Tesla and McDonald's Team Up To Offer the Cyber Spoon

Tesla and McDonald's team up to create a 'Cyber Spoon'

Not a Tesla App

Amidst the McFlurry of Cybertruck anticipation, a seemingly playful but perplexing partner unfolded on Tuesday evening on X. A post from Sawyer Merritt claimed that Tesla China was starting a unique partnership with McDonald's. A limited edition "Cyber Spoon" will be available for $4. It'll be a limited production run with only 50,000 units manufactured.

The real twist came when Elon Musk reacted with a mixture of emojis and skepticism, labeling it as "Fake news afaik (as far as I know)."

Cyber Spoon Mystery

Merritt, standing firm on his statement, responded by pointing out that Tesla's official Weibo account was indeed promoting this mysterious spoon. His tweet led to a flurry of social media investigations, with X.com lighting up with similar posts on McDonald's Weibo and Xiaohongshu accounts - platforms that cater to millions of users.

A rough translation of McDonald's Weibo post read:

"Introducing a unique newcomer, a collaboration between McDonald's and Tesla, focusing on an innovative experience. From September 17th to 26th, participating McDonald's outlets will have a limited offer. To our valued McDonald's members, during the activity, lucky draws will feature McFlurry coupons, Tesla merchandise, and an electric 'Cyber Spoon.' Which prize do you wish to win?"

A spirited Musk later responded, saying, "In that case, I will definitely have some!"

Tesla Advertising?

Now, if you're wondering how a spoon, even one with "cyber" in its name, fits into the Tesla universe, you're in good company. Assuming it is legitimate, this collaboration marks an unusual turn for Tesla, a company known for not advertising and not having partners outside the technology, automotive or energy sector.

So, what can we make of this? On one side, there's undeniable evidence of promotional material. On the other, the playful, ever-ambiguous comments from Elon Musk himself. The CEO said the company would test advertising during its last investor meeting. Is this part of the rollout?

The cyber spoon would already be a collectible item, but without Tesla's big boss knowing about it, it is even more of a must-have - just like the Cyberwhistle! Perhaps the real purpose behind this collaboration, beyond the $4 spoons, is to create buzz and anticipation for the Cybertruck. Not that any more anticipation is needed.

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Tesla Shows Off Robotaxi Cleaning Robot [VIDEO]

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With Tesla’s Robotaxi network launch approaching, it’s time for Tesla to start revealing some of their cards up their figurative sleeves. One of those cards just happens to be how it plans to maintain and clean its Robotaxi fleet that it will be deploying to Austin, Texas in just a few months.

We previously caught a glimpse of how Tesla was going to maintain its Cybercabs all the way back in October at Tesla’s We, Robot autonomy event using a specialized robotic arm with special attachments.

Cleaning Robot

Now, we’ve got an even better view of the arm with its attachments for cleaning the center screen as well as vacuuming the floor and seats of the vehicle. It looks fairly capable, although it’s very specific to cleaning the Cybercab.

The robot consists of a giant robotic arm with different attachments that would be used for cleaning the seats, screen and removing objects. It includes an automatic attachment switcher so that it can seamlessly go from cleaning one surface to another.

It also has the ability to pick up and grab objects that have been left behind, like the backpack in the video - or to dispose of plastic bottles or cans in the cupholders.

This robot sucks pic.twitter.com/VUmGfCM5B3

— Tesla (@Tesla) January 31, 2025

In addition, it can probably clean some of the interior surfaces - like the handles, door buttons, windows, and interior of the windshield using the same microfiber cloth. There are likely other tools that Tesla hasn’t shown off just yet that will help keep the robotaxi network running smoothly.

Those same tools can also go to work in the back of the Cybercab, ensuring that the trunk - which can store a considerable amount of luggage - is also kept spic and span.

In combination with a car wash that the Cybercab could drive through autonomously, keeping the vehicle clean seems something like a piece of the puzzle that Tesla is close to achieving.

This second video from Tesla really shows off the reach of the cleaning robot, which surprisingly doesn’t have a name yet.

In space, no one can hear you clean pic.twitter.com/B8pfHKeUro

— Tesla (@Tesla) January 31, 2025

If you’re wondering how Tesla plans to sanitize the rest of the vehicle, it seems like they’ve got that covered too. They’ve got a patent on exactly how to handle that.

We’ve already seen prototypes of the robotaxi app, the way it’ll wirelessly charge and now the way it’ll be cleaned. However, there will no doubt be exceptions where the vehicle isn’t able to charge or be cleaned automatically. We expect Tesla to be able to detect these unique situations and have a crew on hand that will handle one-off scenarios.

These wireless chargers and cleaning robots will likely only be available at upcoming Robotaxi hubs, which, like the Supercharger network, will take time to build out.

Hopefully, Tesla will continue to share additional information and videos related to its upcoming Robotaxi network, which is only a short four months away.

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Future Tesla Vehicles to Feature Bi-Directional Charging, 48V & 800V Architectures, Steer-by-Wire, and More

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The Cybertruck brought a lot of technological advances to Tesla vehicles, and even with the launch of the refreshed Model Y, they’ve remained relatively exclusive to it. Tesla has yet to launch the vast majority of Cybertruck tech on any other vehicle, but as part of the Q4 2024 Tesla Earnings Call deck, Tesla revealed that future vehicles will leverage features that are exclusive to the Cybertruck today.

