News
Why Tesla can’t ditch the Cybertruck for a traditional pickup design
The Tesla Cybertruck is so “Tesla,” it’s not even debatable. To me, at least. The truck is the true embodiment of everything the electric automaker had stood for during the last seventeen years when it was established in 2003. It breaks all the rules; it goes against the look and feel of “traditional” automotive manufacturing. It is a rebellious statement against the normal boundaries of what a truck is “supposed” to be. Making a traditional, typical, and standard pickup truck would break all of Tesla’s rules, and if the company ends up designing it, it would mean that the legacy automakers have won.
Earlier this week, CEO Elon Musk said that if the Cybertruck happens to tank in sales, Tesla will end up designing a more traditional pickup for the market to consider. Even though I openly said I don’t think that Tesla will have to worry about designing and manufacturing a Cybertruck alternative, the possibility still worries me.
I know what many of you are probably thinking. “Joey, that’s really extreme.” Or, maybe, “Joey, that’s ridiculous, Tesla is just doing what it can to stay competitive in a popular market in case the Cybertruck tanks.”
Sure, I can agree with the second one from an economic standpoint for the company, but I certainly don’t see my point of view as extreme.
Tesla’s Cybertruck, when it was unveiled, shocked the world. It made everyone question what the company was doing. I’ll admit, when I saw that beast roll out onto the stage in Hawthorne, California, I was skeptical. I think I said something along the lines of, “What the hell is that thing?”
But as the presentation went on, I found myself increasingly interested in what Tesla was doing. I realized it was meant to be ridiculous, different, and “polarizing,” as so many people like to call it. It made the entire automotive industry look at the company, and it has worked thus far because it is arguably the most talked-about vehicle in recent memory.
Let’s be honest: Tesla has always broken the rules. Skeptics said the Model S would fail. It didn’t. They said Tesla couldn’t attain a considerable or acceptable range for its EVs. The company did and has scrapped vehicle models that aren’t capable of “acceptable range” of over 250 miles. They said the company couldn’t make an affordable vehicle. The Model 3 and Model Y are both mass-market cars geared toward affordability. They said Tesla couldn’t turn a profit. It just did, for the fourth consecutive quarter.
Tesla has always done what people said wasn’t possible. The Cybertruck is just one of the latest examples.
When the Cybertruck was unveiled, people said, “Nobody will buy that.” “It’s ugly.” “Even if people buy it, it won’t perform well against petrol-powered pickups.”
It has a substantial amount of pre-orders. According to CybertruckOwnersClub’s reservation number decoder, it has over 750,000 pre-orders.
It may be ugly to some, but that’s an opinion and subjective. I find the truck unique and beautiful in its own way.
The Cybertruck won a Tug-of-War against an F-150.
There are those three theories debunked.
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But more significant than that, the Cybertruck is really an embodiment of Tesla’s mission as a whole. It has always been to prove the doubters wrong, to change the way people look at cars. Before Tesla, people saw their everyday drivers as a way to get from Point A to Point B. Some were faster than others, some were louder than others, and some had better stereos than others. The point is, when Tesla’s came out, their vehicles became more than a daily transportation outlet. They became entertainment machines, and they changed the way the world looked at a car.
The Cybertruck did the same thing. It changed the way people looked at trucks, even though nobody has one yet. It is a summarization of what Tesla has always meant and tried to convey to people. Change the way people look at something, and the possibilities become limitless. Before the Cybertruck, people thought that the “truck” had to have a cab, a bed, and look nearly the same as every other pickup on the market. But that’s the thing. Tesla has never used the rules or the “typical” idea for anything. That’s what makes Tesla, Tesla.
People knew battery-powered cars were possible, but nobody was good at it. The other car companies in the world were too focused on making their petrol engines more advanced at the time. After all, nobody was anxious about climate change at the time. At least, it wasn’t widely accepted by people until the mid-2000s from what I remember.
Tesla changed all of that. They proved electric cars didn’t have to be slow, or boring “like a golf cart,” as Elon Musk once said.
In my opinion, we won’t see a traditional Tesla truck. I don’t think the Cybertruck will tank in terms of sales, and I don’t believe that Tesla will be interested in being just another car company that makes a truck that looks like everyone else’s.
The Cybertruck goes against all the rules, and that’s more “Tesla” than anything.
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News
Tesla hacker finds lifesaving FSD suggestions in 2025.32.3
The feature could drastically reduce instances of drivers operating their vehicles while distracted or exhausted.
A Tesla hacker has shared references to what could very well be lifesaving FSD suggestions in software update 2025.32.3.
The feature could drastically reduce instances of drivers operating their vehicles while distracted or exhausted.
New FSD features
As per longtime Tesla hacker @greentheonly, the EV maker’s drowsiness and lane departure suggestions in 2025.32.3 reference FSD. The hacker shared two alerts that specifically suggest the use of FSD, such as “Lane drift detected. Let FSD assist so you can stay focused,” and “Drowsiness detected. Stay focused with FSD.”
