Joining its larger siblings, the Tesla Model 3 has been given a 5-Star Safety Rating by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The NHTSA tested the Model 3 on frontal crash, side crash, and rollover safety; and in all the categories and subcategories of the organization’s tests, the Model 3 performed superbly, displaying a level of industry-leading driver and passenger safety.

The NHTSA’s Recommended Safety Technologies, such as forward collision warning systems, dynamic brake support, crash imminent braking, and lane departure warning features, were also standard on the Model 3. Following are the results from the NHTSA’s safety tests on the Model 3. 

The Tesla Model 3’s ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. [Credit: NHTSA]

With the Model 3 getting its official NHTSA score, Tesla now holds the distinction of being an automaker whose entire lineup of production vehicles have 5-Star safety ratings. Just like the Model 3, the Tesla Model X received perfect scores in all of the NHTSA’s frontal crash, side crash, and rollover tests. Back in 2013, the Tesla Model S performed so well during the NHTSA’s testing, the vehicle ended up breaking the organization’s crash-testing gear.

Even before the release of the NHTSA’s official ratings for the Model 3, Elon Musk has been lauding the electric sedan’s safety features. In a post last month on Twitter, Musk noted that the absence of a fossil fuel-powered engine in the Model 3 gives the car longer crumple zones. Musk also pointed out that the Model 3 has the “best safety of any midsize car.”

Such statements seem to be acknowledged by a number of Model 3 accidents this year, including a high-speed crash on the I-90 tunnel in Seattle, WA resulting from what appeared to be a street race between a BMW M4 and a Chevrolet Camaro SS. A Model 3 involved in a head-on collision at 60 mph earlier this year also resulted in the driver walking away with just a swollen ankle.

The Tesla Model 3 gets crash tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. [Credit: NHTSA]

Back in May, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), a nonprofit funded by auto insurers dedicated to reducing the number of accidents on the road, also gave the Model 3 a “Superior” front crash avoidance rating. During its tests, the Model 3 performed particularly well in the crash avoidance and mitigation category, thanks to the vehicle’s Forward Collision Warning, its low-speed autobrake, and its high-speed autobrake systems.

This is not to say that the Model 3’s safety ratings have flawless from the beginning. Consumer Reports initially denied the Model 3 its coveted “Recommended” rating due to the vehicle’s variance in braking distances, which Tesla promptly addressed through an over-the-air software update. Consumer Reports later retested the Model 3, giving it a “Recommended” rating. 

The Model 3’s all-electric design is a key factor in its safety ratings. Since the vehicle does not have a front-mounted engine and rear-mounted gas tank, as can be found on fossil fuel-powered cars, the Model 3 has extra large crumple zones that absorb energy during high-speed collisions. Tesla’s use of ultra-high-strength steel and aluminum for the Model 3’s body structure, as well as the vehicle’s floor-mounted battery pack, provide further structural rigidity to the electric sedan.

Watch the Model 3’s safety tests in the videos below.

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A lot of Tesla’s immediate future is tied to the Model 3. Elon Musk said as much in an interview last July, when he accurately described the Model 3 ramp as a “bet-the-company” situation. This means that if the Model 3 proves a success, Tesla could take a definitive step towards Elon Musk’s Master Plan; but if the vehicle fails, it would be catastrophic for the company.

The Model 3’s failure is something that Jim Chanos, arguably the most high-profile of Tesla’s short-sellers, is looking forward to. Chanos has taken an aggressive stance against the electric car company, never hesitating to express his belief that TSLA stock is worth $0. Over the years, the prominent short-seller has frequently attacked the electric car maker, pointing out Elon Musk’s alleged fraudulent activities and Tesla’s weaknesses as a company.

So far, Chanos’ bet against Tesla has not been paying off. His hedge fund, Kynikos Capital Partners, has not done very well since 2015, a time in which he held a short position against Solar City, and not long before he announced that he was shorting Tesla. Including a 9% loss through July of this year, Kynikos exhibited a net annualized return of 4.86% since 2015, compared with the S&P 500’s return of 12.17% during the same period.

Considering the high-stakes bet that Tesla took with the Model 3, the success of the electric car is something that would not do any favors for Kynikos’ already-embattled year. Chanos, for his part, noted in a recent interview with Institutional Investor that he still likes his odds on Tesla. He does, for one, believe that Elon Musk “handcuffed” himself by promising profitability during the second-half of 2018. He also believes that there are inherent problems with the Model 3, as shown in its production slowdowns in August and alleged issues with the vehicle.

“It’s looking to be a lemon,” Chanos said.

As the third quarter draws to a close, the prominent short-seller’s thesis against Tesla would be put to the test. The electric car maker, after all, has set aggressive targets for itself this Q3, aiming to build 50,000-55,000 Model 3 during the quarter while attaining profitability. Whether Tesla could accomplish its ambitious objectives remains to be seen, but there is one thing that is starting to become evident — the Model 3 does not seem to be a lemon at all.

The electric car’s production issues are well-known, and the teething problems that Tesla exhibited in the vehicle’s initial run were evident, as shown by the first observations of teardown specialist Sandy Munro when he started tearing down an early-production Model 3. But even Sandy Munro eventually admitted that behind the inconsistent panel gaps and imperfect fit and finish issues of the early production Model 3 he tested, he was thoroughly impressed with Tesla’s battery technology, electronics, performance, and ride quality. Tesla’s fit and finish on the Model 3 has improved since the car that Munro tested rolled off the assembly line, and the vehicle has only gotten more praise since then.

The electric car, particularly the Model 3 Performance, has practically garnered unanimous praise from professional auto reviewers. Various auto journalists, from the Wall Street Journal to Car & Driver to Road & Track (to name a few), have praised the vehicle, with the consensus being that it is a car that can disrupt the high-performance sedan market dominated by longtime legends such as the BMW M3. 

The Tesla Model 3 gets crash tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. [Credit: NHTSA]

The Model 3 was given a flawless 5-Star safety rating by the Highway Traffic Safety Administration as well, garnering perfect scores in all categories and subcategories. Videos of the vehicle’s frontal crash, side crash, and rollover crash depicted the electric sedan providing ample protection for its driver and passengers during collisions. With the Model 3’s rating, all of Tesla’s vehicles currently in production now have the distinction of having 5-Star safety ratings from the NHTSA.

Recent reports from the Tesla community in both the United States and abroad also indicate that the company has adopted an aggressive delivery schedule for reservation holders, with centers reportedly conducting handovers until 10 p.m. Other reports further suggest that Tesla’s delivery centers are handing over up to 100 cars per day.

Tesla’s capability to become profitable is linked to the Model 3, which would comprise the majority of its sales this quarter. A vote of confidence for this came in the form of analyses from a German teardown firm and Detroit’s Munro and Associates, both of which concluded that Tesla could make a profit with the Model 3. Munro, for one, noted after his teardown of the Long Range RWD Model 3 that the vehicle could give Tesla a 36% profit. More expensive trims, such as the Long Range Model 3 AWD and the Model 3 Performance, are likely even more profitable.

The third quarter is not yet finished, and much of Tesla’s production and delivery progress remains unknown. But all things considered, Jim Chanos’ bet against the Model 3 as a vehicle could very well end up being a disappointment for the esteemed short-seller.

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Elon Musk is a man who never takes the easy way out. From starting SpaceX in 2002 to pursue his dreams of making humans an interplanetary species, to becoming Tesla’s CEO just before the US financial crisis hit in 2008, Musk and his companies are testaments to the undeterred, relentless pursuit of excellence.

Both Tesla and SpaceX experienced difficulties over the years. SpaceX struggled considerably during the development of the Falcon 1 rocket, and Tesla has faced painful production issues since the days of the original Roadster. The challenges that each company faced have only gotten more daunting over the years. Just as SpaceX struggled with the Falcon 1, so did it hit difficulty after difficulty when it was attempting to land and reuse its Falcon 9 boosters. Tesla, for its part, continued to have issues with production, from the initial rollout of the Model S, the delays of the Model X, and the “production hell” of the Model 3. Elon Musk has felt the pain of these years personally.

SpaceX and Tesla have since experienced growth and progress. SpaceX is currently preparing to send astronauts to the International Space Station through its Crew Dragon capsule, and even more recently, Elon Musk announced that the BFR, the company’s most ambitious project to date, is looking to bring civilians on a trip around the Moon. Tesla, for its part, has steadily established itself as an esteemed maker of premium electric vehicles, ultimately pushing legacy automakers to produce electric cars of their own, such as the upcoming Porsche Taycan. 

