Tesla’s Robotaxi event is rapidly coming up on 10/10, so let’s take a look at some of the cool concepts that we’ve seen.
We’ll start with what we know came from Tesla, and then we’ll let loose and take a look at what the community has come up with.
Tesla’s Concept Art & Previews
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The image above is Tesla’s official Robotaxi concept art – or well, as official as it gets. This is actually from Elon Musk’s biography, written by Walter Isaacson. We’re expecting a curvy two-seat vehicle – one that goes by the moniker of Cybercab.
Next up, we have this teaser image Tesla showed off in one of their videos on X. It’s unclear which part of the vehicle it is, but it seems like it could be either the front or rear aero spoiler – though we think it distinctly looks like the front.
Tesla
We’ve also got this interior shot of the Robotaxi that was shown off in an investor video back in May. Two wide, comfy seats, and one big screen in the center.
Dominic’s Cybercab Render
DominicBRNKMN
@DominicBRNKMN on X has once again outdone himself with this Cybercab concept he’s made – the butterfly swing doors look awesome, and it fits with the expected and distinct cyber styling we’ve already seen in Tesla’s previews.
The swing doors make it look easy to get in, and there seems to be plenty of space behind the seats for luggage. We’re a big fan of those wheels too – aero wheels are going to be an important component of the Cybercab – which will need to be efficient, cheap, and prevent debris from building up.
Sugar Design’s Render
Sugar Design
Sugar Design has made a few awesome renders (including of the Model Y Juniper) before – but let’s take a look at their older batch, and then their latest batch. Sugar Design’s concept render is based on the original image from Elon’s biography – and they’ve done an excellent job bringing it to life.
We think this may be pretty close to what the Robotaxi – Cybercab – will look like. It's got that distinct Cyber feeling to it and fits closely with what we expect the lines and curves to end up looking like.
You can check out the rest of Sugar Design’s renders on Instagram here – they do some fantastic work.
Teslaconomics Render
@Teslaconomics on X threw together a quick video render of what could be a falcon-wing Cybercab. If anything, it does feel a bit bigger than what we’re expecting – in fact, it looks like it’s Model X-sized. A cool-looking Cybercab like this would be awesome.
A Tesla Cybercab that is safer, cheaper, and no human driver is going to flip any existing ride-hailing companies upside down that thinks it’s not happening pic.twitter.com/vlFGzAB4I1
David – going by @dkrasniy on X, made some awesome-looking concept designs of the UI of the Robotaxi. We’re a really big fan of these– they integrate drop-off information on the right and provide the FSD preview on the left.
On top of that, it brings in a way to split your fair, preview your payment information, end the ride, and even a fancy little button to ask for help – powered by xAI’s Grok. Given the nods to Tesla’s design styles, David’s work here is pretty on the nose. We would be surprised if it doesn’t end up looking very similar to this.
Vitali Minin’s Concept Art
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@VitaliMinin
Vitali Minin - @VitaliMinin on X, also did up a cute-looking concept of the Robotaxi – we thought it would be neat to show something that’s not necessarily a render, but still an interesting-looking concept that didn’t get much attention. It fits with the cyber-style that we’re coming to expect, but we also like the sloped and curved rear that strikes a sharp profile.
These concepts are a great look at what we can expect Tesla to show off in less than two months at their Robotaxi event on October 10th.
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Tesla recently showed off Giga Small Haus, an interesting new display project hosted at Giga Berlin. The small new house is located just outside the main entrance of Tesla’s Giga Berlin factory, with a Quicksilver Model Y parked inside.
Giga Small Haus is powered only by solar and Powerwall 3 - disconnected from the local grid and from Giga Berlin itself. It serves as a live demonstration of Tesla Solar and Tesla’s Powerwall battery backup.
Giga Small Haus
The centerpiece of the display is a Model Y in Quicksilver - a beautiful pick for a beautifully lit house. However, that’s not the real focus here - it's the Powerwall and Gateway on the wall.
