Tesla Cybertruck Video Reveals New UI Features; Undergoes Bulletproof Testing

By Kevin Armstrong
New Cybertruck video reveals updated to the user interface
New Cybertruck video reveals updated to the user interface
hkesteloo

The Cybertruck is Elon Musk's new daily driver. Tesla's CEO said he would trade in his Model S for the stainless steel beast, and it appears he did so after taking a public drive over the weekend.

An Electric Appearance at the Formula 1 Race

Musk and his son surprised Formula 1 fans when they appeared at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas. The event, situated close to Tesla's Gigafactory, became even more of an extravaganza when the Cybertruck was spotted at the Circuit of the Americas. It's hard to take any attention away from the F1 cars and drivers, but fans swarmed Musk and his Cybertruck.

It's worth noting that this isn't Musk's first rodeo with the Formula 1 world. Earlier this year, he engaged in insightful discussions on aerodynamics and battery technology during the Miami Grand Prix. He even floated the idea of a race merging electric vehicles and traditional F1 machines, suggesting a face-off between EVs and gas/hybrid F1 vehicles. While critics were quick to point out the existence of Formula E, Musk's vision indicates a profound interest in the melding of traditional racing and electric vehicle technologies.

Closer Look at the Cybertruck UI

We recently had a closer look at the Cybertruck's UI which revealed the Cybertruck will have its apps lined up vertically along the left side of the screen. However, one of yesterday's videos, shown below, shows that the passenger will also have access to its own set of app icons alongside the right side of the screen.

In the video, the passenger's app icons appear to mimic the driver's, although it's likely that the passenger will be able to customize their own apps in the dock. At the top right and bottom right corners of the screen there appear to be other icons, although it's too blurry to make out what they could be. The bottom right icon almost appears to resemble a profile icon, which could be Tesla's long awaited "passenger preferences" feature. Passenger presets would let the passenger have their own set of preferences such as seating presets, favorite apps, playlists and more.

It's worth noting that this isn't Musk's first rodeo with the Formula 1 world. Earlier this year, he engaged in insightful discussions on aerodynamics and battery technology during the Miami Grand Prix. He even floated the idea of a race merging electric vehicles and traditional F1 machines, suggesting a face-off between EVs and gas/hybrid F1 vehicles. While critics were quick to point out the existence of Formula E, Musk's vision indicates a profound interest in the melding of traditional racing and electric vehicle technologies.

In the photo, we can also see that Tesla is experimenting with or moving the repeater cameras to the top of the rear camera view in the app. The Cybertruck will have a front bumper camera that is expected to be available in the camera app as well.

Cybertruck's Bulletproof Claims Put to Test

Tesla conducted a bulletproof test on the Cybertruck; you read that right. Pictures and video made the rounds on social media, showing a Cybertruck marred by what appeared to be bullet holes. Still, upon closer inspection, they were dents caused by bullets.

Elon Musk didn't leave fans in suspense for long. He promptly confirmed that the Cybertruck had been shot at "Al Capone style" with a Tommy gun, adding that none of the bullets breached the passenger compartment. Despite initial skepticism stemming from the truck's glass-shattering incident during its unveiling in 2019, the recent test bolsters the Cybertruck's claim of being impenetrable.

Bed Racks Showcase more Customization

The Tesla Cybertruck is spotted with a roof/bed rack
The Tesla Cybertruck is spotted with a roof/bed rack
niccruzpatane

Adding to the list of Cybertruck features, roof/bed racks were spotted on the vehicle during recent sightings. These are the same that were seen during the truck's Baja run that was used to support a Starlink dish.

These racks add an element of utility and style to the already unique vehicle. Tesla has hinted at the possibility of several third-party accessories being available for the highly capable truck. The bed racks indicate the diverse accessory ecosystem accompanying the Cybertruck upon its official release.

As the delivery event looms, we await more details about this bold, bulletproof, stainless steel, "best product ever made," Cybertruck. The price may be helpful. With more than one million reservations, many people are waiting to see how much they will spend to get a Cybertruck. See you on November 30.

