News
Model X Falcon Wing ‘Umbrella Mode’ Protects Passengers From Rain and Snow
Tesla Model X firmware adds new Umbrella Mode that partially opens each falcon wing door to protect passengers from rain, snow and inclement weather.

Tesla released a firmware update for the Model X earlier this year with a feature some are calling an ‘Umbrella Mode’ that will protect passengers from rain and snow during second row ingress and egress. The update provides two settings for the falcon wing doors: one that allows the door to swing fully open to its maximum position, and the other with partial two-thirds opening also known as Umbrella Mode.
- Tesla firmware 7.1 provides an ‘Umbrella Mode’ for the falcon wing door
- Looking upwards from beneath the falcon wing door
In essence, opening the falcon wing door using the icon that’s center of the opening arch shown on the touchscreen display allows them to open more quickly due to a shorter distance of travel, but also at a different angle with higher pitch. That increased pitch should theoretically better facilitate the runoff of rain and snow.
Tesla community personality Bjørn Nyland of Norway has posted a video demonstrating how Umbrella Mode in the Model X functions with the falcon wing doors. With the door partially open, passengers must scrunch down a bit to get in or out of the vehicle, but its because of the lower opening height and angle that it provides some protection against rain, snow, or sleet — especially if there is a breeze blowing against the side of the car.
With so few Model X vehicles on the road yet, and the majority being delivered are to owners in sunny California where inclement weather is a rarity, there hasn’t been any published reports of how effective Umbrella Mode truly is when it comes to protecting riders from rain and snow. However, expect to see them soon.
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Elon Musk’s X experiences several outages on Monday
As of this writing, X’s desktop and mobile services are still intermittent.

Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, experienced several outages on Monday morning.
As of this writing, X’s desktop and mobile services are still intermittent.
Initial Reports
As noted in a TechCrunch report, a wave of reports about X being offline were submitted on Downdetector, a website that tracks online outages, early Monday morning, around 5:30 a.m. ET.
At the time, about 20,000 users reported experiencing problems accessing the social media platform. This initial wave of outages seemed to have been resolved after about an hour, with users being able to access X’s services once more.
Outage Encore
Another wave of outages on X were reported by users around 9:30 a.m. ET, though this time, Downdetector listed about 40,000 user reports. This particular outage seemed worse than the first, as it was still ongoing until about lunchtime Eastern Time.
As of this writing, issues with X appear to still be ongoing, as per tests done by Teslarati staff. While some pages on the social media platform are now loading, some features such as users’ timeline and analytics remain inaccessible.
Update as of 12:17 p.m. ET: X’s mobile and desktop features appear to have gone back online.
X, for its part, has not issued a comment about the matter.
X’s Evolution
Previously known as Twitter, the social media platform was acquired by Elon Musk in late 2022 for $44 billion. Since then, Twitter has returned to becoming a private company, and it has been renamed X.
While reports following Musk’s acquisition noted that Twitter saw a sharp drop in valuation after the Tesla CEO’s acquisition, Bloomberg News, citing people reportedly familiar with the matter, claimed last month that X was in talks to raise funds from investors at a $44 billion valuation, thanks in no small part to its stake in xAI, Musk’s artificial intelligence startup.
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Hyundai exec receives medal from Czech Republic for fostering bilateral relations
Hyundai’s Nosovice plant has been key to Czech-South Korea ties since 2008. Should more automakers focus on diplomacy?

Hyundai Motor Group’s Executive Chair Chung Euisun received a medal from the Czech Republic (aka Czechia) for fostering bilateral relations between South Korea and the European nation.
The Czech Republic’s ambassador to South Korea, Ivan Jancarek, presented the medal to Chair Chung Euisun at Hyundai Motor Group’s automotive headquarters in Seoul. Jancarek gave the medal to the Executive Chair of Hyundai on behalf of the Czech Republic’s Foreign Minister, Jan Lipavsky.
Chair Chung fostered bilateral relations between South Korea and the Czech Republic through Hyundai Motor Group’s manufacturing plant in Nosovice. Hyundai’s Nosovice plant has been operating since 2008 and is the automaker’s production hub in Europe. The factory produces popular Hyundai models for the European market, like the Tucson and the Kona Electric.
Besides its plant in the Czech Republic, Hyundai has invested heavily in local operations, which has supported employment within the factory and in the city of Nosovice. The legacy car maker’s investments have also enabled South Korea and the Czech Republic to exchange technology.
In early 2025, Hyundai Motor Group is keenly focused on expanding into Europe. Earlier this month, the South Korean automaker announced plans to establish a plant in Türkiye. Its Izmit plant in Türkiye will boost Hyundai’s production capacity to meet the demand for greener automobiles in the European market. The new plant will manufacture electric vehicles and internal combustion engine models.
Hyundai isn’t only focusing on the European market. Last year, it invested in several Asian countries, including Malaysia and Indonesia. It also held an IPO in India.
Meanwhile, in the United States, the company plans to enter the self-driving rideshare industry in Texas, going head-to-head against Tesla’s robotaxi fleet. In 2024, it started production at its Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) plant in Georgia.
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Tesla Cybertruck used in Trump hotel bombing seemingly listed on auction site
A rather interesting piece of Tesla history appears to have found its way to an auto auction platform.

The ill-fated Tesla Cybertruck used in the Trump Las Vegas hotel car bombing incident in January has seemingly been listed on an online vehicle auction website.
The historic Cybertruck was spotted on the IAA website by Tesla enthusiasts on social media platform X.
A Cybertruck Car Bomb
Back in January, a shocking incident unfolded as a rented Cybertruck was reported to have exploded outside the Trump Las Vegas hotel. Following the explosion, authorities noted that they were investigating the incident as a potential act of terrorism.
While Tesla critics immediately blamed the Cybertruck and mocked the vehicle for its alleged critical safety flaws, investigations revealed that the all-electric pickup truck had been loaded with incendiary materials on its bed, which were then detonated. Tragically, the driver of the Cybertruck passed away in the incident. Seven bystanders also suffered minor injuries.
Elon Musk Weighs In
As it turned out, the Cybertruck actually ended up protecting the Trump hotel and nearby civilians. As could be seen in videos of the incident, the Cybertruck mostly contained the explosion by directing the blast upwards. The bed remained largely intact even after the explosion as well.
Elon Musk later noted that the ill-fated Cybertruck’s battery pack never actually caught fire during the explosion, so once the unit is back at Tesla, the company will be repairing the vehicle to get it back on the road. Musk’s comments caught the attention of many, as such a repair would likely be monumental, and if successful, a true testament to the Cybertruck’s durability.
Cybertruck at Auction
As could be seen on the IAA’s official website, the ill-fated Cybertruck has seemingly been listed on its vehicle auction platform, suggesting that Tesla did not retrieve the truck following its explosive incident. Interestingly enough, the listing does state that the vehicle is “not ready for sale” as of yet. A look at the historic Cybertruck’s “Bid Information” section on the IAA’s website shows that an auction is not assigned as well.
It remains to be seen why the Cybertruck used in the Las Vegas Trump hotel car bombing incident has seemingly ended up on the IAA’s website. Hopefully, Tesla will still acquire the vehicle, at least just as a monument to the toughness of the Cybertruck—even in explosive scenarios.
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