During Tesla’s Q4 and FY 2020 earnings call, CEO Elon Musk remarked that the Cybertruck, the company’s all-electric pickup, will require a Giga Press that’s larger than the already-massive machines installed for the Model Y rear underbody in the Fremont Factory. A video of the first of these machines was recently shared by IDRA Group, the company that produces the house-sized die-casting contraptions.
While IDRA did not name Tesla directly in its video, the Italy-based company noted that a leading manufacturer of electric cars has ordered its first 8,000-ton die-casting machine. Apart from being an evident reference to Tesla, IDRA’s mention of the machine’s specs also mirrors that of Elon Musk’s statements during the previous earnings call. While addressing an analyst’s inquries, the CEO noted that the Cybertruck would be “using an 8,000-ton casting press for (its) rear body casting.”
“Once again, IDRA makes a world’s first for technological innovation, and we are very proud to announce that today, on the 16th of March 2021, we’ve been able to secure the first order for an 8,000-ton die-casting machine. This order is being placed by a leading global manufacturer for new energy vehicles,” IDRA General Manager Riccardo Ferrario said.
The Tesla Model Y is being produced with a Giga Press, a formidable machine capable of producing the all-electric crossover’s single-piece rear underbody. The Model Y’s Giga Press is a 6,000-ton contraption, but as Musk mentioned during the Q4 and FY 2020 earnings call, since the Cybertruck is a larger vehicle, it would require an even larger die-casting machine. Interestingly enough, the IDRA General Manager mentioned in the company’s recent video that the 8,000-ton press is designed to create components for large vehicles like the Cybertruck, among others.
“This giant machine will be used for the production of chassis components of larger vehicles such as pickup trucks, full electric lightweight goods vehicles, and SUVs. It is a maestro, and not only shows the capabilities of IDRA’s technical superiority, but also validates the many, many years of hard work that have gone into realizing this project,” Ferrario said.
Particularly noteworthy in IDRA’s video was the General Manager’s mention of other vehicles like SUVs and full electric lightweight goods vehicles that could be produced during the 8,000-ton Giga Press. Considering that the 8,000-ton Giga Press can create larger parts, the idea of a Tesla transit van or perhaps a large, full-size SUV may be feasible. Elon Musk noted in his Master Plan, Part Deux, that Tesla would be expanding its EV lines to address major segments, after all. With this in mind, the Cybertruck’s Giga Press could very well be the machine that takes Tesla a step closer to completing the second phase of Musk’s grand strategy.
Watch a video of the Cybertruck’s 8,000-ton Giga Press in the video below.
Don’t hesitate to contact us for news tips. Just send a message to tips@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.
Energy
Tesla launches first Virtual Power Plant in UK – get paid to use solar
Tesla has launched its first-ever Virtual Power Plant program in the United Kingdom.

Tesla has launched its first-ever Virtual Power Plant program in the United Kingdom. This feature enables users of solar panels and energy storage systems to sell their excess energy back to the grid.
Tesla is utilizing Octopus Energy, a British renewable energy company that operates in multiple markets, including the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and the United States, as the provider for the VPP launch in the region.
The company states that those who enroll in the program can earn up to £300 per month.
Tesla has operated several VPP programs worldwide, most notably in California, Texas, Connecticut, and the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. This is not the first time Tesla has operated a VPP outside the United States, as there are programs in Australia, Japan, and New Zealand.
This is its first in the UK:
Our first VPP in the UK
You can get paid to share your energy – store excess energy in your Powerwall & sell it back to the grid
You’re making £££ and the community is powered by clean energy
Win-win pic.twitter.com/evhMtJpgy1
— Tesla UK (@tesla_uk) July 17, 2025
Tesla is not the only company that is working with Octopus Energy in the UK for the VPP, as it joins SolarEdge, GivEnergy, and Enphase as other companies that utilize the Octopus platform for their project operations.
It has been six years since Tesla launched its first VPP, as it started its first in Australia back in 2019. In 2024, Tesla paid out over $10 million to those participating in the program.
Participating in the VPP program that Tesla offers not only provides enrolled individuals with the opportunity to earn money, but it also contributes to grid stabilization by supporting local energy grids.
Elon Musk
Waymo responds to Tesla’s Robotaxi expansion in Austin with bold statement
Waymo and Tesla are surely in a battle of “mine’s bigger” right now.

