Episode 551: A $60k Cybertruck Arrives
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Car
Tesla Cybertruck
The Tesla Cybertruck is a unique electric truck that looks very different from regular trucks because of its sharp, angular shape. It's important because it's trying to change how we think about trucks by being electric and eco-friendly. The new, cheaper version makes it easier for more people to buy one.
Car
Tesla Model X
The Tesla Model X is a fancy electric SUV that has cool doors that open up like wings. It's a great choice for families because it's roomy and good for the environment. People often talk about it because of its unique features and how Tesla is changing what options are available.
Car
Tesla Model S
The Tesla Model S is a fancy electric car that can go really far on a single charge and is packed with high-tech features. It's important because it helped make electric cars more popular and showed that they can be fast and luxurious. Some features are being removed as Tesla updates the car, which is something to keep in mind.
Car
Ford F-150 Lightning
The Ford F-150 Lightning is an electric version of Ford's popular F-150 truck, which means it runs on electricity instead of gas. It's important because it's showing that trucks can be electric and still do everything a regular truck can do. People are excited to talk about it because it's a big step for electric vehicles in the truck market.
Term
extended warranty
An extended warranty is like extra insurance for your car that helps pay for repairs after the original warranty runs out. It can save you money if something goes wrong with your car later on.
Car
Rivian R2
The Rivian R2 is a new electric car that Rivian is planning to release. It's designed to be more affordable than their other models, making it accessible to more people interested in electric vehicles.
Term
FSD
FSD means Full Self-Driving, which is a feature from Tesla that allows their cars to drive themselves in certain situations. It includes things like changing lanes automatically and recognizing traffic lights.
Term
Apple CarPlay
Apple CarPlay lets you use your iPhone in your car. You can see your apps, get directions, and listen to music on your car's screen, making it easier and safer to use your phone while driving.
Term
Apple Maps
Apple Maps is a navigation app on Apple devices that helps you find directions and places. It shows you how to get from one location to another and can give you updates on traffic.
Term
autonomous driving
Autonomous driving means a car can drive itself without anyone controlling it. It uses special technology to see the road and make decisions like turning and stopping.
Term
VIN number
A VIN number is like a car's fingerprint. It's a special code that helps identify your car and tells you important details about it.
Car
Tesla Cybercab
The Tesla Cybercab is a new idea for an electric taxi that would use the Cybertruck design to pick up passengers. It's important because it's part of Tesla's plan to make transportation more eco-friendly and could change how we think about getting around in cities. People are curious about how it will work and what it means for the future of taxis.
Car
Tesla Model 3
The Tesla Model 3 is a smaller, more affordable electric car that many people love because it's easy to drive and has a long battery life. It started being made in 2017 and has helped more people switch to electric cars. It's often talked about because it's changing how we think about driving and the environment.
Term
EV
EV means electric vehicle. It's a car that runs on electricity instead of gas, which helps reduce pollution.
Car
Tesla Model Y
The Tesla Model Y is a type of electric car that's bigger than a sedan but smaller than a full-size SUV. It's known for being eco-friendly and having a lot of modern tech features.
Term
battery pack
A battery pack is like a big battery that stores electricity to make the electric vehicle run. The bigger the battery pack, the further the vehicle can go on a single charge.
Term
kilowatt hour
A kilowatt hour is how we measure the energy in a battery. It tells you how much power the battery can store and use, similar to how gas is measured in gallons for a car.
Term
zero to sixty time
Zero to sixty time is how fast a car can go from a complete stop to 60 miles per hour. It's a way to show how quickly a car can speed up.
Term
air suspension
Air suspension is a system that uses air instead of metal springs to support a vehicle. This helps the car ride smoother and can adjust how high or low the car sits.
Term
premium interior
A premium interior means the inside of the car uses nicer materials and has better features, like more comfortable seats and advanced technology. It makes the car feel more luxurious.
Term
ventilated seats
Ventilated seats help keep you cool by blowing air through the seat. They're usually found in more expensive cars and are great for hot days.
Term
heated seats
Heated seats warm up the seat to keep you cozy when it's cold outside. They're a popular feature in many cars today.
