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Tesla Cybertruck to be ‘Elon Musk’s first disaster,’ according to Jim Cramer

Credit: /cybertruckjourney

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Since November 2019, arguably the most frequently-discussed electric vehicle coming to the market has been the Tesla Cybertruck. The first pickup from Elon Musk’s electric car company shocked nearly everyone who tuned in to the live event streamed nearly two years ago as the Tesla frontman and the company’s Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen rolled out the Cyberpunk-inspired pickup onto the stage in Hawthorne, California. However, despite having over 1.2 million pre-orders thus far, the truck is not making everyone turn their heads and throw $100 down to reserve one. One of those people is Tesla investor and Musk fan Jim Cramer, who said that the truck is bound to be Musk’s “first disaster.”

While fielding questions regarding Tesla’s AI Day last week during an interview on Wall Street, Cramer averted commenting very much on the Tesla Bot that Elon Musk said the company would bring in 2022 in a prototype form and instead focused on the Cybertruck. His comments were unfavorable toward the all-electric pickup, with Cramer recommending that consumers opt for a more traditional pickup style in the Ford F-150 Lightning as the Cybertruck is “ugly.”

“I saw the actual pickup truck,” Cramer said when speaking about the Cybertruck. “Go buy an F-150. I mean, this thing is not just ugly…You have got to love Tesla to get this thing,” Cramer added.

There is no doubt that the Cybertruck has an unorthodox and “polarizing” look, as many people have described the truck. Still, this was the point of the design. One of the first portions of Musk’s presentation in November 2019 had to do with the traditional automakers and how their pickups stood apart from others. Taking manufacturer badges away from the truck makes it more difficult to tell each model apart. The traditional design has been broken down to a rectangular driver’s cabin and a bed, with relatively the same shapes and angles shared amongst the major pickup truck designs in the United States.

This is where Tesla decided that an orthodox pickup may not be the best option. Instead, Tesla went with a futuristic design, covered in ultra-strength stainless steel alloy and equipped with resilient glass and, potentially, solar panels on the tonneau for additional range.

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Tesla Cybertruck’s Solar Panel Tonneau Cover comes to life in new patent

Cramer is still a Tesla supporter, he says, especially as the automaker has avoided massive failures with its product. Specifically mentioning the recent Chevrolet Bolt EV recall due to faulty batteries, Cramer believes Tesla is one of the major players in the sector, especially in terms of autonomous driving. “I still like Tesla because I think it’s been unfair the way their autonomous driving has been handled. There are many more accidents from drunk drivers. But I recognize…I think this pickup truck is going to be a disaster, his first disaster.”

Interestingly, Cramer and Musk share a similar but not an identical point of view on the Cybertruck. While Cramer is undoubtedly convinced the Cybertruck will fall flat, Musk has stated in the past that the truck could be a flop due to its unfamiliar design. However, 1.2 million reservations for the truck say differently.

The Ford F-150 Lightning will be the company’s second EV to the market, following the Mustang Mach-E. The truck has already amassed an impressive 120,000 pre-orders, according to Ford’s Q2 2021 Earnings Call. Sporting a traditional pickup design, the two options on the market may be the perfect recipe for accelerating the transition to sustainable energy as the traditional and unorthodox designs should cater to consumers and what they’re looking for in a new vehicle.

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Don’t hesitate to contact us with tips! Email us at tips@teslarati.com, or you can email me directly at joey@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 tinkering with Speed Profiles on FSD v14.2.1 has gone too far

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla recently released Full Self-Driving (FSD) v14.2.1, its latest version, but the tinkering with Speed Profiles has perhaps gone too far.

We try to keep it as real as possible with Full Self-Driving operation, and we are well aware that with the new versions, some things get better, but others get worse. It is all part of the process with FSD, and refinements are usually available within a week or so.

However, the latest v14.2.1 update has brought out some major complaints with Speed Profiles, at least on my end. It seems the adjustments have gone a tad too far, and there is a sizeable gap between Profiles that are next to one another.

The gap is so large that changing between them presents a bit of an unwelcome and drastic reduction in speed, which is perhaps a tad too fast for my liking. Additionally, Speed Profiles seem to have a set Speed Limit offset, which makes it less functional in live traffic situations.

Before I go any further, I’d like to remind everyone reading this that what I am about to write is purely my opinion; it is not right or wrong, or how everyone might feel. I am well aware that driving behaviors are widely subjective; what is acceptable to one might be unacceptable to another.

Speed Profiles are ‘Set’ to a Speed

From what I’ve experienced on v14.2.1, Tesla has chosen to go with somewhat of a preset max speed for each Speed Profile. With ‘Hurry,’ it appears to be 10 MPH over the speed limit, and it will not go even a single MPH faster than that. In a 55 MPH zone, it will only travel 65 MPH. Meanwhile, ‘Standard’ seems to be fixed at between 4-5 MPH over.

This is sort of a tough thing to have fixed, in my opinion. The speed at which the car travels should not be fixed; it should be more dependent on how traffic around it is traveling.

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It almost seems as if the Speed Profile chosen should be more of a Behavior Profile. Standard should perform passes only to traffic that is slower than the traffic. If traffic is traveling at 75 MPH in a 65 MPH zone, the car should travel at 75 MPH. It should pass traffic that travels slower than this.

