News
Tesla is changing the Cybertruck and will unveil it ‘in a month or so’
Tesla CEO Elon Musk mentioned recently that the Cybertruck would be undergoing “small improvements” to improve the all-electric pickup’s design. Unknowingly, the Tesla community wondered what could possibly be revised for the company’s soon-to-be-produced truck, but as of now, the revisions are being kept under wraps.
That is for about a month or so, in Elon Musk’s words, who stated on November 1st that Tesla would release some images of the Cybertruck’s newly-revised design to the public. Based on Musk’s past statements, who was responsible for unveiling the Cybertruck to the world a year ago this month, some indicators prove the new design could be better than the initial one.
Size Revisions
It is no secret that the Cybertruck’s design is massive. After rolling out onto the stage at the event in Hawthorne, California, the truck’s size was immediately noticed by anyone who was in attendance or was viewing the unveil online. However, big trucks are no stranger to many automotive markets, especially the one in the United States. Americans love their trucks, but they have to be able to fit in parking spaces, residential garages, and on narrow streets.
After an augmented reality app showed that the Cybertruck would be a tight fit with the normally-sized U.S. home’s garage, Musk told Teslarati that the width of the Cybertruck could likely be reduced by an inch and length by six inches. The revisions would also be advantageous for owners who live in other regions, especially Europe and Asia, where highly-populated areas are filled with narrow and tight roadways.
We can prob reduce width by an inch & maybe reduce length by 6+ inches without losing on utility or esthetics. Min height is below 75 inches when air suspension set to low. Will post exact number soon.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 7, 2019
Musk’s suggestion on revising the vehicle’s dimensions took place less than a month after the Cybertruck’s unveiling in November 2019. The all-electric pickup dimensions could be set for a reduction to make travel and storage an easier project for an owner, all while not sacrificing cabin room or cargo capacity.
Revisions for improved cargo capabilities
Musk has hinted toward the addition of several redesigns of the Cybertruck that would simply increase the ability to haul large items. One of these is a midgate, which would have the rear window of the Cybertruck roll down to open the cabin and extend it through the truck’s bed. This would be advantageous for construction workers who are hauling long pieces of wood, pipe, or other materials. However, it would also be great for the weekly grocery haul, which can be sizeable with a large family. With plenty of uses, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Musk and Tesla add or revise the rear window’s capabilities just to increase cargo. After all, the CEO said the idea was “worth considering.”
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Unique security features
Perhaps Tesla’s Sentry Mode is one of the greatest automotive security features of all-time. However, a thirst for constantly improving infrastructure is always attractive to Tesla, and Musk jokingly stated that a “zapper” would come standard with the Cybertruck. Interestingly, this wasn’t a far-fetched idea because tasers’ use is legal in 49 of 50 U.S. states. It would only improve the security features, but it seems unlikely that the Cybertruck will actually shoot a shock through an intruder’s body.
Tesla’s Elon Musk jokes about Cybertruck taser defense system, but it’s not that far-fetched
Whatever the additions are, Musk knows that the revisions will make the Cybertruck better. During the recent Q3 2020 Earnings Call, Musk talked about other automakers and their desire to revise currently offered models, all to decrease the usefulness and appeal of their cars. “Car companies would unveil these awesome looking cars, like, great. You can’t wait until they make that. And then the car they actually make is like much worse, and — but it’s just — it’s like really disappointing?” Musk said. Knowing that the newly-revealed Cybertruck is just a year away from production, Tesla will likely blow minds once again when the time comes.
Tesla Energy has introduced the Powerwall Lease in conjunction with Tesla Electric, making the service available in Texas. This new option delivers whole-home backup power using two Powerwall units for a net monthly cost of $35 after credits, accompanied by a low fixed electricity rate.
Under the lease terms, customers pay a one-time order fee of $100. The base lease payment for the two Powerwalls is approximately $122 per month during the first year, subject to a 3 percent annual escalator thereafter. Enrollment in a qualifying Tesla Electric Backup plan or Virtual Power Plant plan provides an $87 monthly credit.
Powerwall Lease is now available with Tesla Electric in Texas
Whole-home backup for $35/month, with a low fixed electricity rate
– Two Powerwalls, $0 installation
– Storm Watch outage protection
– One app to manage it all pic.twitter.com/oTzqc6K3aF— Tesla Energy (@teslaenergy) August 13, 2026
This credit lowers the effective cost to roughly $35 per month plus applicable tax.
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Installation of the standard system carries no additional charge. The package features Storm Watch for outage protection and allows complete management through a single Tesla application. The system supplies continuous whole-home backup capability.
The Powerwall system enables households to maintain electricity during severe storms that disrupt the utility grid. When outages occur, the batteries automatically provide seamless backup power to the home.
