The Cybertruck has an iconic design that's smooth and aerodynamic. It's recently been rumored that the Cybertruck's design stemmed from the need for the vehicle to be very aerodynamic, hence the smooth, large windshield and the tonneau in back. Without the Cybertruck's aerodynamic design, the vehicle would need larger batteries, and would likely be more costly.
Price
Cybertruck mock based on the video below. Credit @TeslaTruckClub/Twitter
The Cybertruck was priced at under $40,000. For that price the Cybertruck certainly brings a lot of value. Although Tesla has just removed pricing for its electric truck from its website.
You can still place a reservation for $100, but the price of the vehicle is no longer shown. This could mean that Tesla is rethinking the price of the truck. The truck was initially set to begin production late this year, but has now been pushed to next year.
Mirrors
Tesla had planned for the vehicle to not have any mirrors, which certainly distracts from its design. Tesla knew it was facing an uphill regulatory battle. Elon confirmed on Twitter that the Cybertruck will come with mirrors. At least for now.
Cybertruck spotted with mirrors and possibly other changes
Elon goes on to elaborate that although the Cybertruck will come with mirrors from the factory, they are designed to be easily removed by owners.
They're required by law, but designed to be easy to remove by owners
We'll see how this plays out with local laws for any individuals who decide to remove their mirrors. Although, it likely means that Tesla will be offering a software solution for owners who do decide to remove their Cybertruck's mirrors. We had a sneak-peak into the Cybertruck's UI earlier this year.
Tesla will likely utilize the fender cameras to display video on the screen when a turn signal is initiated.
A Tesla fan found a what appears to be Tesla testing the Cybertruck's turning radius in a parking lot. The Cybertruck appears to have side mirrors in addition to other tweaks such as a windshield wiper and possibly a shorter frunk.
Rear Wheel Steering
Elon confirmed this summer that the Cybertruck will include rear wheel steering. For being a larger vehicle, having rear wheel steering will certainly help maneuver in tight situations, such as parking. However, I wouldn't be surprised if Tesla has something special up their sleeves here. In the same tweet where Elon announced that the Cybertruck will have rear wheel steering, he also said that there are lots of other great things coming, presumably to the Cybertruck.
Friday afternoons are usually Tesla design studio time. Cybertruck will be almost exactly what was shown. We're adding rear wheel steering, so it can do tight turns & maneuver with high agility.
The Cybertruck was initially set to go into production in late 2021, but that has since been changed to the end of 2022. There could be various reasons why, but it's likely that the global shortage is likely affecting Tesla production as well. Tesla is selling every car they make and the wait for a new car is months into the future. There's no need for Tesla to rush into producing the Cybertruck only to limit their sales of current vehicles even more.
More Changes Coming?
Tesla has a large team of designers and engineers on their hands. They likely won't start designing the next thing yet, as Tesla won't have the means to produce them. Tesla already has a list of vehicles they're waiting to produce, including the Cybertruck, the Roadster 2 and the Semi.
Tesla Cybertruck size compared to a Model Y
Tesla designers and engineers may use this additional time to tweak future vehicles such as the Cybertruck. We may see more additions to the Cybertruck, especially given the new competition Tesla will have with the Rivian R1T.
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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
Not a Tesla App
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.
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