Connect with us

Lifestyle

Tesla fan clones perfect Cybertruck but with one flaw

Tesla Cybertruck clone trailed by a Model X and Model 3. (Credit: Instagram | @268_others)

Published

on

A Tesla Cybertruck fan has made one of the best clones to the all-electric pickup yet. However, there is one problem with his Cybertruck lookalike: it isn’t electric, it’s gas-powered.

The Cybertruck has not been released yet. Still, a Tesla enthusiast could have some people wondering if the unique pickup is randomly rolling around the streets ahead of its first deliveries, as he went the extra mile to create arguably the best Cybertruck clone yet.

Someone known simply as “Jim” on Instagram has created what is perhaps the most realistic and accurate portrayal of the Tesla Cybertruck yet. The clone, both with its interior and exterior, seems to share all of the same qualities as the real Cybertruck that Tesla unveiled in late November.

Based on pictures and videos, it appears to be extremely close to what Tesla rolled out on stage in Hawthorne at the company’s unveiling event.

Advertisement

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Jim (@268_others) on

However, “Jim” admitted that his Cybertruck clone is not powered by batteries or all-electric motors. Instead, the clone is powered by gas, which makes it as far away from a Tesla clone as one could get. Even though “Jim’s” Cybertruck may look like the real thing, it is powered by the opposite of what Tesla would use for any of its vehicles.

Advertisement

Many people have tried to build the Cybertruck themselves all over the world. The unique design of Tesla’s first all-electric pickup truck caught the world by storm because of its compelling shape and stainless steel exoskeleton, so much so that many have tried to replicate the car in their own garages.

While those who have strived to clone the electric pickup have done an excellent job in their own right, Jim’s seems to be the most accurate depiction thus far when it comes to aesthetics.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Jim (@268_others) on

Advertisement

Not only does the car have an external look and what appears to be the correct dimensions of the real Cybertruck, but the interior detail is what is perhaps the most striking. It seems that Jim has done an incredible job with bringing the interior look to life, even including the “marble” dashboard, which is actually made of recycled paper composite materials.

Tesla used paper composite materials for the dashboard, which are cost-effective and provide a luxury look. The electric car company has focused on using environmentally friendly materials for the interior of their cars, starting with vegan interiors back in 2017.

The clone Cybertruck also has the same steering wheel, seat layout, large glass roof, and a similar dash screen to the real vehicle.

Advertisement

Elon Musk has stated on several occasions that Tesla is working on modifying the Cybertruck to make it as high-quality as possible. Not only did the electric car company consider making the vehicle smaller and more compact, but Tesla is also changing the alloy that the exoskeleton will be made of in order to maintain a durable and sturdy exterior that is capable of handling dings and dents.

Although the truck “will be pretty much” the same size as its prototype, according to Musk, it is unknown what the Cybertruck will look like in its final design right now. Tesla works to improve its vehicles in all facets when they are still in development, and the Cybertruck is no different.

But regardless, the design that “Jim” came up with and managed to manufacture has a striking resemblance to the Cybertruck prototype that Tesla revealed last year. Had it not been for his use of a combustion engine to bring his DIY Cybertruck to live, it could have been considered one of the best attempts at remaking the vehicle. As far as looks are concerned, it is strikingly similar to what may be released at the tail end of 2021.

Let us know in the comments below what you think about the Cybertruck clone!

Advertisement

Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on X @KlenderJoey. If you're looking for great Tesla accessories, check out shop.teslarati.com

Advertisement
Comments

Elon Musk

Trump’s invite for Elon just reshuffled Tesla’s big Signature Delivery Event

Tesla rescheduled its final Model S farewell to May 20 after Musk joined Trump in China.

Published

on

By

Tesla has rescheduled its Model S and Model X Signature Edition delivery event to Wednesday, May 20, 2026, after abruptly calling off the original May 12 celebration. The event will take place at Tesla’s factory at 45500 Fremont Boulevard in Fremont, California, the same location where the Model S first rolled off the line in 2012. Invitees received a follow-up email asking them to reconfirm attendance and download a new QR code ticket, with Tesla noting that all travel and accommodation expenses remain the buyer’s responsibility.

The reason behind the original cancellation came into focus the same day it was announced. President Trump invited Elon Musk, Apple’s Tim Cook, BlackRock’s Larry Fink, Boeing’s Kelly Ortberg, and executives from Goldman Sachs, Blackstone, Citigroup, and Meta to join his trip to China this week for a summit with President Xi Jinping. The agenda covers trade, artificial intelligence, export controls, Taiwan, and the Iran war, following weeks of escalating friction between Washington and Beijing over AI technology, sanctions, and rare earth exports. Trump wrote on Truth Social, “I am very much looking forward to my trip to China, an amazing Country, with a Leader, President Xi, respected by all.”

Tesla launches 200mph Model S “Gold” Signature in invite-only purchase

The vehicles at the center of all this are the last Model S and Model X units Tesla will ever build. Priced at $159,420 each, the 250 Model S and 100 Model X Signature Edition units come finished in Garnet Red with a one-year no-resale agreement, giving Tesla right of first refusal if the owner decides to sell. As Teslarati reported, the Model S defined Tesla’s early identity as a serious luxury automaker, and the Fremont factory line that built it is now being converted to manufacture Optimus humanoid robots.

