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Tesla Cybertruck headlights light up the route in Los Angeles test ride on Nov. 21, 2019 Tesla Cybertruck headlights light up the route in Los Angeles test ride on Nov. 21, 2019

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Hey Tesla, Oklahoma has a Big F*cking Field for the Cybertruck Gigafactory (in case you didn't hear)

Tesla Cybertruck headlights light up the route in Los Angeles test ride on Nov. 21, 2019 (Photo: Teslarati)

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There are a variety of effective ways to get Elon Musk’s attention. Tweeting is one, sharing memes is another. Tulsa, OK, which is pitching itself as an ideal site for Tesla’s Cybertruck Gigafactory, has decided to dig deep into its creative bones, coming up with a full-on meme assault explaining why the city is perfect for the all-electric pickup’s production.

Recently, Elon Musk noted that Tesla is looking for an idea location at the center of the United States where the Cybertruck could be built. Musk noted that the facility will be producing the all-electric pickup, and perhaps the Model Y as well. Several states have expressed interest for a Giga Cybertruck. But with so many areas vying for the facility, Tulsa, OK, appears to have gone the road less taken.

Introduced as the Big F*cking Field (or BFF, for short), Tulsa’s potential Cybertruck Gigafactory has several features that make it ideal for Tesla. Each of these characteristics was highlighted by the city, with each point being accented by some masterfully-selected memes.

In the BFF’s specs alone, Musk will not only see information about the site’s size (1500 acres) or its infrastructure (includes water lines and roads, among others); the CEO will also get specific measurements of the location’s distance to Mars (150.2 million miles), or the SEC headquarters (1053 miles) for that matter.  

https://twitter.com/BigFuckingField/status/1240327606718906368?s=20

The rest of Tulsa’s page for the Big F*cking Field follows much of the same format, especially with regards to its “Google Reviews” and its “Mode Preview.” Musk, being a bonafide meme lord and a huge fan of snarky humor, will likely have a chuckle when he scrolls through the BFF’s page. The Tesla CEO would certainly appreciate the $100 refundable deposit for the 1500-acre land, if any. 

But all jokes and memes aside, Tulsa, OK did highlight that if Tesla were to build its Cybertruck Gigafactory in the city, it would move very fast to get the project going. It was even noted that the process will be moving very fast, like “Plaid powertrain” fast. This could very well be a key selling point for the BFF, as Tesla intends to start production of the Cybertruck next year.

Tulsa, OK’s BFF actually has a dedicated Twitter account, and it’s just as sassy as its main website. Over the past few days, the team behind the BFF account has spent its time interacting with members of the social media platform, while trading jabs and memes with commenters (and poking fun at other cities in the United States that are also potential sites of the Cybertruck Gigafactory).

Overall, we have to say that Tulsa, OK’s pitch is very bold. One can even say it’s genius, and it may very well attract the interest of the Tesla CEO. 

Those interested to check out Tulsa, OK’s Big F*cking Field could click here.

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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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Tesla Cybercab uses a unique strategy for picking up the right rider

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Credit: ARTSIMAGE | X

Tesla Cybercab is using a unique strategy for picking up the correct rider, which is a crucial part of ride-hailing to ensure people end up in the right place and are charged the correct price.

Cybercab will utilize an RGB strip in its front light bar that will illuminate in a variety of different colors to mark itself.

This identifying mark will also appear in the Robotaxi app, giving riders in the same location a notable distinction in an effort to avoid any confusion regarding who should get in each vehicle.

Other ride-hailing services use similar strategies: Lyft and Uber rides are recognizable through driver identity, vehicle type and color, as well as license plate. Waymo will display the rider’s initials on top of the vehicle, letting them know that the specific vehicle for them has arrived.

Tesla’s strategy is unique and interesting, but there are some flaws. Cybercab’s main purpose is aimed toward being an autonomous ride for all, including those who have disabilities like being blind or even color blind.

Tesla will likely have something in the pipeline for those who cannot see colors or have limited vision. There will definitely be multiple ways to identify which vehicle is the one that “you” specifically ordered.

Cybercab is set to start giving public rides next Thursday, September 3, in Austin, as it announced a dedicated event last week and invited many members of the Tesla community.

