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Tesla is changing the Cybertruck and will unveil it ‘in a month or so’

An artist's render of the Tesla Pickup Truck. (Credit: Emre Husman)

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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.

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.

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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.”

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.

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 reveals early Robotaxi charging strategy, showing scrappy DNA

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla’s early strategy for charging units operating within its Robotaxi fleet reveals that the company surely has not lost any of that scrappy DNA that took it from an unlikely success story to the most valuable carmaker in the world.

An observer at a Tesla Supercharger in Austin spotted ten total Robotaxi vehicles arrive: one Cybercab and nine Model Y units. A Tesla employee was waiting at the lot and allowed each unit to park itself; every car that arrived had nobody in it.

Tesla wins FCC approval for wireless Cybercab charging system

The Tesla employee would walk around and plug each car in, adjusting the parking if needed:

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It’s a very interesting strategy, but extremely understandable at this early point in the Robotaxi program. It’s only been out for about 15 months, and Cybercab just entered the fleet in early September.

On top of that, Tesla is still working tirelessly on its wireless charging apparatus, and a new patent was just published regarding that product last week.

However, this is just another example of how Tesla still has plenty of that scrappy DNA leftover from the “production hell” days, when CEO Elon Musk slept on the floor of the factory, employees were working crazy hours, Tesla was building Sprung Structures to build cars in, and the company was tiptoeing on the brink of bankruptcy.

For now, Tesla is utilizing a simple system for recharging its ride-hailing vehicles, and that is a Tesla employee doing it manually until another solution presents itself. Sure, it’s not the most high-tech thing, and it certainly is not what people might have expected at this point in time, but it works, and it’s keeping the entire suite running.

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Tesla Robotaxi expands hours, Musk explains why it’s been a challenge

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla is expanding its Robotaxi service hours by pushing the time back by one hour, keeping the ride-hailing service operational until 11 p.m., one hour later than previously.

CEO Elon Musk confirmed the change and offered a specific reason the expansion has been gradual: the system still needs to reliably avoid small pets that are difficult to see after dark, as they commonly blend into the color of the road, especially when they’re grey.

The latest adjustment restores only a fraction of the operating window the service once held. When paid Robotaxi rides began in Austin on June 22, 2025, vehicles ran from 6 a.m. to midnight.

Tesla Robotaxi will be a 24/7 service: here’s when

In September 2025, Tesla lengthened the day to a 2 a.m. close, producing a 20-hour window that stayed in place for most of the following year. By early August of this year, the cutoff had already been pulled back; an August 26 update formalized hours of 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. across Austin and several other markets.

The October move to 11 p.m. therefore leaves the Austin day one hour shorter than the original launch schedule and three hours shorter than the 2025 peak.

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Musk addressed the constraint directly after the announcement. “The main thing we’re trying to solve is making sure that we don’t run over pets when they’re hard to see at night,” he wrote. “Literally trying to avoid grey kittens on grey tarmac in the dark.”

The example points to a low-contrast perception problem in which a small animal can blend into the road surface under limited lighting.

Tesla’s vehicles rely on cameras and neural-network processing rather than lidar; Musk has previously argued that advanced vision software can extract useful information even in low light by analyzing photon counts, but the pet-detection case remains the stated limiter in later hours.

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The modest schedule change arrives alongside faster growth in the purpose-built Cybercab fleet. Texas registration data tracked by observers showed the Austin Cybercab count rising sharply in recent weeks, reaching 169 vehicles after more than 100 were added in a short span.

Tesla has indicated that a broader shift toward 24-hour operation is tied to the upcoming FSD v15 software release expected this month on Robotaxi vehicles. Until that capability is validated for the edge cases Musk described, the company continues to add service time incrementally rather than jumping straight to overnight coverage.

The one-hour extension gives Austin riders a later option for evening trips while the underlying detection work continues.

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Tesla snags Semi supply deal with major logistics firm

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla has snagged a deal with IMC Logistics to supply the company with 50 Semi units for its logistics operations.

IMC handles drayage and landside logistics and has over 2,700 asset trucks in its fleet. In its over forty years of service, it has established more than 50 locations across the United States and spans operations from coast to coast.

Jim Gillis of IMC said that the addition of the Tesla Semi will help IMC move toward a “zero-emission service for long-haul lanes.”

The move is one that has become more common over the past few years, as more and more companies doing large-scale logistics have moved to sustainable powertrains, using either Tesla or others.

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Tesla’s Semi program just entered its first truly public phase, as the company handed over its first production units to companies in September, although a pilot program with companies like PepsiCo. and Frito-Lay has been ongoing for years.

IMC announced its intention to purchase 50 Semi units from Tesla in September, and according to VP of Marketing and Public Relations on September 29 to Trucking Drive, the company will take delivery either this week or took delivery late last week.

Tesla has a ‘no human contact’ approach for Semi production

With surging prices of diesel and high logistics costs, Tesla and the Semi could truly revolutionize how companies manage their fleets. With the advent of Full Self-Driving, the Semi will potentially cut down on driver fatigue and increase productivity, while decreasing the cost of operation per mile by being cheaper to refuel.

Tesla had a dedicated Semi handover event at the Semi factory in Sparks, Nevada, a few weeks back, as it officially introduced its truck to many company fleets that have been waiting to add these sustainable powertrains.

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