Hardware

An app decompile spotted by Not a Tesla App reveals Tesla is preparing per-profile toggles to block the in-car web browser, Arcade games and Tesla Theater. The new flags — a browser flag, an Arcade flag, a Theater flag — sit alongside the existing Parental Controls system and the recently added rule that disables Track Mode whenever Parental Controls are engaged.

The USPTO granted Tesla a divisional patent on 31 March 2026 for a pulsed-laser system that vaporises debris off glass. The filing names the FSD camera array — not just the windshield — as a cleaning target, hinting at a future without rubber wipers and with self-cleaning sensors.

Tesla has won a US patent for a sliding suspension seat that uses electromagnetic springs and a built-in belt retractor, with the Tesla Semi and the next-generation Roadster as the most likely target vehicles.

Kazakhstan's State Guard Service deployed a Tesla Cybertruck as a mobile command-and-staff vehicle for the Informal Organization of Turkic States summit in Turkistan on 15 May 2026 — one of the first known uses of the electric pickup in an official state security role.

European reviewers warn that the Model Y Premium Long Range RWD silently switched to in-house 4680 cells in early 2026: WLTP range fell from 661 km to 609 km and DC fast-charging now starts tapering at 31% state of charge, leaving a 10–80% stop noticeably slower than the outgoing supplier-cell pack.

Tesla halted US Cybertruck handovers this week until each truck is flashed from 2026.14.3 to mandatory firmware 2026.14.6.

Tesla lifted US Model Y Premium and Performance prices by up to $1,000 — the first US Model Y hike in about two years.

Early reviews of the entry-level Model Y Standard, priced from £41,990 in the UK, show Tesla stripped out light bars, ambient lighting, vegan-leather seats and physical seat controls while keeping the WLTP 314-mile range and core driving experience intact. The trade-off is more cabin noise and a noticeably cheaper material feel.

Tesla has installed roughly 3,000 Solar Roof systems in nearly a decade — a fraction of the 1,000-per-week target Elon Musk set for 2019. Tesla Energy is now pushing customers toward conventional solar panels with Powerwall, effectively sidelining the tile product.

A Clark County permit application filed on 12 May 2026 reveals Tesla is converting a Las Vegas facility on Mohawk Street into a dedicated Cybercab service hub with an enclosed car wash, tire bay, and on-site Superchargers — the first purpose-built infrastructure for the company's two-seater Robotaxi.

Tesla has moved the Signature Edition handover to 20 May 2026 at Fremont. The 350-car Signature Edition is the final Model S and Model X production run — Tesla has confirmed the line is closing, with the Fremont floor space being repurposed for Optimus. No refreshed successor is planned, including for European buyers.

Tesla is investing $250M to more than double 4680 cell capacity at Grünheide to 18 GWh, creating over 1,500 jobs and bringing total site cell investment near €1 billion. Production targeted for 2027.

Tesla's Grünheide plant has built 750,000 Model Ys since 2022. Senior Director André Thierig says output will climb 20% to roughly 73,000 vehicles per quarter from July 2026, supported by 1,000 new hires.

UK homeowners can now finance a single Tesla Powerwall 3 at £149 per month over four years at 0% APR through installer partner Boxt. A solar-plus-Powerwall bundle is offered at £199 per month, alongside a £750 cashback rebate running through June 2026.

Tesla UK has packaged eight rooftop solar panels and a Powerwall 3 battery into a £199 per month, four-year, zero-interest plan exclusive to Tesla owners. With a £1,747 deposit and combined Model 3 financing of £494 per month, the offer is Tesla's clearest move yet to sell a single home-energy stack alongside the car.

A CARB filing has confirmed the Tesla Semi carries an 822 kWh pack in the Long Range trim and a 548 kWh pack in the Standard Range, both using NMCA chemistry and 4680 cells.

Tesla has detailed how Vision-based neural networks pre-arm airbags and seatbelt pretensioners up to 70 milliseconds before a front-end collision, using real-world crash data to tune deployment timing.

Tesla has recalled 218,868 U.S. vehicles after NHTSA flagged a software bug that could leave the rearview camera blank for up to 11 seconds after shifting into reverse. An OTA fix shipped as 2026.8.6.1 on April 11, 2026, and 99.92% of affected cars were already updated by the time the recall was filed.

On May 8, 2026, Tesla retired Deep Blue Metallic globally and rolled out two replacements in North America: Marine Blue ($1,000 on Premium trims) and Frost Blue (free on Performance trims, US-only for now). European buyers keep Marine Blue but do not yet get Frost Blue.

Tesla completed the last Model S and Model X at Fremont on Saturday May 9, 2026, ending 14 and 11 years of production respectively. The line will be retooled to build Optimus humanoid robots, with Musk targeting 1 million units per year.

A growing group of US Cybertruck owners has filed buyback requests under state lemon laws after repeated Power Conversion System failures, with one owner reporting a fourth PCS replacement in under two years. Tesla has acknowledged a parts shortage and is directing affected customers toward state buyback claims.

Volkswagen unveiled the production ID. Polo on 29 April 2026, a Spanish-built B-segment electric hatchback starting at €24,995 for the cheapest trim and offering up to 455 km WLTP range. The MEB+ debut squarely targets the Renault 5 and adds price pressure on the Tesla Model 3 across Europe.

NHTSA opened recall campaign 26V255000 on 22 April 2026 covering 173 Tesla Cybertrucks built with the 18-inch steel wheel option. Brake rotor stud holes can crack and let a wheel stud separate; Tesla will replace rotors, hubs, and lug nuts at no charge.

Tesla has doubled the rewards on its European referral programme from 1,000 km to 2,000 km of free Supercharging for both buyer and referrer, effective 30 April 2026.