News
Tesla’s Cybertruck delay may have been caused by design finalization
Tesla’s production of the all-electric Cybertruck may have been pushed back due to design finalization by company engineers who have been modifying the vehicle’s dimensions and look.
On Saturday, Tesla’s online configurator for the Cybertruck was officially updated to state that production was starting in 2022. This was a slight change, as previously the configurator, which outlines the variants of each vehicle, when their expected delivery dates are, and pricing, stated that the Tri-Motor variant of the truck would be produced as early as December 2021.
However, this has been pushed back to 2022, as the Model Y is taking priority at Giga Texas, Tesla’s newest facility. Construction is still ongoing, but production nears and could start within the coming weeks, according to some reports. The Cybertruck and Model Y are both slotted to be produced at the plant among other vehicles as well, but it remained unclear what vehicle would take priority. This was until the Q2 2021 Earnings Call where Tesla confirmed the Model Y would be the first vehicle built at the facility, which is located just miles outside of Austin.
Credit: u/X5AT_1/Reddit
It appears that Tesla may have been working on finalizing the design of the Cybertruck, and this instance may have caused the delay. Tesla insider @SawyerMerritt stated earlier today that a company source said Tesla finalized the design of the Cybertruck just recently.
This won’t be much of a surprise but I’ve been told designs were just recently finalized for Cybertruck. Tesla said on the Q2 earnings call that “Cybertruck is at a stage where we finished basic engineering of the architecture; We’re moving into the beta phases later this year.”
— Sawyer Merritt ?? (@SawyerMerritt) August 9, 2021
-->Teslarati reached out to Merritt for more context, but no more information was able to be shared at the request of the individual who shared it. Merritt said the source was within Tesla.
Earlier this year, Elon Musk stated that Cybertruck engineering was “almost finished” during the Q4 2020 Earnings Call in January. “So we’re no longer iterating at the design center level or design level. We’ve got the designs fixed,” he stated. However, there was some movement on this statement when Musk appeared on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast just a few weeks later.
During the February podcast, Musk stated that the Cybertruck was still going through some minor design modifications related to size. He stated that the Cybertruck unveiled at the Hawthorne Design Studio in November 2019 was “pretty much what it will look like,” but there would be some small differences between that vehicle and the final design. Most of the changes were related to the dimensions of the car. “You know, we adjusted the size a few percent. Like around 3% or smaller. You don’t want it to be a couple of inches too big for the tunnel,” Musk added.
Tesla Cybertruck makes a tight squeeze through Boring Company tunnel
Musk stated during the podcast that the Cybertruck would enter production at Giga Texas late this year and that “if we’re lucky,” some deliveries might be completed by the end of 2021.
-->Tesla is known to take its time with designing vehicles, making sure the engineering and software of a vehicle are just right. This is most evident with the recent Model S Plaid deliveries, which were slated to begin in February. Tesla didn’t give the Model S Plaid to customers until June 10th, as software and design challenges held up the delivery process. Musk was transparent when announcing the delays, stating that minor tweaks needed to be made for the car to be acceptable.
The Cybertruck is still undergoing many design finalizations, and nothing is set in stone. Recently, Teslarati uncovered the possibility of Tesla installing solar panels on the Cybertruck’s tonneau for increased range. This idea has not been confirmed by Tesla yet, but the patents point toward the potential usage of solar cells to increase traveling distance between charges.
What do you think? Let us know in the comments below, or be sure to email me at joey@teslarati.com or on Twitter @KlenderJoey.
News
Tesla FSD Supervised ride-alongs in Europe begin in Italy, France, and Germany
The program allows the public to hop in as a non-driving observer to witness FSD navigate urban streets firsthand.
Tesla has kicked off passenger ride-alongs for Full Self-Driving (Supervised) in Italy, France and Germany. The program allows the public to hop in as a non-driving observer to witness FSD navigate urban streets firsthand.
The program, detailed on Tesla’s event pages, arrives ahead of a potential early 2026 Dutch regulatory approval that could unlock a potential EU-wide rollout for FSD.
Hands-Off Demos
Tesla’s ride-along invites participants to “ride along in the passenger seat to experience how it handles real-world traffic & the most stressful parts of daily driving, making the roads safer for all,” as per the company’s announcement on X through its official Tesla Europe & Middle East account.
Sign-ups via localized pages offer free slots through December, with Tesla teams piloting vehicles through city streets, roundabouts and highways.
“Be one of the first to experience Full Self-Driving (Supervised) from the passenger seat. Our team will take you along as a passenger and show you how Full Self-Driving (Supervised) works under real-world road conditions,” Tesla wrote. “Discover how it reacts to live traffic and masters the most stressful parts of driving to make the roads safer for you and others. Come join us to learn how we are moving closer to a fully autonomous future.”
-->Building trust towards an FSD Unsupervised rollout
Tesla’s FSD (Supervised) ride-alongs could be an effective tool to build trust and get regular car buyers and commuters used to the idea of vehicles driving themselves. By seating riders shotgun, Tesla could provide participants with a front row seat to the bleeding edge of consumer-grade driverless systems.