There is no doubt that Tesla and SpaceX’s journey over the years has been deeply emotional, and it is paved with numerous failures and historic successes. From the first successful landing of a Falcon 9 booster to the now-iconic launch of the Falcon Heavy, to the release and dominance of the Tesla Model S, Model X, and Model 3 in their respective segments in the electric car market, Elon Musk and his teams’ triumphs are undeniable.

These emotions are perfectly captured in a tribute video by film editor Chris Collins, who came up with a spec featuring the highlights of Tesla and SpaceX over the years. The spec, which is just over two minutes long, captures the raw emotion of the two companies’ uphill journey, as well as Elon Musk’s relentless drive and his refusal to give up despite his numerous failures. Overall, the spec is an ode to Musk and his companies, and their determination to always push the envelope forward.

Watch Chris Collins’ spec on Tesla, SpaceX, and Elon Musk in the video below.

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It is difficult to deny that Tesla is a company with a dedicated following. Over the years, its electric cars and energy storage products, together with Elon Musk’s rockstar CEO status, allowed Tesla to become one of the most recognizable brands in the automotive industry. This has also allowed the company to garner a strong consumer base that is willing to pay it forward.

Tesla is facing what Elon Musk dubs as “delivery logistics hell” due to the sheer number of customer deliveries that need to be done before the end of Q3 2018. Tesla has stepped up to the challenge, reportedly conducting deliveries in its centers until 10 p.m. and adopting processes such as a 5-Minute Sign & Drive system to expedite the handover process. As the end of the third quarter nears, though, it has become evident that the company could use a helping hand.

A suggestion for a solution to help Tesla’s Q3 deliveries was suggested by IGN journalist and Ride the Lightning podcast host Ryan McAffrey on Twitter, who noted that he and a lot of Tesla owners would be willing to volunteer their time to help out with deliveries. While Tesla owners cannot help with the paperwork, they could help orient newcomers about the functions and features of their new electric car. Elon Musk loved the idea, stating that any help would be appreciated.

Wow, thanks for offering to help! The coming week is incredibly intense. If any current Tesla owners who’d like to help educate new owners could head to Tesla delivery centers during midday on Sat/Sun & morning/evening on weekdays, that would be super appreciated!

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 22, 2018

All across the social media sphere, the Tesla community immediately came alive. In Twitter alone, several owners volunteered to help out, from those who have driven the company’s vehicles since the days of the original Roadster, to those who have just received their Model 3 recently. Influencers who command a strong following in social media, as well as members of dedicated Tesla clubs, announced that they would pitch in as well. Some even noted that they would be bringing food and drinks. 

It is rare to see a car company command such a dedicated following, but considering Tesla’s place in the auto industry today, the strong brand loyalty exhibited by its consumer base is not very surprising. Over the years, Tesla has pretty much transformed itself into an entity that is more than a regular car company or an energy storage provider. In a way, Tesla has become a movement of sorts, a brand that symbolizes a few embers of optimism in a world that is growing more disillusioned by the day. It would be rather easy to criticize Elon Musk for being a leader that still shows a degree of naivette from time to time, but in the case of Tesla, his leadership is arguably one of the reasons why regular electric car owners are willing to spend their personal time to help out the company. 

Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen conducting Model 3 deliveries. 

While aggressive critics of Tesla would be quick to state that the company commands a “cult” following, it’s not like its customers’ loyalty is misplaced. In the electric car market alone, it is starting to become evident that Tesla, a young carmaker that has only been around for 15 years, holds a significant lead in the EV market. Toni Sacconaghi of Bernstein, an analyst who quite literally incited Elon Musk’s frustration in an earnings call, recently pointed out that contrary to a persistent bear thesis, there is “no actual flood of competition coming” for Tesla’s vehicles, even from established legacy carmakers.

Tesla’s strength and its strong consumer loyalty are reflected in the company’s Net Promoter Score (NPS), which stands as among the highest in the auto industry. Last year alone, Tesla earned a 97 in its NPS, the highest score among automakers currently active in the US. As noted by ConsumerGauge in its analysis of Tesla’s rating back in 2017, the company’s industry-leading NPS seems to be influenced by the company’s radical approach to vehicles and the car buying experience, as well as Elon Musk’s bold, hands-on approach to the company. 

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Tesla appears to be expanding its activities in Tilburg, Netherlands, as the company has acquired a third major facility in the region. The yet-to-be announced complex spans 387,500 square feet (36,000 square meters) and is located at Vossenbergseweg, close to Tesla’s assembly plant and delivery center.

The electric car maker’s activities were initially shared online by Tesla owner-enthusiast Hans Noordsij, who noted that he was tipped off about the facility recently. Tesla has so far been tight-lipped about the purpose of the new site, with local news publication AD.nl reportedly being unable to get information about the new facility from the electric car maker. In a statement to Teslarati, Hans noted that when he inquired about the new site during a service appointment for his Model S, Tesla’s staff at the service center also declined to confirm the purpose of the facility.

Tesla’s new Tilburg, NL site. [Credit: Hans Noordsij/Twitter]

While the nature of the new site remains unannounced, there seems to be a good chance that the 387,500-square-foot facility would be utilized to prepare for the likely influx of vehicles to the region resulting from the upcoming Model 3 push. Considering that Tesla has an assembly and delivery plant, as well as a sales and service center, in Tilburg, the new facility could serve as a location where parts for vehicles would be stored and distributed. Hans, for his part, noted that Tesla already adopts this strategy today, but on a far smaller scale.

As more electric cars saturate the NL and nearby areas, the company would need a stronger service system that can cater to the growing fleet. This is particularly true with regards to the impending arrival of the Model 3, which is expected to begin deliveries in the region sometime next year. Having a dedicated site for electric car parts distribution would ultimately help Tesla in its push to improve the ramp of its in-house service centers, which are capable of addressing repairs in short periods of time. 

In some regions such as Norway, after all, Tesla is currently struggling to expand its service facilities, resulting in some electric car owners experiencing long wait times before even minor repairs are addressed. Elon Musk personally addressed this on Twitter last July, stating that owners are “right to be upset with Tesla” considering the company’s incapability to have vehicles repaired in a timely manner.

Tesla’s third Tilburg, NL site could play a vital role in the upcoming Model 3 push in the region. 

If Tesla’s initiatives in the United States are any indication, though, the company appears to have found a solution to drastically reduce the waiting times for vehicle repairs. Through the use of in-house service centers, Tesla is now starting to attain shorter turnaround times for vehicles’ service and repairs. One such instance was shared earlier this month by the owners of the LikeTesla YouTube channel, whose Model 3 was involved in an accident. Utilizing an in-house service center, the Model 3 owners were able to get their electric sedan fully repaired — complete with a new bumper, a new headlight, a new front fender — in just 25 hours.

Tesla does not intend to stop there. In an update on Twitter last August, Elon Musk noted that Tesla is aiming to achieve same-day body repairs using pre-stocked parts at service centers. With this in mind, Tesla’s new Tilburg facility could be a sign that quicker turnaround times for vehicle repairs in the region could be just around the corner. 

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If social media posts and anecdotes from participating owners are any indication, it appears that Tesla’s volunteer-boosted Model 3 delivery weekend is looking to be a success. As Tesla’s volunteers aid the company in orienting large numbers of new owners with their vehicles, the demand for quality electric cars is becoming more evident than ever.

This weekend saw something remarkable happen in the Tesla community. With the company currently attempting to address Elon Musk’s self-dubbed “delivery logistics hell,” some owners of Tesla’s electric cars stepped forward to offer help. The idea was initially pitched by IGN reporter and Ride the Lightning podcast host Ryan McCaffrey on Twitter, and Elon Musk promptly greenlighted the suggestion, stating that any help would be greatly appreciated. The community mobilized itself immediately, and by Saturday, Tesla’s delivery centers had volunteers who were ready to help new owners with the features and functions of their electric cars. Even Elon Musk himself was in Fremont’s center, interacting with new owners.

