With the announcement of Apple’s focus on AI in iOS 18 at WWDC Monday, there has been a flurry of interesting news items.
From Elon Musk mentioning that Apple devices may be banned at his companies due to the integration of AI, to Apple allowing developers to add functions to the Control Center, and Musk confirming once again that Tesla has no intentions to produce a phone, it was a busy day.
Control Center
Also at WWDC, Apple showed off an updated Control Center – the swipe-down control menu on iOS. As of iOS 18, third-party developers will now be able to create buttons to add to Control Center.
This is a pretty neat feature and could make it even easier to manage your Tesla from Apple devices. You could soon be able to control the climate or begin charging your Tesla without even opening the app.
You can already do some of these things using Siri Shortcuts, but this could be the granular integration needed to control specific items with even more detail, rather than just simple routines.
Tesla typically launches new features on its iOS app first, and Android devices a few days or weeks later. An excellent example of this is Ultra Wideband support, which came to Apple devices first.
Banning Apple Devices
At WWDC, Apple showed off new AI integration in its OS, which allows users to leverage OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Elon Musk mentioned that this is a massive security concern on a post on X, and he said he may ban the presence of Apple’s devices at his companies.
Tesla App Lead Alex Guichet asked on X if this was any different than Gemini integration on Android – which Google has already announced and begun to roll out to customers in select markets. If you’re in Canada or the United States, you can replace your current Google Assistant with Gemini, which provides a similar level of system integration to Apple.
Since Musk’s initial reaction to Apple’s integration of AI and partnership with OpenAI, Musk’s concerns appear to have eased. Numerous users clarified that Apple is building its own AI, and Apple will not hand over information to OpenAI unless users explicitly confirm they want to do so.
Musk Denies Tesla Phone
Elon Musk has confirmed that even with his potential ban on Apple devices, he is not interested in building a Tesla phone. A Tesla phone has previously been mentioned, and Elon Musk had previously shown interest in the idea, but has also shot it down numerous times over the years.
With this final confirmation, it’s pretty clear that we won’t be expecting a Tesla phone anytime in the future. SpaceX has been working on integrating Starlink cell-to-satellite messaging, calling, and data to existing phones, so we could see further integration in a different way one day.
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Powershare is a feature that is currently exclusive to the Cybertruck and one of the truck’s best selling points. With its massive 123kWh battery, the Cybertruck can supply power to your home when paired with a Tesla PowerShare setup. This system also includes automatic backup failover, ensuring seamless power during home outages.
Powershare Limitations
One major limitation has been that Tesla Powerwall owners couldn’t use the PowerShare feature due to software conflicts, which took a while to resolve.
However, the challenge wasn’t just software-related—Tesla also had to navigate several regulatory hurdles. A key issue was that homes with solar integrated into their backup solution couldn’t use PowerShare. This meant homeowners had to choose between powering their home with solar or their Cybertruck, rather than combining both sources.
Solar Update
Thanks to a recent update, PowerShare is now available for customers with solar in their backup circuit, allowing them to power their home with solar energy and even charge their Cybertruck during an outage—seamlessly and automatically.
Additionally, PowerShare is now enabled for customers with a backup switch, provided they are in an approved utility region.
Powerwall Update
PowerShare will be available to Powerwall owners using a Wall Connector Gen 3 or Universal Wall Connector starting in Q3 2025. While still a few months away, this is great news for Powerwall users looking to leverage the Cybertruck’s large battery as an extended backup power source for their homes.
Wall Connector Gen 3
Interestingly, Tesla has now enabled PowerShare for the Wall Connector Gen 3, a change that appears to be driven more by regulatory approvals than hardware or software limitations.
Currently, Tesla requires customers in the U.S. and Canada to use the Universal Wall Connector for PowerShare, even if they already own a Gen 3 Wall Connector. However, this policy will likely change in the coming months as the Gen 3 Wall Connector gains official support.
Author’s Note - Powershare Pricing
We’d love to see Tesla reduce the cost of PowerShare installation. The author received a quote for a home setup with two Wall Connectors in a standalone garage with its own breaker panel. Since the home already had an automatic Generac backup failover switch, much of the required electrical work was already in place.
Despite this, the final quote for installation came in just under $12,000 CAD (about $8,500 USD at the time). This covered only the installation of a Tesla Gateway, replacing a single Gen 3 Wall Connector with a Universal Connector, and some additional wiring. Even with the Foundation-Series discount of $3,500 CAD, it won’t be cheap to install.
While this update is a great step forward, Tesla needs to make PowerShare more accessible—both by expanding it to more vehicles and by lowering installation costs. It’s an incredibly useful feature that will help sell vehicles, but affordability remains an issue.
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.
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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.
