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Tesla Cybertruck Tri-Motor is surprisingly affordable compared to RAM 1500 TRX

(Credit: Tesla Cybertruck/Instagram, RAM Trucks/Instagram)

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While its design is unapologetically different, the Tesla Cybertruck is built to be a no-compromise alternative to the market’s most compelling pickup trucks. This is part of the reason why Tesla priced the vehicle very reasonably, with the entry-level RWD variant costing less than $40,000 and the top-tier Tri-Motor AWD version starting at less than $70,000. Granted, $70,000 for a pickup truck is not cheap by any means, but it sure is reasonable in comparison to other upcoming trucks from legacy automakers. 

Over the years, pickup trucks have transitioned from being pure utility vehicles to luxury, performance machines that are equally capable off-road as they are on paved roads. One such example is Dodge’s RAM trucks. In recent years, RAM Trucks have become more extreme, and this is represented best by the 2021 RAM 1500 TRX, Dodge’s flagship pickup that has over 200 horses more than the Ford F-150 Raptor, thanks to its supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine that pushes out a whopping 702 hp. 

The RAM 1500 TRX has the performance worthy of its flagship status. With its 702 horses, the RAM 1500 TRX is able to accomplish a 0-60 mph time of 4.5 seconds and a quarter-mile time of 12.9 seconds. Top speed is a respectable 118 mph, which is quite noteworthy for a half-ton pickup. But while these specs are definitely impressive, one thing about the RAM 1500 TRX has stood out: its price, which currently stands as the highest in the market. 

https://twitter.com/rick_scinta/status/1298592869570301952?s=20

The RAM 1500 TRX starts at a $71,690 including destination charges, which, interestingly enough, is right on the ballpark of the top-tier Tesla Cybertruck, which starts at $69,900. With Full Self-Driving added, the Cybertruck Tri-Motor AWD could reach a price that’s closer to $80,000. That’s quite still affordable compared to the RAM 1500 TRX, as Dodge’s flagship pickup — when fully loaded with features like radar cruise control, a HUD, and heated leather seats — could hit prices of about $100,000. 

A special “Launch Edition” of the RAM 1500 TRX is even available for a price of $92,010 including destination charges. Overall, with its premium price, the RAM 1500 TRX will be the first and only light-duty pickup truck to break the six-figure barrier, at least when the vehicle is expected to go on sale later this year. 

This price may very well be challenged by other, upcoming premium trucks coming to market, such as the Rivian R1T, which is created to be a luxurious adventure vehicle with the performance to match. That being said, Rivian has announced earlier this year that the R1T will start under its expected $69,000 price, so it remains to be seen if the top-tier variant of the company’s all-electric pickup would be priced comparably to the RAM 1500 TRX. 

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As for the Tesla Cybertruck Tri-Motor? The vehicle is looking to be more and more like the bang-for-your-buck pickup when it comes to performance and features. With the $69,900 Cybertruck Tri-Motor AWD, customers could experience a 0-60 mph time of 2.9 seconds and a quarter-mile time of 10.8 seconds, significantly quicker than the flagship RAM. 

The Cybertruck also has a maximum payload capacity of 3,500 pounds and a max towing capacity of over 14,000 pounds, far more than the RAM 1500 TRX’s maximum payload of 1,310 pounds and a max towing capacity of 8,100 pounds. This, coupled with a range of over 500 zero-emissions miles per charge, makes the Cybertruck a very compelling alternative to this generation’s best gas-guzzling pickups. 

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 is ending Cybertruck production

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Credit: diagnosticdennis/Instagram and @smile__no via Tesla Owners of Santa Clarita Valley/X

Tesla is ending Cybertruck production sometime in mid-2027, according to CEO Elon Musk.

Musk made the announcement on X last night, which came as a shock to many. He said that the Cybertruck will end production “to make room for increased Cybercab production” at Gigafactory Texas.

It is a huge blow to the fans of Tesla who have come to love the Cybertruck and identify with it as a symbol of their fandom. It has been the best-selling electric pickup, but it has had an underwhelming sales performance in terms of what was expected. This is mostly due to Tesla not meeting the prices it planned to offer the Cybertruck, as its unveiling and actual release were four years apart.

Overall, the responses were mixed. Some fans understood the move toward Cybercab production, especially as Tesla is truly pushing the autonomous future through its Robotaxi platform. However, others did not understand it.

“Damn, how many Cybercabs do you guys need?” one response read. Another said it was “Sad but understandable.”Even analyst Gary Black had responded to the news, stating he hoped Tesla planned to replace it with a traditional pickup design.

It doesn’t seem like that will be the case.

Tesla is so hell-bent on delivering autonomy and eventually providing a driverless service that owning a car seems like an arbitrary idea, according to their thesis. Instead, Cybercabs will be available to pick you up and drop you off on demand, safely, without any human help.

