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Tesla Cybertruck’s rear-wheel steering seen once again

Credit: greggertruck | Twitter

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Amongst the Tesla Cybertruck’s many potential features and Easter Eggs, one of the most highly anticipated is the inclusion of rear-wheel steering. While the spec is unconfirmed, the latest pre-production beta that Tesla showed on Wednesday at its Investor Day event equipped it, which helps the massive pickup maneuver tight turns and spaces.

It is the first time the Cybertruck has been spotted with the feature for some time, as a few sightings have been referenced over the past two years. In late 2021, a video of a Cybertruck with the feature was first uncovered, with another sighting in early 2022.

The Wednesday views of the Cybertruck were perhaps the best look at the vehicle we’ve had thus far, as plenty of photos from the company’s Investor Event earlier this week were shared. Tesla seems to have landed on a final design for an updated Yoke steering wheel, as well as improvements to the vehicle’s interior, like folding rear seats for additional space.

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Tesla Cybertruck pre-production beta shows new interior features

However, the rear-wheel steering feature was and is one of the few things we have seen that the Cybertruck can do in motion. It’s an advantageous function due to its tight turn radius, which allows the massive truck to maneuver with higher agility than one would initially think.

Interestingly, rear-wheel steering, while utilizing all four tires to help with maneuverability, differs from all-wheel steering.

The use of all four wheels supporting maneuvering and directional changes is sometimes called “in-phase steering.” Not only have automakers like Lexus, Porsche, Lamborghini, Ferrari, and Audi all used in-phase steering to help improve stability and handling in high-speed applications.

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Meanwhile, rear-wheel steering helps the rear tires work in tandem with the front tires, improving turning and maneuverability at slower speeds.

While Tesla backed off the Cybertruck’s initial dimensions due to its massive size, there’s no denying it’s still a pretty sizeable vehicle. There are rumors that, due to its size, it may never be suitable for the European market, where streets are small, and parking spaces are right. Of course, this is speculation, but it seems it could be just a tad too big to be useful in some countries.

Nevertheless, in the United States, where the Cybertruck will be produced, specifically in Austin, Texas, the truck is just another one on the road in terms of dimensions. Americans drive massive pickups, and the only difference between the Cybertruck and others is the overall shape, which is completely unconventional and was part of Tesla’s plan to break the mold of pickup design.

I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.

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Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on X @KlenderJoey. If you're looking for great Tesla accessories, check out shop.teslarati.com

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Tesla launches massive promotion in China for FSD

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Credit: Tesla China/Weibo

Tesla has launched a massive promotion in China for its release of Full Self-Driving in the country in an effort to push more owners to adopt the driver-assistance feature shortly after it rolled out in the country.

Tesla is allowing owners in China to upgrade to one free month of Full Self-Driving between March 17 and April 16, as all eligible vehicles will be able to have thirty days of the software available on their vehicles.

Watch Tesla’s FSD tackle water cup challenge, dirt roads in China

The feature will be available to those drivers who have not purchased the Full Self-Driving suite on their vehicle, according to an announcement the company made on its mobile app.

The company’s announcement on the app reads:

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“We are launching this campaign based on goodwill for customers to experience Tesla’s in-house developed advanced assisted driving features for free.”

The use of Full Self-Driving will likely help many drivers see the advantages of having access to the system and could spike adoption in China, where Tesla launched the suite earlier this year.

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It is currently listed at a price of RMB 64,000, or roughly $8,850.

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Tesla details plan for increased Model Y pricing stability in Australia

As Chinese automakers increasingly deploy low-priced EVs in the Australian market, one Tesla executive explains one way the company plans to stay competitive.

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Credit: Tesla

A Tesla executive managing the Australian and surrounding markets has detailed the company’s plans to move away from rapid pricing changes with the arrival of the new Model Y, especially as electric vehicle (EV) competition from other Chinese automakers arrives in Australia and surrounding markets.

Thom Drew, Tesla’s Country Director for New Zealand and Australia, said in an interview with Chasing Cars on Friday that the recently refreshed Model Y will make it to Australian markets with more consistent pricing. The statement comes after the Model Y remained Australia’s best-selling EV in 2024, and he says that the era of the Tesla price war seems to be winding down as the SUV gets more affordable.

“We are certainly not going to get into price wars,” Drew said. “I know we have famously been known for changing our prices rapidly over the past several years.

“I really think we have gotten to a point with our pricing where it is where it should be. Once we release the general production pricing for Model Y, I think we are at a really good point. Particularly with the refinements on the [upgraded] vehicle, it is exceptional value for money.”

First deliveries of the Launch Edition Model Y refresh are expected in May, and Drew says initial shipments will be large in volume to match significant demand for the EV. The executive also confirmed that the highly-coveted rear-wheel-drive (RWD) model, the Launch Edition of which is currently sold out, will go on sale again as the regular edition in the weeks to come.

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At the time of writing, you can still order the Launch Edition configuration of Tesla’s Long Range, all-wheel-drive (AWD) Model Y on its online order configurator.

READ MORE ON TESLA’S NEW MODEL Y: Australia’s top car website gives Tesla Model Y and Model 3 its best EV awards

It’s not clear at this time if Tesla plans to employ similar strategies in markets beyond the Asia-Pacific, though Drew highlights the pricing stability efforts as a necessary measure to remain competitive amongst incoming EVs from Chinese automakers. Between this and optimizing consumer experiences by making great vehicles, the executive explains that the company remains intent on holding onto its number one seller spot.