Hanging out with @elonmusk while waiting for our new cars @Tesla pic.twitter.com/2UjGyYkD5u

— Bradley Wong (@brawong) September 23, 2018

Reports on social media and in forums such as the r/TeslaMotors subreddit suggest that Tesla’s volunteer-augmented delivery efforts have been largely successful. One such account came from r/TeslaMotors subreddit member and Model 3 owner u/jpbeans, who narrated his experience as a volunteer in one of Tesla’s delivery centers. According to the Model 3 owner, Tesla gave them Guest badges, and they ended up helping owners on several topics, from basics like opening the Model 3’s door handle, to navigating the car’s functions through the 15″ touchscreen.

On Twitter, similar accounts were shared. Twitter user @GuyTesla, who volunteered in Tesla’s Littleton delivery center on Saturday, even noted that a nearby Jaguar dealership inquired how Tesla would be able to store the vehicles being delivered to the site. When informed that the electric cars were not staying in the facility, the staff of the legacy automaker were reportedly a bit shocked.

Hilarious highlight of the day: The Jaguar dealers that had just moved in next-door to Tesla Littleton commented on all of the truck carriers of cars showing up, and asked, “where are you going to put all of these?” And the answer was “They aren’t staying.”

Sad faces…

— TheTeslaGuy (@GuyTesla) September 23, 2018

Inasmuch as the Littleton volunteer’s observations are but an anecdote in an otherwise busy delivery weekend, the demand for premium electric vehicles should be undeniable by now. Over the years, Tesla’s electric cars, despite the company’s teething challenges, proved successful in their respective segments. With the Model 3, Tesla has begun an attack into the mainstream auto market, and the electric sedan is starting to make some waves. In August alone, the Model 3 became the 5th best-selling passenger car in the US, being outsold only by the Toyota Camry, Honda Civic, Honda Accord, and the Toyota Corolla Family, all of which are lower-priced vehicles.

Tesla is pretty much unchallenged in the premium electric car market, though highly-anticipated competitors such as the Mercedes-Benz EQC and the Audi e-tron have recently been unveiled. While these vehicles have long been hyped as possible “Tesla-killers” due to their manufacturers having decades of experience in the auto industry, the performance of the vehicles, as well as their battery tech, seemed to be a bit subpar compared to Tesla’s electric cars. This was addressed by Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi recently, when he noted that contrary to a prevalent bear thesis, there is “no actual flood of competition coming” for Tesla’s vehicles.

The recent offerings of premium legacy automakers have caught the attention of Christina Bu, General Secretary of the Electric Vehicle Association in Norway. Norway is among the world’s leaders in the electric car transition, and it is one of the countries where Tesla’s vehicles hold a formidable place. After the reveal of some of Tesla’s competitors from legacy automakers, the EVA General Secretary proved unimpressed, calling on manufacturers to “stop pretending and start delivering” on real electric cars that have compelling performance and features. Bu further noted that the strong demand for affordable, decently-specced vehicles like the Kia Niro Electric and Hyundai KONA Electric, is proof that consumers are ready to embrace EVs.

Tesla is pretty much only halfway through its efforts of ramping the production of the Model 3. This third quarter, Tesla is aiming to produce 50,000-55,000 Model 3 — a record number of vehicles but still only a fraction of its planned 10,000/week production rate for the electric sedan. Tesla eventually plans to build 500,000 Model 3 per year, and its upcoming crossover SUV, the Model Y, is expected to hit a production rate of 1 million units per year. Even when the company achieves these targets, though, the auto industry could not transition into the electric car era on Tesla alone — other manufacturers, particularly those with decades of experience, must embrace the shift as well. As Norway’s General Secretary of the EVA noted, the time is now to “stop pretending and start delivering.”

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Indie app developer Moshen Chan has been an avid BMW enthusiast for ~20 years. Having a passion for high-speed driving, he has spent a lot of time experiencing the legacy automaker’s Ultimate Driving Machines firsthand. Moshen now drives a Tesla Model 3 Performance, after a test drive with the electric sedan proved that it was a powerful, feature-ridden, and compelling vehicle that could very well be beyond anything that the German veteran automaker currently has to offer.

The indie app developer shared his experience in a series of lengthy posts on a BMW forum, Bimmerfest.com. Chan notes that over the years, he has driven several BMWs, and today, he owns a modified E36 325i with track suspension setup, as well as an E82 135i with Performance Suspension and several other M3 suspension part upgrades. Being in the market for a new vehicle, he was looking at the BMW M2 Competition, the latest iteration of the BMW M3, and lastly, the Tesla Model 3 Performance.

The test drive with the Model 3 Performance proved to be the difference-maker. The BMW enthusiast stated that he was simply blown away by the vehicle, from its hyper-low center of gravity, its low polar moment of inertia, to its silent, instant, brutal acceleration. Chan stated that Tesla ultimately “threw a curve-ball to everything (he) knew about sport sedans & performance cars” and that overall, the Model 3 Performance “absolutely outperforms anything BMW has to offer today.” The app developer further noted that his test drive with the Model 3 Performance was an “iPhone moment.”

“I can say I was very hesitant on the ultra minimalist interior but now I absolutely love it. For me this is an iPhone moment – when a new product suddenly makes everything else seem outdated and old,” Chan wrote.  

The indie app developer admits that his Model 3 Performance is not a perfect car and that Tesla still has a lot to learn in terms of customer service, delivery, and providing enough spare parts for its ever-growing fleet. Despite these, Chan noted that he has no regrets with the Model 3 Performance, as the car has now taken over the mantle of the “Ultimate Driving Machine,” at least in terms of his current standards.

“BMW has better build quality. It has more refined finishing and details. That stuff makes me feel good, I guess. But for me, it’s the driving experience that really matters. The overall package of what the Performance Model 3 does for me – greatly makes up for those areas that BMW is better at,” he wrote.

The BMW enthusiast notes that he is not the only one in his circle who committed to the Model 3 Performance. One of his acquaintances, a driving instructor for his local BMW CCA, is selling his M3 and ordering the electric sedan after a test drive as well. Chan, for his part, notes that he would still be keeping his E36 325i for days when he feels like driving a manual transmission, but his E82 135i is going up for sale soon. 

The Model 3 Performance is Tesla’s latest high-performance vehicle. Being the first P-branded model fitted with the company’s 2170 cells, the Model 3 Performance is looking to be the first of Tesla’s vehicles that can be driven hard for extended periods of time. When Elon Musk announced the vehicle’s specs, he noted that the electric sedan would be ~15% faster than a BMW M3 around the track. Later reviews of the car from prominent auto publications such as Car & Driver and Road & Track have compared the Model 3 Performance favorably to Germany’s best high-performance sedans like the BMW M3 and the Audi RS5 as well.

It should be noted that the Model 3 Performance’s killer feature has not been rolled out to the fleet as of yet. Tesla has revealed that the Model 3 Performance would eventually be given a dedicated Track Mode, which Elon Musk dubs as an “Expert User Mode” for the vehicle. Initial tests of Track Mode have been positive so far, with reviewers stating that the feature allows drivers to perform advanced, aggressive driving maneuvers (such as drifting) without any issues.

Even without Track Mode, the Model 3 Performance is already establishing itself as a quick, capable vehicle, and one that is seemingly more powerful than what Tesla suggests. The electric car’s 0-60 mph acceleration, for one, is listed as 3.5 seconds by the company, but VBOX tests on a fully charged, completely stock Model 3 Performance show that the vehicle is capable of going from 0-60 mph in just 3.18 seconds. With an upgraded suspension setup, better tires, and Tesla’s future software updates, it would not be too improbable look forward to a Model 3 Performance doing 0-60 in 3 seconds flat.

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It seems that Tesla board member Kimbal Musk was not kidding when he noted in a CNBC Closing Bell segment that the number of Model 3 which would appear in US roads near the end of September would be shocking to some. After Tesla’s volunteer-boosted delivery weekend — which saw members of the community dedicating some of their time to help out new owners with the features and functions of their electric cars — it is starting to become evident that Q3 2018 could be the quarter when the Model 3 starts its invasion of the US passenger car market.

The Model 3 is Tesla’s most ambitious vehicle. Radically designed from the ground up, the Model 3 was the car that would determine Tesla’s future. Elon Musk himself dubbed the vehicle as a “bet-the-company” situation, where its success or failure would equate to Tesla’s own rise or fall. It took a while for Tesla to hit its stride with Model 3 production, with the company only hitting its then-mythical goal of manufacturing 5,000 of the electric sedans in a week by the end of Q2 2018, six months later than initially expected.