Let’s take a look at what Tesla introduced with the Cybertruck and what it expects to introduce to the rest of its line-up

Cybertruck Exclusives

There are a pair of features that are staying Cybertruck exclusive, but this isn’t surprising at all.

Stainless Steel Exoskeleton - The Cybertruck’s cold-rolled stainless steel exoskeleton is unique, strong, and heavy. And that weight really just orientates it towards a truck rather than other vehicle classes. As such, we doubt Tesla will bring it to another type of vehicle anytime soon - unless they actually have a CyberSUV planned.

Air Bending Manufacturing Process - Related to the cold-rolled stainless steel exoskeleton, Tesla utilizes a unique air-bending process that can bend the stainless steel - without touching it. Those bends are how Tesla builds the unique and distinctive shape of the Cybertruck. 

Cybertruck Tech That Will Be Used In Future Models

With that being said, let’s move on to the features that Tesla said will be used in future models. Since the Model Y has already launched and doesn’t include these features, we expect these to potentially be in new vehicles such as the Cybercab, the next-gen model, and Tesla’s upcoming bus. Tesla likely left these features out of the redesigned Model Y for simplicity, but expect most of these features to define the future of Tesla.

Manufacturing & Design

Giga Castings - The Model Y uses a 6,000-ton Gigapress to build its castings - the Cybertruck, on the other hand, uses a 9,000-ton press to make the front and rear vehicle structures. This reduces the number of parts and final assembly complexity, creating savings while also resulting in an even more repairable vehicle.

Integrated Audio with Body Structure - Interestingly, the Giga Castings are actually designed to channel sound from the Cybertruck’s subwoofers - they’re reactive volume - which helps to channel the audio towards the vehicle’s occupants, improving clarity and response.

Powertrain and Electrical Architecture

48-Volt Electrical Architecture - The Cybertruck’s 48V Low Voltage Architecture is unique - and it reduces the overall cost of electrical wiring within the vehicle. This is because the current required is reduced by 4 times, while the heat generated is reduced by 16 times compared to traditional 12V wiring. Overall, that means a reduction in weight, simplifying electrical systems, and an increase in energy efficiency.

800-Volt Battery System - On the High Voltage side, Tesla is using a higher voltage powertrain - which is more energy efficient for larger vehicles that require more power. Just like the Low Voltage counterpart - this new system enables smaller cables, less thermal generation, and reduces the cost of electrical wiring. This also enables Cybertruck to be the first Tesla capable of 325kW Supercharging, and soon - a speedy 500kW.

Etherloop Communication Architecture - the new Low-Voltage architecture also enables communication through the LVCS - or Low-Voltage Connector Standard - a new industry standard introduced by Tesla to optimize wiring. LVCS enables communications throughout the vehicle - which means you can also create interactive wiring diagrams that can automatically determine where faults are or help technicians find the correct connector to replace.

Bi-directional Charging (Powershare) - Powershare is Tesla’s bi-directional charging, also known as Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) or Vehicle-to-Home (V2H). This is the first time Tesla has confirmed they plan to bring Powershare to vehicles other than the Cybertruck, which is going to be interesting. That means you’ll be able to use other Tesla vehicles to either power your home in a blackout, or to power your tools or camping equipment - or really anything else when you’re not near a grid.

Ride and Comfort

Custom Laminated Glass - Tesla included a new laminated glass for the windshield, side windows, and the tiny little rear window in the Cybertruck. This laminated window helps to improve noise isolation - and also blocks quite a bit of the UV spectrum, which is helpful to keep the vehicle cooler.

Adaptive Air Suspension - The adaptive air suspension in the Cybertruck provides an astounding 12” of ground clearance. While the Model S and Model X also have adaptive air suspension, this Cybertruck’s suspension feels smoother and more comfortable going up or down, especially on rough terrain. We’d love to see more air suspension in Tesla’s lineup. While this may not arrive in all models, it may be included at higher price points or in Tesla’s upcoming bus.

Steer-by-Wire - Steer-by-wire is a Cybertruck feature that you have to try to understand. It fully replaces the regular steering column with an electronic column that automatically adjusts the steering ratio based on vehicle speed. This feature is made possible by the 48V low-voltage system, so we’re excited to see this in future vehicles. At low speeds, the wheel requires much less movement to turn, while it is the opposite at higher speeds. This makes it exceptionally comfortable and easy to maneuver, especially in combination with the next feature.

Rear Wheel Steering - The second half of the driving equation with the Cybertruck is the rear wheel steering. It enables improved turning at low speeds - far tighter than you’d expect for a truck - more comparable to the far shorter Model 3 and Model Y. Plus, it also increases vehicle stability at high speeds by crabbing over when you’re changing lanes.

Wrap-Up

While the Cybertruck itself may not appeal to everyone, the technology inside is groundbreaking. While Tesla hasn’t said exactly which vehicles they’ll be using these features on or whether some features will be destined for more premium cars like, we expect most vehicles to leverage these new systems which reduce costs and enable faster charging.

We’re excited about what 2025 will be bringing - next on the horizon is Project Redwood - Tesla’s more affordable car model - which is supposed to be launching in the first half of this year. Do you think it’ll use any of these features? Let us know on social media or in the forums.

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