How to Run Tesla Battery Health Test & Check Degradation

By Karan Singh
Not a Tesla App

Tesla offers owners an easy-to-use battery health tool, which allows users to view the degradation of their vehicle’s battery and improve the range estimate.

Battery Health

Like all batteries, electric vehicle batteries naturally degrade over time as a result of the chemical reactions that occur during charging and discharging cycles. Other factors also play a role, but the number of charge cycles and how long the battery stays at low or high states of charge play one of the biggest roles.

Your battery’s health refers to how much of its original energy capacity remains. For example, a battery at 85% health has lost about 15% of its capacity, meaning your vehicle will deliver roughly 85% of the range it had when new.

Battery Degradation

Battery degradation is worst in the first few months of ownership, and you will see the steepest degradation (1-3%) as your vehicle settles in. Part of this initial decline is due to the Battery Management System (BMS), which recalibrates to provide a more conservative and accurate estimate of your vehicle’s range and charging capacity.

According to Tesla, vehicle batteries generally degrade at a rate of about 15% per 200,000 miles, with the first year of ownership accounting for approximately 5% of this degradation. Battery degradation is less of an issue in modern EVs than many people think, because the BMS systems have become much more accurate and intelligent.

You can read more about the factors that impact the longevity of a Tesla battery.

Tesla’s Battery Warranty

Tesla offers a long warranty on its vehicles, covering both the battery and the drive units. These warranties cover up to 70% pack retention, meaning that if your battery health degrades below the 70% mark while under warranty, Tesla will replace your battery pack.

Tesla provides a drive train and battery warranty on its vehicles, which is longer than the standard vehicle warranty. This warranty guarantees the battery will have at least 70% of its original capacity within the given time period. If your battery health drops below that threshold during the coverage period, Tesla will replace the battery pack.

The warranty varies slightly based on your Tesla model and configuration, which is outlined below:

Vehicle

Warranty

Model S, Model X, Cybertruck

8 Years / 150,000 mi (240,000km)

Model 3 / Model Y RWD

8 Years / 100,000 mi (160,000km)

All Other Model 3 / Model Y

8 Years / 120,000 mi (192,000km)

How to Test Battery Health

Not a Tesla App

While you can usually get a fairly accurate estimate of your Tesla’s battery health by calculating the amount of miles the vehicle could travel when charged to 100% and comparing that to the vehicle’s original range, Tesla has also added a tool to give you a better estimate.

Tesla has a user-friendly method of testing your vehicle’s battery health. The tool is practically identical to the one available through Service Mode, and the test and results are the same.

In order to test your vehicle’s battery health, you can navigate to Controls > Service, and then scroll down and select Battery Health. Upon tapping the button, the vehicle will display requirements for the battery test and the date and health of your last battery test.

Battery Health Test Requirements / How Long It Takes

Your vehicle will need to plugged in to a Wall Connector or Mobile Connector for up to 18 hours to run the battery test. The charger will need to be able to provide at least 5 kW of power, which is roughly about 20 amps at 240v.

The total amount of time the test will take will vary based on your vehicle’s battery size, your charging speed and the current battery level. If you’re unable to finish a battery health test and need the vehicle before it has completed, you can stop the test at any time.

Your vehicle will also need to be at a 20% or less state of charge, so you’ll need to plan accordingly.

The other requirements should be straight forwar and are listed here:

  • Vehicle is in Park

  • Battery level is at 20% or less

  • Vehicle is connected to the Internet

  • No software updates are scheduled

  • No battery or thermal alerts are active

  • Vehicle is connected to an AC charging station

  • AC charging equipment can provide at least 5 kW of power

Running the Battery Test

During the battery test, your vehicle will discharge and charge your battery to calibrate the BMS. Therefore, the lower the state of charge, the quicker the test will run and less energy will be wasted.

Your vehicle will run the motors and heat pump or heater to help discharge energy until the batteries are nearly empty, and then begin charging.

During the test, you may hear your vehicle’s fan run at maximum speed and become very loud, especially in an enclosed garage while the vehicle is discharging. This is normal and your vehicle is just using up energy.