The Model 3 has started to show its potential in the US passenger car market over the past months. Back in July, sales estimates from auto tracking website GoodCarBadCar suggested that Tesla sold 14,250 Model 3 in the month, making it 7th place in America’s list of best-selling passenger cars. Considering that mainstream, lower-priced vehicles like the Toyota Camry and the Honda Civic were included in GCBC‘s list, the Model 3’s 7th place was more than respectable.

While the Model 3’s sales in July were undoubtedly impressive, its August estimates were even more noteworthy. With an expected 20,450 units sold during August, the Model 3 became the 5th-best-selling passenger car in the US, beating out the Hyundai Elantra and the Nissan Altima. The Model 3 was even listed as the 15th-best-selling vehicle in GCBC‘s overall Top 20 list, which includes titans like the Ford F-150 and the Toyota Rav4.

plenty of time to cover your puts before they go to zero $TSLAQ $TSLA pic.twitter.com/vOcuGyZtfw

— Jason Lewis (@cbotnyse) September 23, 2018

SCOOP pic.twitter.com/9oeapsjMjQ

— Dana Hull (@danahull) September 23, 2018

It is no secret that Tesla has a tendency to initiate a blitz of deliveries and production before a quarter ends. The company did this in Q1 when it was struggling to build 2,500 Model 3 in a week, and it adopted the same strategy for Q2 when it was trying to manufacture 5,000 of the electric sedans in a seven-day period. This third quarter, Tesla is aiming to produce 50,000-55,000 Model 3 — a record number of vehicles — while attaining profitability. For the company to get a shot at achieving these targets, cars have to be delivered to reservation holders. These efforts, of course, culminated in the recent volunteer-boosted delivery weekend.

As the Tesla community was mobilized in the United States and Canada, it soon became apparent that the company is moving a vast number of vehicles. In the United States, social media posts from Tesla owners shared images of numerous semitrailers transporting electric cars all across the country. Anecdotes from owners who volunteered in the weekend delivery push indicated that numerous vehicles were being moved to service centers, where reservation holders await them. Even a journalist who covers Tesla on a consistent basis shared a clip of a truck full of Model 3 being transported. In Canada, members of the Tesla community have also spotted large lots filled with Model 3, Model S, and Model X. Images taken of centers in British Columbia, Vancouver, Toronto, and Ontario, also depicted a busy, yet very productive volunteer-boosted weekend.

Lots and lots and lots of #Tesla 's .. three lots full plus a hall full of new S,X and 3's waiting delivery in Toronto.. Good luck shorts pic.twitter.com/Fw1UQMyv6y

— Avron (@Avron_p) September 23, 2018

Busy at delivery location in Vancouver.. 65 M3’s yesterday and 55 today .. E’s moving 3’s .. great service exp so far! pic.twitter.com/BpHk81QIVP

— Tesla Army (@TeslaArmy) September 23, 2018

In a letter to employees, Elon Musk wrote that Tesla is “about to have the most amazing quarter in (its) history, building and delivering more than twice as many cars as (it) did last quarter.” Kimbal Musk, for his part, noted that “it’s really gonna blow people’s minds how many Model 3s are gonna appear in America in just the next couple of weeks.” If Tesla’s busy delivery weekend, as well as the apparent invasion of electric cars being sighted in the US and Canada, are any indication, the company might very well exceed expectations this quarter. It will not even be surprising if the Tesla Model 3 moves up a couple more steps in GoodCarBadCar‘s list of best-selling passenger cars in the US for September.

Tesla has only been in the auto industry for 15 years, and over that time, it has transformed itself from a niche manufacturer that offered one small, quick, two-seater all-electric sports car into a company that is taking on veterans with premium electric cars that force legacy carmakers to come up with compelling EVs of their own. Tesla still has a long way to go before it masters the auto business, and Elon Musk himself would be the first to admit that gross miscalculations, such as the Model X’s overcomplicated design and the Model 3 ramp’s over-reliance on robots, have happened in the past. Despite this, Tesla remains a company that commands a strong following — one that is willing to pay it forward when needed.

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As Tesla heads into the final days of the third quarter, the electric car maker is attempting to ramp its electric car deliveries to reservation holders. Last week, Elon Musk noted on Twitter that Tesla has transitioned from one hell to another with regards to the Model 3 ramp. While Tesla is currently leaving production hell, the company is now experiencing what Musk describes as “delivery logistics hell.”  

Just like in previous quarters, Tesla is adopting a series of unorthodox strategies to address the company’s bottlenecks. The recent volunteer-boosted Model 3 delivery weekend, which tapped the company’s longtime owners to help new reservation holders get familiar with their electric cars, was one of these strategies. That said, while the volunteer delivery assistance initiative seemed to have been successful, the company still has delivery challenges to overcome before the end of Q3. 

This was addressed on Twitter by Tesla owner-enthusiast Chris Barker, who noted that his Model S lease was almost done but his order for a Model 3 Dual Motor AWD was still delayed. Elon Musk promptly issued an apology, while stating that the company is adopting a system to expedite the delivery of its electric cars. According to the CEO, a shortage of car carrier trailers has resulted in the company building its own car carriers to alleviate the load.

Apologies, we’re upgrading our logistics system, but running into an extreme shortage of car carrier trailers. Started building our own car carriers this weekend to alleviate load.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 24, 2018

Such a strategy is undoubtedly unusual for an automaker. Conventional automakers usually employ car carrier trailers to transport vehicles from the manufacturing plant to dealerships, where the vehicles would be stored until they are bought by customers. Tesla’s business model does not utilize dealerships, and the company is in the middle of ramping its deliveries for the Model 3. As such, car carrier trailers filled with electric vehicles are deployed from the main Fremont factory directly to delivery centers, where they are received by reservation holders. Considering the mass number of vehicles that need to be moved and distributed, a shortage of car carriers is understandable.

Elon Musk has not provided any other details about Tesla’s self-designed car carriers, but it would be quite interesting to see how the units were designed and rolled out, including any permits that were possibly filed for the construction and deployment of the transport carriers. That said, such a strategy is reflective of the company’s tendency to adopt creative, outside-the-box solutions when it’s faced with issues and bottlenecks. Last quarter, it was a production line built in a sprung structure. This time around, it appears to be car carriers developed and manufactured in-house.

In a letter to employees, Elon Musk has mentioned that Tesla is “about to have the most amazing quarter in (its) history, building and delivering more than twice as many cars as (it) did last quarter.” Tesla board member Kimbal Musk also mentioned in a CNBC Closing Bell report that the number of Model 3 that would be appearing on American roads at the end of September would probably be shocking to some. If Tesla is running out of car carriers to transport its vehicles to delivery centers, then both Elon and Kimbal Musk’s statements for Q3 2018 might very well prove to be accurate.

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Earlier this month, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced a series of strategic promotions that are aimed at taking the company to reach new heights in the years to come. Among the promotions, Elon Musk’s appointment of veteran accomplisher Jerome Guillen as the company’s new President of Automotive stood out. As the end of the third quarter approaches, it is starting to look like Elon Musk’s promotion of the hands-on executive was the correct strategy.

Jerome Guillen joined Tesla back in 2010 as the director of the Model S program. Prior to his employment at Tesla, Jerome served as the project leader for Daimler’s Freightliner Cascadia program, and eventually as head of the company’s Business Innovation unit. By the time he left for Tesla, Daimler’s Business Innovation unit was profitable and self-funding.

When Jerome joined the electric car maker, Tesla was still a fledgling startup that only produced and delivered a small number of its two-door Roadster to a select group of customers. Being the first vehicle that the company designed from the ground up, a lot was riding on the Model S, particularly as critics of the company were quick to dismiss the electric car as “vaporware.” Guillen was a hands-on executive, and for some early customers of the Model S, he became the go-to person when issues arose.

And issues did arise. When Tesla started delivering the Model S to reservation holders, the company lacked sufficient sales and service centers. Tesla was delivering vehicles directly to people’s homes, and while this worked well for the first few hundred handovers in California, it became a big logistical headache for the company when customers from faraway states started ordering the electric car. Elon Musk, for his part, opted to have Jerome add sales, service, and deliveries to his portfolio. The hands-on executive handled the task well, even developing a reputation for being incredibly responsive to emails and concerns from regular customers.