Tesla announces 100k Powerwalls are participating in Virtual Power Plants
Tesla Storm Watch monitors weather forecasts and ensures the units are fully charged ahead of anticipated severe weather events so that power remains available throughout the disruption, keeping lights, refrigeration, and other essential systems operating without interruption.
Availability is restricted to select Texas locations where retail electric choice exists. Participants must lease exactly two Powerwall units and maintain continuous enrollment with Tesla Electric. Solar panels cannot be included under this particular lease arrangement.
The monthly credit activates automatically once the system is installed, receives permission to operate, and enrollment is confirmed. To retain the credit, customers are required to stay enrolled in Tesla Electric and fulfill all program conditions.
Nonstandard installations that involve electrical upgrades or special permitting may lead to extra expenses and might impact eligibility for the credit, so be sure to check with either your installer or Tesla to ensure you will still qualify.
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Elon Musk continues to tease the unveiling event for the Tesla Roadster, a continuing trend that has grown into a bigger game of “When” for fans who have been waiting years for the car to finally enter production.
A video shared on X of the Joe Rogan Experience podcast that Musk appeared on last year, teasing the Roadster unveiling, was shared once again on the social media platform. The poster said the Roadster event will be “unforgettable.”
Musk agreed:
Yes
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 12, 2026
The timing is interesting because just yesterday, Musk said that we will be getting flying cars, and for years, Tesla has hinted that it could develop a SpaceX cold gas thruster package that would help the car float or fly for a short period of time.
It would be reasonable to assume Tesla’s major delays with this unveiling event are likely caused by the company’s need to break the rules and push the envelope on nearly everything. Last July, Lars Moravy, Tesla’s VP of Vehicle Engineering, said:
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“Roadster is definitely in development. We did talk about it last Sunday night. We are gearing up for a super cool demo. It’s going to be mind blowing. We showed Elon some cool demos last week of the tech we’ve been working on and he got a little excited.”
The latest updates that Tesla has given us are that the Roadster is in design development, and it did have several potential dates for an unveiling event this year, including April. It was then pushed to August.
However, there are no clues as to when Tesla will be ready, and fans are certainly getting frustrated with the delays.
For what it is worth, Franz von Holzhausen told Jay Leno this week that the event would be “very soon.”
We sure hope.
Lifestyle
Tesla’s driverless Cybercab just passed a big test with State Governor
Florida’s governor rode Tesla’s Cybercab at a closed test track and called the experience impressive.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis rode in a Tesla Cybercab on a closed test track this week and came away impressed, posting on X that the vehicle “successfully navigated all hazards — a kid running into the street, a crash with police stopping traffic, a Model S cutting us off, etc.” He called the ride “impressive.”
The stop was part of a broader event Monday at SunTrax, a 775 acre state owned proving ground in Auburndale that Florida built specifically to test autonomous and connected vehicles before they reach public roads. Standing next to a gold Cybercab, DeSantis described the car in plain terms: “You go in there and you just sit. You have a screen. There’s no steering wheel, no pedals. Clearly these things could be very beneficial.”
We took a ride on a robotaxi on the Suntrax course and it successfully navigated all hazards — a kid running into the street, a crash with police stopping traffic, a Model S cutting us off, etc.
Impressive! https://t.co/FVAkzFLz3r
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) August 11, 2026
DeSantis paired the praise with a caveat that has followed autonomous vehicles since the category existed. “You don’t want to be in an autonomous vehicle and it drives you into a ditch. That would not be good,” he said, framing safety validation as the gate before wider deployment.
SunTrax, the 2.25 mile oval which the state calls the only high speed autonomous vehicle test track in the Southeast, can simulate rain, pedestrian crossings, hills and crowded urban conditions at highway speeds, letting companies push a car past what an early public rollout would risk. Tesla, Waymo and Beep all use the facility, and Florida’s regulatory approach, among the most permissive for autonomous vehicles in the country, doesn’t require a human operator inside a fully autonomous car.
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Tesla has reason to want the blessing of Florida and states beyond, as the Cybercab entered volume production at Gigafactory Texas this spring and has since self certified as SAE Level 4 under Texas law. Public road testing so far has kept a safety monitor in the passenger seat, and Florida is where Tesla has been expanding its existing Model Y based Robotaxi service instead, adding Miami in July and then Orlando and Tampa two weeks later. A closed track endorsement from a sitting governor doesn’t change any of that, but it does put Tesla’s newest hardware in front of a state that has already shown it will move fast on rules.
Tesla launches Powerwall Lease for affordable home backup
Elon Musk teases Tesla Roadster unveiling once again