Term
premium sound system
A premium sound system has better speakers and sound quality than regular ones, making your music sound great while you drive. It's a feature many people enjoy in higher-end cars.
Car
Chevrolet Volt
The Chevrolet Volt is a special car that can run on both electricity and gasoline, which means you can drive it a long way without needing to charge it all the time. It's important because it helps people get used to using electric cars while still having the option to use gas. People talk about it because it's a step towards cleaner driving.
Car
Hyundai Accent
The Hyundai Accent is a small, affordable car that many people choose because it's easy on the wallet and gets good gas mileage. It's a great option for city driving or for someone buying their first car. People often mention it because it's a smart choice for those looking for a reliable vehicle without spending too much.
Term
RGB accent lighting
RGB accent lighting lets you change the color of the lights inside your car, making it look cool and personalized. It's a fun feature that many modern cars have.
Term
towing capacity
Towing capacity is how much weight a vehicle can pull behind it, like a trailer or boat. It's important to know so you don't overload the vehicle.
Term
payload capacity
Payload capacity is how much weight a vehicle can carry inside it, like cargo or passengers. It's important to know so you don't exceed the vehicle's limits.
Term
trim
A trim is a version of a car model that has certain features and options. Different trims can have different prices and equipment.
Term
all-wheel drive
All-wheel drive means that power goes to all four wheels of the car, which helps it grip the road better. This is useful for driving in rain or snow.
Term
Autopilot
Autopilot is a feature in Tesla cars that helps the car drive itself in certain situations, like staying in its lane and adjusting speed. It's not fully self-driving, but it makes driving easier.
Company
X Care
X Care is a company that helps people with electric cars get extra protection for their vehicles. They offer plans that cover repairs and maintenance after the original warranty ends.
Company
Accelerate Auto
Accelerate Auto is a company that helps people with their car insurance and warranty plans, especially for electric cars. They make sure you get the right coverage for your vehicle.
Term
EV range test
An EV range test checks how far an electric car can go before it needs to be recharged. This helps people know if the car is good for long trips.
Car
Chevy Bolt
The Chevy Bolt is an electric car made by Chevrolet. It's designed to be affordable and practical for everyday use.
Car
Toyota RAV4
The Toyota RAV4 is a popular small SUV that many people like because it's practical and has a lot of space for passengers and cargo. It's a good choice for families or anyone who needs a versatile vehicle. People often talk about it because it sells really well and is known for being reliable.
Car
Toyota Camry
The Toyota Camry is a popular car that many people buy because it's known to be very reliable and comfortable to drive. It's a good choice for families or anyone who needs a dependable car for everyday use. People often talk about it because it sells really well and is a safe bet for car buyers.
Car
Honda Civic
The Honda Civic is a small car that many people like because it's reliable and saves gas. It's been around for a long time and is popular with all kinds of drivers, from students to families. It's often mentioned because it's a smart choice for anyone looking for a good, affordable car.
Car
Ford Mustang
The Ford Mustang is a famous sports car that people love for its speed and cool design. It's been around since the 1960s and is a big part of American car culture. People talk about it a lot, especially now that Ford is making electric versions of it.
Car
Tesla Roadster
The Tesla Roadster is a new electric sports car that Tesla is planning to release, and it's expected to be super fast and have a long driving range. It's important because it's showing how electric cars can be really powerful and fun to drive. People are excited to see what it will be like when it finally comes out.
LIVE
On this week's episode of Ride the Lightning, the Tesla and EV Podcast, Tesla unveils a new $60,000 trim of the Cybertruck,
and while it does make some sacrifices, it's pretty darn appealing.
I'll tell you all about it on this episode.
Plus, one option on the outgoing Model S and Model X has already been retired.
Ford talks up their Tesla-like next-gen EV platform and more.
What's happening friends? Alongside not one, not two, but three dogos.
My name is Ryan McCaffrey and this is Ride the Lightning, episode 551 of your weekly Tesla and EV Podcast,
publishing on February 22nd, 2026, recording as usual on Friday evening, in this case February 20th.
