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Former Tesla UI designer teases Cybertruck design, Full Self-Driving animations

Credit: Pawel Pietryka via @MFrunker on Twitter

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A former Tesla UI designer’s renders of the Cybertruck design, along with never-before-seen Full Self-Driving animations, have been revealed from his personal website. Pawel Pietryka, who left Tesla in mid-March to pursue other interests, served the company for 4.5 years, frequently presenting new ideas and designs to CEO Elon Musk. After leaving the company, there were several new renders and animations that revealed the Cybertruck and Full Self-Driving animations that have remained elusive to the community.

The new renders and designs were recovered from Pietryka’s website but have now been removed following the Tesla community getting their hands on them. While it is not necessarily known if these were official Tesla renders and animations, the fact that they have disappeared from Pietryka’s website reveals that they could have been sensitive to Tesla’s designs and plans for future versions of FSD. Additionally, the Cybertruck UI animations could be utilized within the electric pickup when it hits the market later this year.

Cybertruck Render and Animation

Pietryka’s Cybertruck rendering seems to show the vehicle’s interior, along with the planned animation and UI infrastructure that Tesla could use when the truck begins deliveries in late 2021. It appears to show a route and navigation summary that is similar to what real-world owners would view as they set out to drive their car to a destination. Relatively simple in design, the render and animations have not been seen before. With Pietryka being the former head of the UI design team at Tesla, there is likely some correlation between what was posted on his website and what Tesla will actually use within the Cybertruck.

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The Cybertruck has been in development for several years and has undergone intense scrutiny from Tesla and its designers, along with potential owners since its unveiling in 2019. CEO Elon Musk has said that the Cybertruck underwent a slight redesign to make the truck slightly more compact. Most people were worried about getting the truck into their garage. Still, Musk was more concerned about the potential issues that the company could have with fitting it into the Boring Company tunnels comfortably. Musk told Joe Rogan earlier this year that Tesla adjusted the size by “around 3% or smaller. You don’t want it to be a couple of inches too big for the tunnel.”

Full Self-Driving Animations

The FSD Animation gave some owners and enthusiasts, like @Model3Owners, the idea that it could be a look at what Software Version 11 could bring. Tesla released some of the V11 features through the Holiday Update in late 2020, but there were several things that went unchanged. This could simply be due to FSD still being worked on, which Tesla outlined during the recent Earnings Call.

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Musk said that Full Self-Driving Beta is continuing to “make great progress,” and Tesla is developing more extensive training software that will help with labeling. However, Tesla could be looking to redesign the Driving Visualization feature and could be leaning toward the design that Pietryka posted on his website. Like the Cybertruck render, this has also been removed.

As for Pietryka, he founded Moderne Grafik Anstalt Inc. in 2019, and it appears that his plans are to focus on this instead of Tesla’s work. He joined Tesla in 2016 after leaving Apple, where he crafted “new product narratives” and was responsible for hardware launches.

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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 Diner to transition to full-service restaurant as Chef heads for new venture

“I am leaving the Tesla Diner project to focus on the opening of Mish, my long-desired Jewish deli. Projects like Mish and the Tesla Diner require a sharpness of focus and attention, and my focus and attention is now squarely on Mish.”

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tesla-supercharger-diner
Credit: Tesla

Tesla Diner, the all-in-one Supercharging and dining experience located in Los Angeles, will transition to a full-service restaurant in January, staff said, as Chef Eric Greenspan said he would take on a new project.

A report from the Los Angeles Times says Greenspan confirmed through a text that he would leave the Diner and focus on the opening of his new Jewish deli, Mish.

Greenspan confirmed to the paper:

“I am leaving the Tesla Diner project to focus on the opening of Mish, my long-desired Jewish deli. Projects like Mish and the Tesla Diner require a sharpness of focus and attention, and my focus and attention is now squarely on Mish.”

Greenspan took on the job at the Tesla Diner and curated the menu back in March, focusing on locally-sourced ingredients and items that would play on various company products, like Cybertruck-shaped boxes that hold burgers.

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Tesla Cybertruck leftovers are the main course at the Supercharger Diner

The Tesla Diner has operated as somewhat of a self-serve establishment, where Tesla owners can order directly from their vehicles through the center touchscreen. It was not exclusive to Tesla owners. Guests could also enter and order at a counter, and pick up their food, before sitting at a booth or table.