Early Model S adopter Andrew Wolfe of Los Gatos, California noted in a statement to Bloomberg that he was among the customers who were in constant communication with the executive. Wolfe noted that Jerome was always open to suggestions, such as where Tesla should consider opening additional service centers, as well as the company’s points for improvement in terms of loaner vehicles.

Jerome’s work with the Model S program would ultimately help lay the groundwork for the company’s following vehicles, the Model X SUV and later, the Model 3. The executive briefly took a leave of absence from the company in 2015, but later returned to head the Tesla Semi program. Over the past months, sightings of the Semi across the United States would feature Jerome from time to time, accompanying the long-hauler’s hand-built alpha prototype on its road tests. 

While he was heading the Tesla Semi program, Jerome’s out-of-the-box problem-solving skills would prove useful for the company’s overall operations. Back in June, Tesla made headlines when Elon Musk revealed that a new Model 3 assembly line had been set up inside a sprung structure on the grounds of the Fremont factory. The line, dubbed as GA4, was ultimately responsible for giving the company’s production the boost it needed to hit its target of producing 5,000 Model 3 a week before the end of the second quarter. Analysts from Evercore ISI who toured the Fremont factory later noted that GA4 “looked very much like general assembly at other auto plants which we have visited,” and that the “facility looks set to be permanent and in theory should be able to support much faster cycle times.” As Elon Musk would later reveal, GA4 was Jerome Guillen’s brainchild.

The appointment of an executive such as Jerome as the President of Automotive could prove to be Elon Musk’s most strategic move this third quarter. At this point in Tesla’s growth, with hundreds of thousands of reservations in line for the Model 3, the company is pretty much in a situation similar to the one it faced when it was struggling to deliver the Model S to customers across the US. From this perspective, at least, Jerome Guillen appears to be the right man for the job.

It remains to be seen what Jerome’s full responsibilities are now that he is serving as President of Automotive, but amidst Tesla’s end-of-quarter delivery push for the Model 3, the company has begun adopting some out-of-the-box solutions for its current logistical problems. In a recent tweet, for example, Elon Musk noted that Tesla is experiencing a bottleneck in the car carrier trailers transporting vehicles from the Fremont factory to its delivery centers. To help address this issue, Musk stated that Tesla has begun building its own car carriers to help foster quicker deliveries. This is speculation, but such an unorthodox solution carries some very Jerome Guillen-like undertones. 

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There is no denying that Tesla’s goals for the third quarter of 2018 are ambitious. After achieving its then-elusive goal of producing 5,000 Model 3 per week at the end of Q2 2018, Tesla immediately set its sights on a bigger target. In terms of Model 3 production and deliveries, Tesla noted that it was aiming to manufacture and deliver more than 50,000 units of the electric car in Q3 2018. 

If Tesla’s ongoing delivery blitz is any indication, it appears that the electric car maker is attempting to deliver as many vehicles to reservation holders as possible before the quarter ends. This weekend alone, Tesla opted to accept help from volunteer owners who offered to assist in deliveries by conducting new customer orientations. Elon Musk later noted on a Twitter post that Tesla is now in the process of building its own car carriers to help address bottlenecks in the transportation of electric cars from the Fremont factory to delivery centers across the United States.

Amidst Tesla’s delivery blitz, Goldman Sachs analyst David Tamberrino, a known skeptic of the electric car maker, issued a somewhat positive estimate about the company’s delivery figures this third quarter. While Tamberrino maintained his Sell rating on Tesla, and while he kept a conservative $210 price target for TSLA stock (NASDAQ:TSLA), he stated in a recent note that the electric car maker would likely deliver 27,500 Model S and X and about 52,000 Model 3 in Q3 2018. The analyst further noted that Tesla’s deliveries would likely exceed his estimates, considering that the company had more than 11,000 vehicles en route to customers at the end of Q2.

Production-wise, the Goldman Sachs analyst stated that he expects Tesla to meet its Model 3 production target. Tamberrino did note, though, that Model 3 production figures will likely be on the lower end of Tesla’s 50,000-55,000 range. Tamberrino also stated that while the Model S and X delivery cadence is below the numbers implied by the company’s guidance of 100,000 units per year, Model S and X figures this Q3 will likely be better than FactSet and consensus estimates.

Earlier this month, Elon Musk teased in a letter to Tesla employees that the company is about to have a record quarter, “building and delivering more than twice as many cars as (it) did” in Q2 2018. Tesla board member Kimbal Musk further noted in a CNBC Closing Bell segment that “it’s really gonna blow people’s minds how many Model 3s are gonna appear in America in just the next couple of weeks.”

Tesla is a newcomer in the US auto industry, and as such, it still has a lot of learning to do before it masters the auto business. While the company is still pretty much in startup mode today, its growth over the past decade has been remarkable. Exactly ten years ago, for example, Tesla was still a struggling electric car maker that has only been able to build 27 units of the original Tesla Roadster. By the end of September 2008, Tesla completed three more vehicles, producing a total of 30 Roadsters. This year, Tesla is expecting to deliver 100,000 units of Model S and X alone.

As of writing, Tesla stock is trading up 0.15% at $300.13 per share.

Disclosure: I have no ownership in shares of TSLA and have no plans to initiate any positions within 72 hours.

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Tesla’s highly-anticipated Software Version 9 update has not been released yet, but the safety features of Autopilot continue to impress owners of the company’s electric cars. Among these safety features is Autopilot’s blind spot detection, which was recently showcased by a Model 3 owner while traveling on a highway to Las Vegas.

The Model 3 owner, who shares his experiences with his electric car on his TeSLAExPo YouTube channel, opted to conduct an informal test of his vehicle’s behavior when he initiates a lane change while another car is on his blind spot. The electric car owner conducted the test several times, and in every instance, the Model 3 refused to change lanes as long as it detected the presence of a vehicle on its blind spot. Autopilot only changed lanes when it was certain that there was no risk of collision.

The Model 3 owner’s video is but an informal test of one of Autopilot’s long list of safety features. That being said, the behavior exhibited by the Model 3 when its driver attempted lane changes show that Autopilot is designed in a way that minimizes risks on the road. If any, the video provided by the Model 3 owner shows that Tesla’s blind spot detection features react and handle a vehicle like a very cautious driver. 

Tesla’s Autopilot has gotten more refined with regards to its other safety features as well. Just last month, a Model 3 owner who was traveling on a highway in Ontario, Canada, came very close to having an accident after a vehicle going way past the speed limit cut off the electric car. The Model 3, which was on Autopilot, immediately engaged its Collision Avoidance system and promptly directed the vehicle to an adjacent lane, avoiding what could have been a serious accident.

Elon Musk has been teasing even more improvements to Autopilot with the impending release of Software Version 9. While speaking to the Tesla community on Twitter earlier this year, Elon Musk noted that V9 would introduce the first features of the company’s Full Self-Driving suite. Elon Musk appears to have provided a teaser of what some of these capabilities would be in a Twitter post last June, when he posted an image of a menu that featured blind spot threshold settings that go all the way up to “Mad Max” mode.

Apart from the first of its Full Self-Driving features, Tesla is also preparing to introduce a series of new, and even fun features for Software V9. Among these is “Fade Mode,” which automatically dims the display of the MCU to make driving at night easier, as well as a completely revamped UI and Navigation system. The long-awaited and highly-anticipated built-in dashcam using Autopilot cameras is also set to be introduced with Software V9. True to Elon Musk’s words, Software V9 will also debut a number of classic Atari games as Easter Eggs, including titles like Pole Position, Asteroids, Missile Command, and Tempest.

Watch Tesla’s Autopilot showcase its blind spot detection prowess in the video below.

And watch how Autopilot avoids what could have been a serious accident in the clip below.

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Elon Musk recently stated that Tesla’s Software Version 9 was just undergoing final tweaks before it gets released, and that he is hoping for the update to see a wide rollout at the end of the week. Just hours after the bold CEO’s announcement, reports emerged from the Tesla community suggesting that some advanced early access users have already started receiving the highly-anticipated update.

The release of Software V9 proved later than Elon Musk’s initial estimates. During the company’s Q2 2018 earnings call, which was held early August, Musk noted that Tesla would likely release V9 to owners participating in early access programs within the next four weeks, translating to an estimated initial rollout in late August to early September. Musk later posted an update on V9’s release in September, though, stating that the software was running in his car, but “it’s not right yet.” Musk noted in his tweet, which was posted on September 5, that early access users will get the software in a week or two.

