Connect with us
tesla cybertruck tesla cybertruck

News

Tesla Cybertruck’s original build flexed by Petersen Auto Museum in new promo video

Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveils futuristic Cybertruck in Los Angeles, Nov. 21, 2019 (Photo: Teslarati)

Published

on

The original Tesla Cybertruck build unveiled in Hawthorne, California in November 2019 has been at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles as a part of the ‘Inside Tesla’ exhibit, and is now being flexed in a new promotional video ahead of the pickup’s initial production.

The Cybertruck is amongst Tesla’s most anticipated product releases ever, and might only be eclipsed by either the automaker’s rumored $25,000 mass-market model, or the next-gen Roadster that is supposedly going to feature cold-gas thrusters and hovering capabilities.

Inspired by vehicles with a futuristic appeal like those seen in the 1982 film Blade Runner, or 1977’s “The Spy Who Loved Me,” the Tesla Cybertruck’s original production build is on display at the Petersen Museum for anyone to go see in person.

The vehicle seen at the Museum has quite the story. At the 2019 unveiling event, Tesla went on to display the vehicle’s robust nature, strength, and durability, but it backfired.

In a now infamous clip, Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen smacked the side of the Cybertruck with a sledgehammer, displaying the vehicle’s inability to dent. However, when a steel ball was thrown at the window in an attempt to show off the near-bulletproof glass, it shattered.

Advertisement

tesla cybertruck broken glass

Credit: Tesla

“Sledgehammer impact on door cracked base of glass, which is why steel ball didn’t bounce off,” Musk explained. “Should have done steel ball on window, *then* sledgehammer the door.”

The Cybertruck was first set to enter production in late 2021, but the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the supply chain to the brink of destruction and delayed many automotive projects across the sector.

Additionally, Tesla did not have a finalized design for the truck, and it has changed drastically since the November 2019 unveiling. Musk’s biggest concern was the Cybertruck’s dimensions, which apparently were too large for some of the CEO’s other projects, including the Boring Company tunnels.

Tesla Cybertruck production is close, new details from Elon Musk reveal

Advertisement

The design was finalized recently, and Musk and von Holzhausen have both confirmed that, while Tesla does not have a “pencils down” mentality in terms of design, it has basically landed on what it will produce initially.

Tesla expects to start building the Cybertruck this Summer, but volume production is not expected to begin until 2024. The vehicle has over 1 million pre-orders, which has some ready to wait three years or more for their all-electric pickups.

Check out Petersen Auto Museum’s promotional video on the Cybertruck below:

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

Cybertruck

Tesla clears the air on Cybertruck ‘deactivation’ video that is obviously fake

Tesla has cleared the air on the viral video, stating it is fake.

Published

on

Credit: Cybertruck | X

Tesla has cleared the air regarding a video that has been circulating, where the owner claims his Cybertruck was “deactivated” by the company while he was driving.

The video was shared on X and showed a driver pulled over on the side of the road, claiming his Cybertruck had been deactivated by Tesla in the middle of traffic. It is very obviously fake to those who know the company, but these kinds of things have a tendency to pick up steam.

Advertisement

The video shows a screen that says:

“Tesla Cybertruck De-Activated. Critical Issue Detected | Contact Customer Service, Comply with Cease & Desist to Re-Activate. Update Failed, Return to Dealer.”

The same person who posted the video also shared an image of what appears to be a Cease and Desist letter from Tesla, but it is also likely fake:

The company finally responded to the video on Monday afternoon, stating that the video is, in fact, fake, reiterating that it will not disable vehicles remotely for any reason.

Advertisement

It is a shame that these types of things happen, especially as people are prone to believe anything they see on the internet. As there is so much misinformation circulating surrounding Tesla and its CEO Elon Musk, it is no surprise that someone would leverage the situation for their own benefit.

If that Cease and Desist letter is not real, perhaps the next one might be. These types of things can truly cause damage to a company’s reputation, and someone getting an idea that Tesla would remotely deactivate a car could prevent them from buying one.

Continue Reading

Elon Musk

Elon Musk is stepping up for Tesla Service in a big way

Elon Musk has stepped up to resolve a handful of customer issues regarding vehicle service.

Published

on

tesla service
Credit: Tesla

Elon Musk is stepping up to help customers in a big way, especially when they are having issues with Tesla’s Service.

Perhaps one of the biggest advantages Tesla owners have is access to Musk through X, his social media platform. Over the years, we’ve seen Tesla add features, refine its cars’ performance, and more, all through asking Musk directly through a post.

Now, Musk is stepping up in another way by resolving a few Service complaints that customers had.

The first occurred last week when a recall on a Tesla battery was not honored by Service. The company sought $30,000 for a replacement and labor, which was not right. Musk responded that he would personally investigate the matter. The vehicle was fixed at no cost as it was a recall, and was ready for pickup the next day.

It also revealed a new strategy Tesla is using to combat service communication issues:

Tesla creates clever solution to simplify and improve its Service

The next occurred with a Cybertruck owner who was in Japan. Their car was parked at an airport in the U.S. and had lost a vast majority of its state of charge, leaving them just fifty miles of range at the time.

Advertisement

Musk reached out to the owner and said Service will take care of the car and will investigate the cause of the battery drain:

There are not too many companies out there where the CEO will get involved with individual issues like these. It’s pretty exclusive to Tesla, as Musk has commonly stepped up to resolve complaints with vehicles or to confront features that some owners might find useful.

Service has been a weak point of the company for some time, but it has worked to refine and resolve customer complaints by building more Service Centers across the world that can handle these issues.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Elon Musk

Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirms Robotaxi is opening to the public: here’s when

Anyone will be able to request a Tesla Robotaxi in September, Elon Musk said this morning.

Published

on

Credit: Joe Tegtmeyer | X

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has confirmed that the company’s Robotaxi platform is opening to the public, and he even gave a timeline for when anyone will be able to access one for a ride.

Tesla’s Robotaxi platform launched to a small group on June 22 in Austin, Texas. The company has continued to expand the number of riders and its geofence over the past month and a half.

Tesla officially launches Robotaxi service with no driver

Additionally, it launched rides in the Bay Area of California, but it differs slightly, as the Texas Robotaxi platform does not utilize a Safety Monitor in the driver’s seat. In California, the monitor sits in the driver’s seat.

As the geofence, service areas, and testing populations expand, Tesla fans are awaiting their elusive emails that enable their ability to use the Robotaxi platform. It now seems that the email will come soon, as Musk said Tesla will open up public access to Robotaxi next month:

Advertisement

Tesla has been prioritizing safety over anything else with the launch of the Robotaxi platform, which is why it has been slow to push invitations to new riders. It is confident in the abilities of the platform and its Full Self-Driving suite, which has been proven with data.

However, even a single accident could set Tesla back years in terms of its development of self-driving cars. It is not a risk it is willing to take.

Musk said during the recent Q2 Earnings Call:

Advertisement

“We need to make sure it works when the vehicles are fully under our control. It’s kind of one step at a time here. We don’t want to jump the gun. As I said, we’re being paranoid about safety. But I guess next year is I’d say confidently next year. I’m not sure when next year, but confidently next year, people would be able to add or subtract their car to the Tesla, Inc. fleet.”

As the platform will expand in Austin and the Bay Area for anyone, Tesla still continues to reiterate that Robotaxi will be available for everyone sometime next year, as Musk said in the quote above.

Things will continue to improve over time, and Tesla will likely expand its geofence in both regions in the coming weeks. It has already done that in Austin twice, with about a doubling in size occurring both times.

Continue Reading

Trending