Tesla will launch Cybercab on September 3

Additionally, members of the public will be invited as well. Tesla has been offering employee rides in Cybercab for nearly two months.

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Tesla ends in-house wrap service that always seemed like a short-term program

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla has said goodbye to one customization option for its vehicles: the wrap service it launched several years ago.

After launching an in-house wrap service in August 2020 for the first time in China. In the U.S., it launched in October 2023. Tesla continued to expand the program and adjust it with better pricing and fewer options for the Cybertruck.

By December 2023, it was giving owners of the Model 3, Model Y, and the Cybertruck the opportunity to give their vehicle a fresh look with a vinyl wrap.

Tesla revamps in-house vinyl wrap service with better pricing

It was only available in five locations: Costa Mesa, Oceanside, Santa Clara, West Covina, all in California, and Seattle, Washington.

However, Tesla made some big adjustments to its shop, and the wrap service is officially gone:

Wraps are very popular across the Tesla lineup, especially since the company offers relatively few colors. Many choose to wrap their Teslas with interesting colors, patterns, or even finishes, turning their cars from glossy to satin or matte.

However, Tesla’s wrap service was so limited geographically that it never really had a chance to get off the ground or compete with local shops. Every area in the United States is now overflowing with detailing shops, mobile detailers, and other automotive specialists, many of whom perform wrap services.

Tesla’s service was confined to the Pacific time zone and only spanned across two states. It was never going to be something Tesla was a major competitor in, nor was it going to disrupt the wrapping industry. Now that the program has ended, it seems pretty ideal to believe it was always going to be a short-term thing.

Along with the wrap service, Tesla removed several other products, but nothing too crazy. The Model 3 Door Pocket and Cupholder Liners, the Model S 19″ Magnetite Wheel and Winter Tire Package, Model X/Y Ski/Snowboard Carrier for Hitch Rack, Tesla’s Electric Summer Party Tee, and the Electric Summer Tee were the other items the company totally eliminated from its online shop.

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Tesla Robotaxi fleet gets a brain upgrade ahead of Cybercab launch event

Tesla’s Robotaxi service now runs longer hours nationwide as its unsupervised fleet quietly grows larger.

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Tesla’s Robotaxi service just got easier to catch, with the company’s official Robotaxi account noting that rides are now available from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week, across its operating footprint. The account also said its unsupervised fleet is “a lot bigger” than before, though without specifics. The bigger change is what Tesla says upgraded intelligence in vehicle distribution and routing is what’s actually cutting wait times, not a new Full Self-Driving version.

While Tesla did not name the team behind the upgrade, the language points to its AI and fleet software group rather than the driving stack itself. Vehicle distribution and routing in Robotaxi has functioned mostly as a dispatch problem with the software deciding which idle car goes to which rider, and how far it has to travel to get there. “Upgraded intelligence” suggests a smarter version of that dispatch logic, likely using demand forecasting to position idle cars near where riders are about to request them rather than reacting once a request comes in. Tesla’s AI division has built similar prediction systems for other parts of the business, including the neural networks that power FSD itself, so applying that same approach to fleet logistics would be a natural extension rather than a new discipline for the team.

Tesla is also about a week away from a separate robotaxi milestone. The company plans to launch Cybercab, its purpose built two seat robotaxi with no steering wheel or pedals, in Austin on September 3. Cybercab has been giving employees rides on public and private roads for weeks, and the September event is expected to fold those vehicles into the existing Robotaxi fleet within days of the launch.


Austin previously ran Robotaxi from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. as of last September, a schedule set before the service expanded into Dallas, Houston, Miami, Tampa, Orlando and the Bay Area. Wednesday’s post did not specify whether that extended overnight window still applies in Austin specifically or whether 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. is now the standard across every market. Tesla’s post, visible on its official Robotaxi account, framed the change simply as fewer riders waiting around for a car.

Whether the wider hours hold once Cybercab enters the fleet next week is the next thing worth watching. Tesla has tended to expand Robotaxi in increments, first geofence, then hours, then fleet size, and each step so far has arrived without much advance notice.

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