Connect with us

Elon Musk

Tesla’s Elon Musk considers insane Cybertruck mod: ‘Maybe we should make this’

The Cybertruck won’t do what the video shows (at least not in our lifetime), but a very entry-level version of it could be developed.

Published

on

Credit: Cybertruck | X

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has teased what could potentially be the company’s next big project, and while it is likely many, many years away, it shows the company truly has its sights set on the craziest things the world has seen.

Musk shared a video created by Grok Imagine, the AI tool that is able to take images and turn them into videos, showing a Cybertruck flying above the clouds and buildings of what appears to be a very futuristic city.

There are also massive robots roaming around in the video, so it is obviously an illustration of what life could look like in several generations.

However, Musk, who does not shy away from some really optimistic projects and goals, shared the video on X and said, “Maybe Tesla should make this.”

What is depicted in the video is not what we’d see Tesla create anytime soon. However, the company could potentially engineer something to make the Cybertruck hover, as it plans to do with the Roadster.

Of course, this is likely a huge “if” considering the current state of the car industry. Vehicles are becoming more advanced with every passing day as companies like Tesla, Waymo, and others are working to sort out things like autonomous and driverless travel.

Tesla has been working on somewhat of a similar idea with the Roadster, a vehicle that has been delayed on several occasions because of Musk’s spectacular imagination. Earlier this year, Tesla’s Chief Designer, Franz von Holzhausen, revealed Musk wanted to push the limits of that vehicle even more.

The new Tesla Roadster will be able to fly: Elon Musk

Advertisement

It seems it could be on the way soon, considering Tesla has teased an “epic” demo for the car, which could come before the end of the year.

Tesla has been working to make the Roadster hover, using SpaceX cold gas thrusters. It will also utilize these for what could be an incredibly fast 1.1-second 0-60 MPH acceleration rate that has been teased countless times.

This project that Musk is teasing with the Cybertruck is likely one that we will not see in our lifetimes. However, this is just one example of the outlandish ideas Musk continues to tease for Tesla in the future.

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

Elon Musk

Elon Musk confirms Tesla has never shown Optimus V3 design yet

Optimus is a cornerstone of the company’s pursuit towards sustainable abundance.

Published

on

Credit: Tesla Optimus/X

Elon Musk has clarified that the next iteration of Tesla’s humanoid robot, Optimus V3, has yet to be revealed publicly. His comments were posted on social media platform on X as Tesla enthusiasts discussed recent images of Optimus V2 and V2.5. 

Musk’s comment followed a recent video shared by Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, which showed Musk demonstrating an updated Optimus prototype equipped with Grok AI.

Updated Optimus V2

The short video posted by Benioff showed a gold-colored Optimus unit answering questions through Tesla’s Grok AI assistant and taking tentative steps. The addition of Grok suggests Tesla is seeking to integrate conversational AI directly into Optimus, expanding its potential applications beyond mechanical movement to include workplace and consumer interaction.

The Optimus in the video was quite different from the V2 units that have been showcased by the company in the past. Its hands looked more human (though they appeared to be mannequin placeholders) and its body was painted gold. In a follow-up post, the official Tesla Optimus account teased the updated design with functional hands with the caption “I’ve been working on my figure.” 

Future versions

It was then no surprise that some in the Tesla community had the impression that the refined version of the prototype featured in the new images was Optimus V3. With its more advanced hands, forearms, and sleek new paint job, after all, the unit could very well be a whole new evolution of the humanoid robot. As per Musk, however, this was not the case. 

Advertisement

In a response to an X user who compared the progress of Optimus to Starship’s Raptor V1, V2, and V3 engines, the CEO clarified that Tesla has not shown Optimus V3 yet. He also noted that the new images of the humanoid robot were of Optimus V2.5. “We haven’t shown Optimus V3 yet. It is sublime. The second two images are V2 and V2.5,” Musk wrote in his response.

Optimus plays a huge role in Tesla’s future, with the robot expected to be a high-volume product that is a cornerstone of the company’s pursuit towards sustainable abundance. Elon Musk’s 2025 pay package also directly involves Optimus, with one of his targets being the delivery of 1 million Optimus robots.

