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Rumor: New Tesla Semi test units being built at Gigafactory Nevada

Credit: /Graham Carroll

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Recent rumors from the electric vehicle community have suggested that four new Tesla Semi units are being built at Gigafactory Nevada. The vehicles, which are reportedly equipped with 2170 “L” battery cells, would be utilized for road, durability, and cold-weather testing. 

The update on Tesla’s apparent Semi initiatives was shared recently by electric vehicle advocate @Carsonight, who has proven familiar with Gigafactory Nevada’s activities. Citing an unnamed source, the EV advocate noted that the new Tesla Semi units will feature three 2170 L battery packs. Two units will reportedly be used for road testing, one for durability testing, and another will be sent to Alaska for cold-weather testing. 

Quite unsurprisingly, the notion of the new Tesla Semi prototypes using higher density 2170 “L” battery cells incited some strong reactions from the EV community, especially considering that the electric car maker has already announced its shift to 4680 battery cells for its vehicles. The Semi is one of Tesla’s most ambitious projects, after all, and thus, it would make sense for the company to utilize its best battery tech available for the vehicle. 

That being said, Tesla’s tabless 4680 cells are designed to work seamlessly with the company’s structural battery pack. Such a design, which uses the battery as a structural component, may be quite challenging to accomplish in a Class 8 truck like the Semi, at least for now. It should also be noted that Tesla is still producing 2170 cells from Gigafactory Nevada, with the company’s 4680 cells only being manufactured at the Roadrunner facility in Fremont. 

Of course, Tesla is a company known for rolling out improvements to its vehicles as soon as they are available. Even if Tesla does end up releasing the Semi in the near future with 2170 L cells, there is little doubt that the vehicle will be updated with a structural battery pack and 4680 cells. For now, at least, it appears that the Tesla Semi program is moving forward, and the Class 8 truck is moving closer to its release. 

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Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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Elon Musk

Tesla to ramp to 500 Robotaxis in Austin, 1,000 in Bay Area, by end of 2025: Musk

This was, at least, as per recent comments from CEO Elon Musk during his appearance on the All-In podcast.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla’s Robotaxi pilot is still in its early stages, but it seems like the program in Austin and the Bay Area will see a notable update soon. This was, at least, as per recent comments from CEO Elon Musk during his appearance on the All-In podcast. 

Robotaxi expansion

While discussing Tesla’s Robotaxi ambitions, Elon Musk shared some tidbits about the company’s targets for the autonomous ride-hailing program. As per Musk, Tesla is pushing to increase its Robotaxi fleet size in Austin to 500 units. The Robotaxi fleet in the Bay Area will also be increased to 1,000 units. These expansions are expected to be accomplished by the end of the year.

“We’re scaling up the number of cars to, what happens if you have a thousand cars? Probably we’ll have a thousands cars or more in the Bay Area by the end of this year, probably 500 or more in the greater Austin area,” Musk said in the podcast. 

Considering that there are only two months left in the fourth quarter of 2025, Tesla’s Robotaxi team will likely be extremely busy during the next eight weeks. A successful expansion of the Robotaxi pilot in Austin and the Bay Area will also bode well for the company’s ride-hailing program, which has been pretty conservative as of late.

Musk’s Robotaxi comments

Elon Musk has been pretty clear in the past that Tesla’s FSD and Robotaxi network would play a huge role in the company’s future valuation and potential. Thus, during the third quarter earnings call, Musk highlighted that Tesla will also be transitioning to a system with no safety monitors in Austin by the end of the year. 

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“We are expecting to have no safety drivers in at least large parts of Austin by the end of this year. So within a few months, we expect to have no safety drivers at all in at least parts of Austin. We’re obviously being very cautious about the deployment,” Musk said during the Q3 2025 earnings call.

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Elon Musk

Neuralink’s first patient could receive an upgrade: Elon Musk

Musk stated that Arbaugh could also be the first Neuralink patient to receive an upgrade.

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Credit: Neuralink

Neuralink’s first human patient might be in line for a very interesting development in the future.

Based on recent comments from Elon Musk, Neuralink seems to be considering an “upgrade” for its first human patient, allowing him to perform even more sophisticated tasks using only his mind. 

Elon Musk’s recent comments

Musk’s update came as a reply to an X post that featured some details about the current activities of Noland Arbaugh, the first person in the world to receive a Neuralink implant. Since receiving his implant, Arbaugh has been able to take back his life, and he now games, attends class, and even works as a paid speaker. 

In his response, Musk stated that Arbaugh could also be the first Neuralink patient to receive an upgrade. “Noland might be the first to receive a Neuralink upgrade and/or dual Neuralink implant to further augment his abilities. It won’t be long before a Neuralink recipient can beat most and eventually all humans at fast reaction video games,” Musk wrote in a post on X.

Noland’s recent update

Noland actually provided a quick update about his life with his Neuralink implant, which he fondly named Eve, on X. He noted that his direct involvement with Neuralink has lessened as more participants have joined the company’s human trials. And despite a recent pressure sore setback, he remains optimistic and teased “big news” coming for his two-year update in early 2026.

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Beyond his recovery, Arbaugh stated that Neuralink has made everyday goals achievable again. He is currently studying neuroscience, taking chemistry, biology, and pre-calculus and maintaining good grades, something he said would have been impossible without Neuralink.

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Tesla Cybercab almost looks production ready in new photos

Tesla’s AI team recently posted an image of the Cybercab going Animal Style at an In-and-Out drive-through.

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Credit: Tesla AI/X

Tesla’s AI team recently posted an image of the Cybercab going Animal Style at an In-and-Out drive-through. But while the Cybercab’s passengers were quite funny, the photos themselves suggest that some of the Cybercab’s components may already be production-ready.

Cybercab goes Animal Style

Seemingly as a fun Halloween post, the Tesla AI team shared a photo of a Cybercab, complete with passengers who were in costume, at an In-and-Out drive through. Based on the photos that were shared on X, it appeared that the Cybrcab was being accompanied by a Tesla Model Y Premium. The Tesla AI team shared a lighthearted caption to the image, writing “Animal Style,” a reference to a popular secret menu item for the fast food chain.

In a way, the Tesla AI team’s Halloween post was a lighthearted reference to the popularity of In-and-Out among Tesla owners. This is partly because of the Tesla Supercharger network, which has numerous locations that are close to In-and-Out sites. Elon Musk has also jokingly confirmed in the past that driving prototype Teslas through an In-and-Out is a tradition and a fun milestone marker.

Apparent production-ready Cybercab sections

While the Tesla AI team’s photos provided some lighthearted fun to the EV community, some industry watchers pointed out that the Cybercab in the photos looked production ready, or at least some parts of it seem to be. This is especially noticeable in the Cybercab’s front end, which looks very refined and well-built. 

The front end of the Cybercab on the In-and-Out photo even had a license plate mount, and previous sightings revealed that the door of the vehicle had been updated since it was unveiled last year.

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With this in mind, speculations are abounding that the Cybercab might indeed be ready for initial production soon. The installation of production equipment in Giga Texas has been ongoing for several months now, and tests of the Cybercab in both the Giga Texas complex and on public roads have also ramped. 

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