News
Tesla owner reports almost $65/day fuel savings after using Cybertruck to tow construction trailer
A Tesla owner and contractor in Missouri recently shared an observation on social media that stunned several members of the electric vehicle community. As per the Tesla owner, he is currently saving almost $65 per day on fuel costs just by using his Cybertruck to tow his construction trailer.
Dan Burke, who operates White Wolf Construction & Home Inspection, shared his experience in a post on social media platform X. As per the Tesla owner, the Cybertruck has become his around-town tow vehicle for his construction trailer. Even if the Cybertruck’s range is reduced by the trailer, the vehicle’s range is still enough for his day-to-day needs. Overall, the Tesla owner noted that the Cybertruck saves him almost $65 per day in fuel savings alone.
Cybertruck doing the work . It’s replaced my Ram as the around town tow vehicle for the construction trailer. Even with reduced range, most of my trips are 15-20 miles each way a few times a day. Saves me almost $65 a day in fuel!! pic.twitter.com/cv9aVWxu9q— Dan Burke (@DeBergo) August 13, 2024
The Tesla owner’s post unsurprisingly caught a lot of attention on social media, with skeptics doubting the Cybertruck owner’s claims. As per Burke, however, his daily fuel savings are so high because his previous around-town tow vehicle, a Dodge Ram, had a number of performance mods and a dedicated towing tune, resulting in the pickup truck requiring premium fuel and getting only 9 mpg. Thus, on a typical day, Burke noted that he would spend about $70 on fuel for his Dodge Ram.
Love seeing how people are using their Cybertruck to save money. As a bonus it's also fun to drive when not being used for work https://t.co/mixUqc8Iix— Wes (@wmorrill3) August 14, 2024
With the Cybertruck, the Tesla owner noted that his fueling costs are significantly lower. Burke noted that he charges his Cybertruck at home, where off-peak power rates are at 4.5 cents per kWh. This results in daily fuel savings of about $65, or about $325 per week on a five-week workday. Estimated savings on a regular 20-day month would be about $1,300, and since a common year is comprised of 260 work days, the Tesla owner’s annual fuel savings could reach up to $16,900.
$65 a DAY in fuel savings….
That’s dudes cybertruck payment, paid for…. In FUEL SAVINGS.
EV trucks are a no brainer for 95% of the truck population. https://t.co/bALSTK8iCG— Greggertruck (@greggertruck) August 13, 2024
“That’s how much gas I put in my Ram almost every day when I pull this trailer. It weighs 6300-ish pounds on a normal day, and the Ram gets right at 9 mpg pulling it. The Ram has a bunch of performance mods, which is great for power but sucks down fuel. Premium fuel no less because of the towing tune I run on it. The Cybertruck is averaging 675 wh/mi on the same drive if I stay off the highway. On the highway, it’s around 824-875 depending on wind. So on a typical day, 160 miles /9mpg x 3.95 = $70. If I charge at my house, off-peak it’s 4.5 cents a kWh. 100 kWh back to the battery at 4.5 cents and that’s about $65 a day in savings,” Burke explained in a post on X.
Buying a cybertruck for a work truck is a no brained. You save on fuel, maintenance and it’s fast and fun to drive on top of that.— Dan Burke (@DeBergo) August 14, 2024
Granted, one could argue that Burke is a special case since his business needs fit perfectly with the Cybertruck’s current capabilities, but one could also argue that there are a lot of business owners that could see comparable benefits today just by using Tesla’s all-electric pickup truck. There are a lot of enterprises, after all, whose operations are centered on short to medium distance towing. For these, the Cybertruck seems like a very valid viable choice today, even if Tesla is still exclusively producing Foundation Series variants for customers.
Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.
News
Tesla Cybercab ‘breakdown’ image likely is not what it seems
Tesla Cybercab is perhaps the most highly-anticipated project that the company plans to roll out this year, and as it is undergoing its testing phase in pre-production currently, there are some things to work through with it.
Over the weekend, an image of the Cybercab being loaded onto a tow truck started circulating on the internet, and people began to speculate as to what the issue could be.
Hmmmmmm… https://t.co/L5hWcOXQkb pic.twitter.com/OJBDyHNTMj
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) January 11, 2026
The Cybercab can clearly be seen with a Police Officer and perhaps the tow truck driver by its side, being loaded onto, or even potentially unloaded from, the truck.
However, it seems unlikely it was being offloaded, as its operation would get it to this point for testing to begin with.
It appears, at first glance, that it needs assistance getting back to wherever it came from; likely Gigafactory Texas or potentially a Bay Area facility.
The Cybercab was also spotted in Buffalo, New York, last week, potentially undergoing cold-weather testing, but it doesn’t appear that’s where this incident took place.
