Investor Day Reveals Tesla Cybertruck Rear Screen, Bumper Cam, Circular Yoke and More [Photos, Video]

By Kevin Armstrong
The Cybertruck will have a camera in the center of the front bumper
The Cybertruck will have a camera in the center of the front bumper
Sofiaan/Twitter

The Tesla community comes through again. As soon as invited guests started showing up at the company’s annual Investor Day, new images of the latest Cybertruck prototype started hitting social media. For the last couple of weeks, the highly anticipated vehicle has been spotted in the wild, and we’ve dissected every frame of images posted online. But now we have close-up, clear pictures that reveal far more than previously known.

Front-to-Back Tour

Front Bumper Camera

Let’s start from the front and work our way back. We begin with the front bumper, which has a camera in the center. This is a big find. We know Hardware 4 is starting to show up in some vehicles, and it allows for up to 12 cameras. The new camera location may have something to do with the removal of the ultrasonic sensors. However, it's hard to say how useful this camera location will be as the front bumper takes the brunt of bugs, snow, slush, and rain.

Frunk Opening

The front end offers a bit of a mystery for the frunk. Some speculation is that it’s not just the hood, but part of the bumper would come up with the frunk. But really, you have to wonder why anyone would need a frunk with all of this space.

Giant Air Suspension Cylinders

The Cybertruck had massive air suspension cylinders
The Cybertruck had massive air suspension cylinders
MatthewDR/Twitter

Moving back, we find gigantic air suspension cylinders. We’ve reported on videos showing Cybertruck both high and low. These cans suggest that it has the ability to go over almost any obstacle.

Windshield Wiper

Further back, the next one is hard to miss. The biggest windshield wiper ever produced (slight exaggeration) still exists. Perhaps Tesla has not found a suitable solution to a problem identified by Elon Musk. He has tweeted that the wiper troubles him the most and “No easy solution. Deployable wiper that stows in front trunk would be ideal, but complex.”

New Cybertruck Steering Wheel

The Cybertruck was displayed with a circular yoke steering wheel
The Cybertruck was displayed with a circular yoke steering wheel
TeslaSynopsis/Twitter

Let’s move inside the cockpit. The first thing many investors noticed was the new steering wheel design. It’s not a yoke, it’s not a circle but a circular yoke�"a sort of rectangular-shaped wheel complete with the usual scroll buttons. Like the Model 3 and Model Y, one screen is in the middle of the dashboard. But this screen looks bigger than the ones found in the other models. Could it be the 17" screen that's on the Model S and Model X? The dashboard appears to be some sort of fabric, possibly Alcantara, instead of the marble look that appeared in previous prototypes.

Rear Screen and Rear Seats

The Cybertruck on display had a rear screen similar to the Model S
The Cybertruck on display had a rear screen similar to the Model S
TeslaHype/Twitter

Jump into the backseat, and we find another screen, which appears to be the same size and location as the one in the Model X and Model S. The rear seats fold up but don’t fold down, confirming what was speculated a few months ago. Leaked images of the mega cast revealed the rumored midgate did not make it to production. The thought was the midgate, combined with folding rear seats, would make for an excellent camping experience or allow long items to be transported.

Roof Rack Rails

But it will not be difficult to transport whatever you need with Cybertruck. It looks like there are roof rack slots and an impressive box that seems incredibly rigid. On the side edge of the box, it looks like a switch to adjust the truck's rear suspension up or down. This would be handy to line up a trailer.

The sign near the Cybertruck noted that this is the Beta version of Cybertruck. Production is scheduled to start in the summer, with a full ramp-up starting next year.

Tesla Software Update 2023.38 Adds Two New Privacy-Focused Options

By Eva Fox
Tesla has added two new privacy options in update 2023.38.6
Tesla has added two new privacy options in update 2023.38.6
Not a Tesla App

In Tesla software update 2023.38.6 Tesla is quietly adding two new options that gives owners better control over their privacy. In this update, Tesla is adding the ability to disable remote commands and the option to turn off remote debugging.

The move improves privacy and allows Tesla owners to gain greater control over who can access their vehicles and when.

Limit Remote Commands

Last week, we reported that a user was seeing a new option in FSD Beta 11.4.7.3 that allowed him to disable remote commands. This change allowed him to prevent Tesla from executing commands remotely, such as unlocking or starting the vehicle.