As a result, Tesla has thinned its lineup considerably, and one can only ask where the vehicle lineup goes from here. Eventually, it seems like Cybercab could be the only vehicle that Tesla will sell.

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SpaceX’s next Starship flight set to make history on Friday the 13th

SpaceX is targeting Friday, November 13 for Starship Flight 15 and its first ship catch.

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SpaceX is targeting Friday, November 13 for Starship Flight 15, the mission the company plans to use for its first attempt at catching the ship itself with the launch tower.

SpaceX Vice President of Launch Kiko Dontchev shared the date on stage at the UP.Summit on Thursday, according to Ars Technica’s Eric Berger, who was in attendance. It is the first launch target to come directly from a SpaceX executive. Until now, the public schedule had relied on FAA air traffic planning slides, which listed Flight 15 for no earlier than November 8 and later November 12. SpaceX has not posted an official mission page yet, and no launch time has been shared.

The date lands inside the window Elon Musk sketched out last month. Speaking at Giga Texas on October 10, Musk said the flight would “probably launch a little bit before Thanksgiving,” as Teslarati reported. On SpaceX’s third quarter earnings call ten days later, he confirmed that Flight 15 would try to catch both the Super Heavy booster and the ship, and put the odds of a successful ship catch at “more likely than not.” SpaceX also aired an animation of the maneuver during that webcast, showing the ship swinging vertical over Starbase before dropping into the tower’s chopsticks.

The hardware is ready. Booster 22 fired all 33 of its Raptor engines for a full duration static fire at Pad 2 on October 25. Ship 42 followed with a single engine burn simulating a deorbit maneuver on October 26 and a 60 second firing of all six engines the next day, according to NASASpaceflight. Ship 42 had already rehearsed the catch in September, when the Pad 2 arms lifted it into position and crews connected the quick disconnect arm while the vehicle hung from the tower.

The remaining hurdle is regulatory. The FAA’s Starship page does not yet list a Flight 15 license. SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell said in October that, after “significant constructive engagement with the FAA,” she expects the license to cover a return to the launch site and a tower catch for both stages. Bringing the ship home means a reentry path that heads toward land, rather than ending over open ocean as every Starship flight so far has.

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SpaceX has caught Super Heavy three times, on Flights 5, 7 and 8, but the ship comes back from orbital velocity and has never been caught. Flight 14 on September 28 was the first Starship to reach orbit, deploying 26 Starlink V3 satellites before splashing down despite an early engine shutdown that Musk blamed on engine computer software.

Musk has called a successful ship catch “the first time that there’s been full recovery of an orbital class rocket,” and he has already named the step after it: a Flight 16 where both the booster and the ship fly again. NASASpaceflight reports that Ship 43, the next vehicle in line, is set for static fire testing in December.

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EVgo taps Tesla Superchargers for mass charging expansion

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Credit: EVgo

EVgo has tapped Tesla Superchargers for its most recent efforts to expand its charging presence in the United States, a move that seems logical based on the effectiveness of the automaker’s own infrastructure.

EVgo opened its first Supercharger site in Illinois, a 12-stall station near downtown Chicago at 3145 South Ashland Avenue in the Riverside Square & River’s Edge center, right beside a grocery store. This marks the start of the company’s plan to deploy hundreds of Supercharger stalls across the United States, primarily at grocery-anchored Regency Centers properties where drivers can shop, eat, or run errands while they charge.

The new location uses Tesla’s Magic Dock technology so both NACS and CCS vehicles can plug in natively without drivers needing to carry their own adapters. Peak power reaches 325 kW at this site, with pricing set between $0.25 and $0.35 per kWh depending on the hour—the same rate for Tesla and non-Tesla drivers.

The stalls also appear in Tesla’s in-car navigation and Trip Planner, making them easy for Tesla owners to find and route to. Illinois has seen EV registrations rise nearly 60 percent over the past two years, and EVgo’s broader network has experienced more than 700 percent growth in charging demand over three years, so the timing fits the market’s trajectory.

Choosing Tesla hardware through the Supercharger for Business program turns out to have been a smart, practical move.

Tesla’s V4 stalls and cabinets deliver high, reliable power with a proven track record of strong uptime, while Magic Dock delivers true dual-standard compatibility in one package. Because the sites show up in Tesla’s navigation tools, EVgo instantly gains visibility among millions of existing Tesla drivers, which should raise utilization and help the company double its addressable market as more vehicles adopt NACS. EVgo still owns the stations and sets pricing, yet benefits from Tesla’s established hardware, longer cables, and operational support.

The result is faster, lower-risk infrastructure expansion that serves every EV driver—Tesla or otherwise—with convenient, high-power charging at everyday retail locations. For drivers, that means fewer adapters, more predictable stops, and a denser network just as electric vehicles become everyday transportation.

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