News
Tesla Cybertruck makes a tight squeeze through Boring Company tunnel
The Tesla Cybertruck navigated The Boring Company’s Hawthorne test tunnel as it was driven by veteran talk show host Jay Leno and Elon Musk in the passenger’s seat. The episode of Jay Leno’s Garage on CNBC revealed that the Cybertruck was fully capable of navigating the startup’s rather narrow tunnel. It was a tight fit, but the all-electric pickup was able to traverse the entire length of the test tunnel without any issues.
The highlight of the episode has been teased in the past. After the trailer for the sixth season of Jay Leno’s Garage was released in late April, the short television spot previewed the massive Cybertruck dropping into the Hawthorne test tunnel.
The event was previewed once more by Leno earlier this month, when the host was featured in Spike Feresten’s podcast to talk about his experience in the Cybertruck. After describing the ride, Leno said Musk offered him a journey through the Hawthorne tunnel. Describing the trip vaguely to not give away too much, the former late-night show host explained a super tight fit that allowed for about a quarter-inch of space on each side of the Cybertruck.
SPACEX COUNTDOWN! 🚀 #NASA and #SpaceX are scheduled for a historic launch and we are counting down to @ElonMusk on #JayLenosGarage.
SpaceX, Electric Semi, #Cybertruck, a new #TeslaModel… All TONIGHT! pic.twitter.com/TaHXowpfrb
— Jay Leno's Garage (@LenosGarage) May 27, 2020
The episode of Leno’s show revealed that the fit was extremely tight and restricted, and Leno was undoubtedly wary of his surroundings while navigating the all-electric pickup through the tunnel. Musk, for his part, seemed relatively relaxed.
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“It will be quite interesting to see if we can actually fit it down there,” Musk said.
After navigating the truck within the tunnel, Musk gave Leno the finer points of the Hawthorne tunnel and its design, explaining that it was a test tunnel for the Boring Company’s future projects. But Leno’s description of the ride seemed to be slightly different than a carefully navigated stroll that was filmed and put into the final cut of the episode.
https://twitter.com/JxckSweeney/status/1265841625097474048?s=20
Leno told Feresten during his interview on the podcast, “We drive the Cybertruck, we barely get it into the tunnel, and now we’re going like 50 or 60 miles per hour through the tunnel with a quarter-inch on each side.”
After exiting the tunnel, Leno extended his congratulations to Musk, offering him luck that the next twelve years would be like the last twelve. Since 2008, Tesla has built itself up from a small startup with a slight chance of success to one of the most valuable car companies in the world.
Leno’s absurd collection of cars would make any automotive enthusiast jealous. However, it seems that Tesla cars always have struck a different tone with the veteran host, even speaking highly of the company’s electric vehicles in the past. This time around, the Cybertruck certainly seemed to win Jay over. Its design and performance are unlike any pickup on the market today, something Leno identified during his short stroll through Los Angeles in the Cybertruck.
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News
SpaceX just launched a secret payload from California
SpaceX launched a classified Space Force mission from Vandenberg, revealing almost nothing about its payload.
SpaceX launched a classified Falcon 9 mission for the U.S. Space Force from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Saturday night, and the government released almost nothing about what was on board. The mission, designated USSF-366, lifted off from Space Launch Complex 4E with a window that opened at 9:52 p.m. ET and ran into the early hours of Sunday, according to SpaceX’s own mission page, which described the payload only as classified. SpaceX confirmed the launch on its X account and pointed viewers to a livestream that began roughly ten minutes before liftoff.
Watch Falcon 9 launch the USSF-366 mission from pad 4E in California https://t.co/FFEzeYOds1
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 16, 2026
The lack of detail did not stop analysts from filling in the blanks. Independent tracking of the rocket’s stage drop zones matched the pattern SpaceX has used on previous Starlink Group 15 missions, according to reporting from Outer Space Today, which pointed to Starshield as the likely payload rather than a one off government satellite. Starshield is SpaceX’s national security product, a version of the Starlink satellite bus built to Pentagon specifications for earth observation, communications and hosted payloads. Unlike consumer Starlink, government agencies do not have to disclose what Starshield satellites are actually doing once they reach orbit.
USSF-366 is the latest entry in a steady flow of classified and semi classified work between SpaceX and the Space Force. The company picked up a $178.5 million task order in April to launch missile tracking satellites for the Space Development Agency, as Teslarati reported at the time, and followed that in July with a $1.6 billion award covering 18 more Falcon 9 missions from Vandenberg through the end of 2027, also detailed by Teslarati. Add those contracts up and SpaceX’s Pentagon business for 2026 alone tops $8 billion.
