News
Tesla Cybertruck Foundation Series owners report receiving $2500 vouchers
Tesla Cybertruck Foundation Series owners have reported that they received a letter from the electric vehicle maker informing them that they would be receiving a $2,500 voucher to purchase Powershare Home Backup Equipment. Cybertruck owners who wish not to acquire Powershare Home Backup Equipment could also use the voucher to buy items at the Tesla Shop.
Initial reports about the vouchers were shared by members of the Cybertruck Owners Club forum, some of whom noted that even those who received their all-electric pickup trucks just recently seemed to have received the same communication from Tesla. Some Cybertruck owners, however, shared some concerns about the voucher’s terms and conditions.
As per Tesla’s letter to the Cybertruck owners, Powershare Home Backup installations would only be possible for owners who have a Tesla Certified Installer in their area. Their Cybertruck must also be parked in their property within 20 feet of their garage of main electrical service panel. These two requirements alone will likely disqualify some Cybertruck owners who wish to acquire Tesla’s Powershare Home Backup system.
Other Tesla Cybertruck owners noted that while the $2,500 voucher is well appreciated, those who wish to use it for items at the Tesla Shop will probably have a fairly challenging time. As per Tesla’s letter, Cybertruck owners could only use the $2,500 voucher for one transaction, and any unused balance would be forfeited. This is quite tricky since some of the good items from the Tesla Shop tend to be out of stock most of the time.
Tesla’s letter to Cybertruck owners can be viewed below.
We are updating the installation process for your Powershare Home Backup equipment to provide you with a more streamlined experience.
-->After you take delivery of your Foundation Series Cybertruck (or within the next few weeks if you have already taken delivery), you will receive a $2,500 voucher that can be used in the Tesla Shop to purchase Powershare Home Backup Equipment.
Alternatively, you can use this voucher in a single transaction to purchase other items in the Tesla Shop up to the value of the voucher.
To begin your Powershare Home Backup installation process, you must meet the eligibility requirements, including:
- Take delivery of a Foundation Series Cybertruck
- Own a single-family home or townhome compatible with Powershare Home Backup in the United States (excluding Puerto Rico)
- Park on your property within 20 feet of your garage or main electrical service panel
- Have a main electrical service panel rating less than 225A
- Have a Tesla Certified Installer in your area
- Agree to the quote for installation provided by the Tesla Certified Installer
Instructions for requesting a quote from a Tesla Certified Installer will be included with your Tesla Shop voucher. If you have already been paired with a Tesla Certified Installer, you can use your Tesla Shop voucher to purchase your Powershare Home Backup equipment and continue to work with your installer.
For more information, visit the Powershare Support page.
Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.
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News
Tesla Model 3 named New Zealand’s best passenger car of 2025
Tesla flipped the switch on Full Self-Driving (Supervised) in September, turning every Model 3 and Model Y into New Zealand’s most advanced production car overnight.
The refreshed Tesla Model 3 has won the DRIVEN Car Guide AA Insurance NZ Car of the Year 2025 award in the Passenger Car category, beating all traditional and electric rivals.
Judges praised the all-electric sedan’s driving dynamics, value-packed EV tech, and the game-changing addition of Full Self-Driving (Supervised) that went live in New Zealand this September.
Why the Model 3 clinched the crown
DRIVEN admitted they were late to the “Highland” party because the updated sedan arrived in New Zealand as a 2024 model, just before the new Model Y stole the headlines. Yet two things forced a re-evaluation this year.
First, experiencing the new Model Y reminded testers how many big upgrades originated in the Model 3, such as the smoother ride, quieter cabin, ventilated seats, rear touchscreen, and stalk-less minimalist interior. Second, and far more importantly, Tesla flipped the switch on Full Self-Driving (Supervised) in September, turning every Model 3 and Model Y into New Zealand’s most advanced production car overnight.
FSD changes everything for Kiwi buyers
The publication called the entry-level rear-wheel-drive version “good to drive and represents a lot of EV technology for the money,” but highlighted that FSD elevates it into another league. “Make no mistake, despite the ‘Supervised’ bit in the name that requires you to remain ready to take control, it’s autonomous and very capable in some surprisingly tricky scenarios,” the review stated.
-->At NZ$11,400, FSD is far from cheap, but Tesla also offers FSD (Supervised) on a $159 monthly subscription, making the tech accessible without the full upfront investment. That’s a game-changer, as it allows users to access the company’s most advanced system without forking over a huge amount of money.
