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

By Kevin Armstrong
There's a lot of pent-up anticipation for the Cybertruck
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.

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.

First Look at Tesla’s New 'Blind Spot While Parked' Feature [VIDEO]

By Karan Singh
Automobile Propre

Tesla software update 2024.44.3 has started rolling out to customers in larger waves recently and it brings several new features - including Actually Smart Summon to Europe and the Middle East, as well as improvements to Autopark. But that’s not all, it also adds a new Blind Spot Monitoring feature to the new Model 3, and potentially the Cybertruck, but that’s still to be determined.

We previously covered the Blind Spot Warning While Parked as part of our preview notes for update 2024.44, but now that it's going out to customers, it's time to see it in action.

Blind Spot Monitoring While Parked

If the vehicle’s door open button is pressed, and a vehicle or object is near or incoming, the vehicle’s Blind Spot Warning Light (2024 Model 3 and Cybertruck) will illuminate, an audible tone will ring and the door won’t open. A message will also be displayed on the center displaying, letting driver’s know why the door didn’t open.

Pressing the button a second time will allow you to override the warning and open the door normally, providing a way to get out in case you just parked close to a nearby vehicle or obstacle.

The object detection for this new feature includes cars, pedestrians, cyclists, and other objects - like things including traffic cones, bollards, strollers, and other large obstacles that FSD and vision-based Autopark detect during normal operation. Of note - this only works for the front two doors. Thanks to X user Max, who did some testing for us, It does not work for the rear passenger doors.

Optional Feature

The feature is optional - it’ll be enabled by default for safety, but if you need to enable or disable it, you can do so under Controls > Safety. For now, the feature is only available on the 2024 Model 3, but we expect it to roll out to the Cybertruck at least. However, there’s no reason why it can’t be added to other vehicles as well, minus the small red dot. We expect Tesla to eventually add this feature to all Tesla vehicles, but it’s currently not a part of update 2024.44.

Enhauto’s S3XY Buttons & Commander

If that’s not enough safety and vision for you, Enhauto, the makers of the popular S3XY Buttons and Commander recently put out a new software update for the 2024 Model 3, which makes some fantastic use of the ambient lighting.

With Enhauto’s solution, users are able to tie their ambient lights to Autopilot use, turn signals or even if a vehicle is their blind spot. Check out the video below for this awesome implementation, where the ambient lights turn red when another vehicle approaches.

Maybe Tesla will integrate something like this into a future update? We’ve been hoping for more customizability with their ambient lighting - it's an easy safety win and a demonstration of Tesla’s do-more-with-less attitude.

Tesla Improves Trip Planner - Arrival State of Charge Coming

By Karan Singh
DBurkland/X

Tesla recently added the ability to report Supercharger issues - such as insufficient lighting, accessibility, cleanliness, and other things that can’t be automatically monitored. In response to the post on the official X Supercharger Community, Max de Zegher, Director of Charging, North America, confirmed that one of the most wish-listed features - Arrival State of Charge, is coming soon.

The feature is now possible thanks to what Wes Morrill, Cybertruck’s lead engineering, points out is a huge rewrite of Tesla’s Trip Planner, which not only makes it much more accurate but will now allow users to choose their arrival charge percentage.

More Accurate Trip Planner

When you navigate to a destination, your Tesla will automatically calculate when, where, and how much you need to charge. While the process seems straightforward, Tesla deserves a lot of credit for creating a simple user experience because a lot goes into accurately determining this information.

Tesla has to calculate many moving pieces in order to accurately predict when and where you should stop. First, it needs to consider your driving efficiency and wind direction, terrain elevation, traffic, vehicle speed, and ambient temperature. It also needs to predict the best Superchargers to stop at, taking into account congestion and charger speed.

This morning, in response to Dan Burkland, Wes shared that Tesla had significantly rewritten the backend portion of Trip Planner. These improvements, made by several engineers, were designed to improve Trip Planner’s accuracy and open the door to future features.

It sounds like these changes are mostly server-side, so thanks to their OTA connection, more accurate predictions should be available to all vehicles—no vehicle update is required.

Arrival State of Charge

Along with Tesla’s improvements to Trip Planner, Wes also stated that these improvements allow for a popular feature request — the ability to select your desired charge level at arrival.

Up until now, Tesla’s Trip Planner tried to get you to your destination as quickly as possible, which usually meant arriving with a low state of charge.

While this was fine if you have a charger at your destination, it’s not great if you don’t, or it could be even worse if there are no chargers nearby.

Max de Zegher said on X that he has heard the requests for a selectable arrival state of charge. Wes later clarified this by saying that these improvements to Tesla’s Trip Planner now allow for additional features to be added, such as “desired arrival charge.”

When Does it Arrive?

Given that Max de Zegher’s comments came last night and Wes Morrill commented this morning, this feature request likely won’t arrive with the upcoming Holiday Update. Tesla actually hinted at such a feature being added in their last app update, so it does seem like they’ve already planned for it.

Although ‘Arrival State of Charge’ was on our wishlist for the Holiday Update, it looks like it may arrive soon after the holidays.

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