Tesla Cybertruck To Have 50-Amp 240v Outlet, Enough to Charge Another Tesla

By Kevin Armstrong
The Cybertruck will have two 120v outlets and one 220v outlet
The Cybertruck will have two 120v outlets and one 220v outlet
niccruzpatane/RyanZohoury

Tesla's Cybertruck may have that feature that was the competition's advantage. A recent "leak" shows an array of built-in power outlets. We've previously covered Tesla offering bi-directional charging on the Cybertruck, but even if that falls through, it looks like owners could use the vehicle's onboard outlets to power other items. According to leaked information, these outlets could herald a new vehicular energy independence and utility standard.

Speculations, courtesy of an anonymous insider and brought to the public eye by the YouTube channel TFLEV, indicate that the Cybertruck may offer multiple onboard power outlets, including two 120-volt outlets and a robust 50 amp, 240-volt outlet (NEMA 14-50). The potential of these outlets isn't merely for powering tools or campsite essentials but extends to energizing an entire household during power outages.

Cybertruck's Electrical Outlets

The inclusion of a 240-volt NEMA 14-50 outlet is particularly intriguing, as this specification implies a high-power output capability. This type of outlet is commonly used for large appliances or for EV charging and can handle up to 12kW of power. Such a feature points to Tesla's vision of a vehicle that gets you to your destination and serves as a dependable power reserve in emergencies or for off-grid living.

Ford's F-150 Lightning: A Benchmark for Comparison

Any other company rarely sets the bar when it comes to the EV game, but Ford did offer something that Tesla had not yet developed. To contextualize the Cybertruck's power supply features, comparing it with existing vehicles like the Ford F-150 Lightning is essential. Ford's electric pickup boasts a Pro Power Onboard system with power outputs that vary from 2.4 kW to 9.6 kW, depending on the configuration. With options for both 120-volt and 240-volt (L14-30) outlets, the Lightning can power tools and appliances directly from the vehicle.

The F-150 Lightning's Charge Station Pro and Home Integration System, developed in collaboration with Sunrun, illustrates the practical application of vehicle-to-grid technology. It has proven worth enabling homeowners to keep their lights on during utility failures. Tesla's Cybertruck, with its powerful 240-volt outlet, is expected to offer similar functionality, allowing the vehicle to serve as an energy lifeline.

Tesla's Edge: Potential for Higher Power Output

While the Ford F-150 Lightning can supply substantial power to a home, Tesla's Cybertruck may have the upper hand with the ability to output up to 12kW. This capability could make it a more potent mobile generator, capable of running high-demand home appliances during emergencies or power outages.

In the evolving landscape of electric vehicles, the Cybertruck's power outlets are not just about convenience. They symbolize Tesla's commitment to energy solutions that empower owners to be more self-sufficient. The outlets could bridge Tesla's automotive and energy sectors, potentially integrating with home energy storage systems like the Powerwall for enhanced energy management.

As electric vehicles become increasingly entwined with home energy ecosystems, Cybertruck's proposed power outlets position it as a leader in this integration. The vehicle's ability to potentially power a home resonates with Tesla's overarching mission to facilitate a sustainable energy future.

Tesla Updates Santa Mode & Rainbow Road to Use Ambient Lighting and Updates SteamOS [VIDEO]

By Karan Singh
Flo / Roberto Bonato

While Tesla’s 2024 Holiday Update brought many new features, including Apple Watch Support, Cross Traffic Alerts, Weather Overlays, Search Along Route, and others, there are also several smaller items in this update that didn’t get much attention.

Ambient Lighting Now Affects Easter Eggs

The 2024+ Model 3 and Cybertruck both come equipped with ambient lighting, and Tesla is now taking advantage of this custom lighting feature by incorporating it into several easter eggs.

Rainbow Road: If you head over to Apps > ToyBox > Rainbow Road, you’ll find a new option available that allows the ambient lighting in the vehicle to also change shades while Rainbow Road is active. The Rainbow Road easter egg is a tribute to the iconic course course in Nintendo’s Mario Kart.

Check out the feature in action below:

Santa Mode: Just in time for Christmas, Tesla has improved Santa Mode by cycling the ambient lighting between Christmas colors. Similar to Rainbow Road, the use of ambient lighting for the easter egg is optional and can be enabled under Apps > ToyBox > Santa Mode.

When using Santa Mode with ambient lighting turned on, the lights will cycle just between Christmas colors, red, green and white, instead of the full rainbow. There’s a video of the feature below:

Update: It looks like it affects other Easter eggs as well, such as turning orange when using Romance mode.

