The Cybertruck was recently shown off in a matte black wrap
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The Tesla Cybertruck was on display in Malibu on Sunday. It wasn't the stainless steel beast that was catching rays. No, Tesla's Chief designer, Franz von Holzhausen, went for a Sunday drive in a matte black Cybertruck.
Remember when "experts" thought the Cybertruck appeal would wear off because there would be too many that look alike? Well, the wrap game changes all of that, and Tesla has done a great job demonstrating that over the past few months.
The Aesthetic Array of Cybertruck Wraps
Since its unveiling, the Cybertruck has promised a departure from the mundane, and the various wraps spotted recently solidify this claim. Here are some of the unique skins that have adorned the Cybertruck's angular frame:
Matte Black: Sleek and undeniably badass, the matte black wrap gives the Cybertruck a stealthier yet distinguished presence.
A camo-wrapped Cybertruck
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Camo: For those looking to blend in (or stand out), camo wraps take the Cybertruck from an urban warrior to a potential wilderness navigator.
A 'digital camo' wrap on the Tesla Cybertruck
kjoule11/X
Digital Camo: This option brings a touch of modernity to the classic pattern, offering a pixelated twist on concealment.
The Cybertruck was seen with a graffiti-like font on the side
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Graffiti: The Cybertruck that took a tour through Baja had a graffiti "Cybertruck" on the side.
Oracle showed off what a law enforcement Cybertruck could look like
Oracle
Oracle: Larry Ellison showed just how fantastic a company logo will look on the side and the hood of these futuristic trucks
The Cybertruck was found with yet another wrap, this time resembling a F150
John Anderson
Faux Ford F-150: In an old display of bravado, one wrap mimics the appearance of the Ford F-150, complete with imitated door handles. It's a playful wink at traditional truck designs, perhaps teasing at the Cybertruck's intention to disrupt.
Tesla didn't stop at the Ford F150 wrap. Shortly after the Cybertruck was spotted sporting a Toyota Tundra wrap
Cybertruck Owners Club
Faux Toyota Tundra: Not to be outdone, Cybertruck has also been spotted with a resemblance to Toyota's Tundra — another old guard truck that will soon be disrupted.
Unique Cybertruck
Adam Jonas, Morgan Stanley's managing director, advised staff to manage expectations for clients excited about investing in Tesla. He listed several reasons for downplaying the Cybertruck, calling it a financial "side-show," a "cultural/zeitgeist," and an "enthusiast/cult car."
The investment advisor called the Cybertruck the "ultimate avant-garde vehicle," believing that the unique aspects of Cybertruck will lose some appeal when there are several on the road, losing that "indescribable something." That argument is dead.
Tesla is no stranger to the concept of vehicle wraps. With the Model 3 and Model Y, they've introduced an official wrap service, suggesting that Cybertruck owners may soon have the same option. It's not just about aesthetics; these wraps come with a layer of protection against the elements and the rigors of the road.
From the practical to the peculiar, the wraps we've seen on the Cybertruck suggest that Tesla owners will have no shortage of options to make their electric pickup their own.
Franz driving the Matte Black Cybertruck ? at the Paradise Cove Cars & Coffee. pic.twitter.com/siwk4RJvxY
Cybertruck owners in northern areas - especially those in Canada, have noticed slower charging rates on some vehicles. These owners are experiencing low charging amperage even when using a 48-amp Wall Connectors.
The 4680 cell - the Cybercell, seems to be sensitive to temperature changes and, as such, loses the ability to charge or discharge rapidly. Tesla accommodates this by warming the battery in advance of driving or while driving. However, there seems to be a software issue preventing the battery pack from warming up properly.
In addition, other users have noted that they don’t have regen braking due to the battery not warming up properly, even after driving. If you drive other Tesla vehicles while they’re cold-soaked, they will eventually warm up to offer you full regen and full performance. The Cybertruck, interestingly, will offer you full performance at cold-soaked temperatures as low as -20C (-4F), but will have regen unavailable in temperatures as warm as -5C (41F).
Software Fix Confirmed
Brian Silver over on X reached out to Tesla Service with his findings, who confirmed that this is a known software issue that has now been validated. Tesla Service responded by saying that they’re hopeful a fix can be built into the 2025.2 software update. This is the first time we’re hearing about Tesla’s next major software update, which is expected to be released around the second or third week of 2025.
Tesla has also confirmed that this is not a physical issue with the heating system, so no repair is required for this one - it’ll be another OTA fix, just like many others.
We’re glad to see this one getting fixed so quickly. The issue appears to have started with the 2024 Holiday Update, or it could just be a coincidence since Cybertrucks begin to settle into Canada this year, where winters are much harsher and colder on average.
Workaround
We’re hoping to see this fix go out soon, as the current procedure to get around this is annoying. It requires you to set the navigation to a nearby Supercharger so that your vehicle will precondition the battery. You can stop the navigation to the Supercharger after 5-10 minutes, at which point the battery pack will be more than warm enough to charge at the full amperage of your home charger.
This workaround also resolves the issue of limited regenerative braking by warming up the battery pack sufficiently.
As part of Tesla’s Holiday Update, Tesla has introduced an awesome new feature - multi-vehicle synchronized Light Shows.
Now, you’re probably going to say: Wait! We’ve seen those kinds of light shows already.
And you’re not wrong - thanks to the hard work of people using the Light Show tool, you could synchronize light shows and run different shows on different vehicles. But this was a lot of manual, time-consuming work. Tesla now officially supports creating a light show involving up to eight vehicles.
Coordinated Shows
These new coordinated shows can be set up in the new xLights interface, making it far easier for Light Show designers to assemble everything. They’ll be able to edit and view multiple vehicles at the same time, synchronize them all together - and build variants with up to eight vehicles.
The output is still eight different Light Shows - which will still need to be put on USB flash drives and distributed to the correct vehicles in the correct order, but designers can now build a unified and coordinated light show. It could be possible to coordinate more than eight vehicles in a single Light Show - and we’re sure we’ll find out in the coming weeks what is possible with the updated xLights software.
Tesla showed off a great example below, putting together a jaw-dropping 8-vehicle Light Show using the new “Ready for Assault” show that arrived with the 2024 Holiday Update. Tesla has also gone ahead and contributed example Light Shows on Github to get Light Show designers familiar with the new process.
Tesla’s light show feature received a massive update with this year’s holiday update, but we’re only finding out about some of the features now. Here’s a quick rundown of everything new in Tesla’s Light Show feature:
Support the Off-road Lightbar for the Cybertruck
Start, Stop, or Schedule a Light Show from the Tesla app
Create longer Light Shows
Two new songs, including Cyber Symphony and Ready for Assault
Ability to control Ambient Lighting in 2024 Model 3 or Cybertruck
Display color effects on the vehicle’s center screen
Create Light Shows that involve up to eight vehicles
Cybertruck Lightbar Support
Another interesting addition is the recent support for the Cybertruck’s off-road lightbar. The off-road lightbar can be addressed in three zones - the forward main bar and left and right ditch beams. With the holiday update, Tesla also added the ability to program the vehicle’s ambient lighting, display color effects, and create longer light shows than ever before.
Tying everything together in this update is the ability to start, schedule, or stop a light show directly from the Tesla app.