“We need to make sure we are hyper-focussed on the quality of our products and our competitiveness,” he says. “[We need to] be looking around today and making sure that we have the best ownership experience to keep our brand at the number-one point.”

At this point, Drew also says that the Model Y is the most affordable option in the Australian market, highlighting that keeping the price stable should hold competitors off for the foreseeable future, at the very least. The news also comes as reports say that Tesla may already be looking to launch an even cheaper Model Y in China, which could make the vehicle even more competitive with future iterations.

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“At the moment, there is no cheaper model that I am aware of,” Drew adds. “If there was one, absolutely [we would have our hand up].”

The Australian market requires right-hand-drive (RHD) vehicles, meaning that they drive on the left side of the road and are equipped with steering wheels on the right side of the automobile. Tesla’s Gigafactory in Shanghai supplies the markets in Australia, New Zealand and multiple surrounding regions throughout the Asia-Pacific.

Tesla launched the upgraded Model Y in China in January, after months of speculation that the refreshed SUV would soon be launched. The automaker began initial deliveries of the Launch Edition Model Y refresh in China last month, officially transitioning to the sale of the regular edition of the vehicle at the beginning of March.

Australia has received 107k of Tesla’s 1 million exports from Giga Shanghai: report

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Could Tesla vandalism fuel higher insurance prices?

Experts say that vandalism against Tesla vehicles could make insurance companies increase rates—or drop coverage for the brand altogether.

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Credit: Joe Tegtmeyer/X

Tesla owners have recently experienced a substantial uptick in vandalism events in protest of CEO Elon Musk and recent developments with the Trump administration, and some say that it could lead to higher insurance rates if it continues.

In a report on Sunday, Insurify Data Journalist Matt Brannon told Newsweek that increased vandalism against Tesla’s vehicles could make insurance companies proactively raise their rates in the future. He says that factors such as theft and vandalism are both major considerations for insurance companies when setting rates, though perhaps not to the extent that collisions are.

“If vandalism involving Tesla vehicles continues to rise and doesn’t go back down, we could see rates rise for comprehensive coverage in the future,” Brannon said.

Vandalism is typically covered by comprehensive policies, though Brannon and Bankrate Insurance Analyst Shannon Martin say that these won’t likely increase rates as much as collisions. However, after a lack of engine immobilizers in certain Kia and Hyundai vehicles made them susceptible to theft, sparking widespread TikTok and Instagram challenges in 2022 in which individuals would try to steal these cars, Martin explains that companies could even refuse to insure Tesla vehicles in extreme cases.

“As we have learned from the 2023 TikTok theft trend targeting certain model Kias and Hyundais, if these types of losses continue, carriers could refuse to offer coverage for Tesla vehicles altogether,” Martin explained.

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READ MORE ON TESLA INSURANCE: Tesla launches insurance discount for FSD users in these two states

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She also says that many other factors could cause insurance rates to rise organically across the industry, including impending tariffs from the Trump administration that have caused uncertainty in recent weeks. Factors such as high repair costs have also caused rate increases in the past few years, particularly for vehicles that are electric.

However, Martin says the recent string of vandalism against Tesla vehicles could cause even steeper rate hikes throughout 2025, even as some of the company’s vehicles are already fairly expensive to insure in some areas.

“Since the recent rise in vandalism is focused on Teslas and not other make vehicles, drivers who carry Tesla Insurance may see a higher premium hike than those who have coverage with other carriers, since the risk of loss isn’t as diversified,” she adds.

Brannon says that insurance rates for electric vehicles (EVs) increased twice as fast as those of gas vehicles in 2024, while full-coverage prices on Teslas have increased over the past few years. Newsweek also says it reached out to insurance companies including Allstate, Geico, Progressive, and State Farm, though no comment was given by the time of publishing.

Vandalism against Tesla vehicles in recent weeks

The news comes as Tesla owners have detailed significant increases to vandalism in recent weeks, as many have tried to protest and speak out against cuts from Musk and Trump’s newly developed government efficiency division.

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In February, one Cybertruck owner in Massachusetts said he was getting death threats, yelling passersby, stickers placed on his vehicle, and broad cancellations of client appointments following Musk’s controversial salute at the Trump inauguration ceremony. As a result, the doctor, an immigrant from Syria, said he was considering moving away in hopes to escape the verbal and property attacks.

Tesla owners in Northern California a few weeks ago were left with notes on their cars saying to trade or sell them before February 12, or else it would be “open season.” An activist group called Students Against Nazi Extremism (SANE) claimed responsibility for the notes.

Last week, Musk also responded to a story in which a New York individual drew a Swastika on a person’s Cybertruck, saying that, “Naturally, he drives a Subaru.”

Superchargers have also been targeted in recent attacks, including fresh graffiti last month, with vandals writing the word “Nazi” on some charging posts in Utah along with drawing a Swastika. Tesla said in response that it planned to file charges against the vandals.

Widespread protests have also faced Tesla stores in recent weeks, with one in Oregon even being the victim of multiple rounds of gunfire, while multiple Cybertrucks in Seattle were set on fire—an event now being looked at by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

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Another string of vandalism and arson at a Tesla store in Colorado resulted in the arrest of two suspects in the past few weeks, after the site was repeatedly tagged with graffiti, some of which said “Nazi cars” on the front windows.

Tesla stores continue to face anti-Musk protests

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