Did Tesla Just Leak NEW Cybertruck Colors? | Elon’s Change Of Heart:- Tesla is pushing a few new software features for their cars, and app. In the Tesla app, there are a lot of great features, but when you want to route or see your complete route with supercharging stops, you are only able to do that in the vehicle.
Now, this is changing. When using the navigation in your car, you can see the car’s location, nearby chargers, and destination details from the app. This and more have been in the app for a while, but Tesla is adding another aspect here.
It will now show the suggested route the vehicle is taking to reach its destination. I hope that eventually, Tesla will improve this so that you can route just like you would in the vehicle, but from the Tesla, app see all of your charging stops and choose the best route before you get into the car.
Another small feature arriving in the car is a dedicated app for the user manual. Tesla includes the manual on the screen, but now it’s a dedicated app with two sections: First is: Get you to know your tesla.
“This section is designed to be an interactive and user-friendly way for new and existing Tesla owners to familiarize themselves with their car’s features. It includes buttons that, when pressed, can perform actions such as opening the glovebox or activating the windshield wipers.”.
I’m very curious to see this in action, and it looks like something that could be very helpful for new owners. Then there is the Owner’s manual that has been there for a while. One interesting change for the user manual is that the weight distribution and max weights have been updated for the front trunk and rear trunk areas.
The updated guidelines show 110 lbs for the Front trunk, 88 lbs for the rear trunk lower compartment, and 287 lbs for the rear trunk upper floor. These apply to all of Tesla’s vehicles.
One big change is currently happening for Tesla’s lowest-priced vehicle. Since the beginning of the year, this car has qualified for a $7500 tax credit, but since battery requirements from the IRS are finally coming into place after march, Tesla now says “$7,500 tax credit is anticipated to be reduced for Model 3.
Take delivery now.”. Tesla further adds that “Note: This credit is in effect for deliveries taken before an update to the federal guidance, which Treasury and the IRS intend to issue no later than March 31, 2023.”
So those taking delivery of this RWD Model 3 at the time this is going up “or later won’t qualify for this credit. That’s because Tesla uses a different battery chemistry in the standard range Model 3, sourced from CATL in china.
This disqualifies it from the EV tax credit, so the assumption here has been that Tesla may adapt, and source their LFP cells in the US in the future. This is the goal of the strict EV battery requirements, and it seems to be working.
A new report says that Tesla is going to produce LFP cells within the US by partnering with CATL. LFP cells are great because they don’t use any nickel or cobalt, and are cheaper and safer. That said, they typically offer less energy density, which is why we only see them in standard-range Teslas right now.
They’re also mainly made in China, so now “The EV maker discussed plans involving Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. with the White House in recent days”. Overall, this report doesn’t have too many details aside from the possible location of the factory in China.
This would make a lot of sense for Tesla as their headquarters are now there. It will take some time, but ultimately this would solve the problem at hand, move Tesla LFP battery production to the US, and allow the cheapest Tesla to once again qualify for the $7500 EV tax credit.
An interesting move, especially as Tesla is moving forward with making their battery cells. However, it’s clear that they still want to partner with others on batteries, especially when it helps their growing production goals.
We have some new Cybertruck updates, including evidence that Tesla is planning for multiple Cybertruck colors. First, there’s been another Cybertruck spotted in the wild. It was driving out on city streets, and it appears Tesla was testing its turning abilities.
This is a massive truck, so Tesla has been implementing strategies to help improve its turning radius, like 4-wheel steering. GMC introduced 4-wheel steering on the Hummer EV in a feature they called Crab walk.
They revealed this over a year ago, so Tesla needs to compete here. We saw 4-wheel steering being tested a while ago, and now we’re seeing it being tested on public roads. The Kilowatts posted the prototype and said, “Following this thing for a couple of blocks yesterday felt like chasing a Warthog in Halo – I get the “CGI IRL” thing now”.
Here you can see it undergoing some agility testing with some pretty aggressive wheel shaking. Elon responded to the video, saying “Perhaps better than a Y in turning.” That would be extremely impressive, considering the Cybertruck is 44 inches long and could be up to 2,000 lbs heavier than the Model Y.
Here’s the Cybertruck doing that U-turn again, and you can see it manages to make it in 2 lanes, but it does somewhat go over the line. I’m wondering if that’s the tightest turning radius it can get because the Model Y following it does manage to turn a little tighter.
Just before the camera pans away, you can see the rear wheel turning to the right to compensate for the turn. It’s subtle, but very cool to see. This updated prototype also has new side mirrors, as well as a giant windshield wiper.
A prototype was spotted again near Tesla’s Fremont factory. This one also has the updated triangular mirrors, but it’s unclear if it has the windshield wiper. Then, a different prototype was spotted that did not have the wiper.
An owner posted this photo on a Cybertruck Owners’ forum, and it appears this one has the wiper installed, but it’s been removed. If you look closely, you can see the bottom of the mechanism sticking out of the front trunk.
