At the Cybertruck event, Tesla showed off the Cybertruck’s extended battery, an optional accessory permanently mounted to the truck’s bed. This was Tesla’s solution to keeping the truck price as low as possible while also giving owners a chance to get close to the truck’s original range of 500 miles.
The Range Extender is engineered to boost the Cybertruck's mileage substantially, increasing the truck’s total range by about 35%.
Tesla's Range Extender is a departure from traditional range-extending methods, often involving gasoline generators. Its design, occupying roughly a third of the truck bed, strikes a balance between added functionality and maintaining the truck’s cargo space. It addresses range limitations and makes the Cybertruck more suitable for towing and long-range trips.
Range / Battery Size
The Ranger Extender extends the Cybertruck total range by 120 miles (193 km). For the Cyberbeast, it’ll take the truck’s range from 320 miles up to 440, whereas for the AWD version, the range will be increased from 325 miles to 445 miles.
These are Tesla’s latest numbers, which have been reduced slightly from Tesla’s original estimates that the Ranger Extender pegged at adding 130 miles.
The Ranger Extender uses a huge 47 kWh battery pack, which explains why it takes up a significant portion of the truck’s bed. For comparison, Tesla’s Standard Range+ Model 3 has a 54 kWh pack, capable of driving about 260 miles.
Price
Though official pricing for the Range Extender has yet to be officially announced, it looks like it’ll be priced at a hefty $16,000 USD. The night the Range Extender was revealed, code was found on Tesla’s website that showed off the $16,000 price tag. However, it’s not clear whether this price was a placeholder or if the price will change before it becomes officially available.
Size & Weight
The Ranger Extender fits perfectly alongside the back of the Cybertruck’s bed. Instead of being laid evenly across the bottom of the bed, it’s nestled up against the cabin, making it easier to load items into the truck.
Elon Musk elaborated on the Range Extender's functionality: "It's an optional pack that fits in about 1/3 of the truck bed. There is still room for plenty of cargo. It's meant for very long trips or towing heavy things up mountains."
With a battery pack of 47 kWh, the Range Extender isn’t going to be something light. The Cybertruck’s “battery pack” is estimated to weigh about 600 to 650 lbs (272 kg to 294 kg), which also means that it’ll reduce the truck’s towing capacity by that much.
Installation
A few Cybertruck owners have discussed a marketing idea for the range extender would be to rent it out. Cybertruck owners could rent it for a weekend trip or an extended holiday camping. It's unlikely that Tesla will take on that business, but it is an idea for when more Cybertrucks are around and need that extra range.
Unfortunately, the Cybertruck Range extender is not something that could be easily removed or added, mostly due to its weight. Tesla has said that the Range Extender will need to be installed by Tesla Service and it’s a “permanent” install. We imagine it could also be removed at a later date, but it’s not something you could just do on your own when you don’t need it.
Unfortunately that means that owners will have to choose between additional range or cargo room. If you use the truck mostly for towing, the reduced cargo space may not be a big deal, but for other owners that use their truck for a variety of tasks, it could be a deal breaker.
—
Some Cybertruck owners have suggested renting the Range Extender for weekend trips or extended camping holidays.
However, the Cybertruck’s range extender isn’t designed for easy removal or installation, primarily due to its weight and high-voltage connections. Tesla has stated that installation must be performed by Tesla Service and is considered a “permanent” modification. While removal may be possible later, it won’t be something owners can easily swap in and out as needed.
This means Cybertruck owners will have to choose between additional range or cargo space. For those who use the truck primarily for towing, the reduced cargo capacity may not be a major issue, but for owners who use their truck for a variety of tasks, it may not be an easy decision.
Availability / Release Date
The Range Extender was initially expected to be available for pre-order customers in early 2025, but that timeline has now slipped to mid-2025. Given Tesla’s ambitious production goals this year, it wouldn’t be surprising if it gets pushed even further, possibly into 2026.
