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1 year ago

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Tesla Full Self-Driving Beta smear campaign

The Dawn Project, a group that runs ads attacking Tesla’s full self-driving system, has received a letter from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) demanding that it cease using its logo in advertising, which Dawn Project did in contravention of US federal law in its Super Bowl ad aired this weekend.

The Dawn Project is run by Dan O’Dowd, CEO of a software company which sells automotive driving software services, putting it in competition with Tesla. The Dawn Project itself is founded and funded by O’Dowd via his significant personal wealth (his net wealth isn’t public, but is estimated to be around a billion dollars), with the main goal of attacking Tesla’s Full Self-Driving system (FSD), claiming it to be unsafe.

The group has placed several advertisements online making dubious claims about FSD, posing as a public interest group solely interested in “making computers safe for humanity.” Its campaign has drawn a cease-and-desist letter from Tesla.

Dan O’Dowd also ran for California’s US Senate seat in 2022, with a campaign that largely focused on this one issue.

Both this year and last, the group ran an advertisement in the Super Bowl. This year’s ad cost $552,000 according to the Dawn Project, much less than the well-publicized ~$7 million price for a typical Super Bowl ad slot, because it ran as a regional ad and was not seen in all markets where the game aired.

The group posted two ads on its YouTube channel, one claiming that Tesla did not respond after it warned Tesla of FSD’s inability to stop for school buses, which it claims led to an accident that put a child into the hospital in 2023, after its first Super Bowl ad aired.

That incident is still being investigated, and it is not known yet whether the vehicle was operating on FSD. It has however been widely observed that FSD does not stop for school buses, so it is plausible that the incident could have happened if both the car and its driver did not notice the school bus stop sign.

However, in contradiction to the name Tesla has given to the system, FSD is not actually equipped to be used for full self-driving tasks, but rather as a driver aid which requires the driver to be attentive at all times. Despite the misleading name, FSD is still classed as a “level 2” autonomous system, like the systems on many other cars today, where the driver still has responsibility for everything the vehicle does.

Dawn Project violated federal law in its ad

The second ad is where NTSB’s letter comes in. In it, Dawn Project claims that Tesla shirks liability for autopilot claims with a note in the owner’s manual saying that it should only be activated on highways.

In doing so, it used footage from various Tesla crashes, with the logo of the NTSB overlaid in the corner of the ad. See a screenshot, provided by the NTSB in its letter:

In NTSB’s letter, it says that this use of its seal violates federal law:

RE: Unauthorized Use of NTSB’s Official Seal in Super Bowl Commercial

Dear Sir/Ma’am:

It has come to our attention that your second Super Bowl LVIII commercial
airing on February 11, 2024, prominently – and unlawfully – displays the official seal of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). In addition to its public airing, the commercial has been posted to your webpage, dawnproject.com, and to your YouTube page. A screenshot of the commercial in question is attached.

By federal law, the NTSB is authorized a judicially recognized seal. 49 U.S.C. § 1111(j). Use of the NTSB Seal outside of the NTSB is prohibited without the prior written approval of the NTSB. 49 C.F.R. § 803.5. Due to the nature of our work and the need to be unambiguously independent from commercial interests, we strive to protect the international reputation of the NTSB by preventing unapproved use of our
seal.

Contrary to Federal law, you did not obtain, and the NTSB did not grant,
permission to use the NTSB Seal in your Super Bowl LVIII commercial or on any other materials. Moreover, your unauthorized use of the NTSB’s seal spuriously implies endorsement of your company and/or message by the NTSB. Accordingly, the NTSB demands that you cease any further unsanctioned use of the NTSB Seal, and that the NTSB’s Seal be immediately removed from your website and YouTube page, as well as any further airings of the offending commercial. We further request that you notify us in writing when all changes have been made.

The Dawn Project seems to have quickly complied with the letter, as its youtube video now has a large, conspicuous blur visible for roughly half of its runtime, obviously covering up the illicit use of NTSB’s logo:

However, despite the quick followup by the Dawn Project, the ad still aired with the logo in the first place, and in front of a lot of eyeballs in what was apparently the most-viewed American television event since the moon landing.

Electrek’s Take

There are no heroes here.

It seems that Dan O’Dowd has repeatedly stretched the truth in his attacks on FSD, and that both his business and potential political aspirations are benefitted by the publicity he gets from those attacks.

