TechCapsules

Tesla makes good on its Cybercab promise in just two weeks

Tesla has added a live rear‑camera feed and a full‑screen quiet mode to its Cybercab service. Passengers can now tap the display to view a strip of rear‑camera video, swipe to hide it, or expand to see other exterior feeds, giving them awareness despite the cab’s lack of mirrors, windows and a driver’s seat. The quiet mode darkens the screen for riders who want to rest or avoid bright light at night. The updates were rolled out within two weeks of a request from a rider, and were

Tesla makes good on its Cybercab promise in just two weeks

Tesla has added a live rear‑camera feed and a full‑screen quiet mode to its Cybercab robotaxi service. Passengers can now tap the central display to view a strip of video from the vehicle’s rear camera, swipe to hide it, or expand to see additional exterior feeds, giving them visual awareness that was previously unavailable in the cabin. The quiet mode darkens the screen for riders who wish to rest or avoid glare at night. The updates, rolled out within two weeks of a request, required only software changes, leveraging the eight cameras already used for autonomy and Tesla’s Grok AI for camera‑view tuning. Tesla has not released notes and has not confirmed if the features will appear on Model Y robotaxis.

💡 Enabling passengers to see behind a driverless cab instantly addresses a safety blind spot inherent to mirror‑less designs, reinforcing user confidence as Tesla expands robotaxi deployments.

If Tesla’s Robotaxi Miles Keep Compounding at 20% a Week, the Math…

Tesla’s driverless fleet logged 438,000 unsupervised miles in the week to Oct. 18, edging past Waymo’s 406,000 miles for the same period in Austin. Company data show a jump from 250,000 miles last quarter to 1.7 million, then to 3.3 million within days, implying roughly 20 % weekly growth. At that rate, Tesla would surpass Waymo’s national weekly total of about 4 million miles in roughly 11 weeks and could reach 10 million weekly miles by week 16, overtaking half of Uber‑plus‑Lyft mileage in Austin, Dallas and Houston combined. Waymo’s growth has slowed to about 1.6 % quarter‑over‑quarter, with city‑level gains falling to single‑digit percentages, contrasting sharply with Tesla’s projected near‑970 % quarterly increase.

💡 Tesla’s accelerating unsupervised mileage could force a reassessment of LiDAR‑centric strategies and accelerate its push into the core ride‑hail market, challenging Waymo’s dominance in autonomous mobility.

Tesla reveals Optimus Academy, where robots teach themselves

Tesla has begun mass‑producing its Optimus humanoid robot on a dedicated high‑volume line inside the Fremont factory, converting space formerly used for Model S and Model X production. The company claims the first units off the line meet “production‑quality” standards and that the manufacturing process is ready for commercial scale, targeting up to one million robots annually. Elon Musk said equipment for this capacity is already in place and output could rise to roughly 20,000 units per week as the line follows an S‑curve ramp‑up. To compensate for the lack of a fleet‑derived data set, Tesla will create an “Optimus Academy” where 10,000‑20,000 robots perform varied tasks, feeding their experiences into future models. The AI5 chip will be integrated next year, and a larger plant at Giga Texas aims for 10 million robots annually.

💡 By turning each robot into a data source, Tesla accelerates autonomous learning at scale, turning manufacturing into a continuous AI training loop. This approach could give Optimus a real‑world adaptability edge over scripted competitors.

Tesla shows what Roadster drivers will see on screen before thruster activation

Tesla posted a 34‑second video on X that walks future owners through the next‑generation Roadster’s cockpit, emphasizing a fighter‑jet‑inspired touchscreen layout. The interface centers a 3D wireframe of the car beside a squared‑off yoke, with tabs for Home, Vehicle, Listen, Climate and Navigate. In Track Mode, drivers see a live circuit map, lap times, brake and motor temperatures, and tire pressure and temperature readouts. A setup page lets users select Auto, Low Drag, High Downforce or Custom aero modes, adjust aero and brake balance, and toggle stability and traction control. A status bar displays “Thruster · 5,500 PSI” and a “Boost Ready” indicator, linking the software to the cold‑gas thrusters showcased in October. Production is slated for 2028, with reservations requiring a $50,000 payment; the Rocket version remains invite‑only and is not road‑legal. The Roadster will be displayed at Los Angeles’ Petersen Automotive Museum from Oct. 24‑27.

💡 By exposing its high‑performance telemetry and thruster controls, Tesla signals a shift toward race‑car‑level driver interfaces that could redefine user expectations for electric sports cars.

Tesla buyers are buying for Full Self-Driving and not for the car,…

Tesla reported that 75 % of new vehicle deliveries in North America in Q3 2026 included a Full Self‑Driving (FSD) subscription, up from 55 % the previous quarter, marking a 20‑percentage‑point sequential rise. Active FSD subscriptions grew to 1.75 million, a 67 % year‑over‑year increase, with more than half of paying customers now on the $99‑per‑month plan after the company discontinued most one‑time purchases earlier in the year. The shift to a recurring model is intended to boost revenue visibility and margins. Tesla delivered 486,532 vehicles in the quarter, its largest passenger‑vehicle backlog in four years, while battery supply constrained volume. FSD is now offered in nine EU countries, with over 100,000 users having logged 160 million kilometres, and broader regulatory approval is sought.

💡 The soaring attach rate turns software into a primary profit engine, reshaping Tesla’s business model from car sales to recurring autonomy services.