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Tesla Cybertruck is keeping its massive size; now it’s an even better rival to flagship pickups and SUVs
After a significant degree of consideration, CEO Elon Musk has noted that the Tesla Cybertruck will likely be keeping its original physical size. This means that the all-electric pickup will be just as massive and daunting as the prototype that shocked the automotive industry in its unveiling late last year.
Musk’s comments came as a response to a tweet showcasing a clip from an upcoming Jay Leno’s Garage feature, which is currently being promoted by CNBC. The upcoming episode of the popular auto show will be focused on Tesla, and teasers have shown Elon Musk and Jay Leno discussing the Cybertruck, the Roadster, the S3XY line, and even the Semi.
In his recent update, Musk stated that he recently reviewed the design of the Cybertruck with Tesla Design Chief Franz von Holzhausen, and they figured that even a 3% reduction in size to the all-electric pickup would make the vehicle too small. With this in mind, the production version of the Cybertruck will likely be identical in size to the massive prototype that was featured in the vehicle’s unveiling late last year.
Musk did note that this would likely mean that Tesla will be releasing a smaller truck sometime in the near future. This could actually be strategic for Tesla considering that veteran truck makers such as Ford have both full-sized trucks such as the F-150 and smaller pickups like the Ranger. The Cybertruck will be a rival to the F-150, but Tesla has no response to the Ranger, and the market for midsize trucks is significant as well.
While the Cybertruck’s massive size will likely result in the vehicle being too large for some American garages, Musk’s decision to keep the pickup’s dimensions identical to the prototype would mean that it will be comparable to some of America’s most popular pickups and SUVs. This is because the American market is quite fond of large vehicles, and this has resulted in flagship trucks and SUVs getting bigger by the year.
A survey from USA Today has determined that the drive for bigger vehicles in the United States has started bumping into the physical limitations of American homes and garages. Jeff Dyke, president of Sonic Automotive, one of the largest automotive dealership networks in the US, described this trend in a statement to the publication.
“The next-generation Suburban is gonna be so big – my wife drives one – you’re not going to be able to park it in the garage. The Tahoe is the new Suburban, and the new Suburban is a school bus.” Dyke said. Despite this, Americans want large vehicles, as indicated by the demand for full-sized trucks and SUVs. “Gas prices are low, they’re reasonable, and the country’s in love with SUVs,” he added.
These challenges associated with large vehicle sizes do not appear to be adversely affecting the pickup and SUV market, or at least not as much. Both segments remain popular, and they do not seem to be poised to drop anytime, either. Instead of stopping the purchase of these vehicles, consumers in the United States have responded to this trend by simply parking their trucks and SUVs on their driveways.
This presents some challenges, of course, since exposing vehicles to the elements means that their paint may get damaged, among other things. Vehicles left outside are prone to getting punished by the elements, which is bad news if they are exposed to things like hail. As it happens, the Cybertruck actually addresses these factors, as the vehicle appears to be designed to be parked outside.
In previous tweets, Musk has stated that the vehicle will have an option where its motorized tonneau cover is fitted with solar panels, allowing the Cybertruck to charge its batteries while it’s parked outside. The all-electric pickup is also unpainted, which means that it can take a lot of punishment without flinching. Musk even noted recently that the Cybertruck would pretty much be impervious to hail, on account of its steel body and Armor Glass.
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Swedish unions consider police report over Tesla Megapack Supercharger
The Tesla Megapack Supercharger opened shortly before Christmas in Arlandastad, outside Stockholm.
Swedish labor unions are considering whether to file a police report related to a newly opened Tesla Megapack Supercharger near Stockholm, citing questions about how electricity is supplied to the site. The matter has also been referred to Sweden’s energy regulator.
Tesla Megapack Supercharger
The Tesla Megapack Supercharger opened shortly before Christmas in Arlandastad, outside Stockholm. Unlike traditional charging stations, the site is powered by an on-site Megapack battery rather than a direct grid connection. Typical grid connections for Tesla charging sites in Sweden have seen challenges for nearly two years due to union blockades.
Swedish labor union IF Metall has submitted a report to the Energy Market Inspectorate, asking the authority to assess whether electricity supplied to the battery system meets regulatory requirements, as noted in a report from Dagens Arbete (DA). The Tesla Megapack on the site is charged using electricity supplied by a local company, though the specific provider has not been publicly identified.
Peter Lydell, an ombudsman at IF Metall, issued a comment about the Tesla Megapack Supercharger. “The legislation states that only companies that engage in electricity trading may supply electricity to other parties. You may not supply electricity without a permit, then you are engaging in illegal electricity trading. That is why we have reported this… This is about a company that helps Tesla circumvent the conflict measures that exist. It is clear that it is troublesome and it can also have consequences,” Lydell said.
Police report under consideration
The Swedish Electricians’ Association has also examined the Tesla Megapack Supercharger and documented its power setup. As per materials submitted to the Energy Market Inspectorate, electrical cables were reportedly routed from a property located approximately 500 meters from the charging site.