That latter point doesn’t mean he’s wrong all on its own, as it’s totally fine for people to align their personal interests with what they believe to be the greater interests of humanity. But being so laser-focused on attacking one particular system, and doing so in inaccurate ways, doesn’t really help O’Dowd’s case that this is being done in the public interest.

The tone of the Dawn Project’s advocacy does not serve to improve FSD or similar partial-automation system, but rather to fearmonger about them, and we don’t think that’s helpful.

But also, Tesla, and in particular its CEO Elon Musk, has repeatedly lied or misled about FSD.

The name itself is misleading, as Tesla cars do not drive themselves, as pointed out above. Tesla calls it “beta” software, and has repeatedly said that these are just steps on the way to actual eventual full self-driving, but we’ve been hearing Elon Musk say that FSD is coming “next year” for a full decade now (and he’s still saying it).

The way that Tesla talks about FSD, and the name itself, has led to a sense of overconfidence in the system, which could lead to people using it in an unintended manner. This was pointed out by the widow of a Tesla employee who died while driving drunk with FSD activated, who says “we were sold a false sense of security.”

And Tesla has broken direct promises with FSD as well. It said in 2016 that every Tesla has the hardware for FSD, but it’s still charging owners for hardware upgrades to enable it. It’s possible that this could happen again in the future, if Tesla finds out that true self-driving tasks are too much for HW3 or HW4.

So there is fault from all parties involved. Tesla’s approach with FSD is pushing the concept of self-driving forward, but the company takes liberties in doing so. However, criticism of the company isn’t served well by taking its own liberties and stretching the truth in response.

There are plenty of valid points to criticize Tesla and FSD on, and if O’Dowd were truly doing this for the public interest, he wouldn’t need to falsify government logos, stage fake tests, or misrepresent real-life events along the way.

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US military is buying Tesla Cybertrucks to use as targets for missiles

Published

5 hours ago

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August 7, 2025

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US military is buying Tesla Cybertrucks to use as targets for missiles

Elon Musk is getting his wish; Tesla Cybertrucks are going to be used by the US military, but perhaps not in the way he intended.

The U.S. Air Force is looking to purchase two Tesla Cybertrucks and use them for what amounts to target practice.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has touted the Cybertruck as being “bulletproof” and designed to “survive the apocalypse.” He suggested it could be used by the military and even directly pitched the electric pickup truck to the US military.

Considering that the Cybertruck has turned out to be a commercial flop and Tesla is currently experiencing issues selling it, despite reduced production, the automaker could benefit from a Cybertruck order from the US military.

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It looks like it is about to get one.

According to new documents first obtained by ‘The War Zone‘, the U.S. Air Force Test Center (AFTC) is looking to acquire 33 target vehicles—including two Tesla Cybertrucks—for delivery to the White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) in New Mexico,

The list of requested vehicles includes various sedans, pickups, SUVs, and bongo trucks, but there are no specific brand requirements for those, except for the Cybertrucks.

They plan to use these vehicles as targets for precision-guided weapons. Why would they need a specific vehicle such as the Cybertruck?

In the document, they had to explain the reason behind requesting a vehicle from a specific brand. They wrote:

[Redacted] intends to use specific Tesla manufactured vehicles for target vehicle training flight test events. In the operating theatre it is likely the type of vehicles used by the enemy may transition to Tesla Cyber trucks as they have been found not to receive the normal extent of damage expected upon major impact. Testing needs to mirror real world situations. The intent of the training is to prep the units for operations by simulating scenarios as closely as possible to the real world situations.

It sounds like the justification is that the US military believes that its enemies might start using the Tesla Cybertruck, and it wants to make sure its weapons work on it.

Here’s the document in question:

Electrek’s Take

That’s pretty funny. The US military is buying Tesla Cybertrucks to use as targets to shoot missiles at because they think enemies might start using them.

The jokes write themselves. You read that headline, and you would think that it’s Trump trying to get back to Musk by literally blowing up his dumpster of a truck.

However, the most astonishing aspect is that the US military is not wrong here.

As we previously reported, Chechen leader and self-proclaimed “Putin’s foot soldier” Ramzan Kadyrov managed to obtain a couple of Cybertrucks, which he outfitted with guns. Then he claimed that they went to war in Ukraine.

Now, less than a year later, the US military wants to ensure it is equipped to take down Cybertrucks.

Anyway, good for Tesla. It needs all the Cybertruck sales it can get, considering it is currently selling them at a rate of 20,000 per year when Musk aimed for 500,000 a year.

