News
Tesla, Rivian, and Nikola’s battle for electric truck market share laid out in new graphic
After the all-electric Model S sedan paved the way for battery-powered SUVs and crossovers, it was only a matter of time before pickup trucks would come along to share the spotlight. Rivian’s R1T hit the ground running for a while, but Tesla’s Cybertruck unveil officially started the race for worksite hauling and adventure with zero emissions. Nikola Motors later followed up with its own truck – the Badger – powered with hydrogen fuel cells.
How all of these vehicles will do with consumers is the question on everyone’s mind now, and the team at PartCatalog.com has put together some Twitter data to help predict the answer.
Using Twitter’s geospatial metadata made available to developers and Google’s Trends software, PartCatalog created a color-coded map showing the most anticipated electric truck in the US in a state-by-state breakdown. Over 90,000 tweets were tracked for the project, using hashtags and models mentioned as data drivers. Specifically, tagged location, mentioned location, and profile location formed the basis of the state determinations.
The results were quite interesting.
Altogether, Rivian’s R1T was the top-mentioned zero-emissions pickup in 17 states, Tesla’s Cybertruck in 15 states, and Nikola’s Badger in 13 states. Bollinger’s B2 made a splash with 4 states, and Lordstown’s Endeavor picked off 1 state. The results look to be a bit regionalized with Rivian drawing chatter in the north-central and northeastern parts of the US, Nikola in the south and southwest, and Tesla making headway right through the middle on a diagonal course.
These results could be based on a variety of reasons aside from consumer preferences for vehicle styling and capabilities. Company location is another factor to consider. For instance, the Lordstown Endurance was most mentioned in Ohio only, which is also the state where the company is headquartered. Tesla’s popularity in California comes as no surprise given it’s the auto maker’s home state and has become a world leader in all-electric vehicles. However, it’s interesting that Nikola’s Badger is most discussed in Texas, given Tesla’s recent Cybertruck factory competition, which ended in a win for the Lone Star state.
Nikola’s home base is now in Arizona, likely playing a role in its data findings there, but its popularity has also reached upwards to Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. The oil industry in Pennsylvania could play a role here, being that Nikola’s primary customer focus is the trucking industry and converting its diesel-focused world to cleaner fuel cells. Massachusetts, though, doesn’t have the same expectation given its environmental efforts overall.
The conversation surrounding electric pickup trucks is likely to become even more diverse as more prominent players get into the game. As more details about Ford’s battery-powered F-150 are revealed, some, if not all, of the other truck makers may see their popularity have more competition. The connection between Rivian and Ford, namely the $500 million investment made into the nascent manufacturer that was recently semi-canceled, may also have some interesting playout.
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Of course, having at least one electric truck delivered to customers will be the most relevant measure of their opinions, and next year looks to be the earliest we’ll see that happen.
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