FSD (Supervised) has already been rolled out to several countries, such as the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and partially in China. So far, FSD (Supervised) has been received positively by drivers, as it really makes driving tasks and long trips significantly easier and more pleasant.
FSD is a key safety feature as well, which became all too evident when a Tesla driving on FSD was hit by what seemed to be a meteorite in Australia. The vehicle moved safely despite the impact, though the same would likely not be true had the car been driven manually.
News
Swedish union rep pissed that Tesla is working around a postal blockade they started
Tesla Sweden is now using dozens of private residences as a way to obtain license plates for its vehicles.
Two years into their postal blockade, Swedish unions are outraged that Tesla is still able to provide its customers’ vehicles with valid plates through various clever workarounds.
Seko chairman Gabriella Lavecchia called it “embarrassing” that the world’s largest EV maker, owned by CEO Elon Musk, refuses to simply roll over and accept the unions’ demands.
Unions shocked Tesla won’t just roll over and surrender
The postal unions’ blockade began in November 2023 when Seko and IF Metall-linked unions stopped all mail to Tesla sites to force a collective agreement. License plates for Tesla vehicles instantly became the perfect pressure point, as noted in a Dagens Arbete report.
Tesla responded by implementing initiatives to work around the blockades. A recent investigation from Arbetet revealed that Tesla Sweden is now using dozens of private residences, including one employee’s parents’ house in Trångsund and a customer-relations staffer’s home in Vårby, as a way to obtain license plates for its vehicles.
Seko chairman Gabriella Lavecchia is not pleased that Tesla Sweden is working around the unions’ efforts yet again. “It is embarrassing that one of the world’s largest car companies, owned by one of the world’s richest people, has sunk this low,” she told the outlet. “Unfortunately, it is completely frivolous that such a large company conducts business in this way.”
-->Two years on and plates are still being received
The Swedish Transport Agency has confirmed Tesla is still using several different workarounds to overcome the unions’ blockades.
As noted by DA, Tesla Sweden previously used different addresses to receive its license plates. At one point, the electric vehicle maker used addresses for car care shops. Tesla Sweden reportedly used this strategy in Östermalm in Stockholm, as well as in Norrköping and Gothenburg.
Another strategy that Tesla Sweden reportedly implemented involved replacement plates being ordered by private individuals when vehicles change hands from Tesla to car buyers. There have also been cases where the police have reportedly issued temporary plates to Tesla vehicles.
News
Czech Deputy excited for Tesla FSD, hints at Transport Committee review
The ANO party lawmaker shared his thoughts about FSD in a post on social media platform X.
Martin Kolovratník, a Czech Republic Chamber of Deputies member, has expressed his excitement for Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) after an apparent constituent called for a quick approval for the advanced safety system.
The ANO party lawmaker, who drives both diesel and EV, shared his thoughts about the matter in a post on social media platform X.
The official’s initial statements
Kolovratník kicked off the exchange with a post outlining his coalition’s efforts to scrap highway toll exemptions for electric vehicles and plug-ins starting in 2027.
“Times have changed. Electric vehicles are no longer a fringe technology, but a full-fledged part of operations. And if someone uses the highway network, they should follow the same rules as everyone else. That’s the basis of fairness,” he wrote.
He emphasized equity over ideology, noting his personal mix of diesel and electric driving. “For this reason, there is no reason to continue favoring one technology at the expense of another… It’s not about ideology, it’s about equal conditions. That’s why we clearly agreed within the new coalition: the exemption for electric vehicles and plug-ins will end in 2027. The decision is predictable, understandable, and economically sound.”
-->Tesla FSD enthusiasm
The conversation pivoted to Tesla’s FSD when X user @robotinreallife, who seems to be one of the official’s constituents, replied that other matters are more important than ending highway exemptions for EVs.
“I’m happy to pay for the highway, but I have a question about a much more fundamental matter: The Netherlands will approve the operation of Tesla FSD in February 26, a technology that has been proven to reduce accidents. The Czech Republic has the option to immediately recognize this certification. Do you plan to support this step so that we don’t unnecessarily delay?” the X user asked.
Kolovratník responded promptly, sharing his own excitement for the upcoming rollout of FSD. “I know about it. I like it and it seems interesting to me. Once we set up the committees and subcommittees, we’ll open it right away in that transport one. Thanks for the tip, I’ll deliver the report,” the official noted in his reply on X.
Kolovratník’s nod to FSD hints at the system’s potentially smooth rollout to Czechia in the coming year. With the Netherlands possibly greenlighting FSD (Supervised) in early 2026, Kolovratník’s commitment could accelerate cross-border certification, boosting FSD’s foray into Europe by a notable margin.
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Tesla FSD Supervised ride-alongs in Europe begin in Italy, France, and Germany
Swedish union rep pissed that Tesla is working around a postal blockade they started
