News
Tesla Cybertruck will equip 800v architecture for faster charging times, better margins
Tesla Cybertruck will equip an 800-volt architecture when it begins deliveries on November 30, an announcement that is still fresh from the company’s Earnings Call earlier this week.
For EV newbies, the 800-volt architecture may not be much of a head-turner. However, to those who have been following the industry at all, 800v architectures are the way of the future for the EV industry, especially as more electric cars are on the road, charging times continue to be a concern to some, and heavier all-electric cars are becoming more available throughout the various automakers.
On Wednesday, Tesla confirmed what many believed for a long time: the Cybertruck would equip an 800-volt architecture.
What are the strengths of an 800-volt architecture? It comes down to charging times, efficiency, margins, and weight, all things that are important to the company and its products, as well as its financial status.
Tesla Cybertruck and Semi are candidates for 800-volt architecture
-->From a macro standpoint, Tesla’s financials are still strong. But Musk and Co. were not shy about warning investors and analysts about the upcoming economic headwinds it would encounter.
It’s a market-wide issue and not just a Tesla issue. As Tesla plans to launch the Cybertruck, interest rates are high, discouraging consumers from wanting to finance anything. Additionally, Musk confirmed it may take 18 months for the Cybertruck to be a positive cash flow contributor to Tesla’s financials.
The 800-volt architecture will improve margins on the vehicle instead of other EV architectures that may have been considered. It said explicitly in its Q3 Shareholder Deck:
“For very heavy vehicles, a high voltage powertrain architecture brings notable cost savings, which is why Cybertruck will adopt an 800-volt architecture.”
From a cost perspective, 800-volt architectures are void of as much copper throughout the vehicle, which reduces weight. Weight reductions improve performance and range.
-->Earlier today, we reported on the Cybertruck VIN Decoder, which was released by the NHTSA. It revealed the Cybertruck has two weight classifications:
“…the vehicle’s gross weight has two classes: G, which would be between 8,001 and 9,000 pounds, and H, which is between 9,001 and 10,000 pounds.”
800-volt architectures have greater efficiency because they allow electricity to move from the battery to the wheels with a lower current. This ultimately reduces the amount of power that is lost to heat, and higher voltage – lower current architectures can move the same amount of power with thinner wires, which relates to the reduction in copper that was mentioned previously.
800-volt architectures are big for the future of EVs, even outside of Teslas. Tesla EVs are far from the first cars on the market to equip an 800-volt architecture, as the Porsche Taycan had an 800v build back in 2018 when the German company unveiled the specs for its introductory EV.
Faster charging is the biggest advantage, as they can handle greater outputs from Superchargers. The V4 Supercharger from Tesla, for example, has a 350 kW output, enabled by increased amperage and current ratings.
-->This will keep EV owners at the Superchargers for less time, making charging more efficient and allowing more people to access chargers by decreasing congestion.
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News
Tesla Model 3 named New Zealand’s best passenger car of 2025
Tesla flipped the switch on Full Self-Driving (Supervised) in September, turning every Model 3 and Model Y into New Zealand’s most advanced production car overnight.
The refreshed Tesla Model 3 has won the DRIVEN Car Guide AA Insurance NZ Car of the Year 2025 award in the Passenger Car category, beating all traditional and electric rivals.
Judges praised the all-electric sedan’s driving dynamics, value-packed EV tech, and the game-changing addition of Full Self-Driving (Supervised) that went live in New Zealand this September.
Why the Model 3 clinched the crown
DRIVEN admitted they were late to the “Highland” party because the updated sedan arrived in New Zealand as a 2024 model, just before the new Model Y stole the headlines. Yet two things forced a re-evaluation this year.
First, experiencing the new Model Y reminded testers how many big upgrades originated in the Model 3, such as the smoother ride, quieter cabin, ventilated seats, rear touchscreen, and stalk-less minimalist interior. Second, and far more importantly, Tesla flipped the switch on Full Self-Driving (Supervised) in September, turning every Model 3 and Model Y into New Zealand’s most advanced production car overnight.
FSD changes everything for Kiwi buyers
The publication called the entry-level rear-wheel-drive version “good to drive and represents a lot of EV technology for the money,” but highlighted that FSD elevates it into another league. “Make no mistake, despite the ‘Supervised’ bit in the name that requires you to remain ready to take control, it’s autonomous and very capable in some surprisingly tricky scenarios,” the review stated.
-->At NZ$11,400, FSD is far from cheap, but Tesla also offers FSD (Supervised) on a $159 monthly subscription, making the tech accessible without the full upfront investment. That’s a game-changer, as it allows users to access the company’s most advanced system without forking over a huge amount of money.
