Tesla Engineer Offers Insight Into the Tesla Cybertruck’s Range

A chance sighting and a chatty Tesla engineer have added more mystery to the Cybertruck. The delivery event is just a little under a month away, and the price and range still need to be discovered.

A Cybertruck Owners Club forum member tried to get some information. A post on the forum reported spotting a Tesla Cybertruck at a Supercharger in Mojave, CA. The forum member noted the vehicle encountered charging issues and awaited a tow truck.

However, during this brief interaction, the Tesla engineer on site offered a a few hints about the truck’s range, suggesting it to be “as good as or better than a Model X”. For those unaware, the Tesla Model X, depending on its configuration, has an EPA-estimated range between 333 to 348 miles.

Range Rage

Comparative Analysis: Many members deduced that the rumored 350-mile range for the Cybertruck aligns with the Model X LR. This could make the 350 miles a legitimate benchmark for at least one version of the Cybertruck.

Tri-motor Questions: Speculations continue about whether the trimotor variant, initially advertised with “500+ miles” of range, will meet this lofty expectation. Some members doubt Tesa will hit the 500-mile mark, though they remain hopeful.

Performance vs. Utility: A key point raised in discussions was the importance of a 500-mile range for towing. Anything below this could affect the Cybertruck’s utility, especially compared to ICE trucks.

A Look at the Competition

The electric vehicle sector, especially the pickup truck segment, is heating up. For comparison:

Rivian R1T: Depending on the configuration, it boasts a range between 270 and 410 miles.

Ford F-150 Lightning: Offers a range between 240 and 320 miles, contingent on battery and motor specs.

When set against these competitors, Tesla’s Cybertruck, if the speculated ranges hold, appears to be a strong contender. During Tesla’s unveiling four years ago, Tesla showed off three Cybertruck versions, ranging from a 250 mile range all the way up to 500.

Speaking of the competition, NHTSA data hints at the Cybertruck weighing less than the Ford F-150 Lightning while offering more towing capacity and payload, showcasing Tesla’s dedication to performance and utility.

With Tesla’s history of last-minute tweaks and improvements, it should not be surprising that the company is still finalizing the Cybertruck’s specifics. The company has already been through “production hell” in 2017 and 2018. The second version of that may be playing out right now. With just over a month to get the deliveries out, nervous investors, pessimistic media, and Tesla enthusiasts can only wait for the big event.

Tesla has unveiled a new navigation feature for its Korean customers. Software update 2023.32 now showcases a detailed preview of intricate highway intersections and urban crossroads to facilitate smoother navigation.

Detailed Intersection View

Recently, a tweet by user @gbmKSquare highlighted this new feature. Translated, the release notes elaborate, “Detailed Intersection View – The navigation system displays a detailed preview when approaching complex highway intersections and urban crossroads. In the preview, the lane to be used next is highlighted.”

Echoes of China’s Navigation Update

This isn’t Tesla’s first rodeo with such features. The company rolled out a similar feature in China back in 2020. To aid drivers in maneuvering through intricate highway junctions, the navigation update showcased an image of the junction, highlighting the lane guidance directly in the instrument cluster for Model S and Model X. Moreover, the turn-by-turn instructions on the touchscreen also integrated this visual aid, ensuring drivers could easily navigate challenging intersections.

Also in the 2023.32 update, Tesla now says it supports dark mode for ‘most’ of these intersection images.

Current Reliance and Future Potential

At present, Tesla seems to be leaning on data providers equipped with images of specific intersections. Thus, this feature is primarily available in select markets where such data is accessible. However, the horizon looks promising.

Considering Tesla’s continuous innovation, it’s feasible that the company might begin rendering similar visuals using vision and map data, such as lane counts. Such a development would not only refine the existing system but could potentially lead to a global rollout of this advanced navigation aid.

Tesla is set to introduce new sports seats for its high-performance models. The Model S service manual and a well-known Tesla hacker may have spoiled the surprise of the seat redesign.

Model S Sport Seats

There were changes made to the service manual of the Model S that were caught by the Tesla community. It clearly shows a different seat design with a much higher and more narrow headrest. Directly below the headrest is a Plaid badge that looks like it could be swapped out for different designs. The seat design is similar to the RECARO or Sparco racing seats, two leaders in the performance automotive seat field. Although it’s just out of the photo’s view, the seats appear to feature a design that “hugs” the driver more than previous Model S seats.

Model 3 Sport Seats

The seat changes don’t end there. The ever-reliable Tesla hacker, Green, known for delving deep into Tesla’s software updates and bringing hidden treasures to light, has made another fascinating discovery. In a recent post, Green detailed that the updated Model 3 is set to come in two primary variants – the Base and the Sport.

As per Green’s findings, the Model 3 Sport version is not only about an enhanced driving experience but also offers a refreshed and sportier look to the interior, starting with the seats. The front seats in this trim are slated to have bolstered side support, a feature aimed at those who crave the thrill of sharp turns and rapid accelerations. In addition, the rear seats will include a headrest for the middle seat.

Ludicrous or Plaid: The Logo Mystery

What doesn’t appear in Green’s investigation is the front of the seats. That could shed more light on what the performance version of the Model 3 refresh will be. As we previously reported and have speculated, the upgraded Model 3 could be in a Plaid or a Ludicrous version.