News
Tesla starts rolling out FSD V14.2.1 to AI4 vehicles including Cybertruck
FSD V14.2.1 was released just about a week after the initial FSD V14.2 update was rolled out.
It appears that the Tesla AI team burned the midnight oil, allowing them to release FSD V14.2.1 on Thanksgiving. The update has been reported by Tesla owners with AI4 vehicles, as well as Cybertruck owners.
For the Tesla AI team, at least, it appears that work really does not stop.
FSD V14.2.1
Initial posts about FSD V14.2.1 were shared by Tesla owners on social media platform X. As per the Tesla owners, V14.2.1 appears to be a point update that’s designed to polish the features and capacities that have been available in FSD V14. A look at the release notes for FSD V14.2.1, however, shows that an extra line has been added.
“Camera visibility can lead to increased attention monitoring sensitivity.”
Whether this could lead to more drivers being alerted to pay attention to the roads more remains to be seen. This would likely become evident as soon as the first batch of videos from Tesla owners who received V14.21 start sharing their first drive impressions of the update. Despite the update being released on Thanksgiving, it would not be surprising if first impressions videos of FSD V14.2.1 are shared today, just the same.
-->Rapid FSD releases
What is rather interesting and impressive is the fact that FSD V14.2.1 was released just about a week after the initial FSD V14.2 update was rolled out. This bodes well for Tesla’s FSD users, especially since CEO Elon Musk has stated in the past that the V14.2 series will be for “widespread use.”
FSD V14 has so far received numerous positive reviews from Tesla owners, with numerous drivers noting that the system now drives better than most human drivers because it is cautious, confident, and considerate at the same time. The only question now, really, is if the V14.2 series does make it to the company’s wide FSD fleet, which is still populated by numerous HW3 vehicles.
News
Waymo rider data hints that Tesla’s Cybercab strategy might be the smartest, after all
These observations all but validate Tesla’s controversial two-seat Cybercab strategy, which has caught a lot of criticism since it was unveiled last year.
Toyota Connected Europe designer Karim Dia Toubajie has highlighted a particular trend that became evident in Waymo’s Q3 2025 occupancy stats. As it turned out, 90% of the trips taken by the driverless taxis carried two or fewer passengers.
These observations all but validate Tesla’s controversial two-seat Cybercab strategy, which has caught a lot of criticism since it was unveiled last year.
Toyota designer observes a trend
Karim Dia Toubajie, Lead Product Designer (Sustainable Mobility) at Toyota Connected Europe, analyzed Waymo’s latest California Public Utilities Commission filings and posted the results on LinkedIn this week.
“90% of robotaxi trips have 2 or less passengers, so why are we using 5-seater vehicles?” Toubajie asked. He continued: “90% of trips have 2 or less people, 75% of trips have 1 or less people.” He accompanied his comments with a graphic showing Waymo’s occupancy rates, which showed 71% of trips having one passenger, 15% of trips having two passengers, 6% of trips having three passengers, 5% of trips having zero passengers, and only 3% of trips having four passengers.
The data excludes operational trips like depot runs or charging, though Toubajie pointed out that most of the time, Waymo’s massive self-driving taxis are really just transporting 1 or 2 people, at times even no passengers at all. “This means that most of the time, the vehicle being used significantly outweighs the needs of the trip,” the Toyota designer wrote in his post.
-->Cybercab suddenly looks perfectly sized
Toubajie gave a nod to Tesla’s approach. “The Tesla Cybercab announced in 2024, is a 2-seater robotaxi with a 50kWh battery but I still believe this is on the larger side of what’s required for most trips,” he wrote.
With Waymo’s own numbers now proving 90% of demand fits two seats or fewer, the wheel-less, lidar-free Cybercab now looks like the smartest play in the room. The Cybercab is designed to be easy to produce, with CEO Elon Musk commenting that its product line would resemble a consumer electronics factory more than an automotive plant. This means that the Cybercab could saturate the roads quickly once it is deployed.
While the Cybercab will likely take the lion’s share of Tesla’s ride-hailing passengers, the Model 3 sedan and Model Y crossover would be perfect for the remaining 9% of riders who require larger vehicles. This should be easy to implement for Tesla, as the Model Y and Model 3 are both mass-market vehicles.
Tesla Model 3 named New Zealand’s best passenger car of 2025
Tesla starts rolling out FSD V14.2.1 to AI4 vehicles including Cybertruck