It’s possible this could mean they’re changing how the wiper functions, but there is any number of reasons why they would have just removed it for testing. Tesla plans to bring this truck to production this summer, so we’re seeing prototypes that are very close to their final form, but there is still time for changes to be made.
Many order holders would be happy about that because this wiper is a little unsightly. Regarding the color of the Cybertruck, Tesla unveiled it in Stainless steel, and it has been pretty clear that they do not plan to paint this truck.
Not only will it come in this stock color, but painting would be unnecessary and an extra cost for production. That said, when asked in April 2020 if the Cybertruck would have colors, Elon said “You will be able to wrap it in any color or pattern”.
Then, when asked about Tesla offering wraps on the Cybertruck at launch, Elon said “Not at first, but there are many third-party options for wrapping.”. He said this back in December of 2021, and it looks like that may be changing.
As Tesla is approaching Cybertruck production, we’re seeing a ton of positions open up at their Texas factory, continuing to see equipment installed, and seeing prototypes in the wild. Amongst the slew of jobs directly related to Cybertruck manufacturing at Giga Texas, Tesla has officially posted 7 jobs that all specifically relate to Cybertruck PAINT.
This is confusing since they have been pretty clear that they don’t plan to paint this truck, and we’re not even sure how that would work. The jobs include production supervisor, paint, production associate manager, manufacturing engineer, equipment engineer, process engineer, automation engineer, and controls engineer.
Overall, the listings are fairly vague, but some detail paint even further. For example, a process engineer says “We are hiring Process Engineers to support Cybertruck. Our Paint Process Engineers are technical subject matter experts in their assigned process.
They will be expected to support the most effective method(s) of processing while improving cycle times, reducing downtime, lowering cost, and driving improvements in overall Paint quality to ensure the continued performance of the process.”.
Hearing the words “paint quality” in there is pretty interesting to see. In the job listing for a controls engineer, it says they will “be responsible for” several things including “process/equipment monitoring systems within our Paint Shop. This role will support Cybertruck, specifically.”.
So this job specifically supports the Cybertruck paint shop. It adds even more questions to the idea that Tesla won’t be painting the Cybertruck in any way.
Tesla has been working hard on improving their paint, introducing new colors at their world-class paint shop in Germany, and introducing Ultra Red in the US, but it’s unexpected to see these jobs relating to the Cybertruck. Based on the listings alone, it does seem like Tesla may be planning to paint on the Cybertruck.
Seemingly they’d offer stainless steel, and then a few other options. Wraps are more time-consuming, expensive, and likely not the optimized production method Tesla wants to go for. At the same time though, these jobs could be listed as paint, and simply relate to the final step of the process Tesla puts on the Cybertruck body.
Maybe that will end up being painted, maybe it will end up being a wrap, but maybe it will simply be a specific coating that protects the body of the car the same way paint does, without changing the color in any way.
Anything could happen, but I’m very curious to know why they are hiring specifically for a cyber truck paint shop. Hopefully, we’ll know more in the coming weeks and months, and it would be pretty wild to see a Cybertruck prototype out on the road painted with one of Tesla’s classic 5 colors.
A few updates regarding Tesla and Safety. NHTSA has officially begun investigating 50,000 Model X made between 2022 and 2023. They are doing so after two complaints related to the front seat belts detaching. According to NHTSA “The two allegations indicate that the connection failure occurred at this point.
In both cases, the pre-tensioner and the linkage were not properly connected during assembly, resulting in a friction fit maintaining the connection between the two until eventual separation. The linkage and the pretensioner suddenly separated when the force exerted on the linkage overcame the resistance of the friction fit while the vehicles were in motion.”.
From here, NHTSA will continue investigating and determine whether or not these are isolated incidents, or whether they should proceed further by issuing an official recall. Often Tesla recalls involve a software update, but clearly, this would be one that would require a service appointment for affected cars.
Regarding the safety of occupants in a Tesla when parked, Elon musk recently responded to a tweet asking for a new feature in the software. It looks like it will be coming soon through a software update to all Teslas. Tesla Diva said “I left my teenager and little in the car to go into the store.
The car instantly shut off and my oldest had to touch the screen to turn it back on. If an infant was left, the car would shut down. Can y’all do something to detect people in the car and keep temp on?”.
One thing I’ll note is that an option here would be to ensure that you press “keep” for the climate controls, and that should do exactly what they’re asking for. Still, it could be good to have the car do so automatically, and Elon responded by saying “Tesla car temp is automatically kept within a safe range, even when the car appears “off”, to protect infants & pets.
That said, it would be more convenient to keep the car “on” for entertainment & comfort if the camera detects occupants. We will make that change.”. This is something I’ve noticed and would like to see improved.
If I run into the store, and my wife wants the climate to remain on, she does have to turn the screen back on by tapping, so this would make sense long term for anyone, and these situations regarding occupant safety.
