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Tesla owner reports almost $65/day fuel savings after using Cybertruck to tow construction trailer
A Tesla owner and contractor in Missouri recently shared an observation on social media that stunned several members of the electric vehicle community. As per the Tesla owner, he is currently saving almost $65 per day on fuel costs just by using his Cybertruck to tow his construction trailer.
Dan Burke, who operates White Wolf Construction & Home Inspection, shared his experience in a post on social media platform X. As per the Tesla owner, the Cybertruck has become his around-town tow vehicle for his construction trailer. Even if the Cybertruck’s range is reduced by the trailer, the vehicle’s range is still enough for his day-to-day needs. Overall, the Tesla owner noted that the Cybertruck saves him almost $65 per day in fuel savings alone.
Cybertruck doing the work . It’s replaced my Ram as the around town tow vehicle for the construction trailer. Even with reduced range, most of my trips are 15-20 miles each way a few times a day. Saves me almost $65 a day in fuel!! pic.twitter.com/cv9aVWxu9q— Dan Burke (@DeBergo) August 13, 2024
The Tesla owner’s post unsurprisingly caught a lot of attention on social media, with skeptics doubting the Cybertruck owner’s claims. As per Burke, however, his daily fuel savings are so high because his previous around-town tow vehicle, a Dodge Ram, had a number of performance mods and a dedicated towing tune, resulting in the pickup truck requiring premium fuel and getting only 9 mpg. Thus, on a typical day, Burke noted that he would spend about $70 on fuel for his Dodge Ram.
Love seeing how people are using their Cybertruck to save money. As a bonus it's also fun to drive when not being used for work https://t.co/mixUqc8Iix— Wes (@wmorrill3) August 14, 2024
With the Cybertruck, the Tesla owner noted that his fueling costs are significantly lower. Burke noted that he charges his Cybertruck at home, where off-peak power rates are at 4.5 cents per kWh. This results in daily fuel savings of about $65, or about $325 per week on a five-week workday. Estimated savings on a regular 20-day month would be about $1,300, and since a common year is comprised of 260 work days, the Tesla owner’s annual fuel savings could reach up to $16,900.
$65 a DAY in fuel savings….
That’s dudes cybertruck payment, paid for…. In FUEL SAVINGS.
EV trucks are a no brainer for 95% of the truck population. https://t.co/bALSTK8iCG— Greggertruck (@greggertruck) August 13, 2024
“That’s how much gas I put in my Ram almost every day when I pull this trailer. It weighs 6300-ish pounds on a normal day, and the Ram gets right at 9 mpg pulling it. The Ram has a bunch of performance mods, which is great for power but sucks down fuel. Premium fuel no less because of the towing tune I run on it. The Cybertruck is averaging 675 wh/mi on the same drive if I stay off the highway. On the highway, it’s around 824-875 depending on wind. So on a typical day, 160 miles /9mpg x 3.95 = $70. If I charge at my house, off-peak it’s 4.5 cents a kWh. 100 kWh back to the battery at 4.5 cents and that’s about $65 a day in savings,” Burke explained in a post on X.
Buying a cybertruck for a work truck is a no brained. You save on fuel, maintenance and it’s fast and fun to drive on top of that.— Dan Burke (@DeBergo) August 14, 2024
Granted, one could argue that Burke is a special case since his business needs fit perfectly with the Cybertruck’s current capabilities, but one could also argue that there are a lot of business owners that could see comparable benefits today just by using Tesla’s all-electric pickup truck. There are a lot of enterprises, after all, whose operations are centered on short to medium distance towing. For these, the Cybertruck seems like a very valid viable choice today, even if Tesla is still exclusively producing Foundation Series variants for customers.
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Tesla Theater might be getting plenty more streaming platforms
The in-car Tesla Theater is among the most unique features available within the cars. When charging, parked, camping, or just hanging out, vehicle occupants can access a variety of streaming platforms on the large center screen, helping keep them entertained during downtime.
However, the Theater might be getting plenty more streaming platforms, something that owners have requested for some time.
Tesla owners recently discovered that visiting Apple TV in the vehicle browser can launch a fullscreen interface that looks and behaves like a dedicated application rather than an ordinary webpage:
Today I learned that if you go to Apple TV in the Tesla browser, it will open up an actual Apple TV app, fully functional. Not just the site.
