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Tesla Cybertruck stainless steel rear hatch (Photo: Arash Malek) Tesla Cybertruck stainless steel rear hatch (Photo: Arash Malek)

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Tesla’s Elon Musk explains Cybertruck’s adaptive air suspension after seeing a Ford F-350 get mangled

Tesla Cybertruck stainless steel rear hatch (Photo: Arash Malek)

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For the Tesla Cybertruck to excel in the pickup truck market, it will have to exceed or at least match the utility capabilities of the industry’s biggest players such as Ford, whose F-150 has become an icon of the United States. Elon Musk’s recent comment regarding the results of a rather shocking test on a Ford F-350 hints that the Cybertruck will have the goods to make it a formidable competitor in the pickup market, and then some. 

Tesla enthusiast John D. recently shared a video of a Ford F-350 with 3,000 lbs of payload in its bed being tested on a sloped platform. The video was brief, but it contained a particularly painful incident showing the F-350’s tailgate warping due to the way the vehicle was positioned. It was a bit shocking, to say the least, especially since the Ford truck is considered as one of the market’s more durable pickups. The massive truck’s tailgate could not be opened after it warped as well. 

Responding to the video, Elon Musk explained that such incidents would not happen on the Cybertruck, as the domineering all-electric vehicle is equipped with adaptive air suspension, which was demoed briefly during the vehicle’s unveiling event. “That’s why Cybertruck has active suspension height & damping control,” Musk said. 

The Tesla CEO’s statements seem to be the tip of the iceberg, as other features of the Cybertruck would likely prevent the same warping incidents that haunted the Ford F-350 in the test. The Cybertruck’s non-ladder-frame design, for example, means that its bed is not separated from the cab like the F-350. Its fully-integrated exoskeleton and XY design should also help greatly in load-bearing. 

This will likely be a strong selling point for the Cybertruck, considering that such warping incidents are reportedly often on vehicles that actually get put to work in the country. If Tesla can prove that the Cybertruck has what it takes to ensure that the vehicle does not warp even in conditions that would damage its competitors, it could establish itself as the pickup truck to beat in terms of durability. 

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The Tesla Cybertruck is, in a way, a vehicle that is a page away from the electric car maker’s playbook. With a bold XY design, the Cybertruck is incredibly different compared to Tesla’s existing Model S, 3, and X lineup. Yet, despite this, the vehicle has been lauded by auto expert Jack Rickard, who noted that the pickup may very well prove to be Elon Musk’s boldest and greatest creation yet, thanks to its durability, power, features, and its potential off-road capability.

“He hit all the right notes, on here is a truck you can take a sledgehammer to, and you can beat this truck all you want and it doesn’t even show damage. And it has an off-road capability in case you ever roll it up onto the front lawn of your house,” he said.

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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Tesla Robotaxi was just spotted in a new state for the first time

The company is still attempting to expand and has explicitly stated that it plans to offer rides in Nevada, Arizona, and Florida in the near future. However, a pair of Robotaxi mules, fitted with LiDAR equipment for ground truth validation, was spotted in a new region for the first time.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla Robotaxi mules were spotted in a new state for the first time as the company plans to expand the ride-sharing service to new areas of the United States in the coming months.

Tesla is offering Robotaxi rides in Austin already, where nobody is present in the driver’s seat except for on freeway routes. In California, Tesla refers to its platform as a ride-hailing suite, and a “Safety Monitor” is present in the driver’s seat at all times, but the vehicle operates on Full Self-Driving.

The company is still attempting to expand and has explicitly stated that it plans to offer rides in Nevada, Arizona, and Florida in the near future. However, a pair of Robotaxi mules, fitted with LiDAR equipment for ground truth validation, was spotted in a new region for the first time.

Over the weekend, Tesla Robotaxi mules were spotted in Enola, Pennsylvania, just about ten minutes from downtown Harrisburg:

Enola is situated to the northwest of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania’s State Capitol. Interestingly, you’d expect Tesla to be testing these types of vehicles in other, more populated areas; Philadelphia is about two hours East, and Pittsburgh is about three hours west. State College is about an hour North of Enola.

Looking at the location of where the vehicles were spotted tells an interesting story, as Enola, located right outside of the State Capitol, could be a move to nudge legislators to consider looking at some of the laws that deal with driverless and autonomous vehicle operation.

