Tesla China's 'Cybervault' announcement stirs up speculation
Tesla
Tesla China has posted a cryptic announcement on its Weibo channel, setting off a flurry of speculation and rumors about the company's plans for the April 3 reveal. The post features an image of an object cloaked in a black fabric called "Cybervault." The accompanying phrases "Who is the protagonist this time?" and "special form, super power-up" have only added to the intrigue.
Possible Theories and Speculations
Several theories have emerged in response to the enigmatic post. Some Tesla owners in China have suggested that the Cybervault could be a new V4 Supercharger produced in Tesla's Shanghai Supercharger factory. However, this theory seems unlikely, given the distinct Cybertruck font used in the announcement.
Other rumors circulating online propose that Tesla might unveil a new Powerwall or Wall Connector featuring a Cybertruck-inspired design. In addition, the recent sneak peek of Tesla's upcoming wireless home charging system has led some to believe that the Cybervault could be related to this development.
An alternative theory speculates that the announcement could be related to something much larger than the mysterious vault, such as a Megapack factory. Recent Tesla Energy job postings in China and ongoing construction near Giga Shanghai suggest that a Megafactory could be in the works. In addition, Elon Musk's rumored visit to China next week lends further credibility to the idea that a significant announcement is imminent.
Social Media Guesses and Fun Theories
Tesla fans have taken to social media to share their theories, with some suggesting possibilities such as "CyberValet," "China semi," and even "Cybertruck merch." Others have noted that the Cybertruck bed is sometimes referred to as a "vault," potentially hinting at a connection to the announcement.
Creative and amusing guesses have also emerged, including ideas like "Cybertruck-themed toenail clippers," "CyberVault as a new kind of electric scooter," and "a Cybertruck-inspired gaming console." While these ideas might seem far-fetched, they showcase the excitement and imaginative spirit of Tesla enthusiasts.
The anticipation surrounding the April 3 reveal has sparked excitement and curiosity among Tesla enthusiasts. As speculation continues to mount, fans around the world hope that whatever product or development is unveiled will not be exclusive to the Chinese market and will eventually make its way to North America as well. With just a few days left before the big reveal, the Tesla community eagerly awaits the unveiling of the enigmatic "Cybervault."
Tesla China has outlined some features in Tesla’s latest update in the region, which is version 2024.26.9. In the list of features, Tesla mentions many of the features we’re already aware of, including Automatic Emergency Braking Improvements, YouTube Music and more, but they also reveal one additional feature that’s exclusive to China. The new feature allows the new blind spot indicator to light up if there’s something in the way when you’re opening your door. The blind spot indicator is exclusive to the new Model 3 and Cybertruck, which features little red LEDs in the front speaker grills next to the mirror.
Blind Spot Door Warnings
With update 2024.26.9, Tesla says that if any vehicle door handle button is pressed on vehicles with a Blind Spot Warning Light (currently just the 2024 Refreshed Model 3 Highland and the Cybertruck), the blind spot warning indicator in the vehicle’s front speakers will illuminate.
This object detection includes cars, pedestrians, cyclists, and “other objects”. We’re not quite sure what fits into the “other objects” category, but likely things that FSD picks up on normally – including traffic cones, bollards, and other large obstacles.
According to Tesla’s description, there appears to only be a visual warning for the driver and front passenger, with nothing displayed on screen or an audible tone. We’re sure Tesla will continue to expand and refine this feature like they’ve done with various features in the past, but for now, it's only available in China. Blind Spot Door Warnings need to be enabled under Controls > Safety before this feature will function.
We’d love to see Tesla use the ambient light strip in the vehicle to warn passengers and drivers when their door is obstructed – it would be a fantastic use of a luxury feature for utilitarian safety – rather than just the single red LED inside the door speaker. Additionally, an audio warning would be excellent for those who may not see the red dot.
Tesla appears to be making progress on FSD in China, with the latest update available in the region now displaying the FSD button in the vehicle. Tesla makes no note of the change in the release notes, nor does it appear to be available in any other regions that are expected to receive access to FSD in the future.
FSD in the UI
In the Autopilot options in China, users could previously select Traffic-Aware Cruise Control or Auto Steer (Beta), however, as of 2024.26.9, the Full Self Driving (Supervised) button is now visible – but greyed out. Tapping on the option doesn’t do anything just yet, but the addition of the button could be a hint that Tesla is planning to enable the feature soon.
Underneath the Autopilot selection, Tesla also has a phrase that says, “Full Self-Driving (Supervised) needs to use an updated version of navigation maps. Connect to Wi-Fi to download” (Thanks, Luis Zhu). It’s possible the option is greyed out because the software needs updated maps to work. There are no reports yet of what happens when the navigation map is downloaded.
We previously reported that FSD was on hold in China, even after Tesla received approval to start testing FSD in China. This flip-flopping is interesting but could be due to regulatory issues between China and Tesla regarding data collection and where the data is stored. Now that the button is in the UI – Tesla is clearly confident that it either has received approval or will in short order.
It certainly appears that Tesla is going to be opening up FSD in the region fairly soon. It’ll be interesting to see if Tesla uses the same Safety Score feature they used in the U.S. when choosing drivers to beta test the program.
Elon Musk previously mentioned that FSD (Supervised) would be rolling out to global markets, including Europe and China, as Tesla received approvals from governments in those nations.
