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Tesla owners are catching the #frunkpuppy fever: Here’s the story behind the trend

[Credit: Earl Banning/Twitter]

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Every Friday, an increasing number of Tesla owners are taking photographs of pets in their electric cars’ frunks. Fondly dubbed as #frunkpuppyfriday, the adorable, lighthearted trend has started spreading across the Tesla community, reaching even high-profile owners such as Maye Musk herself. With the Friday photo sessions almost becoming routine among Tesla owners, it appears that the frunkpuppy fever will be around for quite some time.

This the story of the frunkpuppy trend — a look behind the frunk, if you will.

Tesla Model 3 owner Earl Banning works as an active duty Air Force neuropsychologist. As part of his work, he performs cognitive testing for active duty military personnel and retirees. The neuropsychologist opted to start a Twitter account in May to follow Tesla updates from Elon Musk, and before the month was over, he took delivery of his Model 3 — a black Long Range RWD variant that’s fully loaded with Autopilot and Full Self-Driving. In June, his Model 3 received software update v8.1(2018.24.1), and with it, his vehicle gained the capability to be summoned through the Tesla app.

Earl posted a short video of his Model 3 pulling into his garage without a driver. The clip was picked up by Tesla’s official Twitter account, and later, retweeted by Elon Musk himself. As his following grew due to Elon Musk’s retweet, the neuropsychologist and pet enthusiast started posting images of his dog in his Model 3’s frunk. Things started taking off, and Norman, his labradoodle, even became a sponsor of an accessory for the Model 3. Earl also began to make connections in the TSLA Twitter community, all the while dealing with the TSLAQ group, some of whom were accusing him of faking his Model 3’s Summon video or being a paid Tesla supporter.

Tragedy struck in July. The neuropsychologist’s wife encountered a sudden and severe health issue, resulting in her being rushed to the ER and almost passing away. Doctors were not optimistic, stating that the likely outcome would either be death or severe cognitive impairment. Banning stayed in the hospital with his wife for around a month as she battled her illness, distracting himself by interacting with the online Tesla community. At one point, he opted to share his situation and his fears with other Tesla owners, and he found both support and catharsis. As luck would have it, the #frunkpuppy trend started gaining ground at this time as well.

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Earl’s wife would eventually beat the odds. Though recovery will take a year, her life was no longer in danger. Earl’s frunkpuppy pictures started gaining ground online as well. Eventually, Trevor from the Model 3 Owners Club, who has a strong social media following, tweeted a picture of his cat in his car. Other social media influencers started picking up the trend. Dogs were followed by birds, rabbits, guinea pigs, and cats. One Tesla owner even shared an image of a snake inside a frunk.

On October, the frunkpuppy trend struck gold. Maye Musk retweeted a frunkpuppy photo, promising that she would do a shoot with her dog as soon as she is able. Late October, she did just that, posting a rather fashionable picture of her rescue dog inside her electric car’s frunk. Her image was voted by the Tesla community as the best #frunkpuppyfriday photo of the week.

Earl admits that he doesn’t really know where the frunkpuppy trend will go. He dreams of eventually getting enough referrals to get a Roadster, then using the car for charity. At some point in the future, he hopes to start a nonprofit that helps veterans, stroke survivors, and traumatic brain injury (TBI) victims, or even one that gives people with disabilities access to Teslas with Full Self-Driving capabilities. In a message to Teslarati, the Model 3 owner notes that while such a scenario is unlikely, it doesn’t hurt to be optimistic.

“Will all this happen? Odds are not likely. But my amazing wife beat all odds, survived and will fully recover. My two daughters love frunkpuppy and Teslas, and they get to keep their mom in their life. This thought brings tears of joy, so I’m here dreaming big. Tesla’s mission is sustainable energy and less pollution. I want that for them,” he said.

There is no denying that Tesla is a polarizing company, attracting an equal number of avid supporters and aggressive skeptics. Amidst the volatility of the company’s stock and the drama surrounding Elon Musk, though, there is a community of owners that are simply happy and content with their electric cars — a community that is warming up to the idea of Friday pet photoshoots in their vehicles’ frunk.

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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.

Lifestyle

Elon Musk jokes he will join Mr Beast’s “100 Men vs 1 Gorilla” challenge

It’s a good sign, if any, that the overworked Musk is becoming a bit more lighthearted again.

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Credit: Elon Musk/X

Following the first quarter Tesla earnings call, CEO Elon Musk seems to have become a bit more relaxed—relaxed enough to joke about fighting a gorilla with 99 other people, at least.

It’s a good sign, if any, that the overworked Musk is becoming a bit more lighthearted again and not too busy picking fights with politicians on social media.

The Viral 100 Men vs 1 Gorilla Challenge

Over the weekend, a post on social media platform X went viral. The post itself was quite simple, with user @DreamChasnMike stating that he thinks 100 men could beat one gorilla. “Everybody just gotta be dedicated to the sh*t,” the X user joked. The post exploded on the platform, garnering 284 million impressions as of writing.

The silly question also triggered a massive debate about whether 100 men would really stand a chance against a literal gorilla. Some users even lamented that the premise was a sign of male hubris. Nevertheless, the question proved to be a fun topic on X, with some more dedicated users even posting simulated videos of what the “100 Men vs 1 Gorilla Challenge” could look like. 

