News
Here’s why Tesla’s pickup will transform the heavy-duty truck segment
Following the announcement that Tesla had its sights set on entering the utility truck market with its own version of a pickup truck comes new speculative design features for what a battery-powered and engine-less truck may bring to this new segment.
The folks from Truck Trend have put together in our opinion one of the best renditions of what a Tesla pickup truck may look like. Body lines: sleek. Feature sets: aplenty. Utility: you bet.
In true Tesla fashion, the company’s upcoming foray into the heavy-duty truck market will likely arrive with a compelling list of key differentiators from rival, and arguably traditional, give me a big V8 up front – the bigger the better, truck manufacturers. This won’t be your “good ol’ boys” truck. Rather, the Tesla brand has fashioned itself as being one that carries prestige and a cool factor that people, and the “mass market”, want to be associated with. In other words, Tesla is cool and you can bet your bottom dollar that having a pedigree in NASCAR and dirt bikes won’t be a prerequisite for owning a Tesla pickup truck.
Here’s a list of innovative features for Tesla’s “Model U” (for utility) as envisioned by Truck Trend.
It’s all about the “Frunk”
Tesla owners love their storage space especially the one up front. No engine equals more space to stow groceries, strollers, and – well – stuff. Popping open the frunk won’t be anything short of an Apple unboxing event.
A beautiful and innovative wet/dry storage caddy with drain plug blends seamlessly into a modern looking “engine bay” except there’s no engine. This is what modern day utility will look like. Tesla logo: check. Multiple USB ports and a 120V outlet: double check.
There will be room for extending the use of the frunk through Tesla’s own drop-in accessories that will – you guessed it – be conveniently made available through the company’s online store. Referral program 10.0 will award Tesla pickup truck owners with portable batteries, refrigeration cabinets and organization caddies.
What about the “flatbed”?
Rest assured Tesla’s pickup won’t have any ordinary bed. With the ability to electronically adjust ride-height similar to what’s currently available on the Model S and Model X, Tesla’s truck can lower itself to a position that enables roll-on equipment. An extension in the rear lift gate will create a makeshift ramp allowing bulky items and powersports vehicles to be rolled into the bed.
Truck Trend envisions the Model U to come equipped with a built-in air compressor inside the bed that can be used for running air tools, blowing off dusty bikes or ATVs, or filling up tires.
Source: Truck Trend via Kris Horton
Power and Range
Having four-wheel drive through Tesla’s dual-motor unit is almost a given. Standard, not optional. Power will be abundant. After all, being able to meet Class 3 or even Class 4 towing standards means the electric truck will be capable of hauling up to 14,000 lbs (6350 kg.). That means a big battery pack.
By the time a Tesla pickup truck hits market and the Gigafactory is in full stride, battery pack capacity will likely be upwards of 120 kWh and as high as 160 kWh per pack. The ability to have an add-on battery to further extend power and range isn’t out of the question as we outlined as one possible solution for tackling the Tesla ‘Semi’ conundrum.
A 200 kWh or even 300 kWh pack? Don’t laugh. It isn’t that far-fetched.
What else?
Tesla’s Master Plan – the sequel – envisions a world of sustainable energy generation and accompanying battery-enabled storage solutions. The inevitable Tesla-SolarCity merger will see to it that this isn’t just a vision but a plan the company intends to execute on.
So what does this mean for its upcoming pickup truck? Imagine a battery pack add-on that can double as an extended range unit, but also serve as a home or even small-business power solution. A robot-like device akin to Tesla’s “snakebot” would detach the additional battery pack and slide it from the truck’s bed floor rail system. The battery would then be mounted onto the wall of a garage where it would be charged by a Tesla Energy solar system.
The possibilities are seemingly endless for a Tesla pickup truck. Ideas that may otherwise sound grandiose in nature won’t stop the runaway freight train – that is Tesla – from uprooting and transforming the trucking industry as we know it.
Bring it on.
Photo credit: Truck Trend via Kris Horton
News
Tesla hasn’t adopted Apple CarPlay yet for this shocking reason
Many Apple and iPhone users have wanted the addition, especially to utilize third-party Navigation apps like Waze, which is a popular alternative. Getting apps outside of Tesla’s Navigation to work with its Full Self-Driving suite seems to be a potential issue the company will have to work through as well.
Perhaps one of the most requested features for Tesla vehicles by owners is the addition of Apple CarPlay. It sounds like the company wants to bring the popular UI to its cars, but there are a few bottlenecks preventing it from doing so.
The biggest reason why CarPlay has not made its way to Teslas yet might shock you.
According to Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman, Tesla is still working on bringing CarPlay to its vehicles. There are two primary reasons why Tesla has not done it quite yet: App compatibility issues and, most importantly, there are incredibly low adoption rates of iOS 26.
Tesla’s Apple CarPlay ambitions are not dead, they’re still in the works
iOS 26 is Apple’s most recent software version, which was released back in September 2025. It introduced a major redesign to the overall operating system, especially its aesthetic, with the rollout of “Liquid Glass.”
