News
Tesla’s unique strategy regarding crucial Cybertruck details is the best ad there is
Tesla has had a unique strategy with the all-electric Cybertruck since it was first unveiled four years ago in Los Angeles. It might be the best advertisement there is.
For the past few years, Tesla has not tipped its hand with certain details regarding the pickup, and some might argue they are the most crucial parts of a vehicle’s buildup, especially for an EV: price, trim levels, and range.
It is an ongoing strategy that has been keeping the Cybertruck in the public discussion of the entire automotive sector for the last few years as the prices have gone from $39,990, $49,990, and $69,990, to whatever your best guess is.
A company that has been headstrong against the prospect of advertising, Tesla knows how to stimulate consumer discussion around itself. After all, its CEO Elon Musk also owns X, which less than a year ago was known as Twitter. Musk is no stranger to being in a headline, and he knows how to get people talking. Perhaps a genius in advertising, too, the CEO has everyone buzzing about what the Cybertruck will cost and how long it will go on a single charge.
Credit: Tesla Inc.
But this might be exactly the buzz Tesla and Musk want, even if it is keeping the most loyal fans in the dark about the particulars of what is its most unique vehicle yet. Even those who are not EV enthusiasts and have no interest in the Cybertruck want to know what a stainless steel-covered pickup will cost and what its capabilities are.
Instead of spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on ads and millions more on an general advertising budget, there is the advantage of curiosity that Tesla has shamelessly adopted and used to its advantage, all leading up to this Thursday. It is no secret that pricing is likely going to be different than what it was in 2019. Too much has changed from a macroeconomic perspective.
But the jury is still deliberating on what this strategy entails. Has it worked on creating buzz? Obviously. Is it fair to the consumer? Not necessarily.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveils futuristic Cybertruck in Los Angeles, Nov. 21, 2019 (Photo: Teslarati)
There are no products that come to mind for me when I think of an imminent launch and lack of details in terms of pricing and capabilities. Imagine if Apple reworked the iPhone and decided to keep the price a secret, at least until hundreds of people lined up outside of their stores and showed up to buy it, only guessing what their credit card bill would be the following month.
With a car, it’s obviously different. It’s a long-term payment structure because the truck is going to cost tens of thousands, much more than an iPhone. Even still, this argument can be used to support the counterargument: if people are going to spend this much on a vehicle, isn’t there a reason for them to have an idea of how much they will pay?
This leads to several ideas about the delivery event this Thursday in Austin. As the Cybertruck’s Certificate of Conformity, Certificate Information, and Application have yet to be published by the EPA, it is interesting to think about who exactly will be taking delivery of the Cybertruck this week. It might be influencers who were sworn to secrecy by an NDA, it could be employees, and of course, it could be regular people who just happened to place a reservation very early, perhaps just moments after the configurator was launched.
Credit: Joe Tegtmeyer | X
Whoever does get their hands on an early Cybertruck build will be lucky, as rumors of between 10 and 30 units being delivered on Thursday have both circulated. There are at least a million orders for the Cybertruck, Musk said on the most recent Earnings Call.
No matter what happens, the Cybertruck has been an advertisement in itself, and it has concentrated the entire automotive industry’s attention this week. All eyes are on Tesla and the Cybertruck, as a vehicle four years in the making is finally here, and it is perhaps the best advertisement the automaker could have ever had for itself.
Don’t hesitate to contact us with tips! Email us at tips@teslarati.com, or you can email me directly at joey@teslarati.com.
Elon Musk
SpaceX targets 150Mbps per user for upgraded Starlink Direct-to-Cell
If achieved, the 150Mbps goal would represent a significant jump from the current performance of Starlink Direct-to-Cell.
SpaceX is targeting peak download speeds of 150Mbps per user for its next-generation Direct-to-Cell Starlink service. The update was shared by SpaceX Spectrum & Regulatory Affairs Lead Udrivolf Pica during the International Telecommunication Union’s Space Connect conference.
“We are aiming at peak speeds of 150Mbps per user,” Pica said during the conference. “So something incredible if you think about the link budgets from space to the mobile phone.”
If achieved, the 150Mbps goal would represent a significant jump from the current performance of Starlink Direct-to-Cell.
Today, SpaceX’s cellular Starlink service, offered in partnership with T-Mobile under the T-Satellite brand, provides speeds of roughly 4Mbps per user. The service is designed primarily for texts, low-resolution video calls, and select apps in locations that traditionally have no cellular service.