Apparently there are more apps than just the few that show on the apps page. pic.twitter.com/os1Ypfm4JR
— Jason W (@jmwilt21) August 20, 2026
The experience drops the usual address bar and browser chrome, presenting catalogs, continue watching rows, and playback controls in the same window Tesla Theater already uses for its listed services. Independent testers soon found similar treatment for HBO Max, Paramount+, Peacock, Disney+, and Prime Video when those sites are opened from the car browser.
This shift is a plausible early signal that Tesla is widening Theater support without a formal software note. Theater has long been a set of web views rather than native applications, so recognizing extra domains and stripping the browser frame is a small server-side change that can expand the catalog quickly.
Owners still lack permanent Theater icons for the newly recognized services, and video remains limited to Park, yet the smoother launch is a meaningful step toward a broader lounge while charging.
Tesla Theater arrived with software version 10 in September 2019. The first video services were Netflix, YouTube, and Hulu, available only while parked and originally tied to WiFi. Spotify arrived in the same era as music rather than Theater video. Disney+ joined officially in July 2021 with the 2021.24 update, giving owners another major catalog on the center screen. Twitch and TikTok later appeared among the default Theater tiles, and Tesla Tutorials remained a persistent educational tile.
Not every addition stayed put. In December 2023, a Holiday software build removed the Disney+ tile for many United States owners after a public dispute involving advertising on X. Hulu stayed visible even though Disney owned it. Visiting disneyplus.com in the browser often restored the tile, which suggested the removal was a recognition list change rather than a complete block. Owners have also reported occasional blank Theater grids after updates, usually fixed by language toggles, resets, or later firmware.
Tesla axes Disney+ from vehicles with Musk-Iger rivalry, but there’s a workaround
Code archives from 2024 listed many unused source names, including Apple TV and Prime Video, that never became official icons, which now looks like groundwork for the current fullscreen browser behavior.
Now that this hint toward an expanded Theater experience has been recognized, Tesla could follow through with these additional shortcuts as a sign that more streaming platforms are available in Teslas than ever before.
News
Tesla Semi’s biggest adoptee gives an update on production timeline
Tesla recently received its largest order for the all-electric Semi from Einride, a Swedish transport service, for 500 units, a groundbreaking invoice to receive before the first deliveries begin.
Even more remarkable, Einride CEO Roozbeh Charli said in a recent interview that he expects his company to take delivery of all 500 — the entire order — before the end of 2027. He even expects to have 75 Tesla Semi units in the Einride fleet before the end of this year.
🚨 Einride CEO Roozbeh Charli on the Tesla Semi partnership:
“If we start with the Amazon announcement that we did earlier this year, that was on the back of having gone through a proving period together with them and proving out our technology. Then we took that next step in… pic.twitter.com/oazkXjwoig
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) August 28, 2026
Charli said the Tesla partnership was part of a broader push, along with its earlier partnership with Amazon. Einride is assisting Amazon with the use of its Saga AI platform, which helps eliminate questions about budgeting and forecasting for logistics companies.
The Semi, as well as Tesla’s production and subsequent delivery of the units to Einride, will help the company “to have a good supply of vehicles that we can deploy on the [Saga AI] platform,” Charli said. “Tesla is also a relationship we’ve had for a while, and as the Tesla Semi deliveries are firming up, we decided to do a larger commitment to that and deploy that on our platform.”
In its initial announcement, Einride said it anticipated taking delivery of the trucks over the next two years, but now it appears the company is expecting all 500 units within the next 16 months.
Built at a dedicated factory in Sparks, Nevada, the Tesla Semi has been perhaps the biggest and most intensive testing process the company has ever had for a single vehicle model. For the past several years, Tesla has been working with many companies, most notably Frito-Lay and PepsiCo, to gain knowledge on the performance on regional routes.
Tesla plans to launch the Semi officially on September 24, five months after production started ramping.
Additionally, drivers have said they are happy about the Semi’s performance and that its numerous safety and productivity features have made their jobs and routes much easier.
News
Tesla Cybercab uses a unique strategy for picking up the right rider
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.
🚨 Tesla is using different light bar colors to help riders understand which vehicle is theirs
Pretty cool strategy pic.twitter.com/eGMpEMeRpc
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) August 27, 2026
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.
Additionally, members of the public will be invited as well. Tesla has been offering employee rides in Cybercab for nearly two months.