If you’re ever involved in a collision with your Tesla, there’s a good chance you can retrieve dashcam footage of the incident—provided the USB drive and glovebox survive. However, sometimes they don’t, and even dashcam footage may not be sufficient.
In such cases, you can request a full recording from Tesla, along with a detailed data report showing comprehensive information about your vehicle’s performance during the collision. Shortly after any impact, your Tesla automatically uploads its crash log and related data to Tesla’s servers when possible, even using the low-voltage battery if the high-voltage pyro fuses are triggered.
Hopefully, you’ll never need this, but here’s how to request a Tesla Vehicle Data Report and what you can expect in the report.
How to Request a Report
Tesla has a simple, automated process for owners to request a Vehicle Data Report. To do so, simply go to Tesla’s Data Association Page and log into your Tesla Account.
From there, you’ll see a form that contains several options. Under “Regarding,” you’ll choose “Data Privacy Request,” and in the next selection, choose “Obtain a Copy of My Data.”
Tesla will then ask you to choose a vehicle that’s attached to your account and a range of dates for which you want data.
Tesla will provide details for the whole date range you specify, so it’s best to keep it small. Once you hit Submit, Tesla will start processing the request. Collision data is kept for an extended period of time, enabling people to go back and find data as required.
The summary page for the Vehicle Data Report
@bilalsattar on X
Within 30 days, and often much sooner, Tesla should e-mail you back with the report in PDF format and a CSV sheet containing all the raw information related to the request. This information is available for any country in which Tesla sells cars. If your country is outside of Tesla’s regular sales zones, you can try reaching out anyway, but we’re not sure if they will retain your data or not.
Tesla can also send you footage and data even if the incident wasn’t recorded as a collision – they’ll send you whatever is available – for any specific timeline you request.
Tesla Vehicle Data Report
The report is several pages long and comes in a nicely formatted PDF package. It breaks down the incident into various sections that help highlight what happened during the event. The first page summarizes the incident by highlighting key events and metrics like Autopilot use and speed.
Summary & Event Information
The Summary and Event Information sections are on the left side of the first page. The summary section is a text version of what happened during the event, reporting the time of the incident, speed, and whether seat belts were used, among other details.
The event information section includes some high-level information, such as the location of the incident, whether dashcam recordings are available, and the date and time.
Driver Log Data Overview
The Driver Log Data Overview section focuses on a few Tesla features and shows whether they were enabled at the five-second mark before the incident, one second before the incident occurred, or at the time of the incident. Tesla will show whether Autosteer / FSD, Driver Monitoring, Cruise Control, and Manual Brakes were used at all of these points. They will also show the status of the driver’s seat belt. Later in the report, Tesla will show graphs for each of these features so that you can see if they changed over the course of the incident.
Speed and Collision
The Vehicle Data Report's formatting
@bilalsattar on X
The Speed and Collision section shows a timeline-based graph of the vehicle’s speed at the time of collision, four seconds before the collision, and four seconds after. The vertical line on the graph represents the collision, giving you a better understanding of what happened before and after the incident. However, in the following pages of the report, Tesla provides numerous time-based graphs that highlight many other metrics, including brake pedal use, accelerator, steering wheel torque and more.
Area of Detected Impact
This area of the report shows the vehicle from the top-down view and which areas detected an impact.
Time-Based Graphs
The rest of the report includes detailed graphs showing various vehicle metrics before, during, and after the incident.
Some of these graphs include the vehicle’s speed, steering wheel torque, steering wheel angle (how much the wheel was being turned and in which direction), accelerator and brake pedal usage, and pressure of the brake master cylinder. Tesla will even show whether any doors were opened during the seconds leading up to or following the incident.
If Tesla has a video of the incident, that will also be provided as a link for you to download. All the other information - the charts and graphs - raw information is also provided in a CSV file, which you can open in software like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets.
Not a Tesla App
To wrap up, Tesla is currently the only car manufacturer in the world that can provide this information to its customers at the drop of a hat. This information is immensely valuable, and it could be the difference between someone paying an insurance claim or being charged with a crime.