It is important to remember that the Cybercab is currently undergoing some rigorous testing scenarios, which include range tests and routine public road operation. These things help Tesla assess any potential issue the vehicle could run into after it starts routine production and heads to customers, or for the Robotaxi platform operation.
This is not a one-off issue, either. Tesla had some instances with the Semi where it was seen broken down on the side of a highway three years ago. The all-electric Semi has gone on to be successful in its early pilot program, as companies like Frito-Lay and PepsiCo. have had very positive remarks.
The Cybercab’s future is bright, and it is important to note that no vehicle model has ever gone its full life without a breakdown. It happens, it’s a car.
Nevertheless, it is important to note that there has been no official word on what happened with this particular Cybercab unit, but it is crucial to remember that this is the pre-production testing phase, and these things are more constructive than anything.
Investor's Corner
Tesla analyst teases self-driving dominance in new note: ‘It’s not even close’
Tesla analyst Andrew Percoco of Morgan Stanley teased the company’s dominance in its self-driving initiative, stating that its lead over competitors is “not even close.”
Percoco recently overtook coverage of Tesla stock from Adam Jonas, who had covered the company at Morgan Stanley for years. Percoco is handling Tesla now that Jonas is covering embodied AI stocks and no longer automotive.
His first move after grabbing coverage was to adjust the price target from $410 to $425, as well as the rating from ‘Overweight’ to ‘Equal Weight.’
Percoco’s new note regarding Tesla highlights the company’s extensive lead in self-driving and autonomy projects, something that it has plenty of competition in, but has established its prowess over the past few years.
He writes:
“It’s not even close. Tesla continues to lead in autonomous driving, even as Nvidia rolls out new technology aimed at helping other automakers build driverless systems.”
Percoco’s main point regarding Tesla’s advantage is the company’s ability to collect large amounts of training data through its massive fleet, as millions of cars are driving throughout the world and gathering millions of miles of vehicle behavior on the road.
This is the main point that Percoco makes regarding Tesla’s lead in the entire autonomy sector: data is King, and Tesla has the most of it.
One big story that has hit the news over the past week is that of NVIDIA and its own self-driving suite, called Alpamayo. NVIDIA launched this open-source AI program last week, but it differs from Tesla’s in a significant fashion, especially from a hardware perspective, as it plans to use a combination of LiDAR, Radar, and Vision (Cameras) to operate.
Percoco said that NVIDIA’s announcement does not impact Morgan Stanley’s long-term opinions on Tesla and its strength or prowess in self-driving.
NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang commends Tesla’s Elon Musk for early belief
And, for what it’s worth, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang even said some remarkable things about Tesla following the launch of Alpamayo:
“I think the Tesla stack is the most advanced autonomous vehicle stack in the world. I’m fairly certain they were already using end-to-end AI. Whether their AI did reasoning or not is somewhat secondary to that first part.”
Percoco reiterated both the $425 price target and the ‘Equal Weight’ rating on Tesla shares.
Elon Musk
Donald Trump turns to Elon Musk and Starlink amid Iran internet blackout
Donald Trump has stated that he plans to speak with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk about restoring internet access in Iran.
Donald Trump has stated that he plans to speak with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk about restoring internet access in Iran, as authorities in the country implement an internet blackout amid nationwide anti-government protests.
Trump points to Starlink
Speaking to reporters in Washington, Trump said Musk would be well-suited to help restore connectivity in Iran, citing his experience operating large-scale satellite networks, as noted in a Reuters report. “He’s very good at that kind of thing, he’s got a very good company,” Trump said.
Iran has experienced a near-total internet shutdown for several days, severely limiting the flow of information as protests escalated into broader demonstrations against the country’s rulers.
Starlink has previously been used in Iran during periods of unrest, allowing some users to access the global internet despite government blocks. Neither Musk nor SpaceX immediately commented on Trump’s remarks, but Musk has publicly supported efforts to provide Starlink access to Iranians during earlier periods of unrest.
Renewed Trump–Musk ties
Trump’s comments come amid a thaw in his previously strained relationship with Musk. The two had a public falling-out last year over domestic policy disagreements but have since appeared together publicly, including at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort. The renewed ties now intersect with foreign policy, as Starlink has become a strategic tool in regions facing censorship or conflict.
The satellite service has also played a prominent role elsewhere, most notably in Ukraine, highlighting both its potential impact and the political sensitivities surrounding its use. In Iran, Starlink support previously followed coordination between Musk and U.S. officials during protests in 2022.
The current internet blackout in Iran has drawn international attention, with rights groups estimating hundreds of deaths and thousands of arrests since demonstrations intensified late last year. Iranian authorities have not released official casualty figures, and outside verification remains limited due to restricted communications.