The hacker noted that the updated messages in 2025.32.3 are quite interesting because Tesla still advises drivers to be fully alert when using FSD Supervised. Thus, it is quite interesting to see the company advising users to use FSD when they seem unfocused or tired. That being said, FSD is still a supervised solution for now, but the system itself is already very capable, so the company’s updated alerts are not surprising.
Steps to FSD Unsupervised
Such warning messages would definitely make more sense once Tesla actually rolls out FSD Unsupervised. The system seems to be just waiting for regulatory approval for now, considering that it is already being used in vehicles that are coming off the production line at the Fremont Factory and Giga Texas. Tesla is also now using a driverless system for its Robotaxi services in Austin, as well as its autonomous ride-hailing service in the Bay Area.
For now, Tesla is hard at work preparing for the impending rollout of FSD V14, which Elon Musk has stated will be a notable improvement from the already-impressive performance of FSD V13. As per Musk, Teslas running FSD V14 will feel “sentient.” He also noted that the system “feels alive.”
Elon Musk
Elon Musk assures Tesla investors he will enhance his security detail
Musk’s comments were posted on X in the aftermath of the slaying of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has assured TSLA investors that he would be enhancing his security detail.
Musk’s comments were posted on X in the aftermath of the slaying of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.
Aggressive critics
Kirk was slain during a speaking engagement at Utah Valley University as part of Turning Point USA’s first event on a tour of college campuses, as noted in a Politico report. Kirk was a notable voice in the conservative movement and a close ally of the Trump administration, which led to aggressive critics openly wishing him harm.
Elon Musk, due to his contributions to the Trump campaign and his later work with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has also attracted a substantial amount of vitriol from critics. Tesla owners and the company itself suffered attacks due to critics’ anger towards Musk, with several stores and cars being vandalized or victimized in arson attacks.
Despite having stepped back from his work with DOGE, Musk remains a target among critics online, with some still calling for the CEO to get the “Luigi Mangione” treatment. These sentiments were notable after Kirk’s slaying, with some users on platforms such as Reddit and Bluesky arguing that Musk or Donald Trump should be next after Kirk.
Concerns and assurances
In the aftermath of Kirk’s slaying, numerous Tesla retail investors called on the company’s Board of Directors to bolster Elon Musk’s security detail. With some social media users openly calling for Musk to be slain next, such a request made sense. This was highlighted by Tesla investor Alexandra Merz, who called on the Tesla Board to drastically increase the company’s budget for Elon Musk’s security, which currently stands at just $3.3 million annually, or about $235,000 per month.
In response to the Tesla investor’s comments, Musk responded that he would “definitely need to enhance security.” Musk’s response was well appreciated by the Tesla and electric vehicle community as a whole, with some users on X stating that the CEO must be kept safe.
Musk is a key part of Tesla, and this was highlighted in the company’s proposed 2025 CEO performance award, which outlines a path towards the company attaining a market cap of $8.5 trillion. In its filing, Tesla highlighted that Elon Musk’s leadership is a fundamental part of the company and its future.
News
This signature Tesla feature is facing a ban in one of its biggest markets
The report indicates that Chinese government agencies have concerns “about failure rates and safety issues with the flush design.”
A signature Tesla feature is under fire in one of the company’s largest markets, as regulators in one EV hot spot are mulling the potential ban of a design the automaker implemented on some of its vehicles.
Tesla pioneered the pop-out door handle on its Model S back in 2012, and CEO Elon Musk felt the self-presenting design was a great way to feel like “you’re part of the future.”
It is something that is still present on current Model S designs, while other vehicles in the Tesla lineup have a variety of handle aesthetics.
According to Chinese media outlet Mingjing Pro, the company, along with others using similar technology, is facing scrutiny on the design as regulators consider a ban on the mechanism. These restrictions would impact other companies that have utilized pop-out handles on their own designs; Tesla would not be the only company forced to make changes.
The report indicates that Chinese government agencies have concerns “about failure rates and safety issues with the flush design.”
However, EVs are designed to be as aerodynamically efficient as possible, which is the main reason for this design. It is also the reason that many EVs utilize wheel covers, and sleek and flowing shapes.
However, the Chinese government is not convinced, as they stated the aerodynamic improvements are “minimal,” and safety issues are “significantly elevated,” according to The Independent.
The issue also seems to be focused on how effective the handle design is. According to data, one EV manufacturer, which was not specified in the report, has 12 percent of its total repairs are door handle failure fixes.
There are also concerns about the handles short-circuiting, leaving passengers trapped within cars. Tesla has implemented emergency latch releases in its vehicles that would prevent passengers from getting stuck in their cars in cases of electric malfunctions or failures.
However, evidence from the Chinese Insurance Automotive Technology Research Institute (C-IASI) suggests that 33 percent of door handles using this design fail to function after a side impact.
Obviously, Tesla and other automakers could introduce an alternative design to those vehicles that are affected by the potential restrictions China intends to impose. The regulation would take effect in July 2027.
Tesla hacker finds lifesaving FSD suggestions in 2025.32.3
Elon Musk assures Tesla investors he will enhance his security detail
This signature Tesla feature is facing a ban in one of its biggest markets
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