By comparison, Ookla data shows median 5G download speeds of approximately 309Mbps for T-Mobile and 172Mbps for AT&T in the United States, as noted in a PCMag report. While 150Mbps would still trail the fastest terrestrial 5G networks, it would place satellite-to-phone broadband much closer to conventional carrier performance, even in remote areas.
Pica indicated that the upgraded system would support “video, voice, and data services, clearly,” moving beyond emergency connectivity and basic messaging use cases.
To reach that target, SpaceX plans to upgrade its existing Starlink Direct-to-Cell satellites and add significant new capacity. The company recently acquired access to radio spectrum from EchoStar, which Pica described as key to expanding throughput.
“More spectrum means a bigger pipeline, and this means that we can expand what we can do with partners. We can expand the quality of service. And again, we can do cellular broadband basically, cellular broadband use cases, like AI or daily connectivity needs,” he stated.
SpaceX has also requested regulatory approval to deploy 15,000 additional Direct-to-Cell satellites, beyond the roughly 650 currently supporting the system. The upgraded architecture is expected to begin rolling out in late 2027.
News
Tesla seeks approval to test FSD Supervised in new Swedish city
Tesla has applied to conduct local Full Self-Driving (Supervised) testing in the city of Jönköping, Sweden.
Tesla has applied to conduct local Full Self-Driving (Supervised) testing in the city of Jönköping, Sweden.
As per local outlet Jönköpings-Posten, Tesla has contacted the municipality with a request to begin FSD (Supervised) tests in the city. The company has already received approval to test its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software in several Swedish municipalities, as well as on the national road network.
Sofia Bennerstål, Tesla’s Head of Public Policy for Northern Europe, confirmed that an application has been submitted for FSD’s potential tests in Jönköping.
“I can confirm that we have submitted an application, but I cannot say much more about it,” Bennerstål told the news outlet. She also stated that Tesla is “satisfied with the tests” in the region so far.
The planned tests in Jönköping would involve a limited number of Tesla-owned vehicles. Trained Tesla safety drivers would remain behind the wheel and be prepared to intervene if necessary.
Tesla previously began testing in Nacka municipality after receiving local approval. At the time, the company stated that cooperation between authorities, municipalities, and industry enables technological progress and helps integrate future transport systems into real-world traffic conditions, as noted in an Allt Om Elbil report.
If approved, Jönköping would become the latest Swedish municipality to allow local Full Self-Driving (Supervised) testing.
Tesla’s Swedish testing program is part of the company’s efforts to validate its supervised autonomous driving software in everyday traffic environments. Municipal approvals allow Tesla to gather data in urban settings that include roundabouts, complex intersections, and mixed traffic conditions.
Sweden has become an increasingly active testing ground for Tesla’s driver-assistance software in Europe, with regulatory coordination between local authorities and national agencies enabling structured pilot programs.
Elon Musk
Microsoft partners with Starlink to expand rural internet access worldwide
The update was shared ahead of Mobile World Congress.
Microsoft has announced a new collaboration with Starlink as part of its expanding digital access strategy, following the company’s claim that it has extended internet connectivity coverage to more than 299 million people worldwide.
The update was shared ahead of Mobile World Congress, where Microsoft detailed how it surpassed its original goal of bringing internet access to 250 million people by the end of 2025.
In a blog post, Microsoft confirmed that it is now working with Starlink to expand connectivity in rural and hard-to-reach regions.
“Through our collaboration with Starlink, Microsoft is combining low-Earth orbit satellite connectivity with community-based deployment models and local ecosystem partnerships,” the company wrote.
The partnership is designed to complement Microsoft’s existing work with local internet providers and infrastructure companies across Africa, Latin America, and India, among other areas. Microsoft noted that traditional infrastructure alone cannot meet demand in some regions, making low-Earth orbit satellite connectivity an important addition.
Kenya was cited as an early example. Working with Starlink and local provider Mawingu Networks, Microsoft is supporting connectivity for 450 community hubs in rural and underserved areas. These hubs include farmer cooperatives, aggregation centers, and digital access facilities intended to support agricultural productivity and AI-enabled services.
Microsoft stated that 2.2 billion people globally remain offline, and that connectivity gaps risk widening as AI adoption accelerates.
Starlink’s expanding constellation, now numbering more than 9,700 satellites in orbit, provides near-global coverage, making it one of the few systems capable of delivering broadband to remote regions without relying on terrestrial infrastructure.
Starlink is expected to grow even more in the coming years as well, especially as SpaceX transitions its fleet to Starship, which is capable of carrying significantly larger payloads compared to its current workhorse, the Falcon 9.
SpaceX targets 150Mbps per user for upgraded Starlink Direct-to-Cell
Tesla seeks approval to test FSD Supervised in new Swedish city
