The ever-mysterious Tesla Cybertruck has recently been photogenic with numerous pictures of a driveable prototype interior along with snapshots of the anticipated 9,000-ton Giga Press that will cast new truck bodies.
While those with Cybertruck reservations have heard it before, we do appear one step closer to the eventual release of the Cybertruck.
Redditor u/IeZael recently posted details of his experiences during a tour of the IDRA Group’s facilities in Brescia, Italy.
IeZael/Reddit
IDRA, founded in 1946, has created some of the largest high-pressure die casting machines in the world. IDRA routinely hosts open houses to show off the latest die-casting machinery.
While Tesla is not the only customer of IDRA, it was pretty evident that the 9000t Giga Press is eventually destined for Tesla’s factory. The biggest giveaway? The color scheme of the device is identical to the Model Y’s Giga Press.
In addition, IDRA states that the machines “can be used for SUV and small trucks.” Elon Musk later confirmed that Tesla will continue to use IDRA’s presses, including the new 9,000-ton Giga Press for the Cybertruck’s body.
In addition to the open house photo montage, IDRA produced a fascinating video series detailing the assembly of the Giga Press.
ksbw.com
What has garnered more attention this week for Cybertruck reservation holders is purported interior shots of a Cybertruck prototype. Released by KSBW, the photos show a rough prototype interior with a disassembled yoke.
Interestingly, the Cybertruck appearance was part of a press event for the PG&E Elkhorn Battery System in Moss Landing (which features Tesla batteries). It is unclear if Tesla intended for the interior to be photographed at the event (given the unfinished nature of the finishes).
The center display shows the new Model X (which may be the basis for the prototype’s systems).
ksbw.com
The interior in this prototype certainly deviates from the initial renderings distributed by Tesla during the Cybertruck’s initial launch.
Instead of a center seat, a console is clearly visible. In addition, the appearance of an instrument cluster brings about the exciting possibility that the Cybertruck may feature dual displays, similar to the new Model X.
The Cybertruck is anticipated to be released in 2023.
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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.
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.
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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