One potential reason for the delay is Tesla’s ongoing work on perfecting its dry-cathode battery process. Since the Range Extender is a low-volume product, Tesla may be prioritizing it as a testbed for dry-cathode cells before scaling them to full vehicle production. Unlike an entire truck, a battery pack like the Range Extender is easier to replace or refine if necessary.
In the meantime, Tesla is likely focused on the Cybercab and its next-generation vehicle. The Ranger Extender is expected to use the same 4680 battery cells as the Cybertruck, so Tesla will also want to ensure it has sufficient supply for vehicle production before producing the Range Extender.
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date on the latest Tesla news, upcoming features and software updates.
We’ve known for a while now that Tesla has been using a custom build of FSD to allow its newly produced vehicles at Giga Texas and Fremont to autonomously navigate themselves from the production line to the outbound delivery lot.
While we knew they were using a custom build of what was likely FSD Unsupervised, thanks to a recent post from Tesla AI on X, this has now been confirmed. Tesla has also confirmed it has accrued over 50,000 driverless miles, totalled from vehicles autonomously driving themselves to delivery lots.
Giga Texas production now uses FSD Unsupervised to deliver cars from end of line to the outbound logistics lot.
Over 50,000 driverless miles have been accrued between California and Texas factories so far pic.twitter.com/79zKY0U6Ox
For most of Tesla’s vehicles - that’s a 1.4-mile trip that is shared with pedestrians, cars, trucks, and construction equipment. You can see in the video that the Teslas are navigating public roadways and encountering real human drivers.
That’s great news, especially since many were wondering whether Tesla would secure the necessary approvals in time to launch their Robotaxi network in June.
Increased Confidence
Following Tesla’s post to X, Musk followed up by saying that when Tesla launches FSD Unsupervised soon, it will be the first time there will be a generalized, pure AI solution to autonomy. Tesla and several executives continue to post more content about autonomy and the Robotaxi network, leading us to believe they’re feeling confident in the June launch.
Model Ys autonomously navigate a 1.4 mile trip on a road shared with pedestrians, cars, semi trucks, construction equipment & more pic.twitter.com/iPx2fs78v2
Back when Tesla initially announced the autonomous travel of its vehicles from production to loading lots, they mentioned that the Cybertruck was the only vehicle at Giga Texas not receiving that same treatment.
Now, that’s changed - Cybertruck is now also navigating through the Cybertunnel to make its way from the factory directly to the loading docks, all on Unsupervised FSD. And that’s making us even more excited, especially because Tesla was supposed to launch an FSD Update for the Cybertruck a little while ago - but it hasn’t made it to production yet. This update is set to bring Start FSD from Park, as well as Actually Smart Summon - bringing the Cybertruck to feature parity with Tesla’s other AI4 vehicles.
Cybertrucks autonomously navigate a 0.6 mile route traversing beneath one of America's fastest highways, emerging through a steep 17% grade to reach their destination pic.twitter.com/3ZMYCRPhIj
Now that Tesla is confidently using a build of Unsupervised FSD to navigate the tight confines of the tunnel and park, we’re pretty sure that Tesla will likely launch the expected FSD update in the near future.
FSD Update Soon?
It’s been a while since any FSD hardware variant has received an FSD update. It appears that Tesla has been focused on Unsupervised FSD and launching FSD outside of North America.
It seems like we may get a new FSD update soon, and we don’t believe it’ll be just for the Cybertruck. Those who have the opportunity to sign up for Tesla’s new Early Access program will likely be some of the first recipients to receive the FSD update, so stay tuned.
Lars Moravvy, Tesla's Vice President of Vehicle Engineering, recently took to X to pose a question to the community: “Let's make Teslas better… what do you all want for 2026?”
The question absolutely took off, and there were tons of fantastic suggestions about what Tesla owners would love to see from their vehicles in the future.
There were more than 12k suggestions, so let's take a look at some of the most popular feature requests.
