Tesla Cybertruck Holds Up Well After Rollover Test

Tesla's Cybertruck after a suspected ditch rollover test

Cybertruck Owners Club

Tesla's highly anticipated Cybertruck continues to be put through the paces, and while security around the vehicle has been tightened, video and images are still popping up.

The latest is a Cybertruck that was involved in testing a ditch rollover. The source of this insider glimpse came from a modest TikTok account @ctllogisticsinc, belonging to trucking company CTL Logistics. Despite the video vanishing from the account, the ever-vigilant Tesla community comes through again. Stills and video footage have been preserved on the cybertruckownersclub forum, giving us deeper insight into the truck's performance in the challenging situation.

The images reveal a Cybertruck that has been through a rigorous ordeal, yet its cabin remained notably intact, shielding what is inside with a remarkable degree of safety. Even the glass roof, although smashed, withstood shattering — a promising indication of its protection to the vehicle's occupants from flying shards in the event of a rollover.

Standing Firm Amid the Test

While the details of the ditch rollover test's parameters remain unknown, the preserved visuals affirm the Cybertruck's substantial build and its resiliency in safeguarding its interior. This is a testament to Tesla's continued emphasis on vehicle safety, prevailing yet again with the Cybertruck, contrary to the early speculations regarding the steel frame's safety attributes.

Behind the Exoskeleton

As we further dissect the visuals, a discussion surrounding the Cybertruck's exoskeleton construction arises. Initially promoted as a breakthrough in vehicle manufacturing technology, recent sightings have portrayed it leaning towards a traditional unibody frame with flat panels instead of the customary curved ones.

This recent crash test sighting lends weight to this perspective, showcasing how the external panels bore the brunt of the impact, indicating a departure from the originally touted exoskeleton concept. Nonetheless, the Cybertruck exhibited less deformation than what one would expect from a vehicle enduring such a crash, attesting to the durability of its ultra-hard stainless steel body panels.

Inside the Unyielding Fortress

Despite the damage to the outside, the interior looked nearly untouched; indeed, there were signs of debris with airbag deployment and broken side windows, but it was not bad. The revealed rear seat showcased an 8-inch rear screen that stood unharmed amidst the chaos. Also, similar to those found in the new Model 3, the unique ambient light strips embedded in the door emphasize Tesla's consistent dedication to a harmonious blend of safety and luxury.

The Cybertruck's release looms closer, and this inadvertent reveal casts a promising light on its safety features and interior amenities. While we wait for Tesla to send the official delivery invites, the Cybertruck seems to have passed the ditch rollover relatively unscathed.

Thank you to Tesla enthusiasts who contribute to the Cybertruck Owners Club and the unwavering Tesla community that consistently has eyes everywhere, ensuring no moment passes undocumented in the Tesla universe.

Tesla Increases Price of Model S; Starts Offering Free Lifetime Supercharging

Not a Tesla App

For the first time in quite a while, Tesla has increased the price of one of its vehicle offerings. The Model S Long Range and the Model S Plaid have both received a hefty price increase. However, not all is bad - as Tesla also added a new benefit for buyers.

Price Increase

The price increase for the Model S is $5,000 - currently only in the United States. This price increase will likely impact other markets, including Canada, in the coming days.

The Model S Long Range now starts at $79,990, while the Model S Plaid now starts at $94,990. The Model S and Model X now have the same starting price. Interestingly, that’s also the same pricing point for the Cybertruck AWD and Cyberbeast Trimotor non-Foundation Series. 

The vehicle configuration does not appear to have changed, so the new pricing is simply an increase rather than the addition or removal of features. Tesla previously cut the price of the Model S and Model X by 15% in 2023, so this could simply be an adjustment to ensure that the vehicle pricing stays in line with inflation and other factors.

Free Lifetime Supercharging

For those on the fence about ordering a Model S, Tesla has brought back Free Lifetime Supercharging when you order a new Model S on or after December 13, 2024. As always, Free Lifetime Supercharging is restricted to the buyer’s Tesla account and to that specific vehicle. It cannot be transferred to another vehicle or another owner after ownership transfer. It’s worth noting, that it also doesn’t exclude the owner from receiving Supercharger idle fees or congestion fees. There is currently no end date for this promotion.

There are currently no changes to the Model X, neither a price increase nor the addition of Lifetime Superchargering. However, when Tesla makes changes to one of their premium vehicles, it usually affects the other one as well. So be on the lookout for potential changes to the Model X offering in the coming days.

We’ve seen Tesla value Lifetime Supercharging at $5,000, so this falls in line with the price increase we’re seeing. It’s possible that Tesla will begin to bring back Lifetime Supercharging as a perk for buying into their more premium Model S and Model X cars, or this could be another temporary promotion to get buyers who are on the fence to go ahead and make their purchase while this promotion lasts.

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Tesla’s Optimus Robot Learns to Walk Without Vision [VIDEO]

Optimus Falls - but catches itself!

Not a Tesla App

Tesla recently showed off a demo of Optimus, its humanoid robot, walking around in moderately challenging terrain—not on a flat surface but on dirt and slopes. These things can be difficult for a humanoid robot, especially during the training cycle.

Daily walks help clear your mind pic.twitter.com/dUsW58trS6

— Tesla Optimus (@Tesla_Optimus) December 9, 2024

A Look Behind the Curtain

Most interestingly, Milan Kovac, VP of Engineering for Optimus, clarified what it takes to get Optimus to this stage. Let’s break down what he said.

Optimus is Blind

Optimus is getting seriously good at walking now - it can keep its balance over uneven ground - even while walking blind. Tesla is currently using just the sensors, all powered by a neural net running on the embedded computer. 

Essentially, Tesla is building Optimus from the ground up, relying on as much additional data as possible while it trains vision. This is similar to how they train FSD on vehicles, using LiDAR rigs to validate the vision system’s accuracy. While Optimus doesn’t have LiDAR, it relies on all those other sensors on board, many of which will likely become simplified as vision takes over as the primary sensor.

Today, Optimus is walking blind, but it’s able to react almost instantly to changes in the terrain underneath it, even if it falls or slips. 

What’s Next?

Next up, Tesla AI will be adding vision to Optimus - helping complete the neural net. Remember, Optimus runs on the same overall AI stack as FSD - in fact, Optimus uses an FSD computer and an offshoot of the FSD stack for vision-based tasks.

Milan mentions they’re planning on adding vision to help the robot plan ahead and improve its walking gait. While the zombie shuffle is iconic and a little bit amusing, getting humanoid robots to walk like humans is actually difficult.

There’s plenty more, too - including better responsiveness to velocity and direction commands and learning to fall and stand back up. Falling while protecting yourself to minimize damage is something natural to humans - but not exactly natural to something like a robot. Training it to do so is essential in keeping the robot, the environment around it, and the people it is interacting with safe.

We’re excited to see what’s coming with Optimus next because it is already getting started in some fashion in Tesla’s factories.

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