News
Tesla starts rolling out FSD V14.2.1 to AI4 vehicles including Cybertruck
FSD V14.2.1 was released just about a week after the initial FSD V14.2 update was rolled out.
It appears that the Tesla AI team burned the midnight oil, allowing them to release FSD V14.2.1 on Thanksgiving. The update has been reported by Tesla owners with AI4 vehicles, as well as Cybertruck owners.
For the Tesla AI team, at least, it appears that work really does not stop.
FSD V14.2.1
Initial posts about FSD V14.2.1 were shared by Tesla owners on social media platform X. As per the Tesla owners, V14.2.1 appears to be a point update that’s designed to polish the features and capacities that have been available in FSD V14. A look at the release notes for FSD V14.2.1, however, shows that an extra line has been added.
“Camera visibility can lead to increased attention monitoring sensitivity.”
Whether this could lead to more drivers being alerted to pay attention to the roads more remains to be seen. This would likely become evident as soon as the first batch of videos from Tesla owners who received V14.21 start sharing their first drive impressions of the update. Despite the update being released on Thanksgiving, it would not be surprising if first impressions videos of FSD V14.2.1 are shared today, just the same.
-->Rapid FSD releases
What is rather interesting and impressive is the fact that FSD V14.2.1 was released just about a week after the initial FSD V14.2 update was rolled out. This bodes well for Tesla’s FSD users, especially since CEO Elon Musk has stated in the past that the V14.2 series will be for “widespread use.”
FSD V14 has so far received numerous positive reviews from Tesla owners, with numerous drivers noting that the system now drives better than most human drivers because it is cautious, confident, and considerate at the same time. The only question now, really, is if the V14.2 series does make it to the company’s wide FSD fleet, which is still populated by numerous HW3 vehicles.
News
Waymo rider data hints that Tesla’s Cybercab strategy might be the smartest, after all
These observations all but validate Tesla’s controversial two-seat Cybercab strategy, which has caught a lot of criticism since it was unveiled last year.
Toyota Connected Europe designer Karim Dia Toubajie has highlighted a particular trend that became evident in Waymo’s Q3 2025 occupancy stats. As it turned out, 90% of the trips taken by the driverless taxis carried two or fewer passengers.
These observations all but validate Tesla’s controversial two-seat Cybercab strategy, which has caught a lot of criticism since it was unveiled last year.
Toyota designer observes a trend
Karim Dia Toubajie, Lead Product Designer (Sustainable Mobility) at Toyota Connected Europe, analyzed Waymo’s latest California Public Utilities Commission filings and posted the results on LinkedIn this week.
“90% of robotaxi trips have 2 or less passengers, so why are we using 5-seater vehicles?” Toubajie asked. He continued: “90% of trips have 2 or less people, 75% of trips have 1 or less people.” He accompanied his comments with a graphic showing Waymo’s occupancy rates, which showed 71% of trips having one passenger, 15% of trips having two passengers, 6% of trips having three passengers, 5% of trips having zero passengers, and only 3% of trips having four passengers.
The data excludes operational trips like depot runs or charging, though Toubajie pointed out that most of the time, Waymo’s massive self-driving taxis are really just transporting 1 or 2 people, at times even no passengers at all. “This means that most of the time, the vehicle being used significantly outweighs the needs of the trip,” the Toyota designer wrote in his post.
-->Cybercab suddenly looks perfectly sized
Toubajie gave a nod to Tesla’s approach. “The Tesla Cybercab announced in 2024, is a 2-seater robotaxi with a 50kWh battery but I still believe this is on the larger side of what’s required for most trips,” he wrote.
With Waymo’s own numbers now proving 90% of demand fits two seats or fewer, the wheel-less, lidar-free Cybercab now looks like the smartest play in the room. The Cybercab is designed to be easy to produce, with CEO Elon Musk commenting that its product line would resemble a consumer electronics factory more than an automotive plant. This means that the Cybercab could saturate the roads quickly once it is deployed.
While the Cybercab will likely take the lion’s share of Tesla’s ride-hailing passengers, the Model 3 sedan and Model Y crossover would be perfect for the remaining 9% of riders who require larger vehicles. This should be easy to implement for Tesla, as the Model Y and Model 3 are both mass-market vehicles.
Tesla Model 3 named New Zealand’s best passenger car of 2025
Tesla starts rolling out FSD V14.2.1 to AI4 vehicles including Cybertruck
