The Cybertruck shows off its four-wheel steering capabilities
Joe Tegtmeyer
It used to be like spotting a sasquatch, but now Cybertruck appears on X.com almost as much as Tesla's CEO. Today, sightings of Elon Musk's futuristic truck are increasingly common, but that certainly is not downplaying the excitement this vehicle has created since it was first announced.
Remember when a blurry image would be scrutinized and written about for days? It seems like it was just yesterday. Now people are spotting these stainless steel beasts at rest stops and seemingly abandoned on the side of the road. The sightings used to be central to Giga-Texas, but the radius is getting wider as more videos surface.
On The Road: A Fleet on the Move
A fleet of Cybertrucks has been spotted in Lonoke, Arkansas, transported on the back of trailers. Interestingly, one Cybertruck bore the mysterious label "completed crash ready" and was coupled with the front bumper concealed in thick white plastic.
The sighting near Lonoke—eight hours from Giga Austin—might indicate that the Cybertrucks were on their way to, or perhaps returning from crash testing. The positioning adds weight to the speculation, given that they had 13 hours more to reach the IIHS testing place in Virginia. Observant fans have also noticed a new wheel design, signaling further refinements in the truck's development.
Droning On: Up Close and Personal
The rise in Cybertruck sightings also includes drone footage (below), shot by Joe Tegtmeyer, of the vehicle cruising around Tesla's Gigafactory in Austin, Texas. Though the footage could easily be dismissed as mundane, a keen eye will notice the 4-wheel steering as the Cybertruck executes a U-turn and the shine of its stainless steel exterior under the sun. It's a brief yet essential look into what we can expect once the Cybertruck hits the roads.
Gearing Up for Deliveries
The growing accumulation of Cybertrucks outside Giga-Texas points towards impending deliveries. The closer we get to the official release, the more Cybertrucks are spotted on public roads, signaling that production is in full swing. An additional sighting of six Tesla Cybertrucks being transported, potentially for crash testing, further emphasizes the ramp-up in activity.
From being an elusive Bigfoot-like creature to a frequent sight on America's highways, the Cybertruck's journey has been nothing short of extraordinary. Whether for testing, transportation, or simply teasing the eagerly waiting public, these spottings represent a pivotal moment in Tesla's history.
Interesting that @Tesla is using in-house transportation rather than a transport conpany - More pics part 3 - 2 @Tesla Cybertrucks spotted in Lonoke, AR with one appearing to have been part of crash testing based on window markings and front cover (Sent by a follower) pic.twitter.com/wVGnc2X1ui
Rendering of what Tesla's license plate feature could look like
Not a Tesla App
Tesla update 2024.38 has started rolling out to several regions and vehicles. Thanks to Tesla hacker Greentheonly, we have a behind-the-scenes look at some new features coming to Teslas.
License Plate Display
According to Greentheonly, it looks like Tesla may soon let you display your actual license plate in the vehicle’s visualization on the screen. In our article, The Most Request Tesla Features, several readers suggested displaying the vehicle’s license plate in the visualization instead of a blank, white plate.
It looks like Tesla will be doing just that, at least in China. Green found references that appear to conclude that you’ll be able to display your vehicle’s plate on screen. This will likely be user input, so you could have it say anything you’d like, and it doesn’t have to be your actual license plate.
For many owners, who may find it difficult to remember their license plate, this could serve a practical purpose in addition to adding to the visualization's realism.
While Green was only able to say it’ll be available in China, we expect this is due to China’s software development team working on it and that it’ll eventually be released worldwide.
While code for this feature was found in update 2024.38, we may not be turned on in China yet. We suspect this feature may be a strong candidate for Tesla’s upcoming holiday update.
FSD Hardware Version Display
As part of the 2024.38 update, Tesla has now made it easy to determine whether your vehicle includes Hardware 3 or Hardware 4. You can now simply navigate to Controls > Software and tap Additional Vehicle Information. In addition to other hardware information about your vehicle, your Autopilot hardware version will now be listed as well.
You can see whether your vehicle has HW2.5, HW3, or AI4. This in-car display is useful, but if you don’t have access to the vehicle, you can always use our guide on how to determine the hardware version of a Tesla.
New Battery Health Test & Service Mode Improvements
Green found some additional things as well. There’s a new and improved Battery Health Test. The new test will show you how your car scores compared to similar vehicles in the Tesla fleet.
In addition, maintenance records can now be permanently stored “in the car.” It doesn’t appear that this feature is activated yet, but it’s likely in active development with some parts leaking out in the 2024.38 update.
Tesla has included various Service Mode improvements and new visualizations in this update.
Mr Li on X came across some covered-up Project Juniper vehicles recently and he managed to get various shots of the vehicle.
Juniper Images
This front image reveals what looks like two rows of lights, possibly confirming the front light bar for the Model Y refresh — similar to the one on the Cybercab.
The rear side has a lot of lights on it!
Mr Li on X
The rear side shows a ton of brake lights, but it’s not clear why. While it looks like the Model Y refresh will also feature a rear light bar similar to the Cybertruck, there isn’t strong evidence of that in this photo.
Mr Li on X
There's an obvious set of lights at the bottom, so it looks like the Model Y refresh will be similar to the new Model 3 where the bottom lights can operate as brake lights when the one-piece tail lights and trunk are up.
Mr Li on X
In the last photo, we see that the overall form factor of the refreshed Model Y will remain unchanged, and Tesla is focusing the changes on the front and rear ends of the vehicle, much like the Model 3 refresh. However, in this one shot, we can also see what appears to be red light leaking out of the rear camera cover opening, possibly due to the rear light bar.
The Model Y is not only Tesla’s best-selling vehicle but also the world’s best-selling car in 2023. This year, it’s expected to be the best-selling vehicle in the United States and again in the world, so this refresh will be huge for Tesla.
@DominicBRNKMN made another fantastic set of concepts based on these new images. Given he had the most accurate Model 3 Highland concept before the official launch, we’re pretty sure his latest work be close here as well.
@DominicBRNKMN
We’re super excited to see the eventual reveal of Project Juniper, which is expected in the first half of 2025. However, expect to see a few more leaks before production kicks off at Giga Shanghai.
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