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Tesla’s futuristic ‘Supertruck’ pickup is over seven years in the making
Ahead of Tesla’s Cybertruck unveiling later tonight, CEO Elon Musk went into the historical depths of his Twitter account and recovered a tidbit regarding his plans to create a “Supertruck” with exceptional performance standards.
In 2012, Musk shared one idea for a Supertruck that has “crazy torque, dynamic air suspension, and corners like it’s on rails.” The tweet was in response to Musk’s idea that the company’s flagship sedan, the Model S, would show people that “electric is way way better than gas.” Over seven years since posting that tweet on the social media platform, the vehicle referenced by Musk is about to be unveiled to the world.
There is much excitement budding around the release of the Tesla Cybertruck, especially considering Elon Musk’s previous statements about the vehicle. Over the past months, Musk has mentioned that the pickup is probably the best vehicle that Tesla has created to date. Tesla board member and Square Roots founder Kimbal Musk echoed this statement, noting on Twitter that he has not been this excited about a vehicle’s unveiling since the Model S back in 2012. The CEO has also mentioned that the vehicle will have better performance than a base Porsche 911, hinting at a 0-60 mph time of around 3 seconds.
@DJjodes Would love to make a Tesla supertruck with crazy torque, dynamic air suspension and corners like its on rails. That'd be sweet…
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 1, 2012
While the truck’s look has been heavily speculated by electric vehicle enthusiasts, nobody truly knows what the pickup will look like. Musk has said the truck will be “pretty sci-fi…It’s kind of like a Blade Runner truck,” and he has also used the term “cyberpunk,” too. The specifications of the vehicle have been talked about by Musk in the past, with the CEO suggesting a 400-500 mile range, huge seats capable of fitting legendary professional wrestler Andre the Giant, and a towing capacity of 300,000-lbs.
The truck is expected to have a starting price of $49,000, as per Musk’s statements in an appearance at the Ride the Lightning Podcast. This price is significantly less than the $69,000 Rivian R1T pickup that will begin production in late-2020. It should be noted that the Cybertruck will likely not be directly competing against the R1T, but rather with premium petrol-powered trucks that have dominated the pickup industry.
The unveiling of Tesla’s new pickup was announced on November 6 by Musk. Coincidentally, the electric car maker also submitted a trademark for the words “CYBERTRUCK” and “CYBRTRK” on the same day. The unveiling event will take place near the SpaceX rocket factory in Los Angeles tonight at 8 PM PST.
Musk has always been very open about his plans for the future. His tweet in 2012 regarding the truck has finally come to fruition with the planned unveiling of the pickup later tonight. His vision for a truck that will become the industry standard is seven years in the making, but this is not the first time the Tesla CEO has been vocal about things that seem out of reach. In fact, Tesla’s Master Plan is an example of Musk’s dreams that seem crazy at the time of publishing, but he has come to accomplish many of the things he has set out to achieve. The Master Plan stated:
- Build sports car
- Use that money to build an affordable car
- Use that money to build an even more affordable car
- While doing above, also provide zero emission electric power generation options
Tonight, we will see the next big thing that Tesla will unveil to the world — another vehicle that will serve a role in Elon Musk’s Master Plan.
The Tesla Semi was spotted mounted with ground truth validation equipment as the company nears its looming launch. The Semi is Tesla’s Class 8 all-electric truck, and has been utilized in its earlier stages by many companies like PepsiCo. and Frito-Lay, who have been using it in a pilot program.
The Semi was spotted in Sunnyvale, California, and sports a typical ground truth validation unit that Tesla routinely uses on its vehicles. Ground truth validation is essentially the process of training supervised algorithms to ensure they can perform reliably. Tesla typically performs this on vehicles that are being released soon:
Spotted the new semi adorned with ground truthing equipment. Haven’t seen anyone post this so figured I’d share.
The future is autonomous!!@SawyerMerritt @wholemars pic.twitter.com/qkPDHPUQZ6
— Danny (@dannywinner1) June 21, 2026
The Semi being spotted with this type of validation rig is important because it means the company is working on solidifying a Full Self-Driving model for its commercial vehicle offering. This would be a massive development for not only Tesla but also the logistics industry as a whole.
There are strict regulations on driving hours for commercial truck drivers, and autonomy is a way to potentially combat these issues. FSD is already a widely effective way that owners of typical passenger vehicles take stress out of travel. Even launching a semi-autonomous platform for truck drivers to use to increase safety, reduce fatigue, and increase productivity would be a huge development.
Tesla Semi gets strange-but-understandable comparison from Jay Leno
The Semi has already proven to be an ideal solution for companies that use commercial logistics. It has increased efficiency and reduced operating costs for many companies that have been able to use it in pilot programs.
