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Ford CEO gives nod to Tesla Model 3 in F-150 Lightning announcement
Ford CEO Jim Farley may have thrown some shade towards Tesla in the past, but the automotive veteran seemed to have adopted a much friendlier stance as of late. In a statement about Ford’s next EV, the F-150 Lightning, Farley gave a nod to several key vehicles that paved the way for the all-electric truck. One of the vehicles that the CEO mentioned was none other than the Tesla Model 3.
“Every so often, a new vehicle comes along that disrupts the status quo and changes the game … Model T, Mustang, Prius, Model 3. Now comes the F-150 Lightning. America’s favorite vehicle for nearly half a century is going digital and fully electric. F-150 Lightning can power your home during an outage; it’s even quicker than the original F-150 Lightning performance truck, and it will constantly improve through over-the-air updates,” Farley said.
America’s number one truck has been electrified for the future — and we can’t wait to show it off on May 19. #F150Lightning pic.twitter.com/qxjOjaFD5C
— Jim Farley (@jimfarley98) May 10, 2021
Farley’s comments come on the heels of his recent tweets about Elon Musk’s projects, where he congratulated the SpaceX CEO for successfully launching and landing Starship SN15. Musk appreciated the Ford CEO’s commendation, and in a later post, Farley remarked that he is “so respectful of SpaceX and Elon’s vision.”
Thanks Jim
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 6, 2021
Farley’s friendlier stance on vehicles like the Model 3 would likely be received well by the electric vehicle community. With more carmakers jumping into the electric vehicle game, after all, tribalism tends to ensue. This happened recently when several Ford executives, including Farley himself, piled on against Tesla during the height of the controversy surrounding a tragic Model S crash in Texas last month.
Interestingly enough, things were actually quite friendly between Ford and Tesla prior to the legacy automaker’s shift in tone last month. Tesla CEO Elon Musk was particularly supportive of the Mach-E when it was unveiled, and Farley equally acknowledged his counterpart when Musk mentioned how Tesla and Ford were the only carmakers that never went bankrupt. With this in mind, it was quite great to see the Ford CEO shifting once more to a less aggressive stance towards a competitor.
Respect…. https://t.co/jJDsCvf0AY
— Jim Farley (@jimfarley98) March 5, 2021
After all, the Ford F-150 Lightning, named after the iconic high-powered V8 F-150s from 1993-95 and 1999-2004, is shaping up to be one amazing vehicle. While Ford has not revealed the full details of the truck to date, some information about the upcoming vehicle has been mentioned by the company. As per Ford, the Lightning will have a dual motor setup that would produce more torque and more horsepower than any existing F-150. It will also have the quickest acceleration.
But more importantly, Ford has emphasized that the F-150 Lightning would be a capable work truck and a legitimate extension of its growth strategy for the iconic F Series, the company’s most lucrative product line. This should allow the Ford F-150 Lightning to meet other all-electric trucks head-on in the market, such as the Tesla Cybertruck, which starts below $40,000, and later on, the all-electric Chevy Silverado, its longstanding rival in the pickup truck market.
The Ford F-150 Lightning will debut on May 19 at 9:30 p.m. ET on social media platforms, as well as at Times Square in New York and on the Las Vegas Strip.
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The Tesla Semi was spotted mounted with ground truth validation equipment as the company nears its looming launch. The Semi is Tesla’s Class 8 all-electric truck, and has been utilized in its earlier stages by many companies like PepsiCo. and Frito-Lay, who have been using it in a pilot program.
The Semi was spotted in Sunnyvale, California, and sports a typical ground truth validation unit that Tesla routinely uses on its vehicles. Ground truth validation is essentially the process of training supervised algorithms to ensure they can perform reliably. Tesla typically performs this on vehicles that are being released soon:
Spotted the new semi adorned with ground truthing equipment. Haven’t seen anyone post this so figured I’d share.
The future is autonomous!!@SawyerMerritt @wholemars pic.twitter.com/qkPDHPUQZ6
— Danny (@dannywinner1) June 21, 2026
The Semi being spotted with this type of validation rig is important because it means the company is working on solidifying a Full Self-Driving model for its commercial vehicle offering. This would be a massive development for not only Tesla but also the logistics industry as a whole.
There are strict regulations on driving hours for commercial truck drivers, and autonomy is a way to potentially combat these issues. FSD is already a widely effective way that owners of typical passenger vehicles take stress out of travel. Even launching a semi-autonomous platform for truck drivers to use to increase safety, reduce fatigue, and increase productivity would be a huge development.
Tesla Semi gets strange-but-understandable comparison from Jay Leno
The Semi has already proven to be an ideal solution for companies that use commercial logistics. It has increased efficiency and reduced operating costs for many companies that have been able to use it in pilot programs.
