Tesla to increase maximum Autopilot speed beyond 80 mph

April 12, 2022

By Jorge Aguirre

Tesla to increase maximum Autopilot speed

In 2021 Tesla started transitioning its vehicles to Tesla Vision, a camera-based Autopilot system. This meant Teslas would no longer be equipped with radar and instead would rely on camera vision and neural net processing to deliver Autopilot, Full Self-Driving, and certain active safety features.

Unfortunately, this also meant that the Autosteer function would be limited to a maximum speed of 75 mph and a longer minimum following distance.

After launching with a maximum speed of 75 mph and a follow distance as low as three vehicle lengths, Tesla increased the maximum speed to 80 mph just two months later. The follow distance was also lowered to two vehicle lengths in the same update.

The same update (2021.4.18.11)also re-introduced features that were previously not available on vision-based cars, such as Smart Summon and Emergency Lane Departure Avoidance.

Radar-equipped vehicles that are not on the FSD Beta software still have the radar sensor activated and Autopilot can be used at speeds of up to 90 MPH.

However, Tesla may soon be increasing the maximum speed for vision-based cars according to a tweet from CEO Elon Musk.

Tesla owner @BLKMDL3 asked Musk if Tesla would increase the Autopilot limit from 80 to 85 or 90 on vision cars, to which the CEO responded, ‘Coming soon’.

This increase in top speed should allow pure vision Autopilot to provide a more natural driving experience to its users, particularly in some freeways across North America where the speed limit is 80 or 85 mph, such as Texas State Highway 130.

The follow distance on Tesla Vision vehicles is still limited when compared to radar-equipped cars. There's no word whether the follow distance will also be lowered in this update. The follow distance on vision cars can be set as low as two vehicle lengths today, while radar vehicles can be set to one.

Tesla's choice to remove radar from its Autopilot sensors was a contentious decision that drew criticism from even its most fervent supporters. However, data suggests that pure vision Autopilot is operating equally as well, if not slightly better, than its radar and camera-based predecessor.

We should note that just like many other features that the CEO has touted in the past as “coming soon”, we don’t have a clear timeline for the deployment of this update. We could see it in as little as a few weeks, but it can also take several months or longer before it's included in an update.

However, it is welcomed news that demonstrates the company’s increased confidence in its Tesla Vision system.

Coming soon
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 10, 2022

Tesla and Rivian Settle 4-Year-Long Lawsuit Out of Court

November 26, 2024

By Karan Singh

Not a Tesla App

Tesla and Rivian have been in court since 2020. Tesla alleged that ex-employees stole and transferred trade secrets. Tesla also alleged that Rivian was encouraging Tesla employees to depart and bring said trade secrets with them on their way to Rivian.

Tesla is now seeking to have the suit dismissed on December 24th of this year, assuming the settlement terms are reached.

Initial Lawsuit

The initial lawsuit in 2020 involved several employees, including a Health and Safety Manager, a Charging Network Manager, and two Human Resources Recruiters, who all departed Tesla to move to Rivian. Tesla alleged that these employees took trade secrets, confidential materials, and proprietary information when they joined Rivian.

The next year, Tesla added to the suit, alleging that Rivian stole technology related to Tesla’s next-gen batteries. That would’ve been the 4680-cells back then - now the updated Cybercell which is shipping in the Cybertruck.

Out-of-Court Settlement

On November 25th, Tesla informed the California state court that it would be settling the matter with Rivian out of court. This means that Tesla and Rivian have come to an agreement outside of the court case, and Tesla will be dropping its lawsuit. This is good for both companies—extended legal battles are extremely expensive, especially with highly paid, specialized lawyers on both sides of the battle arguing it out for nearly four years.

It's good to see that both companies are moving forward. Rivian stock saw a positive bump in yesterday’s trading from this news—approximately 13%. We’re looking forward to seeing what both companies do in the future. It’d be best to see both as allies in electrifying the planet and supporting adventuring rather than at each other’s throats in court.

Tesla is Setting Up Pop-Up Displays Across Malls in the United States [VIDEO]

November 26, 2024

By Karan Singh

David Zhai on LinkedIn

Each year, around the Holiday season, Tesla puts up pop-up mall displays across the United States, Canada, and certain locations in Europe. It looks like Tesla is continuing this tradition once again this year, as David Zhai, Concept and Prototype Staff Manager at Tesla, has stated on LinkedIn that the Tesla Pop-Up Shops are returning.

Pop-Up Displays

Tesla intends to build small pop-up displays featuring Tesla vehicles, including the Cybertruck, at major malls throughout the United States. These displays are usually temporary and just for the holiday season. However, they’re placed in high-traffic areas, usually near the center of major malls - near food courts and rest areas.

They’re also usually staffed by members of the local Delivery/Service Center, who are around to answer questions and show off the features of the vehicles on display. After all, seeing a Cybertruck from a distance is one thing - sitting inside is entirely another.

Tesla popup at the American dream mall is nice has the cybertruck on display with sales advisors to answer questions, show the truck, demo drives, and there’s a computer to order cars / look at what’s available pic.twitter.com/oTWz61dDhf
— Joey (@JoeyV1117) November 26, 2024

Other Regions

David Zhai didn’t mention whether these would be coming to other regions - just the United States. It seems that while Tesla previously ran these displays globally, it may not be the case this year. We’ll keep an eye out and see if they start popping up in Canada, Europe, or China - let us know if you spot one there!

Drive-By Displays

When Cybertruck launched, Tesla also held drive-by displays throughout North America and Europe. They drove the Cybertruck into places like New York’s Times Square while towing a Model 3 or Model Y on a trailer behind it. These displays were really popular and attracted tons of attention.

We’re hoping to see more of these drive-by displays make a comeback sometime soon. Many owners have yet to see the new Model 3 or the Tesla Semi up close and personal.