There are expected to be some bumps along the way. Tesla saw some challenges with FSD on the Cybertruck, as it had never had a vehicle with cameras at that height, so some of the features with FSD were not immediately available. Just a week ago, Tesla launched Actually Smart Summon (ASS) for Cybertruck, nearly three years after the vehicle was first delivered to customers.
President Donald Trump unveiled an upgraded Boeing 747-8 at Joint Base Andrews on June 19, 2026, describing the Qatar-gifted aircraft as an interim Air Force One equipped with advanced communications systems, including Starlink, Elon Musk’s SpaceX satellite internet service.
The plane, valued at around $400 million and modified for presidential use, serves as a bridge until the delayed VC-25B replacements arrive. Trump highlighted its luxury features and new technology during remarks to service members.
Trump stated:
“We have communication equipment up there that nobody’s ever seen before. It’s the highest level and, uh, including Starlink. My friend Elon is going to be very happy, but, uh, Starlink and we have, uh, four or five different sets of double and triple communications like people haven’t seen.”
He added:
“And it represents what can happen with hard work, innovation, and aggressive timelines because we did this quickly and yet there’s never been communication like is on this plane.”
🚨 President Trump confirmed today that the new Air Force One is equipped with Starlink:
“We have communication equipment up there that nobody’s ever seen before, it’s the highest level and including Starlink…my friend Elon is going to be very happy.” pic.twitter.com/IhkDmtr5hL
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) June 20, 2026
The aircraft features a redesigned red, white, and blue livery and has been outfitted with Starlink satellite connectivity alongside other secure systems.
Trump praised the plane’s uniqueness, calling it among the world’s most luxurious. The gift from Qatar and subsequent modifications have drawn attention, with the jet positioned as a solution for presidential travel. It is expected to support operations, including potential ceremonial roles such as Fourth of July flyovers.
The event marked the formal introduction of the converted jet, which will help maintain capabilities while the primary Air Force One fleet undergoes modernization. Defense observers note the inclusion of commercial satellite technology like Starlink as part of efforts to ensure resilient communications, crucial to keep the country running as the President is in the sky.
President Trump’s comments underscored appreciation for rapid upgrades and innovation in equipping the aircraft. The plane remains a U.S. government asset and is slated for eventual transfer related to presidential library purposes after its service.
Tesla just gave what is perhaps its biggest signal yet that the launch of the Cybercab, its autonomous ride-hailing-geared car, is imminent.
The Cybercab has been spotted outside of Gigafactory Texas in massive numbers over the past few days, with hundreds of units being stored on property just days after the vehicle received a Certificate of Conformity from the EPA.
Today, things were a bit different.
Cybercabs spotted on Giga Texas property today had an addition: a Cybercab decal on the side, reminiscent of the “Robotaxi” ones that were placed on Model Ys just as the company launched its ride-sharing platform about a year ago.
Giga Texas drone operator Joe Tegtmeyer noticed the change today:
Tesla Cybercabs are now getting “Cybercab” logos on the side of them!
Tesla did the same with Model Ys that were given “Robotaxi” logos: https://t.co/DanANtw1m7 pic.twitter.com/FqOhH0S9Ks
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) June 19, 2026
Tesla could be signaling that the Cybercab is preparing to enter the Robotaxi fleet in the coming weeks or months with this move. It seems more symbolic than anything; Tesla is ready to throw Cybercabs in the ride-hailing platform just as it did with Model Ys last year.
The addition of the Certificate of Conformity awarded to the Cybercab is another major factor working to Tesla’s advantage. The company now has permission from the EPA to allow the vehicle to operate on public roads and enter the chain of commerce. It’s officially street legal.
Tesla Cybercab specs revealed: range, curb weight, range ratings, and more
The big question that remains is whether Tesla will be able to operate the car without a safety monitor, especially considering it plans to put the car out there without a steering wheel or pedals. With the Cybercab only having a seating capacity of two, it is hard to believe Tesla will even consider putting a Safety Monitor in the car.
It did recently self-certify as Level 4 and has the ability to operate driverless vehicles in the State of Texas under a law that took effect on May 28. You can read more about that here:
Tesla’s Robotaxi dreams just took a massive step toward reality
We’d imagine Cybercabs will be on the roads as soon as July, but August will likely be a better estimate of when the car will be entered into the Cybercab fleet. It all depends at where Tesla is, as they’ve truly prioritized safety with the rollout of the Robotaxi platform.
Tesla Semi spotted with ground truth validation equipment as launch looms
President Trump touts new Air Force One with Musk technology