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Environment

Genesis quietly dropped this EV from its US lineup

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9 hours ago

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August 6, 2025

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Genesis quietly dropped this EV from its US lineup

Genesis-EV-US

The Genesis Electrified G80 will no longer be sold in the US. Genesis has already pulled the luxury EV sedan from its website.

Genesis pulls the Electrified G80 EV from its US lineup

The Electrified G80 went on sale in the US in the first half of 2023, but has struggled to gain any momentum. Last year, Genesis introduced an updated model with longer range, more interior space, and added luxury, claiming it’s now at the flagship level.

Those in the US may never get to see it. Genesis has already removed the Electrified G80 from its website, with only the GV60 and Electrified GV70 now listed.

The luxury car maker confirmed to Car and Driver on Wednesday that the electric G80 sedan is no longer being offered in North America.

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Genesis explained that “the customer is at the core of every decision we make, and we remain flexible as we adapt to ever-changing consumer needs and market conditions.”

Genesis-G80-EV-US
Genesis Electrified G80 updated model (Source: Hyundai)

The 2024 Electrified G80 was the final model year, and the 2025 version was never sold in the US. Powered by an 87 kWh battery, the Electrified G80 was rated with an EPA-estimated range of 282 miles. Although the updated model boasted a larger battery (94.5 kWh) with increased range (up to 295 miles) in Korea, it still falls short of rivals like the Lucid Air or Tesla Model S.

Genesis sold just 397 models in 2024 and another 77 in the first half of 2025. In comparison, Lucid sold over 5,000 Air sedans in H1, while Tesla has sold 2,715 Model S sedans in the US.

Genesis-Electrified-G80-interior
The interior of the new Genesis Electrified G80 update (Source: Hyundai)

Although Korean automakers, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis, dodged the maximum 25% tariff, they will still face a 15% duty on imported vehicles. As its slowest-selling EV, it’s no surprise to see Genesis dropping it from its lineup.

With the $7,500 federal tax credit expiring at the end of September, Genesis is pushing big discounts on its remaining EV models.

Genesis is offering an $18,000 EV Lease Bonus on the 2025 Electrified GV70 and $13,750 bonus for the 2025 GV60. Leases currently start as low as $389 per month.

Looking to test one out for yourself? You can use our links below to view 2025 Genesis GV60 and Electrified GV70 models in your area.

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Environment

Bluetti’s new Elite 30 V2 288Wh station gets first savings starting from $199, Segway F3 smart eKickScooter $750, NIU e-scooter sale, more

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10 hours ago

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August 6, 2025

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Bluetti's new Elite 30 V2 288Wh station gets first savings starting from 9, Segway F3 smart eKickScooter 0, NIU e-scooter sale, more

Headlining today’s Green Deals is the first discount hitting Bluetti’s new Elite 30 V2 Portable Power Station, which also has an additional solar bundle offer starting from $199. We also spotted the first post-tariff discount from Segway on its new Ninebot F3 Electric KickScooter to $750, as well as NIU’s Fan-tastic Day Sale that is taking up to 42% off its KQi lineup of scooters, including the KQi 300X All-Terrain Suspension Electric Scooter that is back at the best price of 2025 for $750, among others. We also have a new low price on Greenworks’ 82V Commercial 20-inch Cordless Chainsaw kit and a one-day-only discount on Worx’s 12A 7.5-inch Edger/Trencher, and more waiting for you below. Plus, all the hangover savings are at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s Anker SOLIX Summer Power Sale offers, Ride1Up’s increased e-bike savings, and more.

Head below for other New Green Deals we’ve found today and, of course, Electrek’s best EV buying and leasing deals. Also, check out the new Electrek Tesla Shop for the best deals on Tesla accessories.

Get up to $200 in first savings on Bluetti’s new Elite 30 V2 portable 288Wh LiFePO4 power station starting from $199

Back on Friday, Bluetti launched its new Apex 300 Versatile Power Station with up to $3,150 in exclusive savings that has had fans of the brand buzzing, while also eclipsing another new and more compact release. Now, with its latest Solar Generator Sale, Bluetti is cutting the cost on its Elite 30 V2 Portable Power Station to $199 shipped, with that price matching at Amazon for Prime members, bringing it down from the $299 price tag. It just hit the market at the top of the month, but as I said, its release was overshadowed by the larger and more expansive Apex 300 unit and its bundles. You can score a $100 markdown now, though, which sets the bar for future discounts, with a solar bundle option for this model that tacks on a 100W panel for $398 shipped, down from $598.

