News
Elon Musk hints at more compact Tesla Cybertruck with same space and utility
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has hinted that the Cybertruck might have more compact dimensions when it rolls out in 2021. The idea came after a Tesla owner-enthusiast’s video showed that the Cybertruck may not fit in a normal, residential-sized garage. Based on the Tesla CEO’s recent tweets, it appears that Tesla may be able to shave off a few inches off the Cybertruck’s rather bulky body without compromising anything in terms of utility and looks.
Musk’s comments came after Model 3 owner Tesla Raj posted a video featuring an augmented reality app estimating how the Cybertruck would look like in a target area. When Raj used the app to see if it would fit in his garage, he found the 231.8 inch-long Cybertruck was just a bi too long for the space in his home.
Musk responded to these findings, stating that the Cybertruck could receive a design revision that would make the car a bit easier to fit in a traditional American garage. “We can prob reduce width by an inch & maybe reduce length by 6+ inches without losing on utility or aesthetics. Min height is below 75 inches when air suspension set to low. Will post exact number soon,” Musk said.
We can prob reduce width by an inch & maybe reduce length by 6+ inches without losing on utility or esthetics. Min height is below 75 inches when air suspension set to low. Will post exact number soon.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 7, 2019
Based on Musk’s tweet, the more compact Cybertruck would have a width of 78.8 inches instead of the original 79.8 inches, and its length will be reduced to to 225.7 inches from 231.7 inches. This should make the Cybertruck easier to fit even in 20×20 garages. Parking the vehicle and maneuvering the massive all-electric machine would likely be easier as well. What’s more remarkable is the Tesla CEO explained that these reductions won’t cause any compromises with the vehicle’s stellar utility and iconic aesthetics. Musk has also promised no loss in cargo capacity or interior space with the vehicle’s more compact size.
After providing some updates on the Cybertruck’s dimensions, Musk also received a question about the approximate size of the “smaller” Cybertruck that he has hinted at in the past. Musk stated that such a vehicle would likely require a full redesign, though he noted that the truck’s dimensions will “probably (be) ~73 inches (height) or ~185 cm width”. This is compared to its 75-inch height when the vehicle’s adaptive suspension is fully-lowered, and its 202.7 cm width in its current build. Such a vehicle will still be significantly smaller to the Cybertruck, even considering Elon Musk’s more compact projections.
That will require a full redesign, but probably ~73 inches or ~185 cm width
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 7, 2019
That being said, it seems that a significant portion of the Tesla community prefers the Cybertruck in its current, massive form. A few followers of Musk’s Twitter account even stated that the Cybertruck will never need to be parked in a garage anyway, as its stainless steel design is “completely impervious to weather” and that its solar-equipped tonneau cover begs to be exposed to the sun at all times. Musk, for his part, appears to be weighing both sides when it comes to the Cybertruck’s size.
A new Cybertruck design that that is more compact could prove to be beneficial for Tesla in the long run. While the company has already received at least a quarter-of-a-million pre-orders for the original design for the truck, a smaller version may entice those who were worried about the size of the truck to pull the trigger and buy Tesla’s first pickup. The smaller design will appeal to those who are interested in parking the all-electric powerhouse in their garage, or at least those who want a pickup but prefer a smaller design that would be easier to drive through narrow streets and easier to park in busy lots.
Tesla confirmed this morning that it has sent the first production units, manufactured with no steering wheel or pedals, to on-road testing in Austin, sharing video of the first rides with no human controls.
The lack of steering wheels and pedals in the Cybercab aligns with Tesla’s self-certification of Robotaxi as Level 4 SAE, a platform it plans to make widespread through internal vehicles and customer-owned cars that will operate and generate revenue for individuals.
The start of these engineering tests is a major signal for Tesla, which plans to bring driverless, wheel-less, and pedal-less Cybercabs to market in the coming months. With production already well underway at Gigafactory Texas, where the Cybercab is built, there is some inclination to believe the first public rides could happen sooner rather than later.
Engineering tests of the first production Cybercab have begun in Austin pic.twitter.com/fk3KQvcE8a
— Tesla (@Tesla) June 30, 2026
Tesla’s engineering tests will put the Cybercab in real-world scenarios, testing not only the hardware, but more importantly, the software that drives the car around Austin with nobody supervising it within the car.
This is perhaps the biggest part of the internal testing process, especially prior to allowing regular, everyday people to hail the Cybercab for an autonomous ride. These early rides serve as a true benchmark for Tesla: How many rides can it achieve safely? How many miles did it travel consecutively without needing an intervention? What scenarios challenge the Full Self-Driving suite the most?
The proper precautions have already been put into place as well, as Tesla released the First Responders Guide to Cybercab over the weekend, ensuring that emergency services have 24/7 access to Robotaxi Assistance, as well as other boundaries, such as Geofencing features that can be used to redirect autonomous vehicle traffic due to accidents, road closures, construction, or maintenance.
