News
Far from a Flop: Tesla Cybertruck orders surpass 1.2 million units
Tesla Cybertruck reservations have surpassed the 1.2 million unit threshold as over 17,000 all-electric pickups were ordered last week. The Cybertruck, while not yet released by Tesla, is accumulating a significant number of pre-orders just months ahead of initial production. While CEO Elon Musk has recognized the fact that the Cybertruck could be a “flop,” reservation figures seem to point in a different direction.
According to a fan-sourced reservation tracker available online, the Cybertruck has unofficially accumulated 1,254,872 pre-orders, amounting in over $79 billion of potential revenue for Tesla from the all-electric pickup. The figure gives the impression that Tesla could dominate the EV pickup sector when it eventually launches later this year, likely by the Rivian R1T. The Cybertruck’s Dual-Motor configuration is still the most popular, accounting for around 48% of the total reservations. The least popular variant is the Single Motor build, only accounting for around 7% of the total pre-orders.
Credit: Cybertruck Reservation Tracker | Twitter @elons_world
The Cybertruck reservation spreadsheet reached over 1,000,000 pre-orders in May 2021. Due to its unique design that caters to the unorthodox taste that many of us require from our vehicles, the Cybertruck is likely to be one of Tesla’s best sellers in 2022 when the company projects it will begin volume production of the pickup. Its stainless steel alloy, combined with a “polarizing” look and all-electric powertrain, won Tesla fans and others over after its November 2019 unveiling event. However, the order list is becoming so long that it may take several years for the more recent reservation holders to actually accept delivery of the vehicle.
Last week at Tesla’s Q2 2021 Earnings Call, it was confirmed that Giga Texas, the company’s newest facility, would start production with the Model Y crossover first. This answered a question that many Tesla owners and fans alike spammed CEO Elon Musk with at any given opportunity. Nobody knew what vehicle would kick off production at the company’s second U.S.-located vehicle assembly plant, but the Q2 Update Letter solidified that the Model Y would in fact be the first car that Tesla produces at the plant, an ideal decision considering Model Y demand continues to grow and the company has the necessary equipment to begin production immediately.
Credit: /cybertruckjourney
The Cybertruck will require an 8,000-ton Giga Press from Italian manufacturer IDRA. This machine has not yet made its way to Giga Texas, and will likely need to perform routine test runs before Tesla feels confident to begin producing the vehicle.
As the Cybertruck continues to gain a significant number of pre-orders, other all-electric trucks in the sector continue to accumulate their own impressive reservation figures. Ford announced last week that its F-150 Lightning has reached 120,000 reservations so far since May, an impressive figure considering the company’s relatively early adoption of electrification.
What do you think? Let us know in the comments below, or be sure to email me at joey@teslarati.com or on Twitter @KlenderJoey.
Investor's Corner
SpaceX IPO is coming, CEO Elon Musk confirms
However, it appears Musk is ready for SpaceX to go public, as Ars Technica Senior Space Editor Eric Berger wrote an op-ed that indicated he thought SpaceX would go public soon. Musk replied, basically confirming it.
Elon Musk confirmed through a post on X that a SpaceX initial public offering (IPO) is on the way after hinting at it several times earlier this year.
It also comes one day after Bloomberg reported that SpaceX was aiming for a valuation of $1.5 trillion, adding that it wanted to raise $30 billion.
Musk has been transparent for most of the year that he wanted to try to figure out a way to get Tesla shareholders to invest in SpaceX, giving them access to the stock.
He has also recognized the issues of having a public stock, like litigation exposure, quarterly reporting pressures, and other inconveniences.
However, it appears Musk is ready for SpaceX to go public, as Ars Technica Senior Space Editor Eric Berger wrote an op-ed that indicated he thought SpaceX would go public soon.
Musk replied, basically confirming it:
As usual, Eric is accurate
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 10, 2025
Berger believes the IPO would help support the need for $30 billion or more in capital needed to fund AI integration projects, such as space-based data centers and lunar satellite factories. Musk confirmed recently that SpaceX “will be doing” data centers in orbit.
AI appears to be a “key part” of SpaceX getting to Musk, Berger also wrote. When writing about whether or not Optimus is a viable project and product for the company, he says that none of that matters. Musk thinks it is, and that’s all that matters.
It seems like Musk has certainly mulled something this big for a very long time, and the idea of taking SpaceX public is not just likely; it is necessary for the company to get to Mars.