Advertisement

Musk’s inclusion in the China delegation drew attention given his very public relationship with Trump, and the invitation signals the two have moved past and past grievances. Trump originally brought Musk on to lead the Department of Government Efficiency following his inauguration, and despite a sharp public dispute in mid-2025, the two have appeared together repeatedly in recent months. A seat on the China trip, the most diplomatically consequential visit of Trump’s current term, puts Musk back at the table on U.S. economic policy at a moment when Tesla’s China revenue remains one of the company’s most important financial pillars.

Continue Reading

Lifestyle

Tesla Semi hauls fresh Cybercab batch as Robotaxi era takes hold

A Tesla Semi was filmed hauling Cybercab units out of Giga Texas for the first time.

Published

on

By

A Tesla Semi loaded with Cybercab units was recently filmed leaving Gigafactory Texas, marking what appears to be the first documented delivery run of Tesla’s autonomous two-seater. The footage shows multiple Cybercabs secured on a flatbed trailer being hauled by a production Tesla Semi, a truck rated for a gross combination weight of 82,000 lbs. The location is consistent with Giga Texas in Austin, where Cybercab production has been ramping since February 2026.

The sighting follows a wave of Cybercab activity at the Austin facility. In late April, drone operator Joe Tegtmeyer spotted approximately 60 Cybercabs parked in two organized groups in the factory’s outbound lot, the largest concentration observed to date. Units being staged in an outbound lot is a standard pre-delivery step, and the Semi footage is the logical next frame in that sequence.


This is not the first time Tesla has used its own Semi to move Tesla products. When the Semi was unveiled in 2017, Musk noted it would be used for Tesla’s own operations, and over the years Semi prototypes were spotted carrying cargo ranging from concrete weights to Tesla vehicles being delivered to consumers. In 2023, a Semi was photographed transporting a Cybertruck on a trailer ahead of that vehicle’s delivery launch.

Advertisement

The Cybercab itself was first revealed publicly at Tesla’s “We, Robot” event on October 10, 2024, at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, where 20 pre-production units gave attendees rides around the studio lot. Musk stated at the event that Tesla intends to produce the Cybercab before 2027. The first production unit rolled off the Giga Texas line on February 17, 2026, with Musk posting on X: “Congratulations to the Tesla team on making the first production Cybercab.”

Tesla’s annual production goal is 2 million Cybercabs per year once multiple factories reach full design capacity, with the company targeting a price under $30,000 per unit. Tesla has confirmed plans to expand its robotaxi service to seven cities in the first half of 2026, including Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, Miami, Orlando, Tampa, and Las Vegas, building on the unsupervised service already running in Austin. Musk has said he expects robotaxis to cover between a quarter and half of the United States by end of year.

Continue Reading

Elon Musk

Tesla owners keep coming back for more

Published

on

By

Tesla has taken home the “Overall Loyalty to Make” award from S&P Global Mobility for the fourth consecutive year, reinforcing Tesla owners’ willingness to come back. The 2025 awards are based on S&P Global Mobility’s analysis of 13.6 million new retail vehicle registrations in the U.S. from October 2024 through September 2025. The complete list of 2025 winners includes General Motors for Overall Loyalty to Manufacturer, Tesla for Overall Loyalty to Make, Chevrolet Equinox for Overall Loyalty to Model, Mini for Most Improved Make Loyalty, Subaru for Overall Loyalty to Dealer, and Tesla again for both Ethnic Market Loyalty to Make and Highest Conquest Percentage.

Tesla’s streak in this category started in 2022, and the brand has now won the Highest Conquest Percentage award for six straight years, meaning it keeps pulling buyers away from other brands at a rate no competitor has matched. Tesla’s retention among Asian households reached 63.6% and among Hispanic households 61.9%, rates that significantly outpace national averages for those groups. That breadth of appeal across demographics adds a layer of significance to a win that some might dismiss as routine.

The timing matters too. After several consecutive quarters of decline, Tesla’s share of U.S. EV sales jumped to 59% in Q4 2025. That rebound, arriving just as competitors were flooding the market with new models and incentives, suggests Tesla’s loyalty numbers are not simply the result of limited alternatives. Buyers are still choosing it when they have plenty of other options.

What keeps Tesla owners coming back has a lot to do with the  and convenience of charging. The Supercharger network is the most straightforward example. With over 65,000 Superchargers globally, it remains the largest and most reliable fast-charging network in the world, and owners who have built their routines around it face a real practical cost when considering a switch. Competitors have made progress, but the consistency, speed, and availability of Tesla’s network is still the benchmark the rest of the industry is chasing.  Then there is the software side. Tesla has built a model where the car you own today is functionally different from the car you bought two years ago, through over-the-air updates that add continuous game-changing improvements such as Full Self-Driving that has moved from a driver-assist feature to an increasingly capable autonomous system. For many Tesla owners, leaving the brand means starting over with a car that will not get meaningfully better over time, and that is a trade-off fewer and fewer are willing to make.

Advertisement
Continue Reading