Mr. Beast and Elon Musk Join In

The premise is quite similar to other viral videos from noted YouTube creator Mr. Beast, so it was no surprise that edited images of Mr. Beast YouTube thumbnails with “100 Men vs a Gorilla” also started spreading on the social media platform. Mr. Beast, who tends to be game to such silly ideas, actually reposted the edited image, joking “Need 100 men to test this, any volunteers?”

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In true Elon Musk fashion, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO noted that he would join the challenge. “Sure, what’s the worst that could happen” Musk wrote in his post on X. Musk’s reply triggered quite a few laughs on X, with some stating that the world probably still needs the CEO.

While silly, Musk’s comment and his recent, more frequent posts about his companies’ products like Starlink and Grok have been received well by his supporters. Over the past months, after all, Musk has been very political and quite confrontational on social media. With Musk soon taking a step back from the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) daily operations, however, it seems like X will soon get a more tempered and lighthearted Elon Musk once more.

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Possible first glimpse of Tesla “Model 2” affordable car in Fremont Factory

The models that Tesla will release in the coming months will resemble the company’s current lineup.

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Image Credit: @metgodinwilderness7130/YouTube

During the Q1 earnings call, Tesla VP of Vehicle Engineering Lars Moravy set expectations on the design of the affordable models that the company is expected to launch this 2025. As per the Tesla executive, the models that Tesla will release in the coming months will resemble the company’s current lineup.

Drone footage from the Fremont Factory earlier this month might have provided the EV community its first potential glimpse at Tesla’s affordable cars–fondly dubbed by EV fans and analysts as the “Model 2” or even “Model Q”–or at least their components and overall shape.

The Sighting

Tesla watcher and drone operator Met God in Wilderness, who has been posting aerial videos of the Fremont Factory for years now, recently shared some footage from his drone flyovers this month. While the Fremont Factory was abuzz with activity as usual, a couple of rather strange vehicles were quickly spotted by EV watchers on social media.

During the drone operator’s flyover on the 17th, for example, an unfinished vehicle could be seen parked next to what appeared to be fully-built Model S and Model Y units. What was especially interesting was the vehicle’s roof, which seemed to be slightly narrower than the Model Ys around it. Based on the video, at least, the vehicle seemed to be shaped like a crossover as well.

Footage from the 24th of April also proved quite interesting, with the drone operator capturing footage of another cryptic vehicle. Unlike the mysterious, unfinished, crossover-esque car spotted on the 17th, this particular unit seemed to have a more sloping rear, at least based on the shape of its covering.

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What Lars Moravy Said

In Tesla’s Q1 2025 Update Letter, Tesla noted that “plans for new vehicles, including more affordable models, remain on track for start of production in the first half of 2025.” Tesla also noted that the new vehicles will utilize aspects of its next generation and its current platforms. They will also be produced on the same manufacturing lines as its present vehicle lineup, likely the Model Y and Model 3. 

During the earnings call itself, Moravy specifically stated that the new models that would come out in the next months would resemble the company’s current vehicles. They will, however, be affordable. “Models that come out in next months will be built on our lines and will resemble, in form and shape, the cars we currently make. And the key is that they’ll be affordable, and you’ll be able to buy one,” Moravy stated.

Watch the drone operator’s footage from April 17 below.

The drone operator’s footage from April 24 can be viewed below.

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Elon Musk seemingly confirms Cybertruck gift to 13-year-old cancer fighter

Diagnosed in 2018 with a rare form of brain and spine cancer with no cure, the teen has undergone 13 surgeries by the time he was 12.

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Credit: Tesla

Elon Musk has seemingly confirmed that he will be sending a Tesla Cybertruck to 13-year-old Devarjaye “DJ” Daniel, a 13-year-old Houston boy fighting brain cancer. The teen was recognized as an honorary Secret Service member by U.S. President Donald Trump during his address to Congress on Tuesday. 

A Chance Meeting

The Tesla CEO’s Cybertruck pledge was mentioned during DJ’s short interview with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins. When Collins asked the 13-year-old what he told the Tesla CEO, DJ answered that he asked for a Cybertruck.

“I said, ‘can you do me a big favor, when you get back to Houston can you send us a Cybertruck down there?’” the cancer fighter stated.

Daniel noted that Musk responded positively to his request, which was highlighted by Collins in a post on X. Musk responded to the post with a heart emoji, suggesting that he really will be sending a Cybertruck to the 13-year-old cancer fighter.

Teen’s Cancer Battle Inspires

Diagnosed in 2018 with a rare form of brain and spine cancer with no cure, Daniel has undergone 13 surgeries by the time he was 12. During his speech, Trump highlighted the 13-year-old’s long battle with his disease. 

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“Joining us in the gallery tonight is a young man who truly loves our police. The doctors gave him five months at most to live. That was more than six years ago. Since that time, DJ and his dad have been on a quest to make his dream come true,” Trump stated.

Daniels officially received an honorary badge from U.S. Secret Service Director Sean Curran, to much applause during the event.

Surprisingly Partisan

While Daniels’ story has been inspiring, Trump’s focus on the 13-year-old cancer fighter has received its own fair share of criticism. MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace, while referencing Daniels’ love for law enforcement, noted that she is hoping the 13-year-old never has to defend the U.S. capitol against Trump supporters. “If he does, I hope he isn’t one of the six who loses his life to suicide,” Wallace stated.

Anti-Musk and Trump accounts on X have also thrown jokes at the cancer fighter’s honorary badge, with some dubbing the 13-year-old as a “DEI hire” that should be looked into by DOGE.

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