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Elon Musk teases ‘kick-ass’ Tesla Cybertruck Performance trim

Credit: Elon Musk/Twitter

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Elon Musk said he drove a special Performance version of the Cybertruck on Friday, while many onlookers are still waiting to see what options Tesla offers for the upcoming electric pickup.

On Friday, Musk wrote on X that he had driven “the performance Cybertruck,” adding that it “kicks ass next-level.” The news came in response to a repost of a previous interview with Tesla Owners Silicon Valley VP Kelvin Gee, in which Musk said that a Plaid Model 3 would not be coming to the market.

Currently, Tesla offers upgraded “Performance” trims for the Model 3 and Model Y, as well as so-called “Plaid” trims as the top-tier trim options for the Model S and X. With Musk’s statement, it appears that the Cybertruck will gain the naming convention Performance alongside the Model 3 and Y.

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Still, this didn’t stop users in the thread from asking how many motors the Performance Cybertruck would have, along with questions about other vehicle features. Upon its initial launch in 2019, the vehicle debuted with three motor options: single-motor, dual-motor and tri-motor. In 2021, Musk also said that the Cybertruck would launch with a quad-motor configuration.

It’s unclear if all four of these will be included in the Cybertruck’s official release in the coming months.

Tesla has yet to release official specs for the Cybertruck, nor has the automaker shared information about the electric truck’s configurations, prices or when deliveries will begin. Although a delivery event for the Cybertruck was discussed by Musk earlier this year, it’s still not clear when it will take place.

Volume production of the Cybertruck is not expected to begin until next year, though initial deliveries should start before the end of this year. Tesla still awaits a Certificate of Conformity from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and crash testing results from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) before officially selling the vehicle.

The news comes just about a week after the Cybertruck surpassed two million reservations, according to one tracker, and ahead of Tesla’s plans to begin initial deliveries in the next several months. In recent weeks, Cybertruck prototypes have been spotted on several accounts, along with a new blue digital camo wrap spotted this week that’s different from the previously seen wrap options.

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Update: The fourth paragraph was corrected to note that the Cybertruck was unveiled with three motor configurations, while Elon Musk later announced plans for a fourth, quad-motor, launch edition variant.

Tesla teases us with more Cybertruck test track footage

What are your thoughts? Let me know at zach@teslarati.com, find me on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send your tips to us at tips@teslarati.com.

Zach is a renewable energy reporter who has been covering electric vehicles since 2020. He grew up in Fremont, California, and he currently lives in Colorado. His work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, KRON4 San Francisco, FOX31 Denver, InsideEVs, CleanTechnica, and many other publications. When he isn't covering Tesla or other EV companies, you can find him writing and performing music, drinking a good cup of coffee, or hanging out with his cats, Banks and Freddie. Reach out at zach@teslarati.com, find him on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send us tips at tips@teslarati.com.

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Tesla might have built redundancies for Cybercab charging

When Tesla unveiled the Cybercab in 2024, the company noted that the autonomous two-seater would utilize wireless charging.

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Credit: @AdanGuajardo/X

A newly spotted panel on Tesla’s Cybercab prototype may point to a practical backup for the vehicle’s wireless charging system as it nears mass production. 

Tesla watchers have speculated that the panel could house a physical NACS port, which would ensure that the autonomous two-seater could operate reliably even before the company’s wireless charging infrastructure is deployed.

Cybercab possible physical charge port

The discussion was sparked by a post on X by Tesla watcher Owen Sparks, who highlighted a rather interesting panel on the Cybercab’s rear. The panel, which seemed to be present in the prototype units that have been spotted across the United States recently, seemed large enough to house a physical charge port.

When Tesla unveiled the Cybercab in 2024, the company noted that the autonomous two-seater would utilize wireless charging. Since then, however, Tesla has remained largely quiet about the system’s rollout timeline. With the Cybercab expected to enter production in a few months, equipping the vehicle with a physical NACS port would allow it to charge at Superchargers nationwide without relying exclusively on still-undeployed wireless chargers.

Such an approach would not rule out wireless charging long-term. Instead, it would give Tesla flexibility, allowing the Cybercab to operate immediately at scale while wireless charging solutions are rolled out later. For a vehicle designed to operate continuously and autonomously, redundancy in charging options would be a practical move.

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Growing Cybercab sightings

Recent sightings of the Cybercab prototype in Chicago point to the same design philosophy. Images shared on social media showed the vehicle coated in road grime, while its rear camera area appeared noticeably cleaner, with visible traces of water on the trunk.

