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Tesla's Optimus Bot hands may be a clue on how the prototype will look Tesla's Optimus Bot hands may be a clue on how the prototype will look

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Tesla’s Optimus Bot hands may be a clue

Credit: Tesla

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Tesla may have shared a clue on what its Optimus Bot prototype looks like. Notice the hands forming a heart.

Tesla’s Optimus Bot prototype will most likely have very different features from what we saw on AI Day last year. During the presentation, Tesla didn’t have an actual working prototype. This time, I think, will be different.

AI Day 2021

On AI Day last year, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced that Tesla was working on a robot called Optimus. And someone dressed up as a robot came out and danced on stage. Elon has said several times that the Optimus Bot will become a valuable part of the company.

During Tesla’s Q1 2022 earnings call, Elon mentioned this.

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“I was surprised that people do not realize the magnitude of the Optimus robot program. The importance of Optimus will become apparent in the coming years. Those who are insightful or who listen carefully will understand that Optimus ultimately will be worth more than the car business and worth more than full self-driving, that’s my firm belief.”

He also echoed this thought during Tesla’s Cyber Roundup last night.

Tesla’s visual hint for Dojo in 2021

When Tesla shared its graphic for AI Day last year, it gave a visual hint as to what Dojo would look like. I didn’t realize what the graphic was until Dojo was presented. However, I am no AI expert and was honestly kind of surprised (and excitedly grateful) when I was invited to attend in person.

Credit: Tesla

AI Day 2022’s Banner

Credit: Tesla

In this year’s banner, you can see a pair of robotic hands forming a heart. Although this is a cute graphic that would go great on merch, especially for Valentine’s Day, Tesla is known for giving out little hints.

Perhaps this is a visual hint as to how the Optimus Bot’s hands will look. Or, I could just be speculating and completely way off base. However, I’m not alone in my thinking. Other members of the Tesla community have had similar thoughts.

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Tesla’s Optimus Bot hands

For Tesla’s Optimus Bot to do the tasks that humans find dangerous, boring, or unenjoyable, the bot will need to have hands that are extremely similar to that of a human. Human hands are very dexterous and can do a lot. We often take advantage of them.

Our hands can do a lot from typing, cooking, and writing to self-defense, art and so much more. Whether or not this is a graphic or an actual image of the Optimus Bot’s hands turned into a graphic, Tesla’s AI Day part 2 will be very educational.

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Although this is pure speculation on my part, I do wonder if that graphic is a clue. However, it could just only be a cute and creative graphic.

Elon Musk talks AI on Full Send Podcast

Elon Musk was recently a guest on the Full Send Podcast where he had a great conversation about almost everything including artificial intelligence.

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He said that it’s high on his risk list and that it’s advancing rapidly. When asked how soon, Elon replied that it would be less than ten years.

Elon noted that computers are already smarter than us in most respects and brought up the use of AI technology in advertising.

Disclaimer: Johnna is long Tesla. 

I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or see a typo, you can email me at johnna@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @JohnnaCrider1

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Johnna Crider is a Baton Rouge writer covering Tesla, Elon Musk, EVs, and clean energy & supports Tesla's mission. Johnna also interviewed Elon Musk and you can listen here

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Tesla Cybertruck Dual Motor AWD estimated delivery slips to early fall 2026

Tesla has also added a note on the Cybertruck design page stating that the vehicle’s price will increase after February 28.

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Credit: Grok Imagine

Tesla’s estimated delivery window for new Cybertruck Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive (AWD) orders in the United States has shifted to September–October 2026. This suggests that the vehicle’s sub-$60,000 variant is now effectively sold out until then.

The updated timeline was highlighted in a post on X by Tesla watcher Sawyer Merritt, who noted that the estimated delivery window had moved from June 2026 to September-October 2026, “presumably due to strong demand.”

The Dual Motor AWD currently starts at $59,990 before incentives. Tesla has also added a note on the Cybertruck design page stating that the vehicle’s price will increase after February 28.

If demand remains steady, the combination of a later delivery window and a pending price increase suggests Tesla is seeing sustained interest in the newly-introduced Cybertruck configuration. This was highlighted by Elon Musk on X, when he noted that the Cybertruck Dual Motor AWD’s introductory price will only be available for a limited time.

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When the Cybertruck was first unveiled in November 2019, Tesla listed the Dual Motor AWD variant at $49,990. Adjusted for inflation, that figure equates to roughly $63,000 in 2026 dollars, based on cumulative U.S. inflation since 2019.