Tomas Jansson, ombudsman and deputy head of negotiations at the Swedish Electricians’ Association, stated that the union was assessing whether to file a police report related to the Tesla Megapack Supercharger. He also confirmed that the electricians’ union was coordinating with IF Metall about the matter. “We have a close collaboration with IF Metall, and we are currently investigating this. We support IF Metall in their fight for fair conditions at Tesla,” Jansson said.
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Tesla HW4.5 spotted in new Model Y, triggers speculation
Owners taking delivery of recent Model Y builds have identified components labeled “AP45.”
Tesla’s Hardware 4.5 computer appears to have surfaced in newly delivered Model Y vehicles, prompting fresh speculation about an interim upgrade ahead of the company’s upcoming AI5 chip.
Owners taking delivery of recent Model Y builds have identified components labeled “AP45,” suggesting Tesla may have quietly started rolling out revised autonomy hardware.
Hardware 4.5 appears in new Model Y units
The potential Hardware 4.5 sighting was first reported by Model Y owner @Eric5un, who shared details of a Fremont-built 2026 Model Y AWD Premium delivered this January. As per the Model Y owner, the vehicle includes a new front camera housing and a 16-inch center display, along with an Autopilot computer labeled “AP45” and part number 2261336-02-A.
The Tesla owner later explained that he confirmed the part number by briefly pulling down the upper carpet liner below the Model Y’s glovebox. Other owners soon reported similar findings. One Model Y Performance owner noted that their December build also appeared to include Hardware 4.5, while another owner of an Austin-built Model Y Performance reported spotting the same “AP45” hardware.
These sightings suggest that Tesla may already be installing revised FSD computers in its new Model Y batches, despite the company not yet making any formal announcements about Hardware 4.5.
What Hardware 4.5 could represent
Clues about Hardware 4.5 have surfaced previously in Tesla’s Electronic Parts Catalog. As reported by NotATeslaApp, the catalog has listed a component described as “CAR COMPUTER – LEFT HAND DRIVE – PROVISIONED – HARDWARE 4.5.” The component, which features the part number 2261336-S2-A, is priced at $2,300.00.
Longtime Tesla hacker @greentheonly has noted that Tesla software has contained references to a possible three-SoC architecture for some time. Previous generations of Tesla’s FSD computer, including Hardware 3 and Hardware 4, use a dual-SoC design for redundancy. A three-SoC layout could allow for higher inference throughput and improved fault tolerance.
Such an architecture could also serve as a bridge to AI5, Tesla’s next-generation autonomy chip expected to enter production later in 2026. As Tesla’s neural networks grow larger and more computationally demanding, Hardware 4.5 may provide additional headroom for vehicles built before AI5 becomes widely available.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s Grokipedia is getting cited by OpenAI’s ChatGPT
Some responses generated by OpenAI’s ChatGPT have recently referenced information from Grokipedia.
Some responses generated by OpenAI’s ChatGPT have recently referenced information from Grokipedia, an AI-generated encyclopedia developed by rival xAI, which was founded by Elon Musk. The citations appeared across a limited set of queries.
Reports about the matter were initially reported by The Guardian.
Grokipedia references in ChatGPT
Grokipedia launched in October as part of xAI’s effort to build an alternative to Wikipedia, which has become less centrist over the years. Unlike Wikipedia, which is moderated and edited by humans, Grokipedia is purely AI-powered, allowing it to approach topics with as little bias as possible, at least in theory. This model has also allowed Grokipedia to grow its article base quickly, with recent reports indicating that it has created over 6 million articles, more than 80% of English Wikipedia.
The Guardian reported that ChatGPT cited Grokipedia nine times across responses to more than a dozen user questions during its tests. As per the publication, the Grokipedia citations did not appear when ChatGPT was asked about high-profile or widely documented topics. Instead, Grokipedia was referenced in responses to more obscure historical or biographical claims. The pattern suggested selective use rather than broad reliance on the source, at least for now.
Broader Grokipedia use
The Guardian also noted that Grokipedia citations were not exclusive to ChatGPT. Anthropic’s AI assistant Claude reportedly showed similar references to Grokipedia in some responses, highlighting a broader issue around how large language models identify and weigh publicly available information.
In a statement to The Guardian, an OpenAI spokesperson stated that ChatGPT “aims to draw from a broad range of publicly available sources and viewpoints.” “We apply safety filters to reduce the risk of surfacing links associated with high-severity harms, and ChatGPT clearly shows which sources informed a response through citations,” the spokesperson stated.
Anthropic, for its part, did not respond to a request for comment on the matter. As for xAI, the artificial intelligence startup simply responded with a short comment that stated, “Legacy media lies.”
Swedish unions consider police report over Tesla Megapack Supercharger
Tesla HW4.5 spotted in new Model Y, triggers speculation