There are expected to be some bumps along the way. Tesla saw some challenges with FSD on the Cybertruck, as it had never had a vehicle with cameras at that height, so some of the features with FSD were not immediately available. Just a week ago, Tesla launched Actually Smart Summon (ASS) for Cybertruck, nearly three years after the vehicle was first delivered to customers.
President Donald Trump unveiled an upgraded Boeing 747-8 at Joint Base Andrews on June 19, 2026, describing the Qatar-gifted aircraft as an interim Air Force One equipped with advanced communications systems, including Starlink, Elon Musk’s SpaceX satellite internet service.
The plane, valued at around $400 million and modified for presidential use, serves as a bridge until the delayed VC-25B replacements arrive. Trump highlighted its luxury features and new technology during remarks to service members.
Trump stated:
“We have communication equipment up there that nobody’s ever seen before. It’s the highest level and, uh, including Starlink. My friend Elon is going to be very happy, but, uh, Starlink and we have, uh, four or five different sets of double and triple communications like people haven’t seen.”
He added:
“And it represents what can happen with hard work, innovation, and aggressive timelines because we did this quickly and yet there’s never been communication like is on this plane.”
🚨 President Trump confirmed today that the new Air Force One is equipped with Starlink:
“We have communication equipment up there that nobody’s ever seen before, it’s the highest level and including Starlink…my friend Elon is going to be very happy.” pic.twitter.com/IhkDmtr5hL
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) June 20, 2026
The aircraft features a redesigned red, white, and blue livery and has been outfitted with Starlink satellite connectivity alongside other secure systems.
Trump praised the plane’s uniqueness, calling it among the world’s most luxurious. The gift from Qatar and subsequent modifications have drawn attention, with the jet positioned as a solution for presidential travel. It is expected to support operations, including potential ceremonial roles such as Fourth of July flyovers.
The event marked the formal introduction of the converted jet, which will help maintain capabilities while the primary Air Force One fleet undergoes modernization. Defense observers note the inclusion of commercial satellite technology like Starlink as part of efforts to ensure resilient communications, crucial to keep the country running as the President is in the sky.
President Trump’s comments underscored appreciation for rapid upgrades and innovation in equipping the aircraft. The plane remains a U.S. government asset and is slated for eventual transfer related to presidential library purposes after its service.
Tesla just gave what is perhaps its biggest signal yet that the launch of the Cybercab, its autonomous ride-hailing-geared car, is imminent.
The Cybercab has been spotted outside of Gigafactory Texas in massive numbers over the past few days, with hundreds of units being stored on property just days after the vehicle received a Certificate of Conformity from the EPA.
Today, things were a bit different.
Cybercabs spotted on Giga Texas property today had an addition: a Cybercab decal on the side, reminiscent of the “Robotaxi” ones that were placed on Model Ys just as the company launched its ride-sharing platform about a year ago.
Giga Texas drone operator Joe Tegtmeyer noticed the change today:
Tesla Cybercabs are now getting “Cybercab” logos on the side of them!
Tesla did the same with Model Ys that were given “Robotaxi” logos: https://t.co/DanANtw1m7 pic.twitter.com/FqOhH0S9Ks
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) June 19, 2026
Tesla could be signaling that the Cybercab is preparing to enter the Robotaxi fleet in the coming weeks or months with this move. It seems more symbolic than anything; Tesla is ready to throw Cybercabs in the ride-hailing platform just as it did with Model Ys last year.
The addition of the Certificate of Conformity awarded to the Cybercab is another major factor working to Tesla’s advantage. The company now has permission from the EPA to allow the vehicle to operate on public roads and enter the chain of commerce. It’s officially street legal.
Tesla Cybercab specs revealed: range, curb weight, range ratings, and more
The big question that remains is whether Tesla will be able to operate the car without a safety monitor, especially considering it plans to put the car out there without a steering wheel or pedals. With the Cybercab only having a seating capacity of two, it is hard to believe Tesla will even consider putting a Safety Monitor in the car.
It did recently self-certify as Level 4 and has the ability to operate driverless vehicles in the State of Texas under a law that took effect on May 28. You can read more about that here:
Tesla’s Robotaxi dreams just took a massive step toward reality
We’d imagine Cybercabs will be on the roads as soon as July, but August will likely be a better estimate of when the car will be entered into the Cybercab fleet. It all depends at where Tesla is, as they’ve truly prioritized safety with the rollout of the Robotaxi platform.
Tesla Semi spotted with ground truth validation equipment as launch looms
President Trump touts new Air Force One with Musk technology
