Tesla Cybertruck Doppelganger Spotted, Igniting a Flurry of Online Jokes [Video]

There's a lot of pent-up anticipation for the Cybertruck

CreepyOrg

A video posted on X.com displayed what seemed to be a bizarre imitation of the famed Cybertruck. The vehicle, appearing as a cardboard cutout attached to a car, has shown us that the internet never fails, but also highlights that people have been waiting a long time for this vehicle. So long, they've taken matters into their own hands.

One Twitter user, @Beuks605, humorously remarked on the video, "Not bad for $3,500.00," suggesting the surprisingly low budget behind the amusing spectacle.

Watch Out for Knock-Offs

Taking a jab at online shopping platforms known for imitation products, @TJCusackGaming quipped, "Cybertruck - Wish version," drawing parallels between the comical vehicle and less-than-authentic items found on websites. The sentiment was echoed by another user, @MicahGreaney, who chimed in with, "I think bro ordered his on wish dot com." @nextdoornurs3 added, "Cybertruck from Alibaba," while @B00KERJR exclaimed, "China starting to make cyber trucks now!?!!" These comments highlighted the internet's fascination with knock-off products and their origin stories.

Twitterati couldn't help but throw in some pop culture references, with @Sipowicz1042 comparing the imitation to an episode of The Simpsons where Homer designs a bizarre car, reminiscent of the eccentricity seen in the video. This analogy captured the essence of the comedic absurdity witnessed by viewers.

Tesla’s Cybertruck looks weird… pic.twitter.com/DbEMlN2SmM

— Creepy.org (@CreepyOrg) September 27, 2023

Giga Texas Glimpse: A Beacon of Anticipation

Amidst the laughter, Tesla enthusiasts have not lost sight of the genuine anticipation for the real deal. Drone pilot Joe Tegtmeyer's recent footage of Giga Texas painted a contrasting picture of excitement and anticipation, revealing glimpses of what could be the production-ready Cybertruck. His showcasing Tesla's progress rekindled excitement among Cybertruck reservation holders.

Tegtmeyer's exploration highlighted the crucial role of the Master Candidates in refining the production process. His commentary and the unveiled images fueled anticipation, reminding the Tesla community that the real Cybertruck is inching closer to rolling off the production line.

Not all reactions were centered around mockery, with some users like @EvelynE04265048 expressing genuine admiration, "My son loves the way it looks." Nonetheless, the majority found the spectacle amusing, with @ramseyboltin confessing, "I've wanted one of these since I saw them, but this video ruined it; it looks like a toy car."

Don't worry; we are sure the real deal will look much better, and we expect those stainless steel beasts to start rolling out before the end of the year. Until then, cardboard will have to do.

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Exclusive: Tesla Adds HW3 Support to FSD v12.5.1.4 [Confirmed]

Not a Tesla App

Last night Tesla rolled out update 2024.26.15 which included FSD v12.5.1.4. Release notes are not available yet, but they’re expected to remain the same. The big news with this update is that Tesla has finally added FSD 12.5 support to hardware 3 vehicles.

Once the release went out, we heard rumblings early on that update 2024.26.15 may add support for hardware 3, however, today we’ve been able to confirm that Tesla has HW3 vehicles running this latest FSD update.

Elon Musk initially said that FSD 12.5 was expected to be available for HW3 in about 10 days after it rolled out to AI4. Although that date has come and passed, it finally arrived for employees last night. Although It’s only been about three weeks, it felt like an eternity for HW3 owners who have been anxiously awaiting this update. Many owners weren’t sure whether their vehicles would be able to run the latest version of FSD once the original goal of 10 days was missed. This is one area where Tesla can stand to improve — improved communication.

Rollout Plan

Although Tesla has internal HW3 vehicles running update FSD 12.5.1.4, their public rollout plan may not go to HW3 vehicles initially. Tesla may choose to roll out the update to vehicles with HW4 first to confirm there are no regressions before proceeding with the launch on HW3 vehicles.

Keep in mind that not every release that goes to employees ends up going out to the public. However, most releases usually start rolling out to early-access customers within a few days if there are no major issues.

HW3 vehicles are currently running FSD v12.3.6, while HW4 (AI4) vehicles are running FSD v12.5.1.3. FSD v12.5 in general includes a huge array of optimizations and is supposed to be as big an improvement as the capability jump between v11 and v12.

We don’t expect any new features in FSD v12.5.1.4 besides HW3 support as that would complicate any regressions. We’re awaiting several new features in FSD v12.5 such as nag-less FSD using sunglasses, FSD support on the Cybertruck, improved lane changes, end-to-end neural networks on the highway and even Actually Smart Summon.

What’s Included & Who’s Eligible

This update is based on Tesla’s 2024.26 code branch, meaning that everyone who subscribes or owns FSD will be eligible to receive it. Tesla is already testing update 2024.32, but it hasn’t gone out to customers yet.

This FSD update will include everything in update 2024.26, Tesla’s “Summer Update.” This includes YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Parental Controls, a new climate screen and much more.

Hardware 3 Optimization

FSD V12.5 rolled out to AI4 vehicles much earlier than hardware 3 vehicles – as code optimization was required to have the FSD model run on the older hardware. It seems that the extra compute offered by AI4 vehicles has allowed Tesla to release V12.5 faster, which also helps them gather more data.

