver monitoring.

This marked the second time the Model Y has topped ANCAP’s annual safety rankings. The Model Y’s previous version was also ANCAP’s top performer in 2022.
The Tesla Model 3 also delivered a strong performance in ANCAP’s 2025 tests, contributing to Tesla’s broader safety presence across segments. Similar to the Model Y, the Model 3 also earned impressive scores across the ANCAP’s four pillars. This made the vehicle the top performer in the Medium Car category.
ANCAP Chief Executive Officer Carla Hoorweg stated that the results highlight a growing industry shift toward integrated safety design, with improvements in technologies such as autonomous emergency braking and lane support translating into meaningful real-world protection.
“ANCAP’s testing continues to reinforce a clear message: the safest vehicles are those designed with safety as a system, not a checklist. The top performers this year delivered consistent results across physical crash protection, crash avoidance and vulnerable road user safety, rather than relying on strength in a single area.
“We are also seeing increasing alignment between ANCAP’s test requirements and the safety technologies that genuinely matter on Australian and New Zealand roads. Improvements in autonomous emergency braking, lane support, and driver monitoring systems are translating into more robust protection,” Hoorweg said.
News
Tesla Sweden uses Megapack battery to bypass unions’ Supercharger blockade
Just before Christmas, Tesla went live with a new charging station in Arlandastad, outside Stockholm, by powering it with a Tesla Megapack battery.
Tesla Sweden has successfully launched a new Supercharger station despite an ongoing blockade by Swedish unions, using on-site Megapack batteries instead of traditional grid connections. The workaround has allowed the Supercharger to operate without direct access to Sweden’s electricity network, which has been effectively frozen by labor action.
Tesla has experienced notable challenges connecting its new charging stations to Sweden’s power grid due to industrial action led by Seko, a major Swedish trade union, which has blocked all new electrical connections for new Superchargers. On paper, this made the opening of new Supercharger sites almost impossible.
Despite the blockade, Tesla has continued to bring stations online. In Malmö and Södertälje, new Supercharger locations opened after grid operators E.ON and Telge Nät activated the sites. The operators later stated that the connections had been made in error.
More recently, however, Tesla adopted a different strategy altogether. Just before Christmas, Tesla went live with a new charging station in Arlandastad, outside Stockholm, by powering it with a Tesla Megapack battery, as noted in a Dagens Arbete (DA) report.
Because the Supercharger station does not rely on a permanent grid connection, Tesla was able to bypass the blocked application process, as noted by Swedish car journalist and YouTuber Peter Esse. He noted that the Arlandastad Supercharger is likely dependent on nearby companies to recharge the batteries, likely through private arrangements.
Eight new charging stalls have been launched in the Arlandastad site so far, which is a fraction of the originally planned 40 chargers for the location. Still, the fact that Tesla Sweden was able to work around the unions’ efforts once more is impressive, especially since Superchargers are used even by non-Tesla EVs.
Esse noted that Tesla’s Megapack workaround is not as easily replicated in other locations. Arlandastad is unique because neighboring operators already have access to grid power, making it possible for Tesla to source electricity indirectly. Still, Esse noted that the unions’ blockades have not affected sales as much.
“Many want Tesla to lose sales due to the union blockades. But you have to remember that sales are falling from 2024, when Tesla sold a record number of cars in Sweden. That year, the unions also had blockades against Tesla. So for Tesla as a charging operator, it is devastating. But for Tesla as a car company, it does not matter in terms of sales volumes. People charge their cars where there is an opportunity, usually at home,” Esse noted.