SteamOS (Beta) Update

The Model S and Model X vehicles that support Steam gaming are receiving a Steam app update in the holiday update as well. This update could end up being very interesting, but for now Tesla says that the SteamOS, which also runs on Valve’s Steam Deck has been updated to version 3.6.

Valve outlines a wide range of fixes and improvements in their release notes for version 3.6, but Tesla simply states that the OS update includes performance enhancements and improved game compatibility.

The SteamOS hasn’t been updated on the Model S and X for quite a while, so we believe there may be more to this besides performance improvements and fixes. We’ll be looking to share some insights into this in the near future.

So, there you have it—three new features in the Holiday update that have mostly gone under the radar. While they may not apply to everyone, there are plenty of other cool features in the Holiday Update, like the arrival of Dynamic Road Closure Routing and Nearby Parking, that are coming to every vehicle, so go check out the full release notes.

New Report Offers Specs & Price for Tesla's Upcoming Next-Gen Model

By Karan Singh
A concept of Tesla's 'Model Q'
A concept of Tesla's 'Model Q'
@DominicBRNKMN on X

At the 2023 Q3 Earnings Call, Tesla provided an update on its next-generation model, what many are referring to as the “Model 2” or “Model Q.” Although the actual model name is yet to be determined, it is known internally as Redwood.

During the 2024 Shareholder Meeting, Musk again mentioned the upcoming model, saying that Tesla is working on new products, including a more affordable vehicle and a larger SUV.

While we know the next-gen vehicle is aimed at the $25k to $30k USD market, we now have some new information thanks to a new report out of China.

Launch & Price

According to the Chinese outlet CNMO Technology News (Sina Finance), Travis Axelrod, Tesla’s Head of Investor Relations, announced plans to launch a new model. Axelrod shared this update while addressing senior corporate investors at an investor conference hosted by Deutsche Bank on December 5, 2024.

The goal of Project Redwood, internally dubbed “Model Q” by Deutsche Bank, is to achieve a post-subsidy price of under $30,000 USD. With the Federal EV Rebate potentially expiring next year, this suggests that the Model Q’s starting price will be around $30,000 USD. For comparison, the Model 3 currently starts at $42,490 in the U.S.

We previously reported that Tesla has already been speaking to suppliers and is looking to begin volume production of the vehicle sometime around June 2025. Of course, prototyping is still necessary, but we haven’t seen any signs of Tesla testing a new vehicle since spotting the Cybercab on the streets ahead of We, Robot.

Specs

The Model Q will supposedly be about 15% smaller and 30% lighter than the Model 3, with an approximate length of 3,988mm, or 157 inches. For scale, the Mini is 157 inches, while the Model 3 is 185 inches, so it’s fairly compact.

The battery will also be smaller to match the vehicle’s smaller size as Tesla tries to reduce the vehicle’s price while maintaining a similar range as its other vehicles. Tesla is expected to offer two models—a single-motor RWD model and a Long-Range Dual-Motor AWD variant.

The lower trim level will include a 53 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery, while the AWD version is expected to include a 75 kWh LFP battery. The report says that the vehicle will be able to travel up to 500 km (310 miles) on a single charge, but it’s not clear whether this will be for the more efficient RWD version or the AWD variant.

Given the vehicle’s weight reduction compared to the Model 3, this type of range is likely for the lower trim level.

Variant

Motors

Battery Size

Estimated Range

RWD

1

53 kWh (LFP)

310 miles (500km)?

AWD

2

75 kWh (LFP)

?

There’s no news yet on the price of the AWD version, but we expect it to be about $5,000 more expensive than the RWD variant.

Once the vehicle ramps up in production, Tesla intends to produce about 10,000 of these per week globally or about 500,000 per year. As Tesla mentioned during one of their previous earnings calls, this next-gen vehicle will be built using Tesla’s current assembly lines with minimal changes. This should allow for a smoother and more predictable production ramp. While Tesla still plans to use its new unboxed assembly process, it’s now saving it for the robotaxi.

Project Juniper

One of the items that came up during the investor conference was Tesla’s Project Juniper—the Model Y refresh. Juniper has already had a few leaks, including some images and information that mention a return to the 7-seat, 3-row format—at least in China

We’re expecting Juniper to launch early next year, as production has supposedly already begun at Giga Shanghai, at least on a limited prototyping basis. If the rollout matches the Model 3 Highland refresh, we’ll see Juniper arrive in China first and then make its way to North America and Europe by the end of 2025. The performance variants should launch in early 2026, after the standard models.

If you’re excited about Juniper, so are we! Check out our wishlist of features for Tesla’s Model Y refresh, and see everything we know so far.

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