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Tesla Cybertruck already changing the road, beguiles CHP Buttonwillow

Credit: CHP - Buttonwillow/Facebook

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Back in February, Tesla CEO Elon Musk noted that the Cybertruck would effectively change the look of the roads. Musk’s statement may sound hyperbolic at the time, but with Cybertruck sightings being reported across the United States in recent weeks, it does appear that the CEO’s estimates might be accurate. 

To state that the Cybertruck looks unique is an understatement. The vehicle is technically a pickup truck, and Tesla has maintained that it will be an excellent work vehicle, but it looks nothing like traditional pickups on the road. Its angular design and cold steel exterior make the Cybertruck look like it’s more suited for sci-fi movies than today’s cities. 

Yet the Cybertruck is coming, and if the increasing frequency of the vehicle’s sightings is any indication, it would seem that deliveries of the all-electric pickup truck are about to begin in the coming months. This means that the Cybertruck will likely be a more common sight on US roads. And considering how unearthly it looks, some motorists might find themselves beguiled by the pickup truck. This was certainly the case with the California Highway Patrol (CHP). 

In a post on its official Facebook account, the CHP Buttonwillow noted that officers were able to spot something strange while they were on patrol. While patrolling, one of the CHP Buttonwillow’s units sighted a number of car haulers transporting “some strange trucks.” The vehicles were traveling northbound on Interstate 5. “I wonder what they are?” the California Highway Patrol – Buttonwillow wrote in its post. 

Responses to the CHP Buttonwillow’s post suggested that numerous users of the social media platform are generally familiar with the all-electric pickup truck. Interestingly enough, some commenters also noted that they were not aware the Cybertruck was actually making it to production, and that the vehicle was not canceled at all. Such sentiments are understandable, considering that previous reports have suggested that the Cybertruck was being canceled. 

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The wait for the Cybertruck has been quite long. Unveiled in late 2019, the Cybertruck was initially supposed to start deliveries in late 2020. Producing the vehicle turned out to be more challenging than expected, however, thanks in part to the fact that Giga Texas had to be built first. These challenges now seem to be over, however, so it might really just be a matter of time before the first consumer deliveries of the all-electric pickup truck begins. 

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads-up. 

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.

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Investor's Corner

Tesla stock lands elusive ‘must own’ status from Wall Street firm

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Tesla model y with FSD Unsupervised at Giga Texas
Credit: Tesla AI | X

Tesla stock (NASDAQ: TSLA) has landed an elusive “must own” status from Wall Street firm Melius, according to a new note released early this week.

Analyst Rob Wertheimer said Tesla will lead the charge in world-changing tech, given the company’s focus on self-driving, autonomy, and Robotaxi. In a note to investors, Wertheimer said “the world is about to change, dramatically,” because of the advent of self-driving cars.

He looks at the industry and sees many potential players, but the firm says there will only be one true winner:

“Our point is not that Tesla is at risk, it’s that everybody else is.”

The major argument is that autonomy is nearing a tipping point where years of chipping away at the software and data needed to develop a sound, safe, and effective form of autonomous driving technology turn into an avalanche of progress.

Wertheimer believes autonomy is a $7 trillion sector,” and in the coming years, investors will see “hundreds of billions in value shift to Tesla.”

A lot of the major growth has to do with the all-too-common “butts in seats” strategy, as Wertheimer believes that only a fraction of people in the United States have ridden in a self-driving car. In Tesla’s regard, only “tens of thousands” have tried Tesla’s latest Full Self-Driving (Supervised) version, which is v14.

Tesla Full Self-Driving v14.2 – Full Review, the Good and the Bad

When it reaches a widespread rollout and more people are able to experience Tesla Full Self-Driving v14, he believes “it will shock most people.”

Citing things like Tesla’s massive data pool from its vehicles, as well as its shift to end-to-end neural nets in 2021 and 2022, as well as the upcoming AI5 chip, which will be put into a handful of vehicles next year, but will reach a wider rollout in 2027, Melius believes many investors are not aware of the pace of advancement in self-driving.