Battery Test Results

Not a Tesla App

Once the battery test has completed, you’ll receive a notification in the Tesla app. You can check the results in the vehicle or in the Tesla app by navigiating to Service > Battery Health.

Most vehicles will have a degradation range between 10-20%, depending on your charging habits, age and use of your battery.

If you receive a result that’s 70% or less and are within the warranty period, you should reach out to Tesla for a replacement.

Since your battery test will recalibrate the vehicle’s BMS, you may see your vehicle’s range adjusted after the test. Keep in mind that the range of your vehicle hasn’t been affected and the vehicle is simply displaying a more accurate estimate of its range.

Note: Once the battery test completes, the vehicle will keep your battery at 100%, which isn’t a good practice for battery health. It’d be a good improvement if Tesla used up energy to bring the battery level back to the charge limit if the vehicle isn’t used after an hour or two.

You should not leave your vehicle at 100% unless you have a LFP battery. Plan to go for a drive shortly after the battery test completes. If you can’t drive, we recommend running the climate system to use up some energy.

Test Limitations

Since Tesla’s battery test uses up energy and discharges your battery to near 0% and then charges it to 100%, it’s best not to perform it often. Tesla also only allows one battery test every six months, unless you go into Service Mode to perform the battery test.

Tesla Adds Improvements to Tow Mode and Tire Service

By Karan Singh
Not a Tesla App

Tesla offers users some specific tools under its service menu (Controls > Service). These tools include features such as Car Wash Mode and Tow Mode. Just like other vehicle features, these are also updated and improved over time.

In a recent undocumented change in update 2025.2, Tesla has improved its Tow Mode feature and it’s Tire Service menu.

Tow Mode Improvements

As Tesla vehicles use electric motors, towing them with any wheels on the ground could cause the motors to backfeed energy, generating considerable amounts of heat. If done for an extended period of time, especially at higher speeds, it could cause damage since the vehicle isn’t running its coolant loop to dump waste heat.

To help solve this problem, Tesla provides Tow Mode, which breaks down the steps needed to tow a Tesla. It also provides an easy way to put the vehicle in neutral and disengage the parking brake.

The improvement to Tow Mode now displays a checklist similar to Car Wash Mode. Each item in the list will light up green or red, depending on whether it’s already in the correct setting for Tow Mode.

Tesla has also added a readout of the low-voltage battery. While this could be useful for anyone wanting to check the current on their LV battery, it’s an important detail to be aware of if you’re towing because the vehicle’s high-voltage battery has been run down. All of the vehicle’s electronics are powered by the LV battery, and depleting it could cause the display to not turn on, as well as prevent access to certain vehicle features.

The vehicle shown in the diagram is also unique to the vehicle you are driving - a Model 3 will display a Model 3, while the Cybertruck will display a Cybertruck - just a subtle touch of Tesla precision to the entire presentation.

You can activate or check out Tow Mode from Controls > Service > Tow Mode.

Tire Service Improvements

Tesla has also improved its Tire Service menu, which is now tied into Maintenance History. These menus allow you to switch the wheels and tires your vehicle is using. It’s important to note that the wheel is not only used in the vehicle’s visualization, but also has impacts on the vehicle’s ability to accurately predict its range.

In the Tire menu, Tesla has added a Service Type dropdown, allowing you to select why you’re switching your tires. You can choose whether you’re rotating your tires, replacing them, or swapping them out for seasonal tires. This change will then be recorded in Maintenance History, allowing you to track the maintenance of your tires, including the date of the last maintenance and the ability to see the mileage on your current set of tires.

You can navigate to the Wheel and Tire menu by going to Controls > Service > Wheel & Tire.

The updated Wheel and Tire menu
The updated Wheel and Tire menu
Not a Tesla App

Cybertruck

As a note, the Tire Service improvements are not fully implemented in the Cybertruck in the primary menu. If you wish to mark a Seasonal Tire Change in your Cybertruck, you’ll need to head into Service Mode and add a Correction Code for Seasonal Tire Change from there.

We expect Tesla to fix or add this in an upcoming update for the Cybertruck.

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