Tesla produces some of the safest vehicles on the planet, and their commitment to safety and reporting is spectacular. We’re happy to see Tesla continue to take steps to better help their customers.
Thanks to Bilal Sattar for sharing his report. We hope you never need to use this, but it’s good to know that it’s available.
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Tesla’s Dan W Priestley attended the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo in Anaheim, California, and provided an update on Tesla’s Semi truck program. The presentation covered several key developments on the status of Tesla’s Nevada Semi Factory, refinements to the Semi, and Tesla’s plans for charging and ramping production through 2026.
Let’s dig in and take a look at everything that was captured by the Out of Spec team at ACT Expo. The original video is embedded below if you’d like to watch it.
Semi Factory & Production Ramp
Priestley reaffirmed the timelines mentioned during Tesla’s Q4 2024 Earnings Call that Tesla will scale Semi production in 2026. To achieve this, Tesla has been actively building and expanding the Gigafactory Nevada site, specifically to support the production of the Tesla Semi. The dedicated Semi facility will have a targeted annual capacity of 50,000 Semi trucks.
Following the beginning of production, Tesla will utilize the initial trucks to integrate into its own logistics operations. This will serve as both a final real-world testing ground as well as an opportunity for Tesla to gather data internally. Tesla plans to begin subsequent customer deliveries throughout 2026 as the ramp-up continues.
Reuters also reported that Tesla is hiring over 1,000 new employees at the Semi Factory to begin the rapid ramping of the program.
Semi has already amassed 7.9 million miles with Tesla’s current testing and operational fleets, providing some real-world data and testing. Feedback for the truck has been exceptionally successful, with many drivers praising the Semi’s performance and comfort.
New Tesla Semi Features
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Tesla keynote without showing off some new things. The Semi will be available in 500-mile and 300-mile range configurations, now featuring updated mirror designs and a drop-down glass section to improve visibility and allow easier interaction with external elements—such as control panels at ports, for example.
New Electric Power Take-Off (e-PTO)
The Tesla Semi will also feature a new capability called Electric Power Take-Off, or e-PTO system. Similar to the PTO systems found on other vehicles, this will allow the Semi’s high-voltage battery to power auxiliary equipment at variable voltages. That includes being able to power things like climate-controlled reefer trailers, potentially replacing the noisy and polluting diesel generators traditionally used for this purpose.
Charging and Batteries
Out of Spec BITS/YouTube
Tesla is also working on an updated battery pack design for the final production design of the Semi. This new pack is designed to be more cost-effective to manufacture. The battery pack itself is slightly smaller than before, but the truck maintains the same level of range through efficiencies. Dan also confirmed during his keynote that the battery cells for the Semi will be sourced domestically inside the United States, helping to alleviate potential burdens due to tariffs.
On the charging front, Tesla is using MCS - the Megawatt Charging System - capable of 1.2MW - and designed specifically for Semi. The system uses the same V4 charging hardware found at Supercharger sites but focuses on that larger power output. Alongside a smaller physical footprint, Tesla will be able to configure these V4 cabinets for either dedicated Semi charging or for shared power scenarios with regular Superchargers. Tesla is also working on an integrated overnight charging product, but Tesla isn’t ready to talk about it yet.
46 Semi Charger Sites Coming
The 46 new MCS sites coming soon.
Out of Spec BITS/YouTube
Finally, Tesla has made substantial investments in a public charging network for the Semi. There are currently 46 sites in progress throughout the United States, and plans for significant expansion throughout 2026 and 2027. These sites are strategically located alongside major truck routes and within industrial areas to support long-haul and regional operations. Tesla is aiming to offer the lowest possible energy costs to operators to help incentivize adoption.
This was one of the best updates to the Tesla Semi we’ve received since its initial unveiling. It seems that the Semi will receive a big portion of Tesla’s attention in 2026, while Robotaxi and FSD Unsupervised take the stage this year.
The Tesla Semi has the potential to transform transportation even more dramatically than EVs already have, serving as a testament to Tesla’s mission to electrify the world.
