April 20, 2026
By Karan Singh
Tesla’s vision of a fully autonomous future is no longer just a render or an isolated prototype. It is now sitting in the Texas sun. In a major milestone for the Robotaxi program, a fleet of newly built Cybercabs has been spotted at the Giga Texas outbound lot, and notably, the vehicles lack steering wheels, unlike the recent examples we’ve seen.
Tesla is officially transitioning from building modified test vehicles to producing the true, control-free hardware originally unveiled at the We, Robot event.
The Outbound Lot Sighting
The discovery comes courtesy of longtime Giga Texas observer and drone pilot Joe Tegtmeyer, who monitors the facility’s daily operations. On Friday, April 17, Tegtmeyer captured aerial footage showing approximately 14 newly manufactured Cybercabs parked in the factory’s outbound holding lot.
Something big has changed at Giga Texas with Cybercab production … ~ 14 in the outbound lot WITHOUT STEERING WHEELS!
Earlier this week, the production line has begun what we are all waiting for and I would expect to see many more starting on Monday, 4/20 
A big step… pic.twitter.com/K17ZzBlQ8k
— Joe Tegtmeyer 
(@JoeTegtmeyer) April 17, 2026
The images and video reveal the sleek, two-seat vehicles in their final production form. Along with the signature wheels and tire stickers, these 14 units clearly feature the minimalist interior Tesla promised: absolutely no driver controls, no steering wheels, no pedals, and no side mirrors.
Moving Past the Test Fleet
Removing the steering wheel is a big step for the program. Since early road testing began, the Cybercab release candidates spotted on public roads across California, Texas, and other testing states have all been equipped with temporary steering wheels, pedals, and side mirrors.
While executives like Vice President of Vehicle Engineering Lars Moravy previously clarified that the manual controls were strictly a test feature and not intended for consumer sale, the sheer number of test vehicles equipped with wheels led to speculation that Tesla might pivot to release a manually drivable version to bypass strict regulatory hurdles.
This new outbound fleet puts that speculation to rest. By mass-producing the control-free interior, Tesla is proving its immense confidence in the Unsupervised Full Self-Driving software that will power the network. Removing manual controls helps reduce manufacturing costs, complexity, and vehicle weight while maximizing interior cabin space.
Production Ramp vs Red Tape
Since the very first production unit rolled off the Giga Texas line in mid-February, the Cybercab assembly line has been steadily ramping up. This latest batch of 14 wheel-less vehicles is the strongest indication yet that volume manufacturing is beginning in earnest this month.
However, building the cars is only half the battle. Under current Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, automakers are limited to producing just 2,500 vehicles per year that lack traditional steering wheels and manual controls without a special exemption.
Tesla is actively navigating this cap while simultaneously pushing for federal relief. The proposed Self Drive Act of 2026, which would establish a federal framework to permit these specific types of vehicles, recently advanced in a House subcommittee.
As Tesla pushes for that regulatory green light, the physical hardware is already waiting at the factory gates. Last week, Tesla added Dallas and Houston as robotaxi markets, and if production scales as expected over the coming weeks, we may just see some of these vehicles join the driverless fleet soon.
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date on the latest Tesla news, upcoming features and software updates.
April 20, 2026
By Nehal Malik
Tesla is giving owners a new way to celebrate their commitment to sustainability this week. As we approach April 22, the company has officially introduced a limited-edition Earth Day charging badge within its mobile app. The new collectible was first spotted in version 4.55.5, which began its rollout earlier this month.
Tesla appears to be introducing an Earth Day charging badge, similar to the charging passports they’ve introduced in the past. To earn the badge, owners simply need to charge their vehicles on Earth Day. Once the milestone is reached, the app will likely showcase personal and fleet-wide charging statistics, highlighting the collective impact Tesla drivers have had on reducing carbon emissions.
A Growing Collection of Digital Milestones
This isn’t the first time Tesla has used digital collectibles to gamify the ownership experience. The Earth Day badge is quite similar to the Spring Festival charging badge that Tesla introduced just a couple of months ago. These badges typically appear in the Charging section of the app, much like the year-in-review Charging Passport that debuted late last year to help owners track their most-visited Superchargers.
While these badges are currently fun, one-off trophies, it would be a great addition if Tesla created a dedicated “Charging Hall of Fame” within the app where you could see all of the ones you’ve earned. Having a single place to view all accumulated achievements and milestones would add a layer of progression to the ownership experience that many tech-savvy drivers would appreciate.
Earth Day Traditions at Tesla
Tesla has a history of using Earth Day to engage with its community. Back in 2023, the company held an Earth Day photo contest where the winner took home 3,500 Supercharger credits. This year, the focus is clearly on the software experience. The new badge even includes a built-in sharing feature, allowing owners to easily post their Earth Day contribution to social media.
This update arrives alongside a flurry of activity in the Tesla ecosystem. While the Earth Day badge was introduced in version 4.55.5 of the app, Tesla has already moved on to version 4.55.6. That newer update brings support for the massive Spring 2026 Software Update, which is rolling out now to vehicles and includes headlining features like interactive rear screen maps and the new “Hey Grok” wake word.
Celebrating the Mission
At its core, Tesla is a company driven by the mission to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy. Features like the Earth Day charging badge serve as a small but effective reminder of that goal. By turning a routine charge into a shareable event, Tesla is reinforcing the positive environmental choice its owners make every day.