SpaceX scores another massive Pentagon deal to support military satellites
The Falcon 9 that flew Saturday landed back near the launch site, producing the sonic booms that have become routine for residents near Vandenberg. What is less routine is how little the public will likely ever learn about what the rocket carried. SpaceX and the Space Force have not confirmed the Starshield connection, and government satellite programs built on commercial buses rarely get identified beyond a mission number and a general orbit. For a company that live streams almost everything else it does, from Starship test flights to Optimus robot demos, USSF-366 is a reminder that some of SpaceX’s busiest work now happens entirely out of public view.
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On Friday, Tesla launched the Outlet Adapter that enabled Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) energy transfer, meaning owners could essentially utilize their cars as a power source for things like laptops, electric grills, or string lights.
However, even owners of some of the newest builds of the Model Y are finding out that their cars are not compatible with the new $80 accessory, stirring up a new complaint among members of the community.
Tesla launches V2L Outlet Adapter for Premium Model Y in the U.S.
Upon the release of the Outlet Adapter on Friday, I signed into my Tesla account to order the accessory. However, I was met with the dreaded “This product is not compatible with your 2026 Model Y” message at the bottom of the screen.
Some said their accounts also displayed the same message, but they ordered anyway. However, they might be surprised to find that this is no mistake; some of the newest Model Ys do not have the appropriate Power Conversion System (PCS). Mine, which was ordered on this day last year and delivered on August 31, has the old 48A, single-phase PCS.
Vehicles with the new, two-piece PCS are able to utilize V2L features on their cars:
🚨 Looks like you can hit the Parts Catalog and enter your VIN and check to see if your Model Y will be able to use the adapter for V2L.https://t.co/QA9zRk7n2k
h/t to @SawyerMerritt for finding this out.
-I am sad but this isn’t a huge loss. https://t.co/AYpI12QVV9 pic.twitter.com/LRFSrtRywo
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) August 16, 2026
Obviously, it’s disappointing. Many owners have taken delivery this year and still can not utilize the Outlet Adapter because their cars feature the old PCS:
Took delivery in February of 2026. I have the older one, so not going to work for me pic.twitter.com/RcOVq8gvvT
— Russell (@QuietTesla) August 16, 2026
It looks like if you have one of these older PCS units, you can upgrade, but the parts alone are $1,750, and that’s before Tesla adds labor for installing. It is honestly more logical to get some kind of portable power supply or power station at that point.
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It is great that Tesla has enabled V2L for Model Y vehicles, but it is also unfortunate that vehicles that are less than one year old are not able to take advantage of this awesome new feature.
With that being said, it truly is a first-world problem; can you really complain when Full Self-Driving is available, maintenance is incredibly inexpensive, and the car has been so good through a year of ownership?
Tesla has launched a new Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) Outlet Adapter for Premium Model Y vehicles in the United States, meaning you can now power devices like laptops or light strings with your vehicle’s battery.
It appears the capability will be available for any Model Y Premium trim, including those that were purchased prior to the Adapter being launched. It will also only impact Juniper Model Y vehicles, so the first-gen owners will unfortunately not have access to this capability.
If your Model Y was purchased before Tesla renamed the trim levels to “Premium” and “Standard,” it does not seem to be compatible. My Model Y is technically a Premium build, as it is the Long Range All-Wheel-Drive. However, Tesla says it is not compatible with my vehicle.
🚨 Tesla has launched the Outlet Adapter for Model Y Premium in the U.S., enabling V2L capability for all Premium trims (that’s what it appears to be as it is available for purchase with all Premium trims)
It’s available for $80. 2.4kW max power and rated for 120v, 20A pic.twitter.com/lDxlVIk5s8
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) August 14, 2026
For $80, you can now utilize your car as a portable charger for small appliances or devices. This is perfect for things like tailgates, concerts, or camping, as you can now plug in devices that you might use. Those string lights for camping? That laptop for the other games that are on at the tailgate?
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They’ll both utilize energy from your Tesla’s battery to be powered. This is the first time Tesla has expanded the capability to vehicles outside of the Model Y Performance and Cybertruck. However, this feature has been highly requested by owners for an extended period of time.
Tesla launched the Outlet Adapter in China last year:
Tesla China rolls out Model Y L V2L adapter, and it’s free for early owners
You will need the Mobile Connector to operate the Outlet Adapter: the Outlet Adapter will plug into the main housing of the Mobile Connector, where the appropriate adapter to charge your vehicle will plug in.
It is rated for 120 volts and 20 amps, and has a max power rating of 2.4kW.
You can buy it here from Tesla for $80.
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SpaceX just launched a secret payload from California
Tesla V2L adapter for Model Y stirs up a new complaint among owners
