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Tesla Cybertruck and Roadster face off for some backroad mayhem in fan video

Credit: Instagram/Slav Popovski

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Tesla’s Cybertruck and next-gen Roadster were recently featured in a 3D drag race video from Australian CGI artist Slav Popovski.

Popovski goes by the Instagram name @pslavi_3d_vfx, and he is known for uploading images and short videos of exotic and unreleased vehicles. The 3D artist is quite fond of Tesla’s vehicles, as evidenced by several of his work featuring the electric car maker’s Cybertruck and next-gen Roadster. For his recent clip, Popovski opted to use both the Cybertruck and Roadster, showing the two EVs engaging in a quick race.

The short 3D clip shows a silver Roadster and a Cybertruck lining up in a picturesque back road. The two vehicles then launched, with the Roadster displaying its lightning-fast 0-60 mph acceleration. The all-electric supercar was depicted speeding away from the Cybertruck, whose acceleration wasn’t too shabby itself.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B8vuWG-JAzn/

The next-generation Roadster was first revealed by Tesla at the Semi’s unveiling event in November 2017. The car was rolled out of the back of one of Tesla’s semi-truck trailers as a surprise to those in attendance. The vehicle will be one of the most impressive performance cars available to the public when it is released, with its 0-60 mph time of 1.9 seconds and its range of 620 miles per charge. The first 1,000 Roadsters sold, known as the Founders Series, will be available for a cool $250,000.

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Meanwhile, the Cybertruck is the latest vehicle that Tesla has announced to the public. Its design is unlike any vehicle on the market today, and it has been met with positive reception from the Tesla community. Elon Musk, for one, noted that the truck had received 250,000 pre-orders within the first few days after its unveiling event. The all-electric pickup truck will be available in three variants with the two most powerful Dual Motor and Tri-Motor trims being produced at the end of 2021.

The two vehicles featured in Popovski are arguably among Tesla’s biggest achievements. The Roadster is a battery-electric sports car that will likely rival some of the most iconic names in performance autosports today. Not to mention, the Roadster’s 620-mile range is the most of any Tesla vehicle, even the Semi.

The Cybertruck’s three different trims will offer electric vehicle drivers several options for sustainably lugging cargo. The two vehicles have been together on a showroom, and will eventually be side-by-side on the road, but this rendering gives Tesla enthusiasts something to be excited about. The next-gen Roadster and the Cybertruck, after all, are two vehicles that will inevitably disrupt their respective sectors without ever harming the environment.

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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Lifestyle

EV fans urge Tesla to acquire Unplugged Performance for edge in fleet and security industry

Unplugged Performance has built a name for itself by producing performance upgrades for Tesla vehicles.

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Credit: Unplugged Performance

A growing number of Tesla enthusiasts and longtime community voices are calling on the electric vehicle maker to acquire Unplugged Performance, a California-based aftermarket company best known for tuning Tesla vehicles and developing specialized government fleet solutions under its UP.FIT division.

The idea was once considered a niche proposal among EV fans, but it is now gaining serious attention not just as a performance play but as a strategic move to deepen Tesla’s roots in the fleet and security industry. 

A strategic fit

Unplugged Performance has built a name for itself by producing performance upgrades for Tesla vehicles, from track-optimized components to visual and aerodynamic upgrades. But in recent years, its UP.FIT division has pivoted toward a more functional future by outfitting Tesla vehicles like Model Ys for police, military, and government use.

That work has sparked growing calls for closer collaboration with Tesla, especially as the EV maker increasingly leans into autonomy, AI, and fleet services as core components of its next chapter.

“I posted this four years ago, but I think it’s more true now than ever,” wrote Whole Mars Catalog, a well-known Tesla investor and FSD Beta tester, on X. “Tesla should buy Unplugged. But not just as a Performance division. What they are doing with UP.FIT unlocks large government and commercial fleet purchases that can improve utilization.”

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Tesla fans such as shareholder Sawyer Merritt echoed the sentiment, calling Unplugged a “great fit within Tesla.” adding, “They are literally located directly next to Tesla’s design studio in Hawthorne.”

Enabling the next wave

Supporters of the idea noted that integrating Unplugged into Tesla’s corporate structure could help accelerate the adoption of autonomous technologies in government sectors. With UP.FIT patrol cars already in use across some U.S. police departments, Tesla fans envisioned a future where self-driving Teslas could potentially revolutionize law enforcement, search-and-rescue, and public service logistics.

“Just imagine how autonomous patrol cars could transform policing and bring us into a safer future,” the veteran FSD tester wrote.

The benefits could also extend to Tesla’s existing consumer base. “They also have some incredible products in the works that I think will appeal to many ordinary Tesla drivers — not just those looking for performance or mods. Stuff that’s so good it should have come straight from the design studio next door,” Whole Mars Catalog noted.