However, despite the many changes and updates, Apple users have not been too keen on the iOS 26 update, and the low adoption rates have been a major sticking point for Tesla as it looks to develop a potential alternative for its in-house UI.
It was first rumored that Tesla was planning to bring CarPlay out in its cars late last year. Many Apple and iPhone users have wanted the addition, especially to utilize third-party Navigation apps like Waze, which is a popular alternative. Getting apps outside of Tesla’s Navigation to work with its Full Self-Driving suite seems to be a potential issue the company will have to work through as well.
According to the report, Tesla asked Apple to make some changes to improve compatibility between its software and Apple Maps:
“Tesla asked Apple to make engineering changes to Maps to improve compatibility. The iPhone maker agreed and implemented the adjustments in a bug fix update to iOS 26 and the latest version of CarPlay.”
Gurman also said that there were some issues with turn-by-turn guidance from Tesla’s maps app, and it did not properly sync up with Apple Maps during FSD operation. This is something that needs to be resolved before it is rolled out.
There is no listed launch date, nor has there been any coding revealed that would indicate Apple CarPlay is close to being launched within Tesla vehicles.
Elon Musk
Starlink restrictions are hitting Russian battlefield comms: report
The restrictions have reportedly disrupted Moscow’s drone coordination and frontline communications.
SpaceX’s decision to disable unauthorized Starlink terminals in Ukraine is now being felt on the battlefield, with Ukrainian commanders reporting that Russian troops have struggled to maintain assault operations without access to the satellite network.
The restrictions have reportedly disrupted Moscow’s drone coordination and frontline communications.
Lt. Denis Yaroslavsky, who commands a special reconnaissance unit, stated that Russian assault activity noticeably declined for several days after the shutdown. “For three to four days after the shutdown, they really reduced the assault operations,” Yaroslavsky said.
Russian units had allegedly obtained Starlink terminals through black market channels and mounted them on drones and weapons systems, despite service terms prohibiting offensive military use. Once those terminals were blocked, commanders on the Ukrainian side reported improved battlefield ratios, as noted in a New York Post report.
A Ukrainian unit commander stated that casualty imbalances widened after the cutoff. “On any given day, depending on your scale of analysis, my sector was already achieving 20:1 (casuality rate) before the shutdown, and we are an elite unit. Regular units have no problem going 5:1 or 8:1. With Starlink down, 13:1 (casualty rate) for a regular unit is easy,” the unit commander said.
The restrictions come as Russia faces heavy challenges across multiple fronts. A late January report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated that more than 1.2 million Russian troops have been killed, wounded, or gone missing since February 2022.
The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War also noted that activity from Russia’s Rubikon drone unit declined after Feb. 1, suggesting communications constraints from Starlink’s restrictions may be limiting operations. “I’m sure the Russians have (alternative options), but it takes time to maximize their implementation and this (would take) at least four to six months,” Yaroslavsky noted.
Elon Musk
Tesla Korea hiring AI Chip Engineers amid push for high-volume AI chips
Tesla Korea stated that it is seeking “talented individuals to join in developing the world’s highest-level mass-produced AI chips.”
In a recent post on X, Tesla Korea announced that it is hiring AI Chip Design Engineers as part of a project aimed at developing what the company describes as the world’s highest-volume AI chips. CEO Elon Musk later amplified the initiative.
Tesla Korea stated that it is seeking “talented individuals to join in developing the world’s highest-level mass-produced AI chips.”
“This project aims to develop AI chip architecture that will achieve the highest production volume in the world in the future,” Tesla Korea wrote in its post on X.
As per Tesla Korea, those who wish to apply for the AI Chip Design Engineer post should email Ai_Chips@Tesla.com and include “the three most challenging technical problems you have solved.”
Elon Musk echoed the hiring push in a separate post. “If you’re in Korea and want to work on chip design, fabrication or AI software, join Tesla!” he wrote.
The recruitment effort in South Korea comes as Tesla accelerates development of its in-house AI chips, which power its Full Self-Driving (FSD) system, Optimus humanoid robot, and data center training infrastructure.
Tesla has been steadily expanding its silicon development teams globally. In recent months, the company has posted roles in Austin and Palo Alto for silicon module process engineers across lithography, etching, and other chip fabrication disciplines, as noted in a Benzinga report.
Tesla Korea’s hiring efforts align with the company’s long-term goal of designing and producing AI chips at massive scale. Musk has previously stated that Tesla’s future AI chips could become the highest-volume AI processors in the world.
The move also comes amid Tesla’s broader expansion into AI initiatives. The company recently committed about $2 billion into xAI as part of a Series E funding round, reinforcing its focus on artificial intelligence across vehicles, robotics, and compute infrastructure.
Tesla hasn’t adopted Apple CarPlay yet for this shocking reason
Starlink restrictions are hitting Russian battlefield comms: report
