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Arcimoto CEO Mark Frohnmayer talks MLM Cybertrike
Arcimoto CEO Mark Frohnmayer took the time to chat with me about the company’s new Mean Lean Machine (MLM) Cybertrike. Arcimoto is known for its Fun Utility Vehicle and you might remember that Tesla’s Chief Designer, Franz von Holzhausen once took one for a spin.
This is part one of our interview.
Mark initially introduced the new e-trike at the company’s Ramp It Up event back in February. The new MLM Cybertrike is actually Arcimoto’s fourth-generation prototype.
The new version of the MLM has major improvements in the suspension, the first packaging study of the company’s MicroFutureDrive and carbon fiber wheels.
Mark Frohnmaher on naming the MLM Cybertrike
“It’s a project of true passion for a brilliant team of engineers.”
He explained that this version is the true prototype for the mid-line edition of the Mean Lean Machine, which is what they are calling the Cybertrike Edition.
He also told me where the name, Cybertrike came from.
“One of the guys on the team who’s been a key on the design was really, really hot on that name. And then a bunch of the Tesla fans out there who follow us kept saying it. So, I was like, ‘alright, mid-line version’s the Cybertrike.’”
Features of the MLM Cybertrike.
Mark told me that this version has a near-production intent frame and if you compare the differences between versions three and four, this one “has substantially more carrying capacity.”
He further explained.
“A rack on the back, a rack mount on the back, a rack mount on the front, a rack mount on the steering stem. It has major refinements to the suspension.”
It also has carbon fiber wheels and lighter motors. Mark explained that all of these improvements will yield significant ride improvements.
The Heart Of Platform 2
“It also has our first packaging instance of the MicroFuture Drive which is the heart of Platform 2. When we talk about Platform 2 and MicroFuture Drive, that is a combined integrated battery–a large battery for an e-bike class vehicle.”
“We’re targeting 1.8kWh and then all of the electronics, the inverters, the phone-home, GPS, VCU–all of that in one box. As you know with the Mean Lean Machine, there’s no chain, there’s no belt. You don’t get grease on your leg. There’s one motor on each wheel and then you’re actually pedaling a motor–a generator. And that is your throttle.”
It also allows for recharging while it’s sitting stationary.
Arcimoto’s acquisition of Tilting Motor Works
Mark spoke of technology from Tilting Motor Works, which the company acquired last year.
“All of that together is leveraging the best in class in the world, we believe, tilting three-wheeled design technology that we’ve acquired with Tilting Motor Works last year. And then adding on just next-level EV tech to make for a truly, truly unique, and awesome ride.
“When you think about that, it is a three-wheeler that has a ride feel of a two-wheeled machine but with some significant advantages. Much better stability, much better traction. You’ve got independent control of each of the three wheels. Even if you lose traction on one wheel, the vehicle can adjust.”
Stay tuned for Part 2 of our interview.
If you have a tip, feel free to send them to johnna@teslarati.com
Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s X will start using a Tesla-like software update strategy
The initiative seems designed to accelerate updates to the social media platform, while maintaining maximum transparency.
Elon Musk’s social media platform X will adopt a Tesla-esque approach to software updates for its algorithm.
The initiative seems designed to accelerate updates to the social media platform, while maintaining maximum transparency.
X’s updates to its updates
As per Musk in a post on X, the social media company will be making a new algorithm to determine what organic and advertising posts are recommended to users. These updates would then be repeated every four weeks.
“We will make the new 𝕏 algorithm, including all code used to determine what organic and advertising posts are recommended to users, open source in 7 days. This will be repeated every 4 weeks, with comprehensive developer notes, to help you understand what changed,” Musk wrote in his post.
The initiative somewhat mirrors Tesla’s over-the-air update model, where vehicle software is regularly refined and pushed to users with detailed release notes. This should allow users to better understand the details of X’s every update and foster a healthy feedback loop for the social media platform.
xAI and X
X, formerly Twitter, has been acquired by Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence startup, xAI last year. Since then, xAI has seen a rapid rise in valuation. Following the company’s the company’s upsized $20 billion Series E funding round, estimates now suggest that xAI is worth tens about $230 to $235 billion. That’s several times larger than Tesla when Elon Musk received his controversial 2018 CEO Performance Award.
As per xAI, the Series E funding round attracted a diverse group of investors, including Valor Equity Partners, Stepstone Group, Fidelity Management & Research Company, Qatar Investment Authority, MGX, and Baron Capital Group, among others. Strategic partners NVIDIA and Cisco Investments also continued support for building the world’s largest GPU clusters.
News
Tesla FSD Supervised wins MotorTrend’s Best Driver Assistance Award
The decision marks a notable reversal for the publication from prior years, with judges citing major real-world improvements that pushed Tesla’s latest FSD software ahead of every competing ADAS system.
Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) system has been named the best driver-assistance technology on the market, earning top honors at the 2026 MotorTrend Best Tech Awards.
The decision marks a notable reversal for the publication from prior years, with judges citing major real-world improvements that pushed Tesla’s latest FSD software ahead of every competing ADAS system. And it wasn’t even close.
MotorTrend reverses course
MotorTrend awarded Tesla FSD (Supervised) its 2026 Best Tech Driver Assistance title after extensive testing of the latest v14 software. The publication acknowledged that it had previously criticized earlier versions of FSD for erratic behavior and near-miss incidents, ultimately favoring rivals such as GM’s Super Cruise in earlier evaluations.
According to MotorTrend, the newest iteration of FSD resolved many of those shortcomings. Testers said v14 showed far smoother behavior in complex urban scenarios, including unprotected left turns, traffic circles, emergency vehicles, and dense city streets. While the system still requires constant driver supervision, judges concluded that no other advanced driver-assistance system currently matches its breadth of capability.
Unlike rival systems that rely on combinations of cameras, radar, lidar, and mapped highways, Tesla’s FSD operates using a camera-only approach and is capable of driving on city streets, rural roads, and freeways. MotorTrend stated that pure utility, the ability to handle nearly all road types, ultimately separated FSD from competitors like Ford BlueCruise, GM Super Cruise, and BMW’s Highway Assistant.
High cost and high capability
MotorTrend also addressed FSD’s pricing, which remains significantly higher than rival systems. Tesla currently charges $8,000 for a one-time purchase or $99 per month for a subscription, compared with far lower upfront and subscription costs from other automakers. The publication noted that the premium is justified given FSD’s unmatched scope and continuous software evolution.
Safety remained a central focus of the evaluation. While testers reported collision-free operation over thousands of miles, they noted ongoing concerns around FSD’s configurable driving modes, including options that allow aggressive driving and speeds beyond posted limits. MotorTrend emphasized that, like all Level 2 systems, FSD still depends on a fully attentive human driver at all times.
Despite those caveats, the publication concluded that Tesla’s rapid software progress fundamentally reshaped the competitive landscape. For drivers seeking the most capable hands-on driver-assistance system available today, MotorTrend concluded Tesla FSD (Supervised) now stands alone at the top.
News
Elon Musk’s Grokipedia surges to 5.6M articles, almost 79% of English Wikipedia
The explosive growth marks a major milestone for the AI-powered online encyclopedia, which was launched by Elon Musk’s xAI just months ago.
Elon Musk’s Grokipedia has grown to an impressive 5,615,201 articles as of today, closing in on 79% of the English Wikipedia’s current total of 7,119,376 articles.
The explosive growth marks a major milestone for the AI-powered online encyclopedia, which was launched by Elon Musk’s xAI just months ago. Needless to say, it would only be a matter of time before Grokipedia exceeds English Wikipedia in sheer volume.
Grokipedia’s rapid growth
xAI’s vision for Grokipedia emphasizes neutrality, while Grok’s reasoning capabilities allow for fast drafting and fact-checking. When Elon Musk announced the initiative in late September 2025, he noted that Grokipedia would be an improvement to Wikipedia because it would be designed to avoid bias.
At the time, Musk noted that Grokipedia “is a necessary step towards the xAI goal of understanding the Universe.”
Grokipedia was launched in late October, and while xAI was careful to list it only as Version 0.1 at the time, the online encyclopedia immediately earned praise. Wikipedia co-founder Larry Sanger highlighted the project’s innovative approach, noting how it leverages AI to fill knowledge gaps and enable rapid updates. Netizens also observed how Grokipedia tends to present articles in a more objective manner compared to Wikipedia, which is edited by humans.
Elon Musk’s ambitious plans
With 5,615,201 total articles, Grokipedia has now grown to almost 79% of English Wikipedia’s article base. This is incredibly quick, though Grokipedia remains text-only for now. xAI, for its part, has now updated the online encyclopedia’s iteration to v0.2.
Elon Musk has shared bold ideas for Grokipedia, including sending a record of the entire knowledge base to space as part of xAI’s mission to preserve and expand human understanding. At some point, Musk stated that Grokipedia will be renamed to Encyclopedia Galactica, and it will be sent to the cosmos.
“When Grokipedia is good enough (long way to go), we will change the name to Encyclopedia Galactica. It will be an open source distillation of all knowledge, including audio, images and video. Join xAI to help build the sci-fi version of the Library of Alexandria!” Musk wrote, adding in a later post that “Copies will be etched in stone and sent to the Moon, Mars and beyond. This time, it will not be lost.”
Elon Musk’s X will start using a Tesla-like software update strategy
Tesla FSD Supervised wins MotorTrend’s Best Driver Assistance Award