The observation suggests that the Cybercab is equipped with a rear camera washer. As noted by Model Y owner and industry watcher Sawyer Merritt, this is a feature Tesla owners have requested for years, particularly in snowy or wet climates where dirt and slush can obscure cameras and degrade the performance of systems like FSD.

While only the rear camera washer was clearly visible, the sighting raises the possibility that Tesla may equip additional exterior cameras with similar cleaning systems. For a vehicle that operates without a human driver,  after all, maintaining camera visibility in all conditions is essential. Ultimately, the charge-port speculation and camera-washer sightings suggest Tesla is approaching the Cybercab with practicality in mind.

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Tesla Model Y dominated China’s NEV sales in December 2025

As per sales data from China, the all-electric crossover finished first among the country’s best-selling EVs and plug-in hybrids.

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Credit: Grok Imagine

The Tesla Model Y ranked as China’s top-selling new energy vehicle in December, leading an intensely competitive market packed with strong domestic brands. 

As per sales data from China, the all-electric crossover finished first among the country’s best-selling EVs and plug-in hybrids. The Model 3 also placed within the country’s top ten vehicles.

Model Y leads China’s NEV rankings

The graphic, shared on X and sourced from Chinese auto industry data aggregator Yiche, listed the top 20 best-selling new energy vehicles in China for December. Tesla’s Model Y claimed the No. 1 position with roughly 65,874 units sold, finishing well ahead of a field dominated by domestic manufacturers such as BYD, SAIC-GM-Wuling, and Xiaomi.

The chart also showed strong performances from other high-volume models, including BYD’s Qin Plus, which sold 46,837 units during the month. Tesla’s Model 3 ranked eighth overall, with just under 28,000 units sold, placing it ahead of numerous locally produced competitors despite its rather premium price.

Tesla China’s strong December

Tesla China had a stellar December 2025. During the month, Tesla sold 97,171 vehicles wholesale in China, as per data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA). The result marked Tesla China’s second-highest monthly total on record, trailing only November 2022’s peak of 100,291 units.

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December’s wholesale figure represented a 3.63% increase from the same month a year earlier and a 12.08% jump from November. Industry watchers have suggested that part of the surge was driven by Tesla pulling deliveries forward to allow customers to benefit from more favorable purchase tax policies before year-end. 

Despite this, December’s results suggest that Tesla’s Model Y and Model 3 remain highly competitive offerings in China, which is extremely impressive considering the competition from domestic players and their still premium price.

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Elon Musk

Elon Musk’s net worth is nearing $800 billion, and it’s no small part due to xAI

A newly confirmed $20 billion xAI funding round valued the business at $250 billion, adding an estimated $62 billion to Musk’s fortune.

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Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Elon Musk moved within reach of an unprecedented $800 billion net worth after private investors sharply increased the valuation of xAI Holdings, his artificial intelligence and social media company. 

A newly confirmed $20 billion funding round valued the business at $250 billion, adding an estimated $62 billion to Musk’s fortune and widening his lead as the world’s wealthiest individual.

xAI’s valuation jump

Forbes confirmed that xAI Holdings was valued at $250 billion following its $20 billion funding round. That’s more than double the $113 billion valuation Musk cited when he merged his AI startup xAI with social media platform X last year. Musk owned roughly 49% of the combined company, which Forbes estimated was worth about $122 billion after the deal closed.

xAI’s recent valuation increase pushed Musk’s total net worth to approximately $780 billion, as per Forbes’ Real-Time Billionaires List. The jump represented one of the single largest wealth gains ever recorded in a private funding round.

Interestingly enough, xAI’s funding round also boosted the AI startup’s other billionaire investors. Saudi investor Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud held an estimated 1.6% stake in xAI worth about $4 billion, so the recent funding round boosted his net worth to $19.4 billion. Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey and Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison each owned roughly 0.8% stakes that are now valued at about $2.1 billion, increasing their net worths to $6 billion and $241 billion, respectively.

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The backbone of Musk’s net worth

Despite xAI’s rapid rise, Musk’s net worth is still primarily anchored by SpaceX and Tesla. SpaceX represents Musk’s single most valuable asset, with his 42% stake in the private space company estimated at roughly $336 billion. 

Tesla ranks second among Musk’s holdings, as he owns about 12% of the EV maker’s common stock, which is worth approximately $307 billion.

Over the past year, Musk crossed a series of historic milestones, becoming the first person ever worth $500 billion, $600 billion, and $700 billion. He also widened his lead over the world’s second-richest individual, Larry Page, by more than $500 billion.

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