Stories by Sarah Lee-Jones

[caption id="attachment_67076" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: SpaceX[/caption] SpaceX said a Falcon 9 launch from California that delivered 27 Starlink satellites also completed the company’s 100th Falcon launch of 2026. “Falcon 9 lifts off from California and delivers 27 Starlink satellites to orbit, completing our 100th Falcon launch of the year,” SpaceX posted on X after the...

Tesla has opened a new public Megacharger site in Vernon, California, according to the official Tesla Charging account on X. The location has six Megacharger stalls. Those pads are built for Tesla’s heavy commercial vehicles, especially the Semi, rather than the Supercharger network passenger cars use day to day, and Megacharger hardware is rated for...

Wall Street Journal automotive critic Dan Neil says Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) left him “bewitched” after about two hours in a Model Y, describing the software as “amazing” even while admitting he is still a sample of one with limited evidence. “Still, I know good driving when I see it,” Neil wrote in the WSJ...

SpaceX flew another Falcon 9 Starlink mission from Florida on Friday, and it walked the flight in public the way it usually does. The company posted a live look first (“Watch Falcon 9 launch 29 @Starlink satellites to orbit from Florida”), then confirmed “Deployment of 29 @Starlink satellites confirmed,” and followed that with a photo...

Tesla just posted the first video from inside its cathode factory at Giga Texas, and it is the first time the company’s North America account has actually walked a camera through that part of the Austin plant. Tesla North America (@tesla_na) shared the clip Friday afternoon, writing that it is “operating the first large scale...

Tesla has officially pulled the plug on its Solar Roof tile product line, ending a decade-long experiment in integrated solar roofing to double down on traditional solar panels. The company informed its network of certified third-party installers that Solar Roof tiles are no longer available for order and that it will only supply conventional solar […]

Tesla is issuing a recall for nearly three million vehicles in China to address safety concerns regarding interior emergency door releases. The measure covers 2.98 million China-built Model 3 and Model Y electric cars, marking the automaker’s largest recall in the country to date. The recall centers on manual door releases that sit flush with […]

Tesla has secured official regulatory approval to launch a paid public robotaxi service in Nevada, clearing the path for the electric vehicle manufacturer to scale up its autonomous ride-hailing operations in the state. The Nevada Transportation Authority granted Tesla its full Autonomous Vehicle Network Company permit on August 20, 2026. The new authorization replaces a […]

The new Tesla Model Y L delivered surprising results during real-world evaluation, outperforming initial estimates despite its larger size and heavier frame. In tests conducted by Edmunds, the three-row electric SUV traveled 358 miles on a single charge. That is nearly 12 percent higher than Tesla’s internal estimate of 320 miles, making it the longest-range […]

SpaceX has successfully towed Starship Ship 40 to Christmas Island following a 24-day journey adrift in the Indian Ocean. The 171-foot upper stage launched on July 24, 2026, as part of Starship Flight 13, achieving the program’s first intact ocean splashdown. Though expected to sink after soft-landing, the vehicle remained floating. SpaceX dispatched recovery vessels […]

Tesla’s Model Y robotaxi fleet got through the mid-June to mid-July reporting window without causing a single crash, according to newly released NHTSA data flagged Monday by Tesla investor and commentator Sawyer Merritt. Two incidents involving the fleet turn up in the filing, and in both of them the collision was started by a human […]

Tesla has been telling its own staff that the Cybercab is nearly ready to start carrying people in public, and the timeline is a lot tighter than most people were expecting. The Information reported Monday, citing people with knowledge of the plans, that the company is gearing up for a public launch in Austin, Texas […]

Tesla drivers in the San Francisco Bay Area are relying heavily on the company’s Full Self-Driving system, with some pushing the software far beyond its intended boundaries, according to a report by the San Francisco Chronicle. Full-time Uber driver Rohullah Hashimi relies on Tesla’s advanced driver assistance for about 95 percent of his driving around […]

Tesla has officially rolled out Vehicle-To-Load (V2L) capabilities for all Model Y Premium trims in the United States, allowing owners to power external electronics directly from their car battery. Buyers can now select a new $80 US Outlet Adapter directly when placing their vehicle order. With the new adapter and capability, Model Y Premium owners […]

Tesla’s massive new semiconductor manufacturing plant, known as Terafab, is already under construction, according to new aerial footage shared online. Independent observer Joe Tegtmeyer shared drone footage of the site after receiving flight approval directly from Tesla. The footage shows early ground preparation and earthmoving operations already well in progress at the location. When complete, […]