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Tesla to debut on “The Grand Tour” by former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson

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In 2012, BBC’s TV show, Top Gear, became the most widely watched TV program in the world. Part of the reason for the show’s wild success was it’s outspoken, controversial co-host, Jeremy Clarkson. However, the controversy came to a head in 2015 when he was fired from Top Gear. Over the course of Clarkson’s career, one of his most publicized, albeit ill-conceived, targets was Tesla.

Clarkson has since reunited with the old Top Gear gang for The Grand Tour, a new show on Amazon. And RadioTimes reports, “Tesla will appear in the second series of The Grand Tour, almost ten years after Jeremy Clarkson’s infamous Top Gear Tesla car review that resulted in a three-year legal battle. Tesla attempted to sue the BBC show for libel following Clarkson’s Top Gear film on the Tesla Roadster in 2008.” Although Tesla didn’t win the lawsuit, the Roadster’s problems portrayed in Top Gear’s segment were fabricated/scripted into a skit as “entertainment” even though it didn’t reflect reality.

In any event, regardless of the bad blood with Tesla, “Clarkson has revealed that his Amazon series will feature a new Tesla car, with The Grand Tour presenter saying it was time to ‘revisit’ what the company has been getting up to.” Clarkson explained, “We have got a Tesla in this series, the first one for a long time. We got it by ‘other means’. We didn’t borrow it from Tesla.” This week, Mashable released a short teaser from Clarkson, see below.

Above: Jeremy Clarkson could be rethinking Tesla (Youtube: Mashable Daily)

Referring to Tesla’s lawsuit, Clarkson said, “You know they sued and lost, then appealed and lost that again? The courts found in our favour. I did a very fair and honest – cruel, but honest – report on how terrible that first Tesla was. Since then they’ve changed a lot, so we thought it was time to revisit and see where they are now. And in many ways it’s extremely impressive that new Tesla.”

What is Elon Musk’s take on Jeremy Clarkson? In 2013, he told the BBC that Tesla was, “… in the worst possible position for someone like Clarkson. Clarkson’s [Top Gear] show is much more about entertainment than it is about truth… I think most people realise that but not everyone. I’ve actually enjoyed a lot of his shows. It’s not as though I just hate Top Gear or anything. He can be very funny and irreverent. But he does have a strong bias against electric cars. His two pet peeves are American cars and electric cars, and we’re an American electric car. We’re in the worst possible situation for someone like Clarkson.”

Now, it appears Clarkson may (finally) be reconsidering his views on Tesla. Top Gear certainly has — the show has since featured the Tesla Model X. Did Top Gear have a different opinion on Tesla after Clarkson’s departure? One of the new hosts, Rory Reid, went so far as to proclaim that the Tesla Model X is, “an electric car that might just do to petrol and diesel what the Ford Model T did to the horse.”

Season 2 of The Grand Tour begins December 8 on Amazon.com.

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Note: Article originally published on evannex.com, by Matt Pressman

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Tesla owner highlights underrated benefit of FSD Supervised

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Credit: Tesla

Elon Musk has been pretty open about the idea of FSD being the difference maker for Tesla’s future.

If Tesla succeeds in achieving FSD, it could become the world’s most valuable company. If it doesn’t, then the company would not be able to reach its optimum potential.

FSD Supervised’s safety benefits:

  • But even if FSD is still not perfect today, FSD Supervised is already making a difference on the roads today.
  • This was highlighted in Tesla’s Q4 2024 Vehicle Safety Report.
  • As per Tesla, it recorded one crash for every 5.94 million miles driven in which drivers were using Autopilot technology.
  • For comparison, the most recent data available from the NHTSA and FHWA (from 2023) showed that there was one automobile crash every 702,000 miles in the United States. 

FSD user’s tale:

  • As per an FSD user’s post on social media platform X, FSD Supervised was able to help him drive a relative to a medical facility safely even if he was exhausted.
  • During the trip, the driver only had to monitor FSD Supervised’s performance to make sure the Tesla operated safely.
  • In a vehicle without FSD, such a trip with an exhausted driver would have been quite dangerous. 
  • “This morning, Tesla FSD proved to be an absolute godsend. I had to take my brother-in-law to the hospital in Sugar Land, TX, which is 40 miles away, at the ungodly hour of 4 AM. Both of us were exhausted, and he was understandably anxious about the surgery.
  • “The convenience of sending the hospital’s address directly from my iPhone to my Tesla while still inside my house, then just a single button press once inside, and 40 miles later we were precisely in front of the hospital’s admissions area.This experience really underscores just how transformative this technology can be for society,” Tesla owner JC Christopher noted in his post.

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

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Tesla Optimus “stars” in incredible fanmade action short film

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Credit: @SoKrispyMedia/YouTube

There are few things that prove an enthusiast’s love towards a company more than a dedicated short film. This was highlighted recently when YouTube’s SoKrispyMedia posted a 10-minute action movie starring Optimus, Tesla’s humanoid robot, as well as several of the company’s most iconic products. 

The video: 

  • Shot like a Hollywood action flick, the video featured a rather humorous plot involving a group of thieves that mistakenly targeted a Tesla Model 3 driver. 
  • The Model 3 driver then ended up speaking to Tesla for assistance, and some high-octane and high-speed hijinks ensued.
  • While the short film featured several Tesla products like the Model 3, Superchargers, and the Cybertruck, it is Optimus that truly stole the show.
  • Optimus served several roles in the short film, from an assistant in a Tesla office to a “robocop” enforcer that helped out the Model 3 driver.

Cool inside jokes: 

  • The best Tesla videos are those that show an in-depth knowledge of the company, and SoKrispyMedia definitely had it. 
  • From the opening scenes alone, the video immediately poked fun at TSLA traders, the large number of gray Tesla owners, and the fact that many still do not understand Superchargers.
  • The video even poked fun at Tesla’s software updates, as well as how some Tesla drivers use Autopilot or other features without reading the fine print in the company’s release notes.
  • The video ended with a tour de force of references to Elon Musk products, from the Tesla Cybertruck to the Boring Company Not-a-Flamethrower, which was released back in 2018.

Check out SoKrispyMedia’s Tesla action short film in the video below.

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

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Tesla releases Cybertruck metal key card—because why not?

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Credit: Tesla Shop

Tesla definitely seems to be determined to release the coolest lineup of accessories for its coolest vehicle. As could be seen in an update to the Tesla Shop, the electric vehicle maker has now launched a metal key card for the Cybertruck—because why not?

Cybertruck keys:

  • The Cybertruck, similar to Tesla’s other vehicles, is shipped with a regular key card. 
  • The vehicle could also be accessed and locked through a phone key. 
  • As per the Cybertruck’s Owner’s Manual, the all-electric pickup truck is capable of supporting a total of 19 keys.

The Cybertruck’s Metal Key Card:

  • Tesla’s Cybertruck Metal Key Card functions much like the vehicle’s regular key card, but it is finished using premium stainless steel
  • As per Tesla’s description of the item: 
  • “Convenient, durable, versatile. The Cybertruck Metal Key Card is a premium stainless-steel alternative to our traditional plastic key cards, making it easy to access your Cybertruck without your Phone Key. Ideal for when your phone is unavailable or when sharing your vehicle with a friend or valet.”
  • The Cybertruck Metal Key Card costs $60.
  • In comparison, the Cybertruck’s regular key card is sold for $40.
  • The Cybertruck Metal Key Card comes with the metal key card itself, as well as a bifold key card wallet.

Tesla Cybertruck merch push:

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

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