Now that HW3 support has been released, this could set the new tempo for new updates. Major FSD updates – V12.6 or V12.7 will likely also have AI4 support before hardware 3 support, as it seems easier to develop with more hardware power and then later optimize code once you have a working product. However, Tesla has committed to maintaining hardware 3 support, even if the code requires optimization to function on older hardware.

Divergence

AI4 only really started rolling out in the middle of last year, with most customer vehicles arriving with AI4 near May 2023. The optimization gap has been a surprise, especially since AI4 is still running hardware 3 in emulation mode. There will be a divergence between AI4 and Hardware 3, and Elon has mentioned that the new supercomputer cluster will be dedicated to preparing for AI4, and in the future, AI5.

Will HW3 FSD Be the Same As AI4?

This is going to be a big one for most people – after all, we’re estimating that nearly 85% of Tesla’s current fleet, if not more, is still on hardware 3. Did Tesla manage to fit the complete AI model, with all its parameters – a 6x increase over V12.3.6 – onto Hardware 3?

If there were compromises, we’ll need to watch and see. Hopefully, some enterprising Tesla X or YouTube owners will record a test drive on v12.5.1.4 on both, a HW3 and AI4 vehicle for us to compare the differences. We’re hoping that since the official divergence of hardware hasn’t happened yet, at this point, we won’t see any differences.

Upcoming Features

Once FSD v12.5 rolls out to hardware 3 vehicles, we can look forward to the upcoming list of features, including more natural and better-planned turns, the E2N highway stack, and vision-only monitoring with sunglasses. Of course, there are a few other hotly anticipated features we’re waiting for, but which aren’t on the Upcoming Improvements list provided in the patch notes – including Park Seek and Banish Autopark, as well as vehicle-to-fleet communications and FSD understanding hand gestures.

We’re hoping to see these features come in point releases of FSD V12.5, which means they should arrive at similar times for HW3 and AI4 vehicles.

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A Look at the Best Tesla Robotaxi Design Concepts

DominicBRNKMN

Tesla’s Robotaxi event is rapidly coming up on 10/10, so let’s take a look at some of the cool concepts that we’ve seen.

We’ll start with what we know came from Tesla, and then we’ll let loose and take a look at what the community has come up with.

Tesla’s Concept Art & Previews

Not a Tesla App

The image above is Tesla’s official Robotaxi concept art – or well, as official as it gets. This is actually from Elon Musk’s biography, written by Walter Isaacson. We’re expecting a curvy two-seat vehicle – one that goes by the moniker of Cybercab.

Next up, we have this teaser image Tesla showed off in one of their videos on X. It’s unclear which part of the vehicle it is, but it seems like it could be either the front or rear aero spoiler – though we think it distinctly looks like the front.

Tesla

We’ve also got this interior shot of the Robotaxi that was shown off in an investor video back in May. Two wide, comfy seats, and one big screen in the center.

Dominic’s Cybercab Render

DominicBRNKMN

@DominicBRNKMN on X has once again outdone himself with this Cybercab concept he’s made – the butterfly swing doors look awesome, and it fits with the expected and distinct cyber styling we’ve already seen in Tesla’s previews.

The swing doors make it look easy to get in, and there seems to be plenty of space behind the seats for luggage. We’re a big fan of those wheels too – aero wheels are going to be an important component of the Cybercab – which will need to be efficient, cheap, and prevent debris from building up.

Sugar Design’s Render

Sugar Design

Sugar Design has made a few awesome renders (including of the Model Y Juniper) before – but let’s take a look at their older batch, and then their latest batch. Sugar Design’s concept render is based on the original image from Elon’s biography – and they’ve done an excellent job bringing it to life.

We think this may be pretty close to what the Robotaxi – Cybercab – will look like. It's got that distinct Cyber feeling to it and fits closely with what we expect the lines and curves to end up looking like.

You can check out the rest of Sugar Design’s renders on Instagram here – they do some fantastic work.

Teslaconomics Render

@Teslaconomics on X threw together a quick video render of what could be a falcon-wing Cybercab. If anything, it does feel a bit bigger than what we’re expecting – in fact, it looks like it’s Model X-sized. A cool-looking Cybercab like this would be awesome.

A Tesla Cybercab that is safer, cheaper, and no human driver is going to flip any existing ride-hailing companies upside down that thinks it’s not happening pic.twitter.com/vlFGzAB4I1

— Teslaconomics (@Teslaconomics) July 22, 2024

David’s Render

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@dkrasniy

David – going by @dkrasniy on X, made some awesome-looking concept designs of the UI of the Robotaxi. We’re a really big fan of these– they integrate drop-off information on the right and provide the FSD preview on the left.

On top of that, it brings in a way to split your fair, preview your payment information, end the ride, and even a fancy little button to ask for help – powered by xAI’s Grok. Given the nods to Tesla’s design styles, David’s work here is pretty on the nose. We would be surprised if it doesn’t end up looking very similar to this.

Vitali Minin’s Concept Art

a

@VitaliMinin

Vitali Minin - @VitaliMinin on X, also did up a cute-looking concept of the Robotaxi – we thought it would be neat to show something that’s not necessarily a render, but still an interesting-looking concept that didn’t get much attention. It fits with the cyber-style that we’re coming to expect, but we also like the sloped and curved rear that strikes a sharp profile.

These concepts are a great look at what we can expect Tesla to show off in less than two months at their Robotaxi event on October 10th.

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