Tesla Cybertruck design finalized; to enter production mid-2023: Elon Musk [Video]

By Gabe Rodriguez Morrison
Tesla Cybertruck
ksbw.com

In an interview with Tesla Owners Silicon Valley, Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed that the Cybertruck design has now been finalized. Musk didn’t get into details about the design, but gave a rough timeline for production of the Cybertruck.

With the design now "locked", he estimates production will begin “the middle of next year, roughly 12-months’ish” which would put the first Cybertruck deliveries in the second half of 2023.

Musk did not say when the final design will be revealed, but recent sightings of the alpha builds give us many hints as to what to expect.

When discussing the Cybertruck design Elon said they “got too carried with the…,” before pausing, hinting that they have added a number of new features not included on the original prototype.

While it's not clear what additional features Elon was about to mention, we have an idea of what is to come.

One of the most controversial additions has been the side mirrors, which are required by law, although Musk has said that they will be easily removable by owners.

Another controversial feature of the Cybertruck is the windshield wiper. While we have only seen the large single wiper, Musk did say that the final design would be different than what has been seen on recent builds.

Tesla did patent a laser beam windshield wiper, but we'll likely see something more traditional on the Cybertruck.

Another feature we could see on the final build are doors with no handles. At the Cyber Rodeo, Elon opened the Cybertruck door by pushing a button on the side of the truck. The doors also seemingly open and lock depending on proximity to the vehicle.

You can watch the full interview below.

Tesla Rolls Out Innovative Towing Solutions for Cybertruck and Supercharger Network

By Kevin Armstrong
Pull through supercharging added to UI
Pull through supercharging added to UI

Tesla’s latest update includes a special feature for Cybertruck that may eventually be rolled out to the rest of the lineup. It appears Tesla is getting ready for the summer road trip season early by focusing on enhanced security for drivers who tow trailers and improving accessibility to its Supercharger network for such vehicles.

Cybertruck's New Trailer Alarm Feature

A standout feature in the latest update is introducing a trailer alarm system for the Cybertruck. This innovative feature extends the vehicle's alarm system to monitor the connection status of a trailer hitched to the vehicle. In practical terms, this means the vehicle's alarm will now also protect the trailer, ensuring an added layer of security for owners' valuable cargo.

Activating or deactivating alongside the vehicle's alarm system, this feature can be conveniently managed through the vehicle's settings under the "Towing and Hauling" section, where the "Trailer Alarm" option is located. Owners who prefer not to use this feature can disable it, tailoring the vehicle's security settings to their preferences. At this point, we only have confirmation of the feature in Cybertruck, but it would make sense to add it to the other models that haul trailers as well.

Enhanced Supercharger Network Accessibility

Tesla is also improving the Supercharging experience for drivers with trailers. Recognizing owners' difficulties when charging vehicles while towing, Tesla has been progressively introducing pull-through stalls at Supercharger stations. These stalls are designed to accommodate vehicles with trailers, eliminating the need to detach trailers before charging – a significant improvement over the traditional back-in stalls that dominate the network.

Wes Morrill, a Cybertruck engineer who has become more vocal on X, posted that the “Supercharger team is always looking for opportunities to install these at new locations. Will show trailer friendly stalls on the in-vehicle UI to make it easier when road tripping with a trailer.”

Amid rising gas prices, Tesla's updates offer a cost-effective solution for summer road trips. The new trailer alarm and UI improvements for finding Supercharger stations address towing challenges, enhancing the Tesla experience. This initiative showcases Tesla's commitment to innovation and sustainable travel, enabling owners to bypass the impact of fuel costs and enjoy their adventures.

Tesla Expected to Release 'Actually Smart Summon' and 'Tap to Park' Updates Next Month

By Not a Tesla App Staff
Smart summon in April update
Smart summon in April update

Elon Musk announced that Tesla will finally reintroduce Smart Summon and Autopark to its vehicles. According to the CEO, these features are scheduled for release in April. Tesla removed ultrasonic sensors (USS) from their vehicles in 2022, and with it removed several features, including Autopark, Smart Summon and Park Assist. However, since then, they’ve added High Fidelity Park Assist, a feature that recreates the surrounding environment in 3D. Although, it’s currently only available to vehicles without USS, that’s expected to change in the near future, and could also come bundled in with the new Autopark feature.

This update in April is not only expected bring these features back to vehicles without ultrasonic sensors, but Tesla is also expected to release drastically improved versions of these features, known as Actually Smart Summon and Tap to Park.

Major improvements coming for Summon & Banish (Autopark) next month - Elon Musk

Improved Autopark

Greentheonly, who regularly decompiles Tesla firmware, has indicated that Tesla's latest software, version 2024.8, already contains the code necessary for these new features, but they need to be remotely activated by Tesla. Additionally, Green says the new Autopark system will offer users the choice between parallel and perpendicular parking options. The new Autopark is expected to let drivers visually select a parking spot, exit the vehicle, and let it park itself.

New ‘Tap to Park’ Feature

With the introduction of High Fidelity Park Assist, Tesla laid the groundwork for more sophisticated features like "Tap to Park."

Tap to Park builds on the original concept of Park Seek, a feature discussed by Tesla in October 2022 that aimed to automate the parking spot search process. While the initial vision for Park Seek suggested a vehicle could autonomously search for parking, "Tap to Park" simplifies this idea.

With the deployment of FSD Beta v12.3 going to more users this weekend, the company continues to leverage AI to reduce code in favor of neural networks trained with real-world driving data.

Just last week, Musk posted on X: "Really cool stuff coming both this month and next." Since that post, FSD beta version 12.3 has started going to more users, and now it seems two other long overdue and highly anticipated updates are coming with Actually Smart Summon and Tap to Park. Still no word on auto wiper improvements.

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