Continue Reading

Elon Musk

SpaceX to expand Central Texas facility with $8M Bastrop project

Bastrop is already the site of several Elon Musk-led ventures.

Published

on

Credit: SpaceX

SpaceX is set to expand its presence in Central Texas with an $8 million project to enlarge its Bastrop facility, as per state filings. 

The 80,000-square-foot addition, which is scheduled to begin construction on September 24 and wrap in early January 2026, was registered with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation and initially reported by My San Antonio

New investment

Bastrop is already the site of several Elon Musk-led ventures. The upcoming expansion will extend SpaceX’s office at 858 FM 1209, near Starlink’s operations and The Boring Company’s facilities. Just down the road, X is housed in the Hyperloop Plaza at 865 FM 1209.

SpaceX’s expansion reflects a steady buildup of resources in Bastrop since the private space firm established its presence in the area. The addition was praised by Tesla Governor Greg Abbott, who wrote on X that the expansion will “bring more jobs, innovations and will strengthen Starlink’s impact worldwide.” 

State support

In March, Gov. Greg Abbott announced a $17.3 million state grant to SpaceX for an “expansion of their semiconductor research and development (R&D) and advanced packaging facility in Bastrop.” The project is expected to create more than 400 new jobs and generate over $280 million in capital investment.

Advertisement

Following the grant award, the Texas Governor also noted that SpaceX’s facility would be growing by 1 million square feet across three years to boost its Starlink program. SpaceX’s Starlink division is among the company’s fastest-growing segments, with the satellite internet system connecting over 6 million users and counting worldwide. 

Recent reports have also indicated that Starlink has struck a deal with EchoStar to acquire 50 MHz of exclusive S-band spectrum in the United States and global Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) licenses. This should pave the way for Starlink to provide 5G coverage worldwide, even in remote areas. 

Continue Reading

Elon Musk

Starlink’s EchoStar spectrum deal could bring 5G coverage anywhere

The agreement strengthens Starlink’s ability to expand its mobile coverage worldwide.

Published

on

Credit: SpaceX/X

SpaceX has struck a deal with EchoStar to acquire 50 MHz of exclusive S-band spectrum in the United States and global Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) licenses, paving the way for its next-generation Starlink Direct to Cell constellation. 

The agreement strengthens Starlink’s ability to expand its mobile coverage worldwide. With the upgraded system, SpaceX aims to deliver full 5G connectivity to unmodified cell phones and eliminate mobile dead zones worldwide.

Expanding mobile coverage

Starlink’s Direct to Cell service was first launched in early 2024 with satellites designed to connect directly to standard LTE mobile devices. Within days of deployment, engineers demonstrated texting from unmodified phones, followed by video calling. Over the past 18 months, SpaceX has grown the system to more than 600 satellites, which now offer service across five continents. Today, Starlink Direct to Cell is considered the largest 4G coverage provider worldwide, connecting over 6 million users and counting, according to SpaceX in a post.

The constellation integrates with Starlink’s broader fleet of 8,000 satellites via a laser mesh network. Operating at 360 kilometers (224 miles) above Earth, the satellites connect directly to devices without hardware or firmware modifications. The system is already supporting messaging, video calls, navigation, social media apps, and IoT connectivity in remote areas.

Next-generation system

Through its new EchoStar spectrum acquisition, SpaceX plans to develop a second-generation constellation with far greater capacity. The upgraded satellites will leverage SpaceX-designed silicon and advanced phased array antennas to increase throughput by 20x per satellite and increase total system capacity by more than 100x. These enhancements are expected to support full 5G cellular connectivity in remote areas, with performance comparable to terrestrial LTE networks.

Advertisement

Partnerships with major mobile carriers remain central to Starlink’s expansion. Operators including T-Mobile in the United States, Rogers in Canada, KDDI in Japan, and Kyivstar in Ukraine are integrating Direct to Cell services for coverage in rural areas and during emergencies. The service has already provided critical communication during hurricanes, floods, and wildfires, enabling millions of SMS messages and emergency alerts to be delivered when ground networks were unavailable.

Continue Reading

Trending