Tesla Cybertruck units that are being called “manufacturing confirmation” builds are being seen on the Giga Texas property as the company is revamping the factory to full production after a stoppage to upgrade lines. These units show impeccable build quality, and they are the best Cybertruck builds we have seen to date.
With the Cybertruck heading toward initial deliveries, as Tesla still plans to start with them before the end of the year, things are getting interesting on the Giga Texas property.
Earlier today, Giga Texas observer and drone operator Joe Tegtmeyer captured images of two “manufacturing confirmation” Cybertrucks. Tegtmeyer referred to them as “master candidates.”
Giga Texas NEWS! All employees back at work today, training, final prep, test production of Model Y bodies & at least 2 Master Candidate Cybertrucks produced & imaged today outside! This wee will be to get everything back into operational status to resume full production by next… pic.twitter.com/zgXGzVWmnh
— Joe Tegtmeyer ? ?? (@JoeTegtmeyer) September 25, 2023
These manufacturing confirmation Cybertrucks are the first few units to roll off of the new and improved production lines at the Texas Factory, which were shut down for several weeks to make room for improvements. Tesla told us during the Q2 Earnings Call that it would need to shut down each of its factories to upgrade production lines during Q3, which could contribute to a slightly lower quarter than expected.
These Cybertruck units are a validation of those new production lines and will not be delivery candidates, according to Greggertruck, a Cybertruck program insider. These will make way for the next Cybertruck production units, which will be known as “Series 9” and could be the first handed over to customers.
The insider told us that the Series 8 Cybertruck units could be the ones that end up in showrooms as Tesla will begin to get those into locations across the United States, likely in the near future.
As for Giga Texas, production should be back up to normal rates by next week, as the stoppage will take a few days to recover from. Tesla is building Model Y units at the factory, as well as these early Cybertruck units.
Elon Musk revealed this past weekend that Tesla has a “Performance” trim of the Cybertruck, giving us a hint at what configurations of the all-electric pickup might be available at first deliveries.
Please email me with questions and comments at joey@teslarati.com. I’d love to chat! You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.
News
Tesla Robotaxi geofence expansion enters Plaid Mode and includes a surprise
Now, on August 26, the Robotaxi geofence has expanded once again, and is estimated to be about 130 square miles.

Tesla has expanded its Robotaxi geofence in Austin for the third time since its launch in late June, and the company added a big surprise with this new service area.
After launching on June 22, Tesla’s driverless Robotaxi service has been expanded three times. Its initial launch was about 20 square miles in size. The first expansion occurred on July 14 and was roughly 42 miles large, more than double the initial geofence size.
The second expansion occurred on August 3 and brought the total service area to roughly 80 square miles.
Now, on August 26, the Robotaxi geofence has expanded once again, and is estimated to be about 170 square miles.
🚨 Tesla has expanded its Robotaxi geofence in Austin once again!
This is the third time the service area has expanded! pic.twitter.com/ZzIWWLIgsQ
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) August 26, 2025
The expansion of the Robotaxi geofence seemed to show the company’s focus on getting the service to the areas East and West of downtown was an utmost priority.
We reported on the Bee Cave region of the Austin suburbs being a place where Robotaxi validation vehicles were spotted testing in recent days.
Bee Cave is included in the new geofence.
However, that is not the biggest addition to the geofence, and it’s not even close. Tesla added a major area to the new geofence, one that fans of the company will absolutely love: Tesla Gigafactory Texas.
🚨 Tesla Gigafactory Texas is now available in the new Robotaxi geofence: https://t.co/Ctcm0HNZk4 pic.twitter.com/7nyhQNYLww
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) August 26, 2025
The big question that remains is whether Tesla is expanding the size of its fleet of Robotaxi vehicles in Austin. There have been many questions about the expansions of the fleet and not necessarily the geofence, and while the latter is certainly considered progress, Tesla will need to enable more Robotaxi into the vehicle population to handle the additional rides.
Tesla has been planning to do so, but is still prioritizing safety and does not want to rush any part of the Robotaxi process.
Tesla is also looking to expand to new cities altogether. It is currently moving toward a Robotaxi launch in Florida, Arizona, and Nevada, and has also opened up job postings for Robotaxi operators in New York.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk reiterates his most optimistic prediction yet with “UHI” forecast
Despite his polarizing nature, Elon Musk is, at his core, an optimist.

Despite his polarizing nature, Elon Musk is, at his core, an optimist. If he were not one, he would never have founded Tesla or SpaceX, or pursued projects such as Neuralink or xAI.
Musk’s optimism was on full display on social media platform X recently, when he shared what could very well be his most optimistic prediction yet.
Robots and humans
The Tesla CEO recently responded to a post from David Scott Patterson, who estimated that all jobs will be replaced by AI and robots easily by 2030. In his post, Patterson noted that if robots are sold at the same rate as vehicles, it could result in an output of 320 million robots per year.
Musk responded that eventually, intelligent humanoid robots will far exceed the population of humans, and “there will be many robots in industry for every human to provide products & services.”
Musk is already taking steps to achieve such a future. Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot is expected to see its first “legion” produced this 2025. During an All-Hands meeting earlier this year, Musk also hinted to Tesla employees that the company will try to produce about 50,000 Optimus robots next year.
Universal High Income (UHI)
Musk has shared similar sentiments in the past, so it was no surprise that some X users asked the CEO how humans could sustain their lives when robots replace working individuals. To this, Musk responded that a Universal High Income (UHI) would be implemented, which should provide people with the best medical care, food, and transport available.
“There will be universal high income (not merely basic income). Everyone will have the best medical care, food, home, transport and everything else. Sustainable abundance,” Musk wrote in his post.
Musk’s comment about sustainable abundance seems to be a prevalent theme in his recent optimistic comments. During Tesla’s second quarter earnings call, for example, Musk hinted that his Master Plan Part Four will describe a path towards sustainable abundance in a post-autonomy world.
News
Tesla FSD upcoming Australia release seemingly teased bv media
The videos showed FSD navigating lane changes, slowing for traffic, and handling curves without driver input.

New videos from Australia have fueled speculations that Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) will be rolling out in the country soon.
The videos, which were shared widely on social media, showed Teslas navigating lane changes, slowing for traffic, and handling curves without driver input, but still with active supervision.
New FSD footage
One video, posted by lifestyle outlet Man of Many and narrated by journalist Ben McKimm, highlighted how quickly the system responded to real-world conditions. McKimm seemed quite impressed with FSD’s performance, stating that the vehicle performs maneuvers much like a human driver.
Another video, which featured reporter Danielle Collin, featured a Tesla operating on public roads using its FSD (Supervised) system. Similar to McKimm, Collin seemed very impressed with the capabilities of FSD, as the vehicle was reacting to things like stop signs on its own.
No regulatory barriers
This isn’t the first time the software has been seen on Australian roads. Earlier this year, Tesla released a clip of a Model 3 driving through Melbourne’s central business district with no visible driver input. A second video later surfaced from Sydney, reinforcing expectations that Australia could be among the first right-hand-drive markets to receive access.
According to Tesla’s Australian website, FSD (Supervised) uses 360-degree camera visibility to manage blind spots, execute lane changes, and maintain awareness of surrounding vehicles, cyclists, and motorcycles. While Tesla notes that constant human oversight is still required for now, FSD is designed to handle city intersections, multi-lane highways, and traffic signals.
In an earlier statement to news.com.au, Tesla country director Thom Drew previously confirmed there were “no blockers in Australia” for a supervised release of FSD, similar to North America. “It’s something our business is working on releasing,” Drew said, though he did not provide a timeline.
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