Those issues relate to consumer vehicles, but for the Tesla Semi, Tesla appears to be dealing with some glitches that cause the vehicles to shut down. Each time a Tesla Semi has been spotted on the side of the road, it grabs headlines, and according to Teslarati “at least some of the “breakdowns” are caused by a glitch within a software switch, and drivers are pulling over voluntarily as a precaution because the dash screens will flicker and sometimes shut off.”
Of course, this is a safety issue with the screen flickering or going dark, but the pulling over itself seems to be a precaution taken by drivers. Teslarati’s source said, “They don’t know what to do, So they just pull over, and then they are towed.”
Reportedly, they are towed to a secret location in Lathrop, California for inspection and repair. This is likely near Tesla’s megapack factory in that same city, and one tow truck driver said they’ve towed at least four Tesla Semi to that location so far.
Some of this is expected in an early launch of an entirely new vehicle, and these issues seem to be software related, rather than hardware related, but they’re not great to see nonetheless. In Teslarati’s opinion, “The big picture is that vehicles break down, and new vehicles sometimes have issues that need to be ironed out.
It doesn’t mean the project is a failure or that the Semi is doomed to be a dud. It’s the growing pains of the Semi operation.”. Next up today, Tesla has hired a new expert in battery manufacturing to help solve the issues they’ve been having with their 4680 cells. Back in 2020, Tesla announced the 4680 battery as an advancement that would help them increase efficiency and reduce costs in the long run.
The main way they had planned to do that was with a new dry electrode coating process. They said it would be a “10x reduction in footprint” and a “10x reduction in energy” usage [EN: 54:39]. Others have said it could reduce the cost of a battery pack by thousands.
When they acquired the technology, though, it wasn’t finished being refined, and Model Y’s that are currently being made with 4680 battery packs still aren’t where they need to be yet. In September, Reuters reported that it was “halfway there,” and it’s the main obstacle Tesla is facing when it comes to ramping production.
Now, they’ve hired a new mechanical engineer who worked at 24M, a competing battery manufacturer. That manufacturer developed a similar technology that they call SemiSolid electrodes. According to their website, those electrodes “use no binder, mixing electrolyte with active materials to form a clay-like slurry.
The unique slurry allows us to create thick electrodes with less volume, mass, and cost while enabling a simpler manufacturing process. It’s simpler and safer with more reliable performance.”
There are similarities between that tech and Tesla’s 4680 cells, so this new engineer, Matt Tyler, should be able to offer some new insight. He was the vice president of advanced manufacturing there, responsible for managing that project, and is now Tesla’s Director of Dry Electrode Development.
Some updates from other Automakers. Over at Ford, while Tesla has been lowering prices, they are once again raising the price of the F-150 Lightning. That truck has been out for some time and overall is performing well, but the original base price was supposed to be $41,769.
Now, in a string of regular price increases, they’ve added another $4000, bringing the base price of the F-150 Lightning up to $61,869. That’s about $20,000 that this truck has increased in pricing since its launch, and the only real difference here is that they’re ramping up production further.
They have also raised the price of every single trim, but the higher trims saw smaller increases, around $1000 or $2000. They have reopened order books for the next wave of reservation holders, after pausing shipments due to a battery issue that needed fixing.
That means that people already with reservations can lock in their official orders, but it will be at the new higher pricing. This is something Rivian took a lot of flack for, but their situation was a bit different, holding a $1000 pre-order for a very long time.
What’ll be very interesting to see is what price the Cybertruck comes in at when it arrives, and whether or not we’ll essentially see the same level of price increases from Tesla. Kia has officially unveiled their EV9 SUV.
This is their second all-electric model after their crossover EV6 and will share its E-GMP platform. Kia estimates the Long Range RWD model will get 336 miles of range WLTP. Converted to EPA, that will probably end up being a little over 300 miles.
That one will have a 99.8 kWh battery and be available in AWD also, and the Standard Range will have a 76.1 kWh battery, only available in RWD. The AWD variant is estimated to get a 0-60 in under 6 seconds. Kia confirmed that both these variants will be available in North America, and will likely be starting around $56,000.
This SUV is competing directly with the Rivian R1S, which starts at $78,000, so if it delivers a 300-mile range, it’ll be very competitive. Over at Nissan, they’ve teased a new EV concept called the GT-R R32.
It seems to be based on their popular sports car, the Nissan Skyline GT-R first introduced in 1969. Their official Twitter posted a video teasing the back end of the concept and said “Nissan will challenge the production of an EV prototype of the R32 Skyline GT-R.”
The audio attached to the video sounds like an engine being started, and you can see the tailpipe on the back of the vehicle. That suggests they’re very early in the process here. This would be their third EV after the Leaf released in 2011, and the Ariya, which entered production last year.
Their goal is to introduce 18 more fully electric vehicles by 2030, in addition to the GT-R. This would be a very cool car to see on the road, so I hope we hear more about it soon.
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“Did Tesla Just Leak NEW Cybertruck Colors? | Elon’s Change Of Heart”
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Information Source:- Ryan Shaw
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