Tesla Autopilot director and other engineers asked to help at Twitter

Tesla engineers are asked to help out at Twitter

Tesla

You can't blame Elon Musk for getting some help from his most trusted Tesla engineers. Musk, who took over Twitter a few days ago, has been blasted with everything from fake news to people leaving the platform to a flurry of complaints. In fact, he has changed his title on Twitter to Twitter Complaint Hotline Operator.

CNBC, which incorrectly reported on staff being fired last week, is saying that Musk is using Tesla employees to assist in overhauling the social media giant. CNBC paints this story as Tesla employees being forced to help while existing Twitter employees must work long hours under heavy scrutiny. It's hard to know the truth.

However, some observers believe Musk may be spreading himself and his team too thin, and Twitter is taking away the attention from Tesla. Musk was asked about the takeover during the stakeholders meeting in the summer, and he addressed the concern of a split focus. "I'm not leaving (Tesla), to be clear," he said. "In the case of Twitter, I use it a lot, shoot myself in the foot a lot, dig my grave, etcetera. I do understand the product quite well, so I think I have a good sense of where to point the engineering team at Twitter to make it radically better."

The media outlet has unnamed sources claiming to be Twitter and Tesla employees, speaking of a harsh work environment as engineers spend long days reviewing code. There is no doubt a lot is going on at Twitter these days as Musk has promised a significant renovation of the platform. He's also made it clear that the system will allow free speech and reduce the number of bots that could be skewing opinions.

Musk also has uncovered some data that seem to back up his concerns when he announced he was walking away from the deal over the summer. Messages include "fraudulent metrics" and "trying to hide the ball." With Musk's not-so-clear take-over route, it's smart of him to bring his trusted engineers, Ashok Elluswamy, the director of Autopilot, and several other high-profile Tesla members. He is also getting help from contacts made during his PayPal days.

Tesla's CEO has been a magnet for many bright minds to come to work. At the third quarter earnings call, he said that Tesla's A.I. Day was a success and that the recruiting event had generated a significant bump in resumes. Musk has also made his company appealing by encouraging people to work at either Tesla or SpaceX. Now, he may be adding Twitter to that list of places his employees can choose to work.

Now that FSD 10.69.3 is rolling out, there may be more time at Tesla to get Twitter on track. Musk has big plans for the social media platform. He says he knows what to do with Twitter and it will be useful to the world. But, just how long that will take is yet to be determined.

A Closer Look at Tesla's Ambient Lighting Feature in the New Model 3 and Cybertruck [Video]

Tesla introduced a wrap-around ambient lighting strip to its new Model 3

crospotter13

If you look up ambient lights for Tesla, you'll see several ads for third-party light kits. Perhaps this is why Tesla added its own Ambient Lights feature to the new Model 3. So, let's get enlightened.

Tesla's ambient lights are thin light strips that are embedded in each of the vehicle's doors near the top edge. It also curves around the dashboard near the windshield, giving passengers a near 360-degree light effect.

Supported Models

Tesla new ambient light feature is available on the new Model 3 (2024+), and will be available on the Cybertruck in a similar manner. With a refresh ongoing for the Model Y, known as Juniper, it will likely also have ambient lights. That just leaves out the most luxurious flagship vehicles, the Model S and X, for now.

The Model S and Model X could be due for a minor refresh that would not only add ambient lighting, but also include a front-bumper camera that the Cybertruck has and the new Model 3 is expected to have in the near future.

Customization

Tesla introduced a wrap-around ambient lighting strip to its new Model 3

AutoTopNL

The ambient light settings allow you to light up the interior in a color that reflects your mood or preference. Under Controls > Lights > Accent Lights, you are handed the freedom to choose virtually any color to adorn the interior of your Tesla.

You have control over whether the ambient lights are on, off, or set to an "Auto" setting, though not fully clarified, seems to promise intelligent lighting adjustments akin to our control over dome lights, offering a reduction in reflections during drives.

While the ability to control the brightness level seems missing, Tesla did include color presets, letting you curate a series of your favorite colors.

It should be noted that the changes are confined to the light strips on the doors and dash, steering clear of the footwell lights and other interior lighting.

Future Enhancements

With Tesla, we can be assured there will be enhancements to this feature in a future update. In fact, the Tesla community is already busy coming up with useful suggestions. Some owners thought Tesla should take advantage of the lighting to provide driver feedback, such as automatically changing the ambient lighting to a red hue when there's a vehicle in your blind spot. Tesla could also glow the light strip on a door if it's not closed properly, or use the lighting to provide feedback when Sentry Mode is enabled.

Other uses could be more fun, such as cycling the light through various colors when the 'Rainbow Road' easter egg is activated.

Ambient Lighting in Action

While the possibilities are endless and Tesla engineers will surely have fun coming up with creative uses for the feature, the biggest improvement we can hope for in the near future is the ability to adjust the light intensity.

Follow

Follow

Tesla Model 3 'Highland' Performance Details Discovered in European Documents

Tesla's new Model 3 received a host of exterior and interior upgrades

Tesla

Tesla outdid itself with the refreshed Model 3, known as the Highland. Despite all the fantastic upgrades, something is missing - the Performance version or perhaps the Plaid. The letter "T" has shown up on vehicle certificates in Europe, and despite Elon Musk's sense of humor, it is unlikely this is a Mr. T reference.

Deciphering the 'T'

A new document shows the new Model 3 Performance will have a dual motor

eivissacopter / X

Diligent scrutiny of the European Type Certificate, issued by the Dutch vehicle authority RDW and shared on the TFF Forum, revealed a subtle yet pivotal alteration — including the letter 'T' in the eighth digit of the Model 3 Performance's VIN.

This seemingly minor detail, indicative of the vehicle's motor/drive unit type, sparked curiosity and speculation on the forum. Could it be a tri-motor setup to usher in a new Plaid version of the Model 3? This vehicle has already got endless amounts of zip, but three motors? May The Schwartz Be With You!

This could also explain the Model 3+ badging that was spotted during the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) in China inspection of the refresh. However, the regulatory filings highlighted just two distinct variants of the car: a rear-wheel drive (RWD) with a 194 kW motor and an all-wheel drive (AWD) dual-motor setup that combines to deliver a formidable 331 kW of maximum power.

Initial conjectures leaned towards the possibility of a tri-motor setup, drawing parallels with the Plaid variants of the Model S and Model X. However, a deeper dive into the certification document clarified that the Model 3 Performance retained its Dual Motor setup, dispelling the possibility of a tri-motor upgrade.

Strategic Enhancements: A Glimpse into Potential Upgrades

Given the documented specifications, it becomes plausible that Tesla has strategically enhanced one of the dual motors, potentially aligning it with the advanced motor found in the Model S/X Plaid. This modification is poised to augment the top-end speed and acceleration of the Model 3 Performance, addressing its comparative limitations in extended races against traditional gas-powered supercars.

Meanwhile, the Model 3 refresh has become the new Bigfoot of the roads of North America, with rare sightings posted on social media. However, it appears the continent is excluded from the initial launch of the Model 3 Highland. Internal communications within Tesla suggest North American enthusiasts might have to exercise patience until 2024.

Follow

Follow