Just before the 3-week mark (20 days to be exact) since Elon Musk’s September 5 announcement, drivers who signed up for Tesla’s advanced early access program began receiving Software Version 9. Some members of Tesla’s early access program have shared images of the update, such as Model 3 owner Marc Benton, who posted pictures of V9’s menu and some new functionalities. A member of the r/TeslaMotors subreddit, u/dellfanboy, further noted that early access users who own early VIN Model 3 seem to be the ones receiving Software V9 first, at least for now.

Tesla’s release notes for Software Version 9 lists several features that were teased by Elon Musk and by early leaks in the past, such as Navigate on Autopilot, Calendar integration, and further improvements to Navigation. Following are the release notes of Software Version 9, particularly for the Model 3.

Version 9.0

Version 9.0 introduces new applications including Calendar, Energy and Web Browser, which can be accessed from the application launcher in the bottom bar. For those with Enhanced Autopilot, we are also introducing Navigate on Autopilot (Beta) — our newest Autopilot convenience feature, designed to get you to your destination more efficiently by guiding your car on and off the highway. Finally, we have made improvements to the Tesla mobile app, Status Bar, Navigation, Climate, Media, and Seatbelt Card in addition to several safety features.

Tesla’s Mobile App has also been given some updates with Software Version 9, particularly for owners who are using iOS devices. Following are Tesla’s release notes for the Tesla Mobile App update.

Mobile App

With this car software version, you can now do even more with your vehicle from your mobile app.

You can now start navigation in your car by using the share button in your favorite phone apps. In iOS, you can enable sharing to your vehicle by opening up the app you want to share from, tapping the More button in your sharing media, and then scrolling to the right until you find your vehicle.

You can also allow your passengers to quickly control the media. Play/pause, previous/skip, and cycle through your media favorites. Note: You can disable this feature by going to Media Settings > Allow Mobile Control.

The shared images from the early access Model 3 owner also feature new menus and icons for the electric cars’ functions, including a unique phone icon shaped like a telephone from the early 1900’s era. Graphics on the Model 3’s 15″ display were reportedly enhanced as well, as could be seen in the seemingly improved clarity of the vehicle’s satellite maps.

An early look at Tesla’s Software Version 9 currently being released to early access users. [Credit: Marc Benton/Twitter]

Also notable is the Energy App, which allows owners to view their vehicle’s consumption in real time. Tesla’s new classic Atari Easter Eggs are also included in the update, particularly Missile Command, which could be accessed and played on the car’s display. The Model 3’s air vent controls have also been updated, with the airflow of the vehicle now being simulated on the electric car’s display.

Stay tuned for updates, particularly from early access users who own Model S and X vehicles.

And a little video of the new AC/Heat controls. pic.twitter.com/eW1B8e9MY7

— Marc Benton (@marc_benton) September 26, 2018

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The end of the third quarter is drawing nearer, and Tesla is going full throttle in its efforts to achieve its ambitious self-imposed goals, including the production of 50,000-55,000 Model 3 and attaining profitability. As Tesla adopts out-of-the-box solutions to deliver as many vehicles as it can to reservation holders, the company also seems poised to get an end-of-quarter boost with the impending rollout of Software Version 9. 

To say that Tesla stock (NASDAQ:TSLA) exhibited a lot of volatility over the past few months is an understatement. Since the start of the third quarter, Tesla shares traded as high as $387.46 and as low as $252.25. While Tesla stock has always been volatile, some of its wild swings this Q3 were actually augmented by Elon Musk’s actions. Earlier this month, for example, news of former CAO Dave Morton and ex-Chief People Officer Gabrielle Toledano’s departure from the company ended were augmented by reports of Musk’s behavior during a podcast with comedian Joe Rogan, where he seemingly puffed cannabis on air. On that day, Tesla stock dropped more than 5%, closing at $263.24 per share.

Amidst the drama that surrounded Tesla this quarter, such as its short-lived go-private initiative, as well as reservations about Elon Musk’s capability to lead the company, some Wall Street analysts such as Baird’s Ben Kallo have noted that the electric car maker’s fundamentals, particularly those directly connected to the ongoing Model 3 ramp, are encouraging nonetheless. Even some of the company’s longtime critics such as Goldman Sachs’ David Tamberrino recently stated that Tesla would likely meet its target of producing and delivering more than 50,000 Model 3 in the third quarter.

If Tesla does meet its Q3 production and delivery targets for its electric cars, the company can take a huge step forward towards profitability. Over the past months, Elon Musk has boldly stated that he expects Tesla to start showing a profit in the second half of 2018. Musk emphasized this in the company’s Q2 earnings call, when he noted that he “really want(s) to emphasize (Tesla’s) goal to be profitable and cash-flow positive for every quarter, going forward.” Tesla’s ongoing end-of-quarter delivery blitz, which has so far involved out-of-the-box strategies, including a program involving volunteer owners helping in vehicle handovers, and Tesla building its own car carriers to address bottlenecks in the transportation of cars from the Fremont factory to delivery centers across the United States.

At this point, it appears safe to assume that Tesla would likely meet its production and delivery targets for Q3. Updates about the Model 3 ramp would probably be optimistic as well. Considering Tesla’s self-imposed goals, Elon Musk’s announcements, and the company’s ongoing delivery initiatives, it appears that the electric car maker’s gameplan for Q3 is coming together. But this might not be all.  

On Tuesday, Elon Musk announced that Software Version 9, a highly-anticipated update expected to include the first features of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving suite, will likely see a wide rollout at the end of the week. Not long after Musk’s post, owners who are members of Tesla’s early access program received Version 9, and based on screenshots of the revamped firmware, it appears that the update would include improvements and several new functionalities. It remains to be seen if Software V9 lives up to the hype, but if it gets well-received by Tesla’s consumer base, the company could end up adding one more item to its list of accomplishments for Q3.

Tesla is arguably one of the most emotional stocks in the market, attracting an equal number of passionate supporters and aggressive critics. As exhibited in the past few months, TSLA stock has a tendency to react on investors’ sentiment, to the point where Elon Musk’s questionable online actions affect the movement of the company’s shares. In this sense, every optimistic update from the company in these final days of Q3 would probably help determine TSLA’s trend in the coming weeks. Tesla’s end-of-Q3 play has so far involved a big push to deliver as many vehicles as possible. Augmented by Software Version 9’s release, Q3 2018 could be Tesla’s most impressive quarter yet.

Disclosure: I have no ownership in shares of TSLA and have no plans to initiate any positions within 72 hours.

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Tesla owners who belong to the company’s group of advanced early access users have begun receiving the highly-anticipated Software Version 9 update. Since the update began rolling out, images of the electric cars’ new features and functionalities have started emerging online, the most recent of which shows what appears to be V9’s blind spot monitoring system and updated vehicle icons.

Just yesterday, Elon Musk announced that the Version 9 update is undergoing final tweaks before it gets released. Musk also noted that Tesla is looking to have a wide rollout of the software update sometime at the end of the week. Not long after Elon Musk’s announcement, though, some members of the Tesla community who were part of the advanced early access program reported that they had received the V9 update. Among these is Model 3 owner Marc Benton, who shared several screenshots of V9’s release notes and some compelling new features.

Pictures of a Tesla Model 3 running Software Version 9. [Credit: Marc Benton/Twitter]

The advanced early access user has since followed up on his Twitter updates, sharing images taken of the Model 3’s 15″ display while the vehicle was in traffic. In one of these pictures, blind spot detection notifications seem to be visible. The new update also enables the Model 3 to detect and render the types of vehicles nearby, such as motorcycles and trucks. Compared to Version 8, which depicts all vehicles detected by the system as Tesla-outlined cars, Version 9’s icons for surrounding vehicles are a lot more interactive and accurate.

Another feature that debuted on the Model 3 with the latest software update was a web browser, which, prior to V9, was exclusive to the Model S and X. The browser in the Model 3 occupies the majority of the electric car’s 15″ display, and according to Benton, the speed of the built-in browser appears to be fairly quick. The Model 3’s web browser could be accessed while the vehicle is on the move, though the feature seems intended to be used by passengers.