Pennsylvania’s Act 130 of 2022 and subsequent guidelines permit the testing of driverless vehicles in the Commonwealth, but PennDOT requires a permit from Tesla or any other company that wants to operate a ride-hailing service in PA.

It’s also important to note that the cars could have simply been stopping through, as they were spotted at a Supercharger location along Interstate 81, which spans from Tennessee to New York.

It is not to say the vehicles are testing along the entire route, but likely a segment of it. The fact that they were spotted in Pennsylvania does bode well for Tesla’s expansion efforts moving forward.

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Tesla CEO Elon Musk sends final warning to Bill Gates over short position

“If Gates hasn’t fully closed out the crazy short position he has held against Tesla for ~8 years, he had better do so soon,” Musk said.

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Tesla CEO Elon Musk sent a final warning to former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates over his short position, which he confirmed he held to Musk directly several years ago.

Gates has been a skeptic of Tesla for some time, but he has also tried to work with Musk on philanthropic opportunities several years ago, which was coincidentally when he admitted to the company’s frontman that he held a short position.

Musk was, in turn, “super mean” to Gates, according to Walter Isaacson’s biography about the Tesla CEO. Gates had put $500 million against Tesla, shorting the stock and hoping to profit from its failure.

Elon Musk explains Bill Gates beef: He ‘placed a massive bet on Tesla dying’

A short position essentially means Gates is betting Tesla shares will go down, which would make him money. However, shares have gone up over six percent this year and increased nearly 150 percent over the past five years.

At the recent Annual Shareholder Meeting, Musk made many claims about Tesla’s future projects and how they could manage to disrupt various industries. He also recently had a massive $1 trillion compensation package approved, which will be awarded in twelve tranches, all of which combine a company valuation goal and an individual goal related to a product.

Musk was able to complete his last approved pay package, but it was not awarded due to a ruling by a Delaware Chancery Court. Nevertheless, his track record of proving growth for Tesla shareholders is excellent, and investors are obviously very encouraged by his capabilities as a CEO, considering 76.6 percent of shareholders voted to approve his new compensation.

After it was revealed that the Gates Foundation dumped 65 percent of its Microsoft position for nearly $9 billion, Musk had one final message for him: drop your Tesla short position soon, or else.

Musk’s rivalry with Gates is mostly founded on the Tesla CEO’s discontent with the former Microsoft frontman’s short position. However, Musk might have a bit of a soft spot for Gates, considering he is giving him a warning of what is potentially to come. If he really wanted to do some damage to Gates, he would not give him any heads-up at all.

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Tesla rolls out most aggressive Model Y lease deal in the US yet

With the promotion in place, customers would be able to take home a Model Y at a very low cost.

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(Credit: Tesla)

Tesla has rolled out what could very well be its most aggressive promotion for Model Y leases in the United States yet. With the promotion in place, customers would be able to take home a Model Y at a very low cost.

Zero downpayment leases

The new Model Y lease promotion was initially reported on X, with industry watcher Sawyer Merritt stating that while the vehicles’ monthly payments are still similar to before, the cars can now be ordered with a $0 downpayment. 

Tesla community members noted that this promotion would cut the full payment cost of Model Y leases by several thousand dollars, though prices were still a bit better when the $7,500 federal tax credit was still in effect. Despite this, a $0 downpayment would likely be appreciated by customers, as it lowers the entry point to the Tesla ecosystem by a notable margin.

Premium freebies included

Apart from a $0 downpayment, customers of Model Y leases are also provided one free upgrade for their vehicles. These upgrades could be premium paint, such as Pearl White Multi-Coat, Deep Blue Metallic, Diamond Black, Quicksilver or Ultra Red, or 20″ Helix 2.0 Wheels. Customers could also opt for a White Interior or a Tow Hitch free of charge.

A look at Tesla’s Model Y order page shows that the promotion is available for all the Model Y Premium Rear-Wheel Drive and the Model Y Premium All-Wheel Drive. The Model Y Standard and the Model Y Performance are not eligible for the $0 downpayment or free premium upgrade promotion as of writing. 

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🚨 Tesla Full Self-Driving v14.1.7 is here and here’s some things it did extremely well! #tesla #teslafsd #fullselfdriving ♬ You Have It – Marscott

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