Connect with us

News

Tesla shares rare look at Cybertruck’s giant updated windshield in new video

Credit: Tesla/YouTube

Published

on

When Tesla unveiled the Cybertruck in late 2019, Elon Musk brought out a prototype of the vehicle that featured flat panels everywhere, from its thick steel body to its massive glass components. The truck’s windshield was a great example of this, as it was just a massive flat pane of thick glass designed to weather the worst that the road can offer. 

The Tesla CEO has since teased a number of improvements coming to the all-electric pickup truck. While Musk stated that the production version of the Cybertruck would look very similar to the vehicle’s controversial prototype, he did state that some adjustments have been made to some of the pickup’s components and features, such as its door handles and steering system. 

(Credit: Dave Rand)

Interestingly enough, a patent application from Tesla published last month hinted at a couple of other updates that are coming to the all-electric pickup truck’s design. As per the patent and its specific illustrations, Tesla seems to be exploring the idea of using new glass-forming techniques to provide the Cybertruck with an updated windshield design — one that is not as flat as the glass used in the pickup’s prototype. The patent also hinted that Tesla is looking to use glass for the Cybertruck’s dashboard. 

This updated windshield appears to have been revealed in a recent video from the company. Tesla’s official YouTube channel recently went live with a video explaining the innovations that go into the glass panels used in the company’s vehicles. And while most of the video seemed to be focused on the Model 3 and Model Y’s glass components, a brief section of the video featured Tesla workers moving a massive piece of glass that is not used in any of the company’s production vehicles today. 

The unique glass panel in the video was massive, easily larger than the glass components used in the Model S, Model 3, Model X, and Model Y. And while the glass seemed to be large enough for the Tesla Semi, it features a section for Autopilot cameras that is very different from those used in the Class 8 truck. Instead, the section of the glass allotted for Autopilot cameras is very similar to those used in the Cybertruck prototype. 

There are some advantages to Tesla not using a flat pane of glass for the Cybertruck’s windshield. A non-flat panel of glass generally takes damages better, as they do not cave in as easily when struck with road debris or other objects. Tesla’s updated windshield for the Cybertruck still looks quite similar to the glass panel used in the prototype too, so the aesthetics of the vehicle should be kept consistent despite its new glass components. 

Watch Tesla’s video on its glass innovations below. 

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

Advertisement
-
-

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.

Advertisement
Comments

News

Tesla just built it 10 millionth car

Published

on

Credit: Tesla

Tesla just officially confirmed it has built its 10 millionth car, a major milestone for the company that started producing sustainable electric powertrains less than two decades ago.

In that time, Tesla has truly revolutionized the automotive industry, disrupting the idea of what a car should be, how it should be fueled, and how it truly impacts day-to-day life.

Tesla achieved this feat across four production facilities: the Fremont Factory in Fremont, California, Gigafactory Shanghai in China, Gigafactory Berlin in Germany, and Gigafactory Texas in Austin, Texas.

The 10 millionth vehicle was a Diamond Black Model Y.

Over the course of the past roughly 18 years, Tesla has evolved its lineup from a sporty sedan built on a Lotus body to a lineup of various body styles, performance metrics, and other characteristics that make each one unique.

This is an incredible achievement for a company that is young compared to what it goes up against. When Tesla entered the automotive market, Ford, GM, and Stellantis widely dominated the playing field. Since then, Tesla has caused such a disruption that these three massive brands had to scramble to create EV projects of their own.

Despite their best efforts, they have not been able to match the prowess or the effectiveness of Tesla. They are all reliant on Tesla’s charging infrastructure, their software is inferior, and their self-driving projects are elementary in comparison.

Tesla felt its fair share of growing pains over the years as well. As recent at 2019, there were complaints about build quality, paint quality, and overall luxuriousness. These things have all been improved upon through the company’s maturity, and these strides in quality have led to this 10 million vehicle production achievement, something that other small-and-scrappy EV makers will hope to accomplish one day.