Apart from blind spot detection features, updated traffic icons, and a web browser, Tesla’s Software V9 update for the Model 3 also introduces Calendar integration. Just like the web browser, Tesla’s Calendar app, which allows users to sync their smartphone’s calendar to their cars, used to be exclusive to the Model S and X. The rollout of the app, if any, appears to be part of Tesla’s initiative to introduce features from its flagship Model S and Model X line to the more affordable Model 3.

Perhaps most notable in Tesla’s V9 update, though, is the car’s new Energy App, which allows drivers to view their vehicles’ energy consumption in real-time. The Energy App also works with Navigation, in the way that touching the Trip tab on the Model 3’s 15″ touchscreen displays the projected energy consumption for a designated trip. Such a feature would be invaluable for electric car owners who are fond of taking road trips, as the app would allow drivers to determine when or where to stop for a charge.

A video of Tesla’s Atari Easter Egg as accessed through a Model S has also been shared by the Model 3 Owners Club.

Here’s the full video @FredericLambert pic.twitter.com/ddUFuYoiDj

— Model 3 Owners Club (@Model3Owners) September 26, 2018

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Tesla’s upcoming ramp this Q4 2018 is starting to look a lot more encouraging, as Gigafactory 1, the company’s battery and powertrain facility, is set to receive upgraded battery lines from Panasonic, as well as new machines from Grohmann Automation. With these upgrades in place, Tesla’s continued Model 3 push would likely be a lot smoother than the previous quarters.

It is no secret that the Model 3 production ramp has been difficult for Tesla. In an interview earlier this year, Elon Musk described the past twelve months as some of the most difficult and “painful” periods of his career. Despite being in “production hell” for the past year, though, Tesla has started hitting its stride with the manufacturing of the Model 3. This quarter alone, Tesla is aiming to produce 50,000-55,000 units of the electric car — a goal that even a longtime skeptic of the company believes is attainable at this point.

Inasmuch as Tesla would likely break its production records this Q3, the company is just around halfway done with its Model 3 ramp. Tesla expects to increase its output for the vehicle to 10,000 units per week sometime next year as it offers other trims like the $35,000 base Model 3, which will be fitted with a smaller battery pack. To accommodate this upcoming demand, Tesla’s Gigafactory 1 would need to be upgraded.

In a statement to Bloomberg, Tesla partner Panasonic Corp. has announced that it is poised to complete its planned upgrades to the facility’s battery cell production lines earlier than expected. Back in July, Panasonic announced that it would install three new battery cell production lines sometime at the “end of 2018,” but according to Yoshio Ito, head of Panasonic’s automotive business, the Japanese company is now aiming to complete the upgrades earlier than expected. Ito also noted that the bottleneck in Model 3 production had been the result of Panasonic’s challenges in meeting Tesla’s demand.

“The bottleneck for Model 3 production has been our batteries. They just want us to make as many as possible,” Ito said.

The completion of Panasonic’s upcoming upgrades to Gigafactory 1’s battery cell production lines comes amidst the arrival of new machines from Tesla Grohmann Automation, which are designed to boost the electric car maker’s production capabilities. Updates on the new Grohmann machines were related by analysts from Worm Capital who went on a tour of Gigafactory 1 back in August. According to the analysts, Tesla head of investor relations Martin Viecha noted that upgrades from Grohmann, which are set to be sent to Gigafactory 1 by the end of Q3 or the beginning of Q4, would help module production become three times faster and three times cheaper.

“Grohmann Engineering will help module production become three times faster, and three times cheaper, according to Viecha. Their new system will be sent to the Gigafactory by the end of Q3 or beginning of Q4. The Grohmann machine will be in Zones 1, 2, 3, and Tesla will be receiving three machines. The process was designed to alleviate the previous bottleneck in module production which delayed Model 3 production significantly. The machine is already built, and points to the advantage Tesla will have in building future Gigafactories. They have learned many painful lessons, but have a solid blueprint for porting the factory across the world.”

Tesla’s demand for battery cells is set to increase within the coming quarters. As the company sets its sights on more ambitious targets, upgrades to Tesla’s key facilities like Gigafactory 1 could be the determining factor on whether the electric car maker can smoothly ramp production or not. With Panasonic’s upgraded battery cell production lines and the new Grohmann machines, Tesla’s Q4 ramp could very well be the company’s most impressive yet.

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More details and features of Tesla’s Software Version 9 update are being shared among members of the Tesla community, from the system’s blind spot warnings to the introduction of Navigate on Autopilot, a Beta feature designed to get drivers to their destination by guiding the electric car on and off the highway. Images uploaded of this new feature also reveal that Tesla’s “Mad Max” mode, which Elon Musk teased last June, has made it to the V9 update.

Tesla appears to have tweaked its Mad Max mode since it was teased by Elon Musk a few months ago. When Musk initially showed the feature, Mad Max was under the vehicle’s “Blind Spot Threshold” settings. Musk even joked then that Tesla was thinking of adding an “LA Freeway” mode, but such a setting would have been too extreme.

Images of Mad Max mode in Software V9 were shared by the Tesla Model X and 3 owner and r/TeslaMotors subreddit member u/lambaus, who recently posted photos of his electric car running Tesla’s new update. Based on the Model X owner’s images, it appears that Mad Max mode now falls under Navigate on Autopilot’s Speed-Based Lane Changes settings. Unlike Elon Musk’s teaser, the system’s speed-based lane changes have four settings, going from “Disabled” to “Mad Max.”

Looking at the features of Software V9 that have been shared online so far, it appears that the update could very well be one of Tesla’s most significant yet. Some of these notable capabilities are found in the Tesla Mobile App, which has received additional functionalities with the V9 update. True to Elon Musk’s previous announcements on Twitter, owners can now start their electric cars’ software update through their phones.

“Whenever there’s a software update available for your vehicle, you can conveniently start the update from your phone. A notification will be sent to other drivers of your car, and they’ll have a few minutes to cancel the update from their app.”

Another highly-anticipated feature in Tesla’s recent update is the rollout of the vehicles’ built-in dashcam capabilities using Autopilot cameras. Tesla is only utilizing one forward-facing camera for the feature, and the system only records an hour’s worth of footage for now, but it does pave the way for more advanced dashcam features in the future.

“You can now record and store video footage captured by your car’s forward facing camera onto a USB flash drive. Note that you must manually add a base-level folder in the flash drive called “TeslaCam” (without quotation marks) before it can be used for Dashcam. Refer to the Owner’s Manual for details on how to use Dashcam.”

Perhaps most notable about Tesla’s Version 9 update, though, is how well it seems to be working with the company’s fleet of vehicles. Earlier today, Model S owner Soma Zambelly shared some videos of V9 running on his electric car. Despite the Model S being equipped with an old MCU and AP1 hardware, the recently shared clip featured a smooth and lag-free user interface.

Following are the Model S owner’s V9 “walkthrough” videos.

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Tesla was rocked on Thursday after news emerged that the SEC has filed a lawsuit against CEO Elon Musk over his tweets last August stating that he was considering taking the company private at $420 per share, and that he had “funding secured.” As Tesla feels the fallout resulting from the SEC’s lawsuit, details of the commissions’ filing, including a failed settlement with Musk and his legal team, are coming to light.

It should be noted that Elon Musk himself is the only entity named in the SEC lawsuit, not Tesla as a company. No criminal charges against Musk have been put forward as well. Nevertheless, several of the company’s skeptics have welcomed the news. Former GM executive Bob Lutz, for one, who recently claimed that Tesla is “headed for the graveyard” since it has “no tech advantage, no software advantage, and no battery advantage” against established automakers, noted in an email to the Los Angeles Times that Musk is “toast.” The steep 9.9% drop during after-hours trading also weighed down on Tesla stock (NASDAQ:TSLA) heavily, ironically dealing damage to the company’s investors.

A report published by the Wall Street Journal outlines a rather unique set of events that led up to the SEC’s decision to file a suit against Elon Musk. According to individuals reportedly familiar with the matter, the SEC had actually crafted a settlement for Elon Musk that was approved by the agency’s commissioners. Musk’s legal team reportedly called SEC’s lawyers in San Francisco on Thursday, stating that they were no longer interested in proceeding with the settlement. With this, the SEC reportedly rushed to craft a complaint against Musk, which was filed later during the day.

