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Tesla released the Cybertruck RWD to make the AWD look like a deal
Cybertruck LR RWD is effectively a $69,990 pickup that does not have 120V and 240V power outlets on its bed or 120V outlets in the cabin.
Tesla released the Cybertruck Long Range Rear Wheel Drive (LR RWD) recently, and it quickly received mixed reactions from the electric vehicle community. While the truck was praised for its long range, many argued that it was far too expensive due to the long list of features that it is missing compared to the Cybertruck All Wheel Drive (AWD), the mid-range variant of the all-electric pickup truck.
A look at the Cybertruck LR RWD’s pricing and features suggests that Tesla designed and priced the vehicle to push more buyers to opt for the Cybertruck AWD instead.
So Much Missing
The Cybertruck LR RWD costs $10,000 less than the Cybertruck AWD, but it is substantially less equipped compared to its mid-range counterpart. While the Cybertruck LR RWD’s slower 0-60 mph time, lower towing and payload capacity, textile seats, and fewer speakers are understandable, missing features such as the lack of air suspension, HEPA filter, and active noise cancellation make the vehicle truly a stripped down version of the all-electric pickup truck.
Considering that it is the most affordable Cybertruck available today, it would be fair to expect the vehicle to be geared for consumers who truly use their trucks for work. However, the Cybertruck LR RWD seems like a pretty expensive and under-equipped work truck, as it is effectively a $69,990 pickup that does not have 120V and 240V power outlets on its bed or 120V outlets in the cabin. It doesn’t even have otherwise basic Cybertruck features like the rear light bar, which is part of the pickup truck’s iconic, futuristic look.
Must Be Cheaper
The long list of missing features from the Cybertruck Long Range RWD has incited a lot of conversations among electric vehicle enthusiasts on social media, with some EV fans stating that the cost of the features that Tesla removed in the LR RWD seem to be worth far beyond $10,000. Others noted that with its (very) stripped-down nature, the Cybertruck Long Range Rear Wheel Drive should have been priced around $55,000, or at least closer to Elon Musk’s previous comments about electric pickup truck prices in the past.
Back in 2019, Elon Musk noted during an interview on the Ride the Lightning podcast that he believes consumers should be able to purchase a decent electric pickup truck for less than $50,000. “You should be able to buy a really great truck for $49k or less,” Musk stated then.
The Cybertruck was ultimately unveiled in November 2019 with a starting price of $39,990. If one were to adjust for inflation, Elon Musk’s sub-$50,000 Cybertruck price estimate would be worth $62,811 today, which is roughly the price of the Cybertruck LR RWD with the federal tax credit. For context, the Cybertruck’s $39,990 base price during its November 2019 unveiling is worth $50,249 today if adjusted for inflation.
A Boost to Cybertruck AWD
One would not be faulted to speculate that Tesla released the Cybertruck Long Range Rear Wheel Drive as a way to encourage customers to purchase the more expensive Cybertruck All Wheel Drive. For just $10,000 more, after all, customers would be getting a substantially better-equipped vehicle with better performance and far more utility.
It remains to be seen how well the Cybertruck LR RWD would sell, though considering its stripped-down nature, there seems to be a chance that the variant would follow the same path as the $35,000 base Model 3 Standard Range RWD, which was briefly sold but eventually retired due to low orders. What the $35,000 Model 3 did, however, was push a lot of sales of the Model 3 Standard Range Plus, which ultimately became one of Tesla’s volume sellers and is still in production today simply as the Model 3 RWD.
Elon Musk
SpaceX secures win as US labor board drops oversight case
The NLRB confirmed that it no longer has jurisdiction over SpaceX.
SpaceX scored a legal victory after the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) decided to dismiss a case which accused the company of terminating engineers who were involved in an open letter against founder Elon Musk.
The NLRB confirmed that it no longer has jurisdiction over SpaceX. The update was initially shared by Bloomberg News, which cited a letter about the matter it reportedly reviewed.
In a letter to the former employees’ lawyers, the labor board stated that the affected employees were under the jurisdiction of the National Mediation Board (NMB), not the NLRB. As a result, the labor board stated that it was dismissing the case.
As per Danielle Pierce, a regional director of the agency, “the National Labor Relations Board lacks jurisdiction over the Employer and, therefore, I am dismissing your charge.”