Cybercab seems genuinely close to being added to the Robotaxi fleet in Austin, but Tesla has prioritized safety throughout this entire process. Therefore, we think it could be months before it truly starts giving rides to the public. People have been frustrated with this, but Robotaxi in Austin has a tremendous safety record so far, so the slow rollout has kept people safe and accidents to a minimum.
The most important thing is that Tesla continues to show consistent progress in the Cybercab’s ramp-up toward fleet addition. A few weeks back, we saw the EPA reward the Cybercab a Certificate of Conformity, allowing it to enter the stream of commerce. Then, we saw Tesla add decals, signaling that it was likely about to start testing it publicly. That has now happened.
The next big move will be the announcement of the first rides, so this Summer should be filled with anticipation.
For years, there have been images and videos across social media platforms that have reminded me of when I was a 15-year-old kid teased by “Xbox 720” videos on YouTube. These videos are of the supposed “Tesla Phone” that Elon Musk was secretly developing in between leading Tesla with its electric cars and SpaceX with its reusable rockets.
Would you buy a Tesla phone ? pic.twitter.com/aaTwvvIJit
— Tesla Owners Silicon Valley (@teslaownersSV) October 6, 2023
Although Musk has put those rumors to bed several times, it was never completely out of the realm that he could get involved in cell phones in some capacity. Think outside the box and more macro-level, though. Instead of reinventing the computer, Musk reinvented connectivity by developing Starlink with SpaceX.
It could be something similar, TD Cowen analyst Gregory Williams said in a note last week, where he hinted SpaceX could be gathering some steam to acquire T-Mobile.
Williams said it would be the “clear choice” for SpaceX if it decided to go through with a network acquisition. He also suggested AT&T.
The move would be possible through selling more of its own stock, which would help SpaceX raise the money to purchase T-Mobile, which would cost roughly $300 billion. It could be one of the moves SpaceX makes post-IPO in terms of an acquisition: it already acquired Cursor AI for $60 billion.
Other analysts, like Dan Ives of Wedbush, believe SpaceX and Tesla will eventually merge into one anyway, and that conglomeration could come as soon as this year, some have said.
The implications of SpaceX purchasing T-Mobile are massive. A combined entity would create a truly ubiquitous network: T-Mobile’s terrestrial 5G towers and Starlink’s growing constellation of Direct-to-Cell satellites. This would essentially eliminate dead zones across the U.S. and potentially globally.
SpaceX would instantly become a full-scale facilities-based carrier with satellite differentiation; a huge advantage. This would pressure AT&T and Verizon heavily.
There are also concerns like a potential reduction in long-term competition, and of course, a deal of that size would face intense scrutiny from government agencies.
The strategic fit is compelling due to the existing Starlink–T-Mobile partnership and complementary technologies (space + terrestrial). It could create a dominant integrated communications player. However, the regulatory, financial, and execution hurdles are enormous — this remains highly speculative with no indication SpaceX is actively pursuing it right now.
Tesla revealed a major new Cybercab detail in a guide it released for First Responders, showing new territory in its beliefs and intentions for the ride-hailing-focused vehicle that entered production in April.
The First Responders Guide is released to give fire departments, paramedics, and other emergency personnel the proper guidance on what to do in the event of an accident, entrapment, or other situation that would require immediate attention.
On one of the pages of the First Responders Guide, Tesla revealed a stark detail about the Cybercab, which could help personnel enter the vehicle more easily in case of an emergency.
Tesla Cybercab has one important piece that AI4 cars might need for FSD
It shows Tesla has no intention of releasing any Cybercab units that were initially proposed for ride-hailing services for the general public with any manual controls, meaning a steering wheel or pedals:
“A Cybercab equipped with steering wheel, brake pedal, and an acceleration pedal is typically an engineering or test vehicle, and operates at SAE Level 2 autonomy. Cybercab is not typically equipped with a steering wheel or acceleration and brake pedals.”
New official Cybercab documentation from Tesla:
“A Cybercab equipped with steering wheel, brake pedal, and an acceleration pedal is typically an engineering or test vehicle, and operates at SAE Level 2 autonomy. Cybercab is not typically equipped with a steering wheel or… https://t.co/P6ut1mZyzr pic.twitter.com/yq6skl9s2J
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) June 27, 2026
This is a major development for those who continue to believe Tesla planned to release the Cybercab with any sort of manual controls so that passengers could take over if needed. However, when Tesla started manufacturing production versions of the Cybercab in Giga Texas earlier this year, they were spotted without a steering wheel or pedals.
It essentially confirms the company has no intentions of bringing manual controls to the car’s production versions. Some have argued that the likelihood of Tesla having something
There still are some Cybercab units out there with a steering wheel and pedals, and as Tesla said, these cars are engineering or test vehicles, which have Safety Monitors on board to help the car out of a precarious situation or emergency.
Tesla sends production Cybercab with no steering wheel, pedals to on-road testing
Tesla Phone? Not quite, but close: analyst