Continue Reading

Elon Musk

SpaceX scores another massive Pentagon deal to support military satellites

Published

on

By

SpaceX just picked up another $1.6 billion from the Pentagon, with the U.S. Space Force awarding two task orders worth $1.6 billion to fly 18 Falcon 9 missions from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California through the end of 2027. The launches will carry satellites for the Space Based Sensing and Targeting portfolio, a set of programs meant to help the military detect and track airborne threats and relay that information across forces in near real time.

The award falls under National Security Space Launch Phase 3 Lane 1, the Space Force’s faster, commercial style procurement track for missions that do not require the military’s most demanding certification process. It is also the largest single order publicly disclosed under that program so far, and the first task order issued since the Space Force nearly tripled Lane 1’s contract ceiling from $5.6 billion to $17 billion on July 17.

SpaceX to become America’s Military data backbone for missiles, drones, and warfighters

Eric Zarybnisky, the Space Force’s acting portfolio acquisition executive for space access, said the entire process, from identifying the requirement to signing the contract, took about two months, including a month set aside for companies to prepare proposals.

SpaceX is not just launching these satellites. It already holds the contracts to build two of the programs within the same portfolio, $4.16 billion for the Space Based Airborne Moving Target Indicator system and $2.29 billion for the Space Data Network Backbone, which Teslarati covered in May. That means SpaceX is now responsible for both building key pieces of the military’s next generation sensing network and getting them into orbit.

With this latest award, SpaceX’s Pentagon contract total for 2026 alone tops $8 billion, adding to a defense portfolio that already includes the Golden Dome missile defense software group SpaceX joined in April and a string of GPS launches it inherited after ULA’s Vulcan rocket ran into a booster anomaly, which we detailed in March.

Lane 1’s vendor pool technically includes seven companies: SpaceX, ULA, Blue Origin, Rocket Lab, Stoke Space, Impulse Space, and Relativity Space. In practice, SpaceX remains the only provider with the combination of launch cadence, flight proven Falcon 9 hardware, and West Coast infrastructure to support a campaign requiring roughly one Vandenberg launch a month for the next year and a half.

Some lawmakers have flagged the growing concentration of national security launches with one company as a risk worth watching. For now, the Space Force keeps backing SpaceX, with it being the company that shows up ready to launch.

Continue Reading

Elon Musk

Elon Musk sheds two new bits of detail on Starship after 13th test launch

Published

on

Credit: SpaceX

Elon Musk shed two new bits of detail on Starship following its 13th test launch, which was an overwhelming success.

SpaceX launched Starship for the 13th time last Friday after two delays: one on Monday when several Raptor engines did not ignite, and another on Thursday due to unfavorable weather conditions in Starbase, Texas.

The launch was overwhelmingly successful. SpaceX was able to complete a necessary test of the heat shield tiles by increasing the acceleration of Starship from launch throughout the flight; 20 Starlink v3 satellites were released with no issue; the Super Heavy Booster landed safely in the Gulf of America, Ship successfully reignited engines while in space; and it also splashed down without incident in the Indian Ocean.

SpaceX Starship just nailed something it’s never done before

Nevertheless, more details are coming out about Starship, and Musk is doing the talking.

Starship Will Be Retrieved in the Ocean

Musk revealed on Tuesday night that Starship would be recovered by a ship in the Indian Ocean. SpaceX routinely tries to recover Starship after splashdown in an effort to find out more about the flight by examining the spacecraft afterward.

This helps engineers find out more about why things might have happened, allows them to examine any potential damage or anomalies that might have occurred, and increases the chances of an even more successful flight next time thanks to the additional information recovered.

Ship Could Have Been Caught by Tower Arms, Musk claims

Musk has already indicated that SpaceX will plan to attempt a catch of Starship with the 14th test flight. While this would be a major accomplishment, it would be an expected next step, considering the fact that the Super Heavy Booster has already been caught by the chopsticks on numerous occasions.

A ship catch would be a great indication of where SpaceX stands in terms of reusability and launch cadence. A successful catch with relatively no incidents would be a good sign that SpaceX is nearing a more frequent launch of Starship, but also that the reusability of the massive rocket would be something many would expect in the near future.

It is a necessity to make life multiplanetary.

Continue Reading