The NMB typically oversees airlines and railroads. The NLRB, on the other hand, covers most private-sector employers, as well as manufacturers such as Boeing.
The former SpaceX engineers have argued that the private space company did not belong under the NMB’s jurisdiction because SpaceX only offers services to “hand-picked customers.”
In an opinion, however, the NMB stated that SpaceX was under its jurisdiction because “space transport includes air travel” to get to outer space. The mediation board also noted that anyone can contact SpaceX to secure its services.
SpaceX had previously challenged the NLRB’s authority in court, arguing that the agency’s structure was unconstitutional. Jennifer Abruzzo, the NLRB general counsel under former United States President Joe Biden, rejected SpaceX’s claims. Following Abruzzo’s termination under the Trump administration, however, SpaceX asked the labor board to reconsider its arguments.
SpaceX is not the only company that has challenged the constitutionality of the NLRB. Since SpaceX filed its legal challenge against the agency in 2024, other high-profile companies have followed suit. These include Amazon, which has filed similar cases that are now pending.
News
Tesla accuses IG Metall member of secretly recording Giga Berlin meeting
The union has denied the electric vehicle maker’s allegations.
Police seized the computer of an IG Metall member at Tesla Giga Berlin on Tuesday amid allegations that a works council meeting was secretly recorded.
The union has denied the electric vehicle maker’s allegations.
In a post on X, Gigafactory Berlin plant manager André Thierig stated that an external union representative from IG Metall attended a works council meeting and allegedly recorded the session. Thierig described the event as “truly beyond words.”
“What has happened today at Giga Berlin is truly beyond words! An external union representative from IG Metall attended a works council meeting. For unknown reasons he recorded the internal meeting and was caught in action! We obviously called police and filed a criminal complaint!” Thierig wrote in his post on X.
Police later confirmed to local news outlet rbb24 that officers did seize a computer belonging to an IG Metall member at the Giga Berlin site on Tuesday afternoon. Tesla stated that employees had contacted authorities after discovering the alleged recording.
IG Metall denied Tesla’s accusations, arguing that its representative did not record the meeting. The union alleged that Tesla’s claim was simply a tactic ahead of upcoming works council elections.
The next works council election at Giga Berlin is scheduled for March 2 to 4, 2026. The facility’s management had confirmed the dates to local news outlets. The official announcement marks the start of the election process and campaign period.
Approximately 11,000 employees are eligible to participate in the vote.
The previous works council election at the plant took place in 2024, and it was triggered by a notable increase in workforce size. Under German labor law, regular works council elections must be held every four years between March 1 and May 31.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s xAI plants flag in Bellevue AI hotspot
The lease places xAI’s new office in one of the region’s fastest-growing tech hubs.
Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI has leased a full floor at Lincoln Square South in downtown Bellevue, WA, as per city permit filings.
The lease places xAI’s new office in one of the region’s fastest-growing tech hubs.
Public records indicate that xAI leased roughly 24,800 square feet in Lincoln Square South. The location was previously occupied by video game company Epic Games. Lincoln Square South is part of the Bellevue Collection, which is owned by Kemper Development Co.
The lease was first referenced in January by commercial real estate firm Broderick Group, which noted that an unnamed tenant had secured the space, as stated in a report from the Puget Sound Business Journal. Later filings identified xAI as the occupant for the space.
xAI has not publicly commented on the lease.
xAI hinted at plans to open an office in the Seattle area back in September, when the startup posted job openings with salaries ranging from $180,000 to $440,000. At the time, the company had narrowed its location search to cities on the Eastside but had not finalized a lease.
xAI’s Bellevue expansion comes as Musk continues consolidating his businesses. Last week, SpaceX acquired xAI in a deal that valued the artificial intelligence startup at $250 billion. SpaceX itself is now valued at roughly $1.25 trillion and is expected to pursue an initial public offering (IPO) later this year.
Musk already has a significant presence in the region through SpaceX, which employs about 2,000 workers locally. That initiative, however, is focused largely on Starlink satellite development.
Bellevue has increasingly become a center for artificial intelligence companies. OpenAI has expanded its local office footprint to nearly 300,000 square feet. Data infrastructure firms such as Crusoe and CoreWeave have also established offices downtown.
SpaceX secures win as US labor board drops oversight case
Tesla accuses IG Metall member of secretly recording Giga Berlin meeting