The Powerwall is the focus of Giga Small Haus, and there’s a display with some additional information on the wall. Part of the display also includes a screen that displays the current output of the Powerwall itself versus the consumption of Giga Small Haus, as well as the input from solar.
The interior exhibit of Giga Small Haus
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The text on the exhibit is divided into several sections. Here’s a translated and edited version of what we can see from Tesla’s images. Some additional text is obscured. If someone visits Giga Small Haus, let us know.
Powerwall
Powerwall is a home battery system that stores energy from solar panels, the electrical grid, or during off-peak hours and powers your home during the day or during a power outage.
With Powerwall, you can use self-generated solar energy during the day and night, thus avoiding high electricity costs. You can also store excess energy produced during sunny periods for use during times of low production or power outages.
Key Features
Energy Storage: Powerwall stores excess energy from solar panels or the grid for later use or during power outages.
Backup Power: In the event of a power outage, Powerwall automatically switches to battery power to ensure continuous power supply.
Integration: Powerwall can be seamlessly integrated with existing solar systems and other power sources.
Scalability: Multiple Powerwalls can be installed to meet higher energy storage needs.
Smart Energy Management: Powerwall works with Tesla's software to optimize energy consumption and reduce costs.
How Powerwall Works
Storage: During the day, when solar panels produce more energy than needed, the excess is stored in Powerwall.
Usage: At night or during times of low solar production, the stored energy is used to power the home, reducing reliance on the grid.
Backup: During a power outage, Powerwall automatically provides power to critical circuits, ensuring continuous operation of essential appliances.
Benefits
Cost Savings: By storing and using solar energy, you can reduce your electricity bills.
Reliability: Provides backup power during outages, ensuring your home remains powered.
Sustainability: Promotes the use of renewable energy by storing excess solar production for later use.
Overall, Giga Small Haus is an interesting real-life demo of what Powerwall and Solar can accomplish. It would be neat if Tesla built more of these displays - perhaps near major Delivery and Service Centers and at Giga Texas, Fremont, Giga Shanghai, and other facilities. Many Tesla owners have yet to learn about and experience some of Tesla’s Energy products.
Tesla has added the Acceleration Boost option to the Tesla store for owners of the 2024 Model 3 Long Range - specifically owners in Australia and China. Acceleration Boost is an upgrade that provides a significant performance boost, drastically narrowing the performance gap between the Long Range and Performance versions of the same model.
This upgrade will likely become available in Europe, Canada, and the United States in the next few days as Tesla updates its shops globally.
Acceleration Boost
This new Acceleration Boost is retailing for $3,000 AUD, or approximately $2,000 USD. That’s the same price for current owners of older Model 3 or Model Y Long Range vehicles, which all have the option to purchase Acceleration Boost through the shop.
The boost provides improved 0-100km/h (0-60mph) performance, bumping the 2024 Model 3 LR from 4.4s to 3.8s. The 2024 Performance version comes in at a blazing fast 2.9 seconds, so while it isn’t equivalent to just buying a performance variant in the first place, it is still a noticeable and significant upgrade.
Performance variants also come with a different front fascia vent for cooling, performance drive units, sport seats, adaptive suspension, 20-inch wheels, and Track Mode V3. That’s a significant number of additional features in the $10,000 USD price difference between the Long Range and Performance versions.
Should You Buy It?
If you’ve purchased a Long Range model and are itching to go just that little bit faster at every red light, this is the upgrade for you. It previously came with the cost of slightly reducing vehicle range, but the Tesla store doesn’t make a note of reduced range this time around. The 2023 Model 3 and Model Y Long Range models had an efficiency loss of about 5% due to the additional always-available acceleration and cooling.
You could drive in Chill mode to mostly negate that efficiency loss, but what’s the fun in driving in Chill when you just got Acceleration Boost? Anyhow, the shop listing for the 2024 variant doesn’t include this detail, so it's possible Tesla may have worked some more engineering magic.
Overall, if you’ve got the $3,000 AUD burning a hole in your pocket, some Tesla referral credits sitting around, or just want to go faster, it's definitely an upgrade many users find valuable.