That context makes a potential post-February price in the $64,000 to $65,000 range less surprising, especially as material, labor, and manufacturing costs have shifted significantly over the past several years.

While Tesla has not announced a specific new MSRP, the updated delivery timeline and pricing note together suggest that the Cybertruck Dual Motor AWD could very well be the variant that takes the all-electric full-sized pickup truck to more widespread adoption.

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Elon Musk

SpaceX targets 150Mbps per user for upgraded Starlink Direct-to-Cell

If achieved, the 150Mbps goal would represent a significant jump from the current performance of Starlink Direct-to-Cell.

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Credit: SpaceX/X

SpaceX is targeting peak download speeds of 150Mbps per user for its next-generation Direct-to-Cell Starlink service. The update was shared by SpaceX Spectrum & Regulatory Affairs Lead Udrivolf Pica during the International Telecommunication Union’s Space Connect conference.

“We are aiming at peak speeds of 150Mbps per user,” Pica said during the conference. “So something incredible if you think about the link budgets from space to the mobile phone.”

If achieved, the 150Mbps goal would represent a significant jump from the current performance of Starlink Direct-to-Cell.

Today, SpaceX’s cellular Starlink service, offered in partnership with T-Mobile under the T-Satellite brand, provides speeds of roughly 4Mbps per user. The service is designed primarily for texts, low-resolution video calls, and select apps in locations that traditionally have no cellular service.

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By comparison, Ookla data shows median 5G download speeds of approximately 309Mbps for T-Mobile and 172Mbps for AT&T in the United States, as noted in a PCMag report. While 150Mbps would still trail the fastest terrestrial 5G networks, it would place satellite-to-phone broadband much closer to conventional carrier performance, even in remote areas. 

Pica indicated that the upgraded system would support “video, voice, and data services, clearly,” moving beyond emergency connectivity and basic messaging use cases.

To reach that target, SpaceX plans to upgrade its existing Starlink Direct-to-Cell satellites and add significant new capacity. The company recently acquired access to radio spectrum from EchoStar, which Pica described as key to expanding throughput. 

“More spectrum means a bigger pipeline, and this means that we can expand what we can do with partners. We can expand the quality of service. And again, we can do cellular broadband basically, cellular broadband use cases, like AI or daily connectivity needs,” he stated.

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SpaceX has also requested regulatory approval to deploy 15,000 additional Direct-to-Cell satellites, beyond the roughly 650 currently supporting the system. The upgraded architecture is expected to begin rolling out in late 2027.

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Tesla seeks approval to test FSD Supervised in new Swedish city

Tesla has applied to conduct local Full Self-Driving (Supervised) testing in the city of Jönköping, Sweden.

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Credit: Grok Imagine

Tesla has applied to conduct local Full Self-Driving (Supervised) testing in the city of Jönköping, Sweden.

As per local outlet Jönköpings-Posten, Tesla has contacted the municipality with a request to begin FSD (Supervised) tests in the city. The company has already received approval to test its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software in several Swedish municipalities, as well as on the national road network.

Sofia Bennerstål, Tesla’s Head of Public Policy for Northern Europe, confirmed that an application has been submitted for FSD’s potential tests in Jönköping.

“I can confirm that we have submitted an application, but I cannot say much more about it,” Bennerstål told the news outlet. She also stated that Tesla is “satisfied with the tests” in the region so far.

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The planned tests in Jönköping would involve a limited number of Tesla-owned vehicles. Trained Tesla safety drivers would remain behind the wheel and be prepared to intervene if necessary.

Tesla previously began testing in Nacka municipality after receiving local approval. At the time, the company stated that cooperation between authorities, municipalities, and industry enables technological progress and helps integrate future transport systems into real-world traffic conditions, as noted in an Allt Om Elbil report.

If approved, Jönköping would become the latest Swedish municipality to allow local Full Self-Driving (Supervised) testing.

Tesla’s Swedish testing program is part of the company’s efforts to validate its supervised autonomous driving software in everyday traffic environments. Municipal approvals allow Tesla to gather data in urban settings that include roundabouts, complex intersections, and mixed traffic conditions.

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Sweden has become an increasingly active testing ground for Tesla’s driver-assistance software in Europe, with regulatory coordination between local authorities and national agencies enabling structured pilot programs.

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