As we move toward a future dominated by electric transport, these small digital touches help keep the community engaged and proud of their vehicles. If you’re a Tesla owner, make sure your app is updated so you don’t miss out on grabbing this year’s badge this Wednesday.
April 19, 2026
By Nehal Malik
Tesla is officially rolling out its massive Spring 2026 Software Update, and while the headlining features like the new “Hey Grok” wake word and interactive rear maps are grabbing the spotlight, the update is packed with smaller refinements. From a complete overhaul of the weather map to intuitive music gestures and redesigned settings menus, version 2026.14 is proving to be a feature release on par with Tesla’s yearly Holiday Updates.
Installed on 3.5% of fleet
Last updated: Apr 20, 3:15 pm UTC
Tesla enthusiast Max Bracco (@maxbrco) has been sharing an early look at these changes as they hit his vehicle, revealing several quality-of-life improvements that weren’t even mentioned in the initial release notes. Here is a deep dive into everything else coming to your Tesla with the Spring Update.
High-Definition Weather Maps
One of the most visual changes in this update is the overhauled weather map. The new weather map features a much more sophisticated color palette, and Tesla has refined the radar view to better distinguish between rain and snow while also differentiating among various precipitation types.
Beyond just the colors, the map now includes an “hour-back” history. This allows you to scrub back through the last hour of weather data to see exactly how a storm system has been moving. It is a major functional upgrade for drivers in regions with unpredictable weather, providing a clearer picture of whether you are driving into the heart of a storm or if it is quickly passing by.
Intuitive Music Queuing and Gestures
Music lovers are getting a significant boost to their daily driving experience. Tesla has introduced new gesture controls that bring the in-car media player closer to a smartphone experience.
I really love the new queuing system! You can add songs either by swiping right or clicking the 3 dots next to a song pic.twitter.com/sPEzpBJyVU
— Max (@maxbrco) April 18, 2026
You can now swipe right on any track in Apple Music or Spotify to instantly add it to your play queue. In addition to universal queuing, there are platform-specific shortcuts: in Apple Music, a tap-and-hold on a track allows you to manage your Favorites, while Spotify users can now swipe left to instantly manage their Liked Songs. These small touches reduce the time spent tapping through menus and keep the focus on the road.
Settings Menu Redesign: Profiles and Grok
Tesla is also cleaning up its interface by consolidating more controls into the primary Settings menu. “Tesla has added a new profile menu to the settings (no new features there, just a new way to access the profile settings) and added Grok Settings to the Audio tab,” Bracco observed.
Previously, driver profile settings were tucked away behind the Profile icon in the status bar at the top of the screen. Now, users can simply navigate to Settings > Profiles to manage all driver settings in one centralized hub. Similarly, Grok settings — which were previously only accessible within the Grok app itself — have been duplicated in the Audio section under Settings. This includes toggles for the new “Hey Grok” wake word, NSFW filters, and precise location sharing, making it much easier to find these options without jumping between apps.
Creations: A New Hub in the Tesla App
The mobile experience is evolving alongside the vehicle software. In the latest version of the Tesla app, the “Photobooth” section has been renamed to “Creations.” The Creations tab now stores any pictures you create using the AMD-only Photobooth feature, as well as all of your Sketchpad drawings.
This change is tied specifically to the Spring Update (so it won’t show up in your Tesla app until you get the update) and reflects the major upgrades made to the in-car Sketchpad. The new Sketchpad now supports stickers and emojis like those available in Photobooth, allowing kids (and adults) to create more complex digital art. These masterpieces are saved to the car’s storage and then synced to the mobile app under the new Creations tab. This allows you to view or share your family’s road trip artwork directly to social media from your phone.
Dashcam Upgrades: New Save Button and 24-Hour Buffer
Perhaps the most useful “undocumented” feature in version 2026.14 (and later) is the addition of a new dedicated Save button within the Dashcam Viewer. Bracco shared a comparison showing the new button, which makes it much faster to secure a recently recorded clip. Here’s what the Dashcam Viewer looked like before:
This UI tweak supports a massive underlying upgrade to the Dashcam system itself. Tesla has officially expanded the Dashcam buffer from just one hour to 24 hours. This change finally brings global vehicles in line with the extended recording capabilities Tesla introduced in China earlier this year. You can now save any clip from the previous day for permanent storage by visiting the Dashcam Viewer in the App Launcher. Furthermore, the latest mobile app update has added real-time telemetry data to these saved clips, including speed, steering wheel angle, and FSD status.
The Foundation for a Smarter Future
The Spring 2026 Software Update is a massive undertaking that touches almost every corner of the Tesla ecosystem. While features like the interactive rear maps and higher-quality visualizations for the newest models prove Tesla is pushing its hardware to the limit, these smaller refinements show a commitment to the daily user experience.
The addition of a dedicated wake word for Grok and the rebranding of Dog Mode to Pet Mode, not to mention a new Self-Driving app, round out a release that makes the car feel more personal and capable than ever. As the Spring Update continues to roll out to the global fleet, Tesla is demonstrating that it remains the leader in software-defined vehicles, delivering meaningful value to owners years after they’ve taken delivery.