The reasons behind Elon Musk’s decision to walk away from a settlement with the SEC are yet to be revealed, but by doing so, Musk has taken on what could very well be his most dangerous legal battle to date. The SEC, after all, is not only demanding that Musk pay civil penalties; the commission is also demanding that he be prohibited from acting as an officer or director of a publicly-traded company. Musk, for his part, gave a brief statement to CNBC regarding the SEC’s lawsuit against him.

“This unjustified action by the SEC leaves me deeply saddened and disappointed. I have always taken action in the best interests of truth, transparency, and investors. Integrity is the most important value in my life, and the facts will show I never compromised this in any way,” Musk said.

Tesla’s Board of Directors has issued a statement expressing its full support for Elon Musk. The board’s statement, while brief, emphasized that apart from standing behind the beleaguered CEO, Tesla is focused on its fundamentals, particularly the ongoing Model 3 production ramp. Following is the Telsa Board of Directors’ statement about the SEC filing.

“Tesla and the board of directors are fully confident in Elon, his integrity, and his leadership of the company, which has resulted in the most successful U.S. auto company in over a century. Our focus remains on the continued ramp of Model 3 production and delivering for our customers, shareholders, and employees.”

Considering that he opted to walk away from a settlement with the SEC, it appears that Elon Musk is once more choosing to pursue a more difficult path forward. Such tendencies are classic Elon Musk, though past announcements from the CEO do suggest that he foresaw adverse developments coming in Tesla’s direction. In a letter to the company’s employees earlier this month, for example, Musk urged employees to stand firm and focus on meeting its ambitious and self-imposed targets.

One of Tesla’s electric car assembly lines at its Fremont, CA factory.

“We are about to have the most amazing quarter in our history, building and delivering more than twice as many cars as we did last quarter. For a while, there will be a lot of fuss and noise in the media. Just ignore them. Results are what matter and we are creating the most mind-blowing growth in the history of the automotive industry,” Musk wrote.

Elon Musk’s statement in his letter to employees does not seem to be an exaggeration. In true Tesla fashion, the company is now in the process of delivering as many of its electric cars to as many reservation holders as possible. The Model 3 production ramp, which seems to have hit its stride since Tesla managed to hit its goal of producing 5,000 units per week at the end of Q2, appears to be going strong as well. Deliveries have also increased to the point where some owners of the company’s electric cars have volunteered to help out Tesla’s delivery centers by orienting new owners with the features and functions of their vehicles.

Tesla is aiming to produce and deliver more than 50,000 Model 3 this quarter. While such a number is ambitious, even longtime skeptics of the company such as Goldman Sachs analyst David Tamberrino have noted that Tesla’s production and delivery figures for Q3 2018 would likely be within the company’s target. Tesla board member Kimbal Musk also pointed out in a CNBC Closing Bell segment that “it’s really gonna blow people’s minds how many Model 3s are gonna appear in America in just the next couple of weeks.”

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Tesla has reportedly started an incentivized beta tester program for ~100 more employees who are willing to test out the company’s Full Self-Driving suite. For their participation in the FSD beta tests, Tesla employees who would be part of the program would reportedly be receiving Autopilot and Full Self-Driving, as well as the Premium Upgrades Package (worth a total of $13,000) for their vehicles free of charge.

The program was reportedly outlined in an email to employees written by Elon Musk, and later obtained by Bloomberg. The email reportedly noted that the internal testing program would require Tesla employees who purchase one of the company’s electric cars to share 300 to 400 hours of real-world driving feedback to the Autopilot team by the end of next year. In his message, Elon Musk was reportedly optimistic that the ~100 slots for the Full Self-Driving beta tester program would likely be filled quickly.

“This is being offered on a first come, first served basis. Given the excitement around this, I expect it will probably be fully subscribed by noon or 1 p.m. tomorrow,” Musk wrote.

If Bloomberg‘s information about Elon Musk’s email proves accurate, it could signify what could very well be one of Tesla’s first (somewhat) public programs directly targeted at developing Full Self-Driving technology. Tesla, after all, has been offering its Full Self-Driving suite as an upgrade for its vehicles, but the system’s features are still in the process of being developed. Back in August, Elon Musk noted that Tesla would start introducing the first features of its FSD suite when Software Version 9 is rolled out. The V9 update started rolling out this week.

Elon Musk envisions Tesla’s fleet of electric cars to be capable of Full Self-Driving in the future. To make this vision even more feasible, Tesla elaborated in its Q2 2018 earnings call that it is currently in the process of developing its own custom chip, which is being created by a team led by Pete Bannon, who used to work at Apple. During his time in Apple, Bannon helped create the tech giant’s first ARM 32-bit processor that went into the iPhone 5, as well as the first ARM 64-bit processor in the world which went into the iPhone 5S. Musk, for his part, is optimistic about the capabilities and performance of Tesla’s custom hardware.

“It’s an incredible job by Pete and his team to create this, the world’s most advanced computer designed specifically for autonomous operation. And as a rough sort, whereas the current NVIDIA’s hardware can do 200 frames a second, this is able to do over 2,000 frames a second and with full redundancy and fail-over. So, it’s an amazing design and we’re going to be looking to increase the size of our chip team and our investment in that as quickly as possible.”

“It costs the same as our current hardware and we anticipate that this would have to be replaced, this replacement, which is why we made it easy to switch out the computer, and that’s all that needs to be done. If we take out one computer and plug in the next. That’s it. All the connectors are compatible and you get an order of magnitude, more processing and you can run all the cameras at primary full resolution with the complex neural net.”

Telsa is currently in the process of releasing Software Version 9, which is filled to the brim with new features, including blind spot warnings, new Autopilot features such as Navigate on Autopilot, an improved Mobile App, and even Elon Musk’s “Mad Max” setting for AP-enabled lane changes. Classic Atari games have also been introduced as new Easter Eggs for the company’s vehicles.

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Tesla’s Software Version 9 is proving to be one of the company’s most significant updates, debuting a number of new features that were notably mentioned by Elon Musk on Twitter. Among these is Tesla’s built-in Dashcam, which started rolling out to some of the company’s fleet this week. A first look at the built-in Dashcam in action was also recently shared online.

Tesla’s built-in Dashcam using Autopilot cameras is only compatible with vehicles equipped with the company’s updated hardware. Tesla’s updated Owner’s Manual notes that Dashcam may not be available in certain regions or in electric cars that were built prior to August 1, 2017. With this first iteration, Dashcam is only activated when the vehicle is powered on. The feature only utilizes video feed from the narrow forward-facing camera as well.

A recently uploaded video posted by Model 3 owner Marc Benton on YouTube has provided a first look at the recordings captured by his vehicle’s narrow forward-facing camera. The footage from the Model 3’s built-in Dashcam is actually surprisingly clear and high-quality, particularly since the video was taken at night. A screenshot of the Dashcam footage’s details was also shared by the Model 3 owner, revealing that the electric car’s narrow forward-facing camera was recording at 1280 x 960 pixels with a frame rate of 36 fps. The ~1 minute footage, which was recorded on .mp4 format, also took up 29.3 MB of storage, translating to a consumption of less than 2 GB per hour of video.

It should be noted that Tesla’s built-in Dashcam would only get better in the future. As Elon Musk pointed out in a previous post on Twitter, Dashcam only made it to Software Version 9 because Tesla engineering rallied to roll out the feature. At its current iteration, Dashcam still has a number of limitations. For one, the system only records an hour’s worth of footage, and only one camera is being used. Based on the Model 3 owner’s clip, the Dashcam footage could also use some image stabilization. Nevertheless, Tesla’s built-in Dashcam is still undoubtedly impressive, and future updates would only make it more well-rounded.

Apart from big improvements such as the built-in Dashcam feature, Tesla’s Version 9 software also includes some refinements to the fleet’s software. For one, trucks, motorcycles, and even pedestrians are now rendered accurately on the electric cars’ display, unlike in the software’s previous iterations. An image of a pedestrian being detected and visualized by a Model 3 could be found below.

The rollout of Tesla’s Version 9 software comes as the company pushes to set new production and delivery records this Q3. Amidst the company’s final push on the final days of the third quarter, Tesla has begun adopting a series of unorthodox strategies, including a volunteer program for owners who would like to help out in vehicle deliveries, and building its own car carriers to help address bottlenecks in the transportation of electric cars from the Fremont factory to delivery centers across the country.

Watch Tesla’s built-in Dashcam in action on the video below.

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