While larger solar generator setups can help through many situations, more and more people are finding convenience in owning smaller backup power solutions, especially here in NYC, with many folks having limited space to keep them. That’s where units like Bluetti’s Elite 30 V2 Portable Power Station come in, which offers a 288Wh LiFePO4 capacity to cover personal device charging with 600W of steady output that can ramp as high as 1,500W.

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Bluetti’s Elite 30 V2 power station has nine different port options to cover all the bases: two AC outlets, two USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, two DC ports, and a car port. It even beats out many counterparts/competitors of the same size range with five ways to recharge its battery: via a standard outlet, utilizing up to a max 200W solar input, using both an outlet and solar panels together, connecting a generator, or using your car’s auxiliary port.

You can get the full rundown on Bluetti’s other new and more expansive release, the Apex 300 Versatile Power Station with up to $3,150 in exclusive savings across several bundle options – all starting from $1,439.

man riding down street on Segway Ninebot F3 Electric KickScooter

Segway’s Ninebot F3 smart eKickScooter with Apple Find My + proximity locking gets first post-tariff cut to $750

Segway is offering a special promotional discount through August 17 on its new Ninebot F3 Electric KickScooter at $749.99 shipped, after using the code F3AUG100OFF at checkout, which beats out Amazon’s pricing by $50.This model launched back in April carrying a $850 original price tag (which Amazon still keeps it listed for) and has since hiked up to a $1,000 MSRP direct from the brand after May’s tariff hikes. The two pre-tariff discounts we saw took the costs down to $700 and $600 back in April, and while it may not be falling that low any anytime soon again, you’re still looking at a solid $100 savings from its starting rate for the third-lowest price we have tracked.

If you want to learn more about this model, be sure to check out our original coverage of this ongoing deal here.

man standing on NIU KQi 300X all-terrain suspension electric scooter

NIU drops the KQi 300X all-terrain e-scooter with a 37-mile range and regen brakes to $750 in latest sale

NIU has launched its Fan-tastic Day Sale through August 17 that is taking up to 42% off its KQi e-scooter lineup. Some of the brand’s models are still out of stock from last month, but among those still available, we spotted the KQi 300X All-Terrain Suspension Electric Scooter at $749.99 shipped, while also matching in price at Amazon. While it carries a $1,299 MSRP normally, at Amazon we’ve been seeing it mostly staying between $1,049 and $1,198, with discounts having been slowly ramping up over the course of the year. You’re looking at the best price of 2025, which saves you $549 off the MSRP and has only been beaten out by the $731 low we last saw pop up in October 2024.

If you want to learn more about this model or the other e-scooter deals, be sure to check out our original coverage of this sale here.

man uses Greenworks 82V 20-inch cordless chainsaw to fell tree

Add commercial-grade power to your arsenal with Greenworks’ 82V 20-inch cordless chainsaw at a new $430 low

Amazon is now offering the Greenworks Commercial 82V 20-inch Cordless Chainsaw for $429.99 shipped. While it carries a $600 MSRP tag directly from the brand, where it’s currently priced at, we’ve seen it keep lower to $500 at Amazon. It’s been on the market for six months now, with the discounts we’ve spotted only taken the costs down to $450 until today. Now, with the 20% markdown here, you’ll save $70 while equipping your arsenal with commercial-grade power.

If you want to learn more about this commercial-grade chainsaw, be sure to check out our original coverage of this deal here.

Worx's 12A 7.5-inch Lawn Edger/Trencher creating perfect line into lawn

Keep uniform lines around yard and gardens with Worx’s 12A 7.5-inch edger/trencher at $90 (Today only)

As part of its Deals of the Day, Best Buy is offering the Worx 12A 7.5-inch Edger/Trencher for $89.99 shipped, with this model being out of stock on Amazon and sitting at a higher $140 MSRP directly from Worx’s website. It normally fetches $130 at full price here, with discounts mostly keeping the costs between $110 and $100 during 2025, though we have seen it go as low as $75 during Prime Day. You’re looking at the fourth-lowest overall price that we have tracked and the third-lowest of the year, with the deal today saving you $40 off the going rate for the rest of the day only.

If you want to learn more about this edger/trencher, be sure to check out our original coverage of this one-day-only deal here.

Best Summer EV deals!

Best new Green Deals landing this week

The savings this week are also continuing to a collection of other markdowns. To the same tune as the offers above, these all help you take a more energy-conscious approach to your routine. Winter means you can lock in even better off-season price cuts on electric tools for the lawn while saving on EVs and tons of other gear.

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