However, the report indicates Tesla is planning to push it toward a sit-down restaurant, full of waiters, waitresses, and servers, all of which will come to a table after you are seated, take your order, and serve your food.

It will be more of a full-featured restaurant experience moving forward, which is an interesting move from the company, but it also sounds as if it could be testing for an expansion.

We know that Tesla is already considering expanding locations, as it will be heading to new areas of the country. CEO Elon Musk has said that Tesla will be considering locations in Palo Alto near the company’s Engineering HQ, and in Austin, where its HQ and Gigafactory Texas are located.

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Musk said that the Diner has been very successful in its first few months of operation.

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Tesla adds new surprising fee to Robotaxi program

“Additional cleaning was required for the vehicle after your trip. A fee has been added to your final cost to cover this service. Please contact us if you have any questions.”

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Credit: Grok

Tesla has added a new and somewhat surprising fee to the Robotaxi program. It’s only surprising because it was never there before.

Tesla shocked everyone when it launched its Robotaxi platform and offered riders the opportunity to tip, only to tell them they do not accept tips. It was one of the company’s attempts at being humorous as it rolled out its driverless platform to people in Austin.

As it has expanded to new cities and been opened to more people, as it was yesterday to iOS users, Tesla has had to tweak some of the minor details of the Robotaxi and ride-hailing platforms it operates.

First Look at Tesla’s Robotaxi App: features, design, and more

With more riders, more vehicles, and more operational jurisdictions, the company has to adjust as things become busier.

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Now, it is adjusting the platform by adding “Cleaning Fees” to the Robotaxi platform, but it seems it is only charged if the vehicle requires some additional attention after your ride.

The app will communicate with the rider with the following message (via Not a Tesla App):

“Additional cleaning was required for the vehicle after your trip. A fee has been added to your final cost to cover this service. Please contact us if you have any questions.”

The cost of the cleaning will likely depend on how severe the mess is. If you spill a soda, it will likely cost less than if you lose your lunch in the back of the car because you had a few too many drinks.

This is an expected change, and it seems to be one that is needed, especially considering Tesla is operating a small-scale ride-hailing service at the current time. As it expands to more states and cities and eventually is available everywhere, there will be more situations that will arise.

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The messes in vehicles are not a new situation, especially in a rideshare setting. It will be interesting to see if Tesla will enable other fees, like ones for riders who request a ride and do not show up for it.

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Tesla Model Y sold out in China for 2025

Customers who wish to get their cars by the end of the year would likely need to get an inventory unit.

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Credit: Grok Imagine

It appears that the Model Y has been sold out for 2025 in China. This seems to be true for the four variants of the vehicle that are currently offered in the country. 

Tesla China’s order page update

A look at Tesla China’s order page for the Model Y shows a message informing customers that those who wish to guarantee delivery by the end of the year should purchase an inventory unit. This was despite the Model Y RWD and Model Y L showing an estimated delivery timeline of 4-8 weeks, and the Model Y Long Range RWD and Model Y Long Range AWD showing 4-13 weeks. 

As per industry watchers, these updates on the Model Y’s order page suggest that Tesla China’s sales capacity for the remainder of 2025 has been sold out. The fact that estimated delivery timeframes for the Model Y Long Range RWD and AWD extend up to 13 weeks also bodes well for demand for the vehicle, especially given strong rivals like the Xiaomi YU7, which undercuts the Model Y in price. 

Tesla China’s upcoming big updates

What is quite interesting is that Tesla China is still competing in the country with one hand partly tied behind its back. So far, Tesla has only been able to secure partial approval for its flagship self-driving software, FSD, in China. This has resulted in V14 not being rolled out to the country yet. Despite this, Tesla China’s “Autopilot automatic assisted driving on urban roads,” as the system is called locally, has earned positive reviews from users.

As per Elon Musk during the 2025 Annual Shareholder Meeting, however, Tesla is expecting to secure full approval for FSD in China in early 2026. “We have partial approval in China, and we hopefully will have full approval in China around February or March or so. That’s what they’ve told us,” Musk said.

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