Unplugged Performance, founded in 2013, shares not just a product vision with Tesla, but also geography. Its Hawthorne headquarters sits directly adjacent to Tesla’s design studio, and the two companies have maintained a close working relationship over the years. The aftermarket firm has long positioned itself as a “mission-aligned” partner to Tesla.

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In response to the recent calls for acquisition, Unplugged Performance acknowledged the support from the community. “Our very existence is to support the Tesla mission with @UpfitTesla and @UnpluggedTesla,” Unplugged CEO Ben Schaffer posted on X. “We love working with Tesla and are grateful for the community’s support since 2013!”

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Elon Musk

X account with 184 followers inadvertently saves US space program amid Musk-Trump row

Needless to say, the X user has far more than 184 followers today after his level-headed feat.

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Joel Kowsky, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

An X user with 184 followers has become the unlikely hero of the United States’ space program by effectively de-escalating a row between SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and President Donald Trump on social media.

Needless to say, the X user has far more than 184 followers today after his level-headed feat.

A Near Fall

During Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s fallout last week, the U.S. President stated in a post on Truth Social that a good way for the United States government to save money would be to terminate subsidies and contracts from the CEO’s companies. Musk responded to Trump’s post by stating that SpaceX will start decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft immediately. 

Musk’s comment was received with shock among the space community, partly because the U.S. space program is currently reliant on SpaceX to send supplies and astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). Without Dragon, the United States will likely have to utilize Russia’s Soyuz for the same services—at a significantly higher price.

X User to the Rescue

It was evident among X users that Musk’s comments about Dragon being decommissioned were posted while emotions were high. It was then no surprise that an X account with 184 followers, @Fab25june, commented on Musk’s post, urging the CEO to rethink his decision. “This is a shame this back and forth. You are both better than this. Cool off and take a step back for a couple days,” the X user wrote in a reply.

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Much to the social media platform’s surprise, Musk responded to the user. Even more surprising, the CEO stated that SpaceX would not be decommissioning Dragon after all. “Good advice. Ok, we won’t decommission Dragon,” Musk wrote in a post on X.

Not Planned, But Welcomed

The X user’s comment and Musk’s response were received extremely well by social media users, many of whom noted that @Fab25june’s X comment effectively saved the U.S. space program. In a follow-up comment, the X user, who has over 9,100 followers as of writing, stated that he did not really plan on being a mediator between Musk and Trump. 

“Elon Musk replied to me. Somehow, I became the accidental peace broker between two billionaires. I didn’t plan this. I was just being me. Two great minds can do wonders. Sometimes, all it takes is a breather. Grateful for every like, DM, and new follow. Life’s weird. The internet’s weirder. Let’s ride. (Manifesting peace… and maybe a Model Y.)” the X user wrote.

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Lifestyle

Tesla Cybertruck takes a bump from epic failing Dodge Charger

The Cybertruck seemed unharmed by the charging Charger.

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Credit: Hammer_of_something/Reddit

There comes a time in a driver’s life when one is faced with one’s limitations. For the driver of a Dodge Charger, this time came when he lost control and crashed into a Tesla Cybertruck–an absolute epic fail. 

A video of the rather unfortunate incident was shared on the r/TeslaLounge subreddit.

Charging Charger Fails

As could be seen in the video, which was posted on the subreddit by Model Y owner u/Hammer_of_something, a group of teens in a Dodge Charger decided to do some burnouts at a Tesla Supercharger. Unfortunately, the driver of the Charger failed in his burnout or donut attempt, resulting in the mopar sedan going over a curb and bumping a charging Cybertruck.

Ironically, the Dodge Charger seemed to have been parked at a Supercharger stall before its driver decided to perform the failed stunt. This suggests that the vehicle was likely ICE-ing a charging stall before it had its epic fail moment. Amusingly enough, the subreddit member noted that the Cybertruck did not seem like it took any damage at all despite its bump. The Charger, however, seemed like it ran into some trouble after crashing into the truck.

Alleged Aftermath

As per the the r/TeslaLounge subreddit member, the Cybertruck owner came rushing out to his vehicle after the Dodge Charger crashed into it. The Model Y owner then sent over the full video of the incident, which clearly showed the Charger attempting a burnout, failing, and bumping into the Cybertruck. The Cybertruck owner likely appreciated the video, in part because it showed the driver of the Dodge Charger absolutely freaking out after the incident.

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The Cybertruck is not an impregnable vehicle, but it can take bumps pretty well thanks to its thick stainless steel body. Based on this video, it appears that the Cybertruck can even take bumps from a charging Charger, all while chilling and charging at a Supercharger. As for the teens in the Dodge, they likely had to provide a long explanation to authorities after the incident, since the cops were called to the location.

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