Top Suggestions
CyberSUV - A classically styled SUV with a stainless steel exterior.
Faster Charging & Better Charge Curves - Tesla vehicles start off with fast charging speeds, but usually taper off quickly in comparison to other brands. This is especially true when compared to some Chinese brands, which sustain 500 kW charging at up to 70% state of charge. Let's get improved charging speeds on Teslas as well, especially with the 500 kW Superchargers coming in Q3.
450mi / 500mi range vehicles - Lots of customers want longer range vehicles, even though Tesla's analysis says the 300-mile range is ideal for 90% of its customer base. Range really does matter - especially for customers in more rural locations or those who choose to tow or haul with their vehicles.
Ambient Lighting Reacts to Music - This one is pretty straightforward, and it's surprising we don't already have this feature. Having basic integration with the currently playing audio is a neat feature, and really helps to make the entire experience even more seamless and premium.
Refresh Model 3 Signal Stalk Retrofit - Some people really love their signal stalks. While there aren't retrofits available just yet, we do recommend the Enhauto Stalks. For those who want an official retrofit, there is now some hope - Lars responded and said he'll try.
Lumbar Support in the Profile - Right now, lumbar support is the only seat item not saved to the Tesla Profile. This may change soon, as Lars followed up and mentioned that there are a few technical issues preventing it, but Tesla could make it work with some of their magic.
Model 3 Track Pack - The Model S has an exclusive Track Pack as a post-factory retrofit offered by Tesla, including premium brakes, tires, and wheels. The Refreshed Model 3 Performance is a killer track vehicle - but getting real track support from Tesla would be a game-changer for those who love to race.
Some of Our Favorites
Sentry Mode Improvements - Several users suggested adding B-pillar recording to Sentry Mode. And it looks like Tesla has already been working on this, and it'll be available in the upcoming 2025 Spring Update, which will be update 2025.14. Unfortunately, it'll be limited to what appears to be HW4 vehicles due to the additional processing.
Massaging Seats - A touch of luxury for Tesla's most premium models would be nice. Many other luxury brands already offer massaging seats so it’d help keep the Model S on par with these brands. Edit: Corrected that the Model S has never come with massaging seats.
Powershare for More Vehicles - Powershare is a fantastic feature, and bringing it to every Tesla is a must, especially as many other brands, including Ford, Kia, and Hyundai, offer either Vehicle to Load or Vehicle to Home capabilities as an option on their EVs. Tesla recently introduced the Mobile Connector with Powershare capabilities and an Outlet Adapter, but it's still exclusive to the Cybertruck for now.
Starlink Integration - Tesla currently uses cell networks for connectivity, which can sometimes be spotty. Starlink is a clear, high-tech solution that could provide data to vehicles when they have a clear line of sight to the sky.
Grok in Vehicles - Musk has already confirmed that Tesla will be integrating Grok into Tesla vehicles. We expected it to be included in Tesla's Spring Update, but it looks like they'll need a little bit longer. One of the lead xAI/Grok developers mentioned the request with a wink emoji, so it's clear it’s a feature that Tesla and xAI are actively working on. The way users will be able to naturally talk to AI will be game-changing for many users who are used to driving alone.
There was a lot of positivity in the comments, as well as a ton of interesting requests that could eventually be implemented in Tesla vehicles. Lars also responded to quite a few of the comments, which was nice to see.
While nothing is certain, some of these popular requests may come in a future update, while others may need hardware changes if Tesla wants to implement them.
2026 may seem far away, but there's already plenty of coming this year with a cheaper vehicle and the launch of the Robotaxi network.
If you love reading about feature suggestions, we also recently covered the top feature requests for Tesla, based on the many requests we hear about.
![Tesla’s Missing Voice: Why a PR Team Matters More Than Ever [Opinion]](https://www.notateslaapp.com/img/containers/article_images/multiple-models/group_93.jpg/4e1056961f0480c7b9eff43dd2ec288e/group_93.jpg)