And yes, I've got Daisy here, snuggled up on the couch.
We've got Lily the silly Labrador puppy, but visiting us, we're so happy to have her for about a week or so here.
We've got Zelina the service dog, the first puppy that we had raised for canine companions,
who, those of you who've been listening, know that she actually made it through the program and graduated.
We've been so lucky that her forever family, whose lives she has enriched so much,
have graciously chosen to stay in touch with us, and they are on an international trip right now.
And so they did not want to bring her on that international trip.
And so they reached out and said, hey, would you like to watch Zelina for us?
And we said, well, you're doing us the favor by allowing that.
So thrilled to have Zelina.
She's curled up just out of arm's reach here on the couch to my left.
So we're having a great time here in the McCaffrey household this week.
And it's going to be a great time on this week's Ride the Lightning.
There is so much to get to.
I want to start by just saying I had a lot of fun talking about some other non-Tesla EVs last week.
That was a nice change of pace and just a good indication of how the EV world is growing.
Things are getting better.
There are more and more good options out there.
And in fact, I decided to make the Rivian R2 the subject of this week's Patreon poll.
And it would seem that I am not the only person interested in and curious about the Rivian R2.
This might be the most votes that I've ever gotten in a Patreon poll.
If not, it's very close.
So the poll on the back of last week's episode was,
What's your interest level in the Rivian R2?
And thank you to the 387 people as of recording time who voted.
And the results were not surprisingly kind of across the board.
I had one, two, three, four, what six, six choices plus a just show me the results option.
So 25% of you said I'm not interested, period, which okay, not a surprise.
This is a Tesla first podcast.
So sure.
And though many of us are happy with our vehicles, so all good there.
But then 21% of you said until it can do what FSD can do,
I'm not interested.
If that happens, then maybe then 18% of you said,
I'm extremely interested in it as my next potential potential vehicle purchase.
Then another 14% of you said,
I'm very interested, but I need to make sure pricing is right.
And then 10% said I'm interested, but I want to see Rivian deliver some autonomy features first.
9% saying I'm outside of North America.
So I'm not sure if or when I'd be able to get one.
So again, just really, I didn't have any sort of goal or anything with this poll
other than just to really take a temperature of all of you of my Tesla EV,
ride the lightning audience and see how you're feeling about the Rivian R2.
So thank you to everybody that kindly took the time to vote.
A quick reminder,
the poll questions on my Patreon page are free and open to anyone and everyone.
You don't have to be supporting me on Patreon.
I'd be so grateful if you chose to do that,
but the poll is open to everybody each week.
So stop by patreon.com slash Tesla podcast
or click the link in the episode description to visit my Patreon page each week and cast your vote.
This week, getting back to Tesla and an update on a highly anticipated feature,
Tesla has delayed Apple CarPlay's rollout over an Apple Maps compatibility issue.
I saw this on DriveTeslaCanada who writes,
Tesla and Apple have been working together to deploy CarPlay for several months
and the plan is to allow CarPlay to run in a window within the Tesla interface.
Per insiders who spoke with Bloomberg,
Tesla discovered a compatibility issue between Apple Maps
and its in-house mapping software during initial testing.
The issue concerns turn-by-turn guidance
as Tesla's Maps app is unable to sync properly with Apple Maps during autonomous driving.
Tesla asked Apple to develop a fix which was included in iOS26.
However, the patch did not come with the official iOS26 launch
and instead came in a security and patch update after the launch of iOS26 in September of 2025.
So although 74% of iPhone users with devices activated in the last four years have iOS26,
it remains unclear how many users have the updated patch with the CarPlay fix.
So the fix is here, but Tesla is still nervous to deploy the new app
due to the possibility that a Tesla driver not having the updated patch could cause the sync issue.
Well, this would seem to be mostly good news.
I admit, certainly the CarPlay update has not yet arrived in our cars, obviously,
but it sure sounds like it's basically done other than this update.
So hopefully this means that we will get this as part of the spring Tesla software update,
which I went back and checked last year.
It got announced in April of 2025.
So if no other snags are hit and Tesla