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Tesla Cybertruck first delivery event: What we’re expecting

Credit: Cybertruck/X

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The Tesla Cybertruck unveiling is just a few hours away. Social media posts indicate that attendees are now gathering in Texas. Even Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who recently made headlines after a fiery and controversial interview at The New York Times DealBook Summit, has been pretty quiet on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. 

Needless to say, the anticipation surrounding the Cybertruck is discernible. Quite impressively, Tesla has actually been able to keep pretty much every important detail about the Cybertruck a secret. Even the details of the vehicle’s unveiling event have been kept under wraps, with invites only including a general schedule for the occasion. 

Elon Musk, however, has made it no secret that the Cybertruck’s delivery event is among Tesla’s most important. In his DealBook Summit interview, Musk went so far as to state that the Cybertruck launch would be the “biggest on Earth this year.” These statements definitely give the impression that the Cybertruck’s delivery event is an important occasion — one that could make Tesla into an event more notable company today. 

Amidst all this excitement, we at Teslarati are expecting a number of highlights from the upcoming Cybertruck first delivery event. Here then are the top five things we are hoping to see in the Cybertruck launch. 

Specs and more specs

Tesla has done a stellar job of keeping the Cybertruck’s specs under wraps. Despite the large number of Cybertruck sightings over the past months, practically no leaks about the all-electric pickup truck’s key information have been shared online. In the upcoming event, Tesla will most definitely share the specifications of the Cybertruck, from its range to its performance, special features, and accessories. 

Steel Ball Test 2.0

The Tesla Cybertruck unveiling became meme-worthy partly due to the failed steel ball test conducted by CEO Elon Musk and Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen. The Cybertruck’s Armor Glass cracked when it was struck by the ball during the test, much to the shock of the audience and Musk himself. Tesla later clarified that the Cybertruck’s window was damaged by an earlier sledgehammer test, but the failed steel ball test was already immortalized in internet memes by then. 

In a way, the Cybertruck’s steel ball test is unfinished business for Tesla and executives like Elon Musk. Thus, it would not be surprising if the EV maker conducts another steel ball test during the upcoming Cybertruck first delivery event. Hopefully, the test succeeds this time around.

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Future Feature Teasers

Tesla is known for having industry-leading tech and features on its vehicles. The company is also known for announcing features that will be rolled out at a later date. This was the case with the Tesla Semi, whose Convoy Mode, which was announced in late 2017, is still yet to be released to consumers’ trucks today. Being Tesla’s newest and potentially most disruptive car to date, the Cybertruck will likely be announced with some notable features, some of which will also be released in the future. 

Other Trim Details

When the Cybertruck was initially unveiled, Elon Musk noted that the all-electric pickup truck would come in three trims: a single-motor RWD version, a Dual Motor AWD variant, and a Tri-Motor AWD version. Elon Musk also hinted at a potential Quad-Motor variant later on, though details about the potential trim have been scarce. In the upcoming Cybertruck delivery event, Tesla would likely clarify the all-electric pickup truck’s final lineup, as well as each trim’s target release date. 

Test Rides

Tesla held test rides with the Cybertruck when it was unveiled in late 2019. Considering that the vehicle is now ready for consumers, it would also not be surprising if Tesla offers test rides in the production Cybertruck for the first delivery event’s attendees. Test rides would likely be appreciated by the event’s attendees, as it would provide them with a firsthand experience with the all-electric pickup truck. 

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

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.

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Elon Musk

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

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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.

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Elon Musk

Elon Musk updates the SpaceX timeline for Mars

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Rendering of a colonized Mars by way of SpaceX
Rendering of a colonized Mars by way of SpaceX

Elon Musk has updated his timeline for when humans will walk on Mars and for when ships will simply get there.

The objective of getting to Mars has been one of Musk’s biggest goals since becoming a serial entrepreneur and realizing that time on Earth is limited. Musk has said several times he hopes to die on Mars, and not by impact.

Musk now believes that people will be on Mars in “roughly 5 to 7 years.” He said that a Mars lander will get there “a few years sooner.”

The response from Musk comes after NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said that SpaceX’s biggest priority is the Moon and not Mars. Because of this, Isaacman conceded that he believes nuclear power and propulsion investments will provide “potentially the pathway with the fewest miracles required to put four people on Mars in the next 10 to 15 years.”

Of course, this is what NASA can do through taxpayer funding and nuclear investments, he added.

Musk’s grand ambitions are much more optimistic than most, and it is certainly a double-edged sword. This is not the first time timelines for Mars have been somewhat lofty, especially to those normal thinkers like you and me, not super geniuses like Musk.

SpaceX Board has set a Mars bonus for Elon Musk

In fact, the SpaceX and Tesla frontman has said on at least a dozen occasions that we could be on Mars in the coming years. Musk said 2020 would be the big year as early as 2009. In 2020, he was “highly confident” of a landing in 2026, and had even said 2024 in a best-case scenario.

The point is, the range has varied, and it’s anyone’s guess when we’ll get there. This latest adjustment to the timeline is typical of Musk, and while the Moon has seemingly taken priority over Mars, it is still worth mentioning that the ultimate goal is to make life multiplanetary, and it starts potentially with the Red Planet.

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Investor's Corner

SpaceX gets an absolutely crazy price target after rough IPO

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Credit: SpaceX

SpaceX (NASDAQ: SPCX) got an absolutely crazy price target rating from Raymond James after the company experienced a tough first few weeks following its Initial Public Offering (IPO).

Despite the tumultuous start, SpaceX has plenty of believers, and the company’s massively successful Starship launch last Friday, its 13th test flight of the massive rocket, went so smoothly that Raymond James analysts pushed its price target on the company to roughly 7 times its current trading level.

SpaceX Starship just nailed something it’s never done before

The firm officially put a “Strong Buy” rating and an $800 price target on the stock. It currently trades at around $113. Its all-time high is $225.64, reaching this trading level shortly after shares first went public.

Raymond James’ price target is tied to the firm’s confidence after Starship’s 13th test flight. Analysts at the firm said it was an incremental step that reduces engineering risks, citing the widely successful heat shield test that CEO Elon Musk recently detailed, the smooth deployment of Starlink V3 satellites, and a successful in-space engine relight.

SpaceX also managed to see Starship splash down safely in the Indian Ocean, while the Super Heavy Booster fell down to the Gulf of America with no incidents.

It is interesting to see these launches have such a tremendous impact on the stock and what investors think of it. After SpaceX initially delayed the Starship launch last week, shares fell tremendously. Most probably did not realize that the stand-down is a standard practice, especially if everything is not perfect.

The mission was initially aborted due to an issue with Raptor engines. This was resolved, and Starship launched last Friday after another delay on Thursday, which was caused by weather.

Now that analysts have seen what SpaceX launches are capable of and how impressive the feat is, firms are adjusting their price targets accordingly, making it known that they have high expectations for the space exploration company.

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