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Tesla Cybertruck spotted on Fremont Test Track with massive wiper blade

Credit: YouTube | Chile AI100 via @SawyerMerritt on Twitter

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The Tesla Cybertruck was spotted with some new features, including a massive, vertical, singular windshield wiper, similar to what the company intended to use with the next-gen Roadster in patents.

The Cybertruck was unveiled in 2019, and Tesla intended to build the vehicle this December. However, supply chain bottlenecks, demand increases, and Tesla’s soon-to-be-completed factory in Austin, Texas, where the Cybertruck will be manufactured, have all contributed to delays in the initial production process. In fact, last evening, Tesla revised the language on its Online Design Studio for the Cybertruck, removing the indication that the vehicle would be produced in 2022. Instead, Tesla now says that reservation holders will be able to complete their orders “as production nears,” with no definitive timeframe for manufacturing.

Tesla is still developing the Cybertruck as the all-electric pickup was spotted on the company’s Test Track at the Fremont Factory in Northern California. The Test Track has been used for Tesla’s vehicles that have been in development for some time. In January, the Model S Plaid was spotted on the test track, roughly five months before deliveries began. However, the Tesla Semi was also spotted on the Test Track earlier this year, and initial deliveries for that vehicle are expected to take place soon. This is especially relevant as PepsiCo. has started installing a Megacharger at its facility in Modesto, California in preparation for the fifteen Tesla Semis they could take delivery of before the end of 2021.

YouTube user Chile AI100 flew a drone over the Fremont Test Track on December 10, recording what appears to be a newly-revised Tesla Cybertruck, sporting some interesting features.

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When Tesla CEO Elon Musk went on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast and spoke about the Cybertruck, he said that Tesla was revising the size of the vehicle, but only slightly. Tesla did not want to lose the overall design of the truck, so the dimensions were only to be revised by less than 3%, according to Musk’s own statement. Additionally, patents showed that Tesla may have been entertaining the installation of solar panels on the Cybertruck tonneau, which would give the vehicle additional range.

However, the most noticeable feature of the Cybertruck spotted on the Test Track was the massive windshield wiper blade that ran vertically up the vehicle’s driver’s side.

Credit: YouTube | Chile AI100 via @SawyerMerritt on Twitter

Interestingly, Tesla had planned initially for laser-powered Cybertruck wipers. When it was unveiled in 2019, the Cybertruck had no wipers. In September, Tesla gained patent approval for a laser-inspired wiper design. The design seen on the Cybertruck at the Fremont Test Track is similar to that of the next-gen Roadster, which Tesla gained approval for in January.

The full video can be seen below. There are also some interesting Model S designs on the test track, which Tesla appears to be refining.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AZA3lbiB8Q

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I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@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 China posts strong February wholesale growth at Gigafactory Shanghai

The update was shared by Tesla observers on social media platform X, citing monthly China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) data.

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Credit: Grace Tao/Weibo

Tesla China sold 58,599 vehicles wholesale in February, reflecting strong year-over-year growth. The figure includes both domestic deliveries in China and vehicles exported to international markets.

The update was shared by Tesla observers on social media platform X, citing monthly China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) data.

Tesla’s February wholesale result represents a 91% increase year over year, compared with 30,688 vehicles in February 2025. Month over month, the result was down 15.2% from January, when Tesla China recorded 69,129 wholesale units.

The February total reflects combined sales of the Model 3 and Model Y produced at Gigafactory Shanghai. The facility produces the two vehicles for both domestic sales and exports.

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Gigafactory Shanghai continues to serve as Tesla’s primary vehicle export hub, supplying vehicles to markets across Asia and Europe. Data compiled by Tesla watchers shows that 18,485 vehicles were sold domestically in China in January 2026, while exports accounted for 50,644 units during the same period.

Tesla has also been extending financing programs in China as it pushes to strengthen domestic demand. The company recently extended its seven-year ultra-low-interest and five-year interest-free financing programs through March 31, marking the second extension of the promotion this year.

The financing initiative was first introduced on January 6 as a strategy aimed at offsetting higher ownership costs ahead of China’s planned 5% NEV purchase tax in 2026. The promotion was originally scheduled to expire at the end of January before being extended to February and then again through the end of the first quarter.

Tesla’s efforts come amid growing competition in China’s EV market. According to data compiled by CNEV Post, Tesla’s 2025 retail sales in China reached 625,698 vehicles, representing a 4.78% year-over-year decline. Part of that decline was linked to the Model Y changeover to its updated variant in early 2025, which temporarily reduced deliveries during the transition period.

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Tesla Model Y L spotted on transport trucks in Australia

One of the sightings was reported along Victoria Parade in Melbourne, and it showed multiple Model Y L vehicles on a transport carrier. 

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Tesla’s upcoming Model Y L has been spotted on transport trucks in Australia. Sightings of the six-seat extended wheelbase Model Y variant have been reported on social media platform X by members of the Australian Tesla community.

One of the sightings was reported along Victoria Parade in Melbourne, and it showed multiple Model Y L vehicles on a transport carrier. 

The sighting follows earlier observations by Tesla enthusiasts in Sydney, where a covered vehicle believed to be a Model Y L was spotted at a Supercharger.

The Sydney sighting drew attention after observers noted that the vehicle’s tare weight appeared to match the ADR approval listing for the Model Y L, suggesting it could indeed be the extended wheelbase variant of the electric SUV.

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Tesla has previously confirmed that the Model Y L will launch in Australia and New Zealand in 2026. The confirmation was reported by techAU following a media release from Tesla Australia and New Zealand.

The Model Y L expands the existing Model Y lineup with seating for six passengers. The vehicle features a longer body compared with the standard Model Y in order to accommodate a spacious second and third row.

Tesla has opted for a 2-2-2 seating configuration instead of a traditional seven-seat layout for the Model Y L. The design includes two individual seats in the middle row to provide easier access to the third row and additional passenger space.

Tesla Australia and New Zealand has also stated that the Model Y L will be covered under the company’s updated warranty structure beginning in 2026.

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Tesla has not yet announced pricing or official range figures for the Model Y L in Australia.

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Elon Musk shares timeframe for X Money early public access rollout

X Money is expected to enable financial transactions within the app, expanding the platform’s capabilities beyond social media features.

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Credit: UK Government, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Elon Musk has stated that X Money, the digital payments system being developed for social media platform X, is expected to enter early public access next month. 

The update was shared by Musk in a post on X. “𝕏 Money early public access will launch next month,” Musk wrote in his post.

As noted in a Reuters report, X Money is being developed as a digital payment service that’s directly integrated into the X platform. 

The system is expected to enable financial transactions within the app, expanding the platform’s capabilities beyond social media features.

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Musk has previously discussed plans to introduce payments and financial services as part of X’s broader development.

Since acquiring the platform in 2022, Musk has discussed expanding X to include a range of services such as messaging, media, and financial tools.

Elon Musk has shared his goal of transforming X into an “everything app.” During a previous podcast interview with members of the Tesla community, Musk mused about turning X into something similar to China’s WeChat, which allows users to shop, pay, communicate, and perform a variety of other tasks.

“In China, you do everything in WeChat… it’s kickass… Outside of China, there’s nothing like it, people live on one app. My idea would be like how about if we just copy WeChat,” Musk joked at the time.

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To prepare for the rollout of X Money, X has partnered with payment company Visa to support the development of payment services for the platform’s users. The move could allow X to tap into the growing demand for digital and in-app financial transactions as the company builds additional services around its existing user base.

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