The details of when SpaceX will finally hit that public status are not known. Many of the reports that came out over the past few days indicate it would happen in 2026, so sooner rather than later.
But there are a lot of things on Musk’s plate early next year, especially with Cybercab production, the potential launch of Unsupervised Full Self-Driving, and the Roadster unveiling, all planned for Q1.
Tesla has added the 15th automaker to the growing list of companies whose EVs can utilize the Supercharger Network this year, as BMW is the latest company to gain access to the largest charging infrastructure in the world.
BMW became the 15th company in 2025 to gain Tesla Supercharger access, after the company confirmed to its EV owners that they could use any of the more than 25,000 Supercharging stalls in North America.
Welcome @BMW owners.
Download the Tesla app to charge → https://t.co/vnu0NHA7Ab
— Tesla Charging (@TeslaCharging) December 10, 2025
Newer BMW all-electric cars, like the i4, i5, i7, and iX, are able to utilize Tesla’s V3 and V4 Superchargers. These are the exact model years, via the BMW Blog:
- i4: 2022-2026 model years
- i5: 2024-2025 model years
- 2026 i5 (eDrive40 and xDrive40) after software update in Spring 2026
- i7: 2023-2026 model years
- iX: 2022-2025 model years
- 2026 iX (all versions) after software update in Spring 2026
With the expansion of the companies that gained access in 2025 to the Tesla Supercharger Network, a vast majority of non-Tesla EVs are able to use the charging stalls to gain range in their cars.
So far in 2025, Tesla has enabled Supercharger access to:
- Audi
- BMW
- Genesis
- Honda
- Hyundai
- Jaguar Land Rover
- Kia
- Lucid
- Mercedes-Benz
- Nissan
- Polestar
- Subaru
- Toyota
- Volkswagen
- Volvo
Drivers with BMW EVs who wish to charge at Tesla Superchargers must use an NACS-to-CCS1 adapter. In Q2 2026, BMW plans to release its official adapter, but there are third-party options available in the meantime.
They will also have to use the Tesla App to enable Supercharging access to determine rates and availability. It is a relatively seamless process.
News
Tesla adds new feature that will be great for crowded parking situations
This is the most recent iteration of the app and was priming owners for the slowly-released Holiday Update.
Tesla has added a new feature that will be great for crowded parking lots, congested parking garages, or other confusing times when you cannot seem to pinpoint where your car went.
Tesla has added a new Vehicle Locator feature to the Tesla App with App Update v4.51.5.
This is the most recent iteration of the app and was priming owners for the slowly-released Holiday Update.
While there are several new features, which we will reveal later in this article, perhaps one of the coolest is that of the Vehicle Locator, which will now point you in the direction of your car using a directional arrow on the home screen. This is similar to what Apple uses to find devices:
Interesting. The location arrow in the Tesla app now points to your car when you’re nearby. pic.twitter.com/b0yjmwwzxN
— Whole Mars Catalog (@wholemars) December 7, 2025
In real time, the arrow gives an accurate depiction of which direction you should walk in to find your car. This seems extremely helpful in large parking lots or unfamiliar shopping centers.
Getting to your car after a sporting event is an event all in itself; this feature will undoubtedly help with it:
The nice little touch that Tesla have put in the app – continuous tracking of your vehicle location relative to you.
There’s people reporting dizziness testing this.
To those I say… try spinning your phone instead. 😉 pic.twitter.com/BAYmJ3mzzD
— Some UK Tesla Guy (UnSupervised…) (@SomeUKTeslaGuy) December 8, 2025
Tesla’s previous app versions revealed the address at which you could locate your car, which was great if you parked on the street in a city setting. It was also possible to use the map within the app to locate your car.
However, this new feature gives a more definitive location for your car and helps with the navigation to it, instead of potentially walking randomly.
It also reveals the distance you are from your car, which is a big plus.
Along with this new addition, Tesla added Photobooth features, Dog Mode Live Activity, Custom Wraps and Tints for Colorizer, and Dashcam Clip details.
🚨 Tesla App v4.51.5 looks to be preparing for the Holiday Update pic.twitter.com/ztts8poV82
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) December 8, 2025
All in all, this App update was pretty robust.
SpaceX IPO is coming, CEO Elon Musk confirms
Tesla adds 15th automaker to Supercharger access in 2025