Sentry Mode is an invaluable tool for owners - capable of keeping the vehicle safe and secure even when you’re not around. This is especially true in recent times, with the misguided and unfortunate incidents surrounding Tesla ownership, including damage to Tesla vehicles, showrooms, and Superchargers.
B-pillar Camera Recording and Dashcam Viewer
With the 2025 Spring Update on 2025.14, Tesla is expanding Sentry Mode’s functionality for certain vehicles with some much-needed changes. Sentry Mode and Dashcam can now record footage from the vehicle’s B-pillar cameras. These cameras are located on the side pillars of the vehicle, between the front and rear doors.
This adds two crucially needed viewpoints, making Tesla’s Sentry Mode a truly 360-degree security system. These cameras also provide the best angles for capturing license plates when parked, so they will be greatly appreciated by owners in the event of an incident.
These vehicles are also receiving an improved Dashcam Viewer, which now displays the six camera feeds along the bottom and a new grid view. It also allows users to jump back or forward in the video in 15-second increments.
However, to the disappointment of many owners, not all vehicles are receiving these updates due to the additional processing power needed.
Limited to Hardware 4 Vehicles, Ryzen Isn’t Enough
We have confirmed that Tesla is only adding the additional camera recording and improved Dashcam Viewer on hardware 4 (HW4 / AI4) vehicles. The newer hardware presumably has the additional processing power and bandwidth needed to handle recording and saving the two additional video streams during Sentry Mode and Dashcam.
For the time being, owners of HW3 vehicles are not receiving this feature. This includes all vehicles with HW3, even those with AMD Ryzen infotainment systems. If you’re not sure whether your vehicle has HW3 or HW4, you can refer to our FSD hardware guide.
While there’s no doubt that recording two additional camera streams would be more computationally intensive, we hope that Tesla adds the improved Dashcam Viewer to HW3 vehicles in a future update.
Cybertruck Also Missing Improved Sentry Mode
Surprisingly, and most confusing for many - is the fact that the Cybertruck is also not receiving the improved Dashcam Viewer and B-pillar camera recording with this update. This struck us as odd, especially since the Cybertruck is currently the only vehicle with the improved, more efficient version of Sentry Mode.
Every Cybertruck is equipped with HW4 and AMD Ryzen infotainment units, so this clearly isn’t a hardware restriction. It’s possible the more efficient Sentry Mode is playing a role here due to the infrastructure changes. However, we expect Tesla to address this in a future update and eventually release these features for the Cybertruck as well.
Given the Cybertruck’s high visibility and its status as a frequent target for both positive and negative attention, many owners hoped that the Cybertruck would be one of the vehicles to receive this feature.
Adaptive Headlights
Tesla finally started rolling out its adaptive headlights in North America. While the new Model Y already came with the feature when it was released last month, other vehicles with matrix headlights are now receiving the feature in the Spring Update.
All vehicles with matrix headlights are receiving this feature, which includes the new and old Model 3, first-gen Model Y, and the new Model S and Model X.
If you’re not sure if your vehicle includes matrix headlights, check out our guide. What’s interesting here is that older vehicles that were retrofitted with matrix headlights due to an accident or user replacement are also receiving the adaptive headlights feature.
Legacy Model S & Model X
As with most updates, the older legacy Model S and Model X are not receiving all the features included in this update. Unfortunately, some of the features, which include the Blind Spot Camera on the instrument cluster, Save Trunk Height Based on Location and Keep Accessory Power On are limited to the new Model S and X.
Legacy S and X models will receive the Alternative Trip Plans feature, Avoid Highways (Requires Intel MCU) and the Keyboard Languages feature.
These vehicles are also receiving all the features in the Minor Updates section except for the visualization showing how far the door is opened, which is exclusive to the Cybertruck. These additions include improved music search results, contact photos in the phone app, automatic connecting to hotspots, the ability to show third-party chargers, view Supercharger amenities, and various improvements to music services.
While many users will be disappointed not to receive the B-pillar camera recording and Dashcam Viewer improvements, it’s important to remember that Tesla typically does a great job at bringing features to older vehicles, at least with the Model 3 and Model Y. If a feature isn’t added, it’s usually due to a hardware limitation.
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