The change appears to have been added through a server-side configuration update, although most users with FSD Beta 11.4.7.3 still lack the new option.

Although giving Tesla the ability to execute commands remotely can be beneficial, such as if you're locked out of your vehicle, this new option gives more privacy conscious owners the ability to limit Tesla's access to their vehicle.

This new option is now also a part of Tesla's latest update, version 2023.38.6. However, it's important to note that this new option only limits Tesla's access to execute commands, and not any other third-parties that may have access to the vehicle through their own services.

Disable Remote Debugging

Owners are now noticing that Tesla has added another privacy-focused option in the 2023.38 update. In this update owners now have access to disable or enable remote debugging of their vehicle. Although it's not completely clear what Tesla considers "debugging," it seems that this new option will limit Tesla's ability to connect to the vehicle remotely to run specific commands or look at vehicle logs.

Privacy Comes First

Both of these new privacy options are enabled by default, but they can be changed by navigating to Controls > Service and looking for the new 'Allow Tesla to Remote Start' and 'Allow Remote Debugging' options at the bottom.

While these new options increase Tesla's transparency and privacy, they can limit Tesla's ability to help owners in certain situations. In most cases, the owners will have access to their vehicle and the ability to temporarily enable these options if they need Tesla's help to start their vehicle or help debug any potential issues.

Tesla vehicles are some of the most advanced vehicles on the market in terms of software and connectivity and this is an important step towards achieving a healthy balance between ensuring customer trust and maintaining the necessary access to deliver the exceptional and cutting-edge experience for which the brand is known.

Tesla China Opens Superchargers for SAIC General Motors

By Eva Fox
SAIC-GM electric vehicles at Tesla Supercharger
SAIC-GM electric vehicles at Tesla Supercharger
SAIC-GM

Tesla China is opening select Superchargers in the country for electric vehicles manufactured by SAIC General Motors. This was the company's first such collaboration in China with the local manufacturer.

Tesla opens its Supercharger to SAIC-GM in China

SAIC General Motors announced Friday that it is entering into an agreement with Tesla China. As part of it, electric vehicles produced by SAIC-GM will have access to the largest and highest quality network of charging stations in the world, the Tesla Supercharger network. The goal of the collaboration is to combine charging networks to jointly create efficient and convenient sharing services.

The agreement will come into force this year

Under the terms, starting in late 2023, owners of fully electric Cadillac and Buick models based on GM's Ultium platform in China will have access to Tesla Superchargers and Destination Chargers. They will be able to log into the brand's apps and use the charge map feature to access Superchargers open to select electric vehicles. Using the app, owners of SAIC-GM electric vehicles will also be able to easily pay for charging.

Superchargers are already open to non-Tesla EVs in China

According to a press release from SAIC-GM, Tesla has already opened its charging network in mainland China. There are currently 10 Supercharger sites and more than 200 Destination Chargers open to drivers of select non-Tesla electric vehicles. As the US manufacturer gradually expands the scope of opening its network of charging stations in mainland China, there will be more in the future.

With this powerful alliance, SAIC-GM also became the first domestic company to enter into a charging network collaboration with Tesla China. The agreement comes after Tesla had already opened its Superchargers to electric vehicles from other manufacturers in Europe and in the United States. In addition, almost all companies that manufacture electric vehicles and sell them in the US have already entered into an agreement with Tesla to open up Superchargers for their EVs. Those manufacturers are ready to equip their EVs with North American Charging Standard (NACS) ports.

SAIC-GM expands its charging network

To date, SAIC-GM has built 52 charging stations under its own brand. They offer access to a total of 246 charging stalls. In addition to this and its collaboration with Tesla China, SAIC-GM is currently working with six other major charger operators to provide 500,000 charger stalls to its customers in more than 320 cities nationwide.

Latest Tesla Update

Confirmed by Elon

Take a look at features that Elon Musk has said will be coming soon.

Subscribe

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

Sponsors

Find out how to become a sponsor and have your site listed here.

Although we share official Tesla release notes, we are not affiliated with Tesla Motors. We are Tesla fans and supporters.

Latest Tesla Update

Confirmed by Elon

Take a look at features that Elon Musk has said will be coming soon.

Subscribe

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.