Waymo has responded to Tesla’s Robotaxi expansion in Austin with a bold statement by extending its own geofence by a considerable margin.
Earlier this week, Tesla chose to expand its geofence for its driverless Robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, substantially. The geofence more than doubled, bringing Tesla’s total serviceable area within Austin to approximately 42 square miles.
Tesla’s Robotaxi geofence in Austin grows, and its shape is hard to ignore
This put Tesla ahead of Waymo in terms of its service area in Austin, as the company’s geofence was just 37 square miles.
We reported on how significant this statement was for Tesla, as it has only been operating its driverless Robotaxi platform in Austin for less than a month, compared to Waymo, which has been there since March.
Tesla Robotaxi has already surpassed Waymo in this key metric
Waymo took it as a challenge, it seems, and expanded its geofence, and it did it impressively and massively. Now, Waymo’s geofence spans 90 square miles within Austin, including new neighborhoods such as Crestview, Windsor Park, Sunset Valley, Franklin Park, as well as popular tourist destinations like The Domain and McKinney Falls State Park.
The move “unlocks another key milestone in Austin as our operating territory with Waymo expands from 37 to 90 square miles, which means that even more riders can experience Waymo’s fully autonomous vehicles through the Uber app,” Sarfraz Maredia, Global Head of Autonomous Mobility & Delivery at Uber, said.
Additionally, Shweta Shrivastava, Senior Director of Product Management at Waymo, said:
“Just months after serving our first Austin riders with Uber, we’re excited to offer our 24/7 service to more of the city. The service with our partners at Uber is healthy, and we are ready for more Austinites to experience the magic of fully autonomous driving. Austin remains one of the fastest growing cities in the country, and we are doing our part to grow with it.”
Across the U.S., this expansion brings Waymo’s service area to more than 700 square miles, as it also operates in California and Arizona.
Here’s what the two geofenced regions look like:
🚨 Here’s a comparison of Tesla Robotaxi vs Waymo geofences in Austin https://t.co/6jIaDwBm2I pic.twitter.com/B9jiCIU21F
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) July 17, 2025
The competition between Waymo and Tesla only benefits consumers, as the two companies are evidently sparring for a larger service area in Austin. Tesla launched its interestingly-shaped geofence expansion on Monday, and it seemed that the shape was more of a joke that could also be construed as a warning to competitors.
Tesla could more than likely have pushed its geofence to a larger size, but it purposely chose to do so in a comical fashion.
Now that Waymo has responded in this way, we’ll see if Tesla puts the jokes aside.
News
Tesla exec hints at useful and potentially killer Model Y L feature
The Model Y L could become the company’s vehicle that offers the best balance between utility and comfort.

A Tesla executive from China has hinted at what could very well be a killer feature for the upcoming Model Y L. If speculations prove accurate, the Model Y L could become the company’s vehicle that offers the best balance between utility and comfort, possibly even exceeding what is offered by Tesla’s flagship vehicles.
Model Y L teaser
The Tesla Model Y L is expected to be a six-seat version of the best-selling all-electric crossover. With its six seats, the new Model Y L would be able to provide ample leg room to third-row passengers—something that the seven-seat Model Ys produced in the United States were unable to do.
With six seats, the Model Y L would be closer in size and more similar to the larger and much more expensive Model X, which remains Tesla’s de facto family hauler. The six-seat Model X, however, has one flaw that makes it a bit less useful than its seven-seat variant–its second row seats don’t fold fully flat.
Second row magic
In a post on Weibo, Tesla Vice President for China Grace Tao described the upcoming Model Y L as a “full-scene 6-seat luxury SUV.” This description, particularly the executive’s “full-scene” description, is notable, with Tesla China watchers such as @zhongwen2005 stating that “full-scene” typically means that all seats can be folded flat.
If Tesla is able to design the Model Y L’s second row seats to fold flat, it would provide the extended wheelbase vehicle with a lot more utility than typical six-seaters, including the six-seat Model X. And considering that the Model Y L will likely be priced just above the standard Model Y, its price would likely be extremely competitive, even in challenging markets such as China.
-
News5 hours ago
Tesla exec hints at useful and potentially killer Model Y L feature
-
Elon Musk20 hours ago
Elon Musk reveals SpaceX’s target for Starship’s 10th launch
-
Elon Musk2 days ago
Tesla ups Robotaxi fare price to another comical figure with service area expansion
-
News8 hours ago
“Worthy of respect:” Six-seat Model Y L acknowledged by Tesla China’s biggest rivals
-
Elon Musk1 day ago
Elon Musk confirms Tesla is already rolling out a new feature for in-car Grok
-
News1 day ago
First glimpse of Tesla Model Y with six seats and extended wheelbase
-
Elon Musk3 hours ago
Waymo responds to Tesla’s Robotaxi expansion in Austin with bold statement
-
News3 days ago
Tesla Robotaxi has already surpassed Waymo in this key metric