Tesla’s lead in its self-driving efforts is expanding, Wertheimer says. The company is making strategic choices on everything from hardware to software, manufacturing, and overall vehicle design. He says Tesla has left legacy automakers struggling to keep pace as they still rely on outdated architectures and fragmented supplier systems.

Tesla shares are up over 6 percent at 10:40 a.m. on the East Coast, trading at around $416.

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Tesla on track to break Volkswagen’s historic record in Norway: report

As per Elbil Statistik, Tesla reached 26,127 Norwegian sales so far this year, without counting 13 imported Cybertrucks.

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Credit: Grok Imagine

Tesla is surging towards a historic milestone in Norway this month, putting the company on track to break Volkswagen’s long-standing annual sales record in the country. 

With 3,732 units sold in November alone and more than 26,000 delivered year-to-date, Tesla is poised to become one of the most successful car brands in Norway’s modern automotive history.

Tesla closes in on Norway’s all-time sales record

Norway’s demand for Tesla vehicles has intensified as drivers attempt to beat the incoming VAT changes on electric cars. Once the VAT changes take effect, the best-selling Model Y could become 50,000 kroner more expensive, as noted in a CarUp report. This has likely caused a rise in sales for Tesla in the country as of late. 

As per Elbil Statistik, Tesla reached 26,127 Norwegian sales so far this year, without counting 13 imported Cybertrucks. This places the brand just hundreds of units away from surpassing Volkswagen’s 2016 record of 26,572 annual registrations. With one month left in 2025, it seems all but certain that Tesla will overtake Volkswagen’s all-time record in Norway. 

Tesla sees challenges in Sweden

While Norway is delivering historic results, Tesla’s Swedish performance has moved in the opposite direction. Registrations have dropped 68% this year, totaling just 6,147 vehicles so far. November has seen only 291 deliveries, highlighting challenges in the domestic market’s momentum.

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Tesla Sweden is also still dealing with an increasing number of union-backed protests and blockades. Despite the pressure, however, Tesla Sweden has maintained its stance, IF Metall union chair Marie Nilsson to urge Elon Musk to reconsider his perception of organized labor. She also stated that Swedish unions are not like their American counterparts, as they are not as combative. 

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Tesla Full Self-Driving lands in a new country, its 7th

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Credit: Tesla Korea

Tesla Full Self-Driving has officially landed in a new country today, its seventh overall after it launched in both Australia and New Zealand earlier this year.

On Sunday, Tesla owners in South Korea reported that the company’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) had started arriving in their vehicles. Owners reported that it was v14.1.4, which is not the latest version available in other countries, but is one of the most recent releases Tesla has deployed to drivers:

This marks the seventh country in which Tesla has enabled its Full Self-Driving suite, following the United States and Puerto Rico, Canada, China, Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand.

Tesla launched Full Self-Driving most recently in Australia and New Zealand about three months ago. The expansion is a major breakthrough for the company as it aims to launch Full Self-Driving on a global scale.

However, the company’s biggest challenge thus far has been getting European regulatory agencies to handle the red tape that has inhibited Tesla from launching its semi-autonomous driving suite on the continent. Recently, it admitted that it sees a pathway through Dutch regulatory bodies, which seem to be the most willing to work with Tesla to get FSD in Europe.

Tesla Full Self-Driving appears to be heading to Europe soon

The company said that it has driven over 1 million kilometers safely on European roads across 17 different countries in internal testing. But its path to success will be by “partnering with the Dutch approval authority RDW to gain exemption for the feature. This involves proving compliance with existing regulations (UN-R-171 DCAS) + filing an exemption (EU Article 39) for yet-to-be-regulated behaviors like Level 2 systems off-highway, system-initiated lane changes with hands-off the wheel, etc.”

Perhaps the expansion into Europe will be the biggest challenge for Tesla, but it could also yield major results and advantages for the company moving forward. Tesla said it hopes to have FSD available in Europe sometime early next year.

For now, the expansion in South Korea is the latest win for Tesla and its self-driving efforts. In the U.S., it now turns its focus toward fully autonomous operation, as it works with state agencies to launch Robotaxi outside of Texas, California, and most recently, Arizona.

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