Hurry should be more willing to overtake cars, travel more than 10 MPH over the limit, and act as if someone is in a hurry to get somewhere, hence the name. Setting strict limits on how fast it will travel seems to be a real damper on its capabilities. It did much better in previous versions.

Some Speed Profiles are Too Distant from Others

This is specifically about Hurry and Mad Max, which are neighbors in the Speed Profiles menu. Hurry will only go 10 MPH over the limit, but Mad Max will travel similarly to traffic around it. I’ve seen some people say Mad Max is too slow, but I have not had that opinion when using it.

In a 55 MPH zone during Black Friday and Small Business Saturday, it is not unusual for traffic around me to travel in the low to mid-80s. Mad Max was very suitable for some traffic situations yesterday, especially as cars were traveling very fast. However, sometimes it required me to “gear down” into Hurry, especially as, at times, it would try to pass slower traffic in the right lane, a move I’m not super fond of.

We had some readers also mention this to us:

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After switching from Mad Max to Hurry, there is a very abrupt drop in speed. It is not violent by any means, but it does shift your body forward, and it seems as if it is a tad drastic and could be refined further.

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Tesla’s most affordable car is coming to the Netherlands

The trim is expected to launch at €36,990, making it the most affordable Model 3 the Dutch market has seen in years.

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Tesla is preparing to introduce the Model 3 Standard to the Netherlands this December, as per information obtained by AutoWeek. The trim is expected to launch at €36,990, making it the most affordable Model 3 the Dutch market has seen in years. 

While Tesla has not formally confirmed the vehicle’s arrival, pricing reportedly comes from a reliable source, the publication noted.

Model 3 Standard lands in NL

The U.S. version of the Model 3 Standard provides a clear preview of what Dutch buyers can expect, such as a no-frills configuration that maintains the recognizable Model 3 look without stripping the car down to a bare interior. The panoramic glass roof is still there, the exterior design is unchanged, and Tesla’s central touchscreen-driven cabin layout stays intact.

Cost reductions come from targeted equipment cuts. The American variant uses fewer speakers, lacks ventilated front seats and heated rear seats, and swaps premium materials for cloth and textile-heavy surfaces. Performance is modest compared with the Premium models, with a 0–100 km/h sprint of about six seconds and an estimated WLTP range near 550 kilometers. 

Despite the smaller battery and simpler suspension, the Standard maintains the long-distance capability drivers have come to expect in a Tesla.

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Pricing strategy aligns with Dutch EV demand and taxation shifts

At €36,990, the Model 3 Standard fits neatly into Tesla’s ongoing lineup reshuffle. The current Model 3 RWD has crept toward €42,000, creating space for a more competitive entry-level option, and positioning the new Model 3 Standard comfortably below the €39,990 Model Y Standard.

The timing aligns with rising Dutch demand for affordable EVs as subsidies like SEPP fade and tax advantages for electric cars continue to wind down, EVUpdate noted. Buyers seeking a no-frills EV with solid range are then likely to see the new trim as a compelling alternative.

With the U.S. variant long established and the Model Y Standard already available in the Netherlands, the appearance of an entry-level Model 3 in the Dutch configurator seems like a logical next step.

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Tesla Model Y is still China’s best-selling premium EV through October

The premium-priced SUV outpaced rivals despite a competitive field, while the Model 3 also secured an impressive position.

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Credit: Grok Imagine

The Tesla Model Y led China’s top-selling pure electric vehicles in the 200,000–300,000 RMB segment through October 2025, as per Yiche data compiled from China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) figures.

The premium-priced SUV outpaced rivals despite a competitive field, while the Model 3 also secured an impressive position.

The Model Y is still unrivaled

The Model Y’s dominance shines in Yiche’s October report, topping the chart for vehicles priced between 200,000 and 300,000 RMB. With 312,331 units retailed from January through October, the all-electric crossover was China’s best-selling EV in the 200,000–300,000 RMB segment.

The Xiaomi SU7 is a strong challenger at No. 2 with 234,521 units, followed by the Tesla Model 3, which achieved 146,379 retail sales through October. The Model Y’s potentially biggest rival, the Xiaomi YU7, is currently at No. 4 with 80,855 retail units sold.

Efficiency kings

The Model 3 and Model Y recently claimed the top two spots in Autohome’s latest real-world energy-consumption test, outperforming a broad field of Chinese-market EVs under identical 120 km/h cruising conditions with 375 kg payload and fixed 24 °C cabin temperature. The Model 3 achieved 20.8 kWh/100 km while the Model Y recorded 21.8 kWh/100 km, reaffirming Tesla’s efficiency lead.

The results drew immediate attention from Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun, who publicly recognized Tesla’s advantage while pledging continued refinement for his brand’s lineup.

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“The Xiaomi SU7’s energy consumption performance is also very good; you can take a closer look. The fact that its test results are weaker than Tesla’s is partly due to objective reasons: the Xiaomi SU7 is a C-segment car, larger and with higher specifications, making it heavier and naturally increasing energy consumption. Of course, we will continue to learn from Tesla and further optimize its energy consumption performance!” Lei Jun wrote in a post on Weibo.

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