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Tesla Cybertruck details are coming to light months before scheduled production

Credit: Rob Maurer of Tesla Podcast

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Tesla Cybertruck details are coming to light months before the all-electric truck is scheduled to begin production. Executives and those close to the development of the Cybertruck reportedly gave more details about the vehicle ahead of its Summer production dates to various people at last week’s Investor Day.

Cybertruck enthusiast Matthew Donegan-Ryan attended the Investor Day event and spoke to several people involved with the Cybertruck program at Tesla. Among the details that were talked about at the event were the dimensions of the Cybertruck, its planned configurations, standard features, and even an in-house team responsible for developing accessories for the truck.

Dimensions

The dimensions of the Pre-Production Beta that was on display at the Investor Day were obtained by Donegan-Ryan by using the measure app on his iPhone, and he believes he’s within between .5″ and 2″ from what will be released by Tesla in the Summer. The Cybertruck at the event was comparable to Ford Super Crew Raptors, a vehicle that Donegan-Ryan said he has owned three of. “The Cybertruck is just a little more compact,” he told us.

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The Staff that gave details on the Cybertruck dimensions couldn’t be named, but we were told that they will likely be seen front-and-center when initial deliveries begin, which will likely be marked by a dedicated event like past vehicles.

They said the dimensions were “about 5% smaller than the prototype unveiled in 2019″ and has more usable space despite its smaller size compared to the F-150 Raptor.

Tesla Cybertruck makes a tight squeeze through Boring Company tunnel

Elon Musk said on numerous occasions that the Cybertruck would be reduced in size for various reasons, including its need to fit in Boring Company tunnels.

However, this size reduction resulted in the loss of the front center seat. The Cybertruck will now seat five people.

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Configurations

Tesla will develop two configurations, according to the information given to Donegan-Ryan: a Dual Motor and a “Performance,” which could potentially be a Tri-Motor build.

Discussions with the Tesla staff seemed to indicate Tesla would not go forward with the potential Quad-Motor powertrain and would instead develop a Tri-Motor powertrain for the Cybertruck, which is utilized in the Model S and Model X Plaid.

According to a reservation tracker, the Cybertruck’s Single Motor configuration, which was priced at $39,990 after the unveiling in 2019, will not be developed.

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Standard Features

All Cybertruck configurations will have rear-wheel steering, which has been seen among various prototypes over the past few years.

Tesla Cybertruck’s rear-wheel steering seen once again

The Steering Wheel will be a combination of both the Yoke and traditional round option Tesla offered previously. This was detailed in several photographs from the event.

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The Cybertruck will also feature standard air suspension, which was shown in more recent sightings of the vehicle prior to the Investor Day event. Air suspension has always been in the plans, as Musk has stated that the Cybertruck will need to be able to handle excessive payloads for construction applications, and it could also be utilized for Baja racing.

18″ wheels will come standard, and rim and tire packages will be available in a few different options. All-Terrain and All-Season tires will be suitable for the Cybertruck and it appears Goodyear will be the manufacturer responsible for the

Cybertruck Accessories Team

Tesla has established a Cybertruck Accessories Team for the vehicle, and instead of working with aftermarket companies to build add-ons, Tesla will do it themselves.

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The Accessories team is being broken down into three categories: off-roading, camping, and racing, which will undoubtedly help drivers with various plans for the Cybertruck find a specific lineup of accessories that will fit their needs.

The Cybertruck is still set for initial production in the Summer, as of now. Volume production is expected to begin in 2024, Musk said earlier this year.

You can check out Matthre Donegan-Ryan’s full video on the Cybertruck below.

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I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.

Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on X @KlenderJoey. If you're looking for great Tesla accessories, check out shop.teslarati.com

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Tesla Full Self-Driving’s biggest improvements from v13 to v14

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla Full Self-Driving (Supervised) v14 has been out for several weeks now, and there are a tremendous number of improvements, as we have now reached the fourth iteration of the semi-autonomous software.

Tesla began the v14.1.4 launch last night, which included minor improvements and addressed brake-stabbing issues many owners have reported. In my personal experience, the stabbing has been awful on v14.1.3, and is a major concern.

However, many things have improved, and only a couple of minor issues have been recurring. Many of the issues v13 addressed are no longer an issue, so Tesla has made significant progress.

Here are some of the most notable improvements Tesla made with v14 from v13:

Better Lane Switching on Highways

One of my biggest complaints with v13 was that the “Hurry” Speed Profile would often stay in the left lane, even when there were no passing cars. The legality of cruising in the left lane fluctuates by jurisdiction, but my personal preference is to drive in the right lane and pass on the left.

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That said, Tesla has improved FSD’s performance with more courteous lane behavior. It no longer camps in the left lane and routinely gets back in the right lane after passing slower cars.

More Awareness for Merging Traffic and Makes Courteous Moves

There have been times when FSD has been more aware of merging traffic, and even cross traffic, than most human beings.

Here are a few examples –

  • Full Self-Driving lets a car out of cross traffic during a busy time of day. This road tends to get very congested, especially during rush hour, so the car that was let in by FSD would have been sitting there for likely a minute longer if my Tesla had not let him in:

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  • A busy, four-lane expressway with a quick exit on the far side of the highway for this merging vehicle. I’ve seen some drivers be extremely inattentive and travel at the same speed as merging cars, making their entry onto the expressway less seamless. FSD doesn’t do that; it makes way for merging cars:

More Confident Driving Around Mail Trucks…and Amish

I encounter a lot of Amish in my area of Pennsylvania, and they commonly use both shoulders and the road, so traffic can get congested at times.

In the past, I’ve taken over when encountering Amish buggies, mail trucks, or other vehicles that are moving slowly or making frequent stops. I have felt it is more logical to just take over in these situations.

I decided not to yesterday on a long drive through Lancaster, PA, and the FSD did a wonderful job of confidently overtaking these vehicles:

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This was really impressive and fun to see. There was a slight stutter during one of the three instances, but overall, I didn’t have any concerns.

Object Avoidance

On v13, I almost let the car drive into a fallen branch in the middle of the road. A mile later, the car swerved out of the way for horse droppings. It was a beautiful, clear morning, and the fact that the car did not try to avoid the branch, but did steer away from poop, was concerning.

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Tesla has obviously done a great job at refining FSD’s ability to navigate around these road hazards. Last night, it swerved around a dead animal carcass in the middle of the highway. I didn’t see it until we were already going around it:

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It was awesome to see this and never feel alarmed by the sharp movement. The maneuver was smooth and really well done.

Better Speed Consistency

With v13, I felt I had to constantly adjust the Speed Profile, as well as the Max Speed setting, when using FSD. With V14, I don’t feel like I am making as many adjustments.

Tesla axed the Max Speed setting altogether with v14, which was a good move, in my opinion. Choosing the Speed Profile is now more intuitive by using the right scroll wheel. If the car is traveling too fast or too slow, just change the profile.

Three things Tesla needs to improve with Full Self-Driving v14 release

V13 had some issues with local roads, and I felt it would travel at strange speeds. In a 45 MPH zone, it would sometimes take a long time to reach 40 MPH, then hover between 43 MPH and 47 MPH. It would then fluctuate between those two speeds, frustrating drivers behind me, understandably.

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V14 gets up to speed much better and travels at speeds I’m much more comfortable with on both local roads and highways.

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Tesla dashcam video shows crazy plane crash avoidance maneuver

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Credit: @davidbellow | X

A Tesla captured video of a crashing plane on an Oklahoma highway, as a shocking video shows a small aircraft coming across a local roadway, with various cars ducking to avoid it.

On October 23, an Oklahoma National Guard OA-1K Skyraider II turboprop plane crashed during a training mission after an engine failure. Both crew members escaped unharmed, but they were not the only ones at risk of injury.

A Tesla Dashcam video shared by a friend of the car’s owner shows the vehicle narrowly avoiding an impact with the plane, swerving left, then back onto its side of the road. It appears to be a serious miracle:

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David Bellow, the person who posted the video of the Tesla avoiding the plane, claims it was Full Self-Driving that performed the maneuver, but it is not confirmed. This is what he said:

There are a few hints that suggest it could be Tesla’s Full Self-Driving suite, but it is important to note that neither the company, the driver, nor the friend has confirmed this.

The first hint is the vehicle’s maneuver and subsequent reaction. The car suddenly swerves to the left, which any human would do, but how the vehicle continues to travel as if nothing had happened seems to solidify the idea that FSD could have been involved in avoiding the plane.

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Nevertheless, this does not confirm that FSD was in control.

My Tesla did this on FSD (Supervised) v14.1 and the internet went crazy

Most people would likely have stopped in their tracks after avoiding an aircraft while driving.

However, this is not enough proof to definitively say FSD was responsible for the avoidance.

Additionally, the “Jump to Event” button is activated in the video, suggesting that FSD was in control. The vehicle gives this option when something major has occurred, including human intervention.

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Regardless of whether the car was on FSD or was controlled manually, it is pretty crazy to have this piece of dashcam footage.

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Tesla ‘Mad Max’ gets its first bit of regulatory attention

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Credit: Teslarati

Tesla “Mad Max” mode has gotten its first bit of regulatory attention, as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has asked for additional information on the Speed Profile.

A few weeks ago, Tesla officially launched a new Speed Profile for Full Self-Driving (Supervised) known as “Mad Max,” which overtook the “Hurry” mode for the fastest setting FSD offers.

Tesla launches ‘Mad Max’ Full Self-Driving Speed Profile, its fastest yet

It launched with Full Self-Driving v14.1.2, and it was no secret that the company was looking for a new mode that would cater to more aggressive driving styles.

The release notes showed the description of the Speed Profile as:

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“Introduced new speed profile MAD MAX, which comes with higher speeds and more frequent lane changes than Hurry.”

It certainly lived up to its description. In our testing, it was aggressive, fast, and drove similarly to some of the more challenging traffic patterns I’ve come across.

In normal highway driving, it was one of the quicker cars on the road, while other applications saw it be a suitable version for navigating things like rush-hour traffic.

Here’s what my experience with it was:

While Tesla owners have certainly enjoyed the feature and the behaviors of Mad Max, the NHTSA said it is in contact with Tesla about it, looking to gather additional information. Additionally, it said:

“The human behind the wheel is fully responsible for driving the vehicle and complying with all traffic safety laws.”

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The important thing to note with Mad Max mode, along with the other Speed Profiles, is that the driver can choose whichever one they’d like, and they all cater to different driving styles.

While Mad Max is more aggressive, modes like “Sloth” and “Standard” are significantly more conservative and can be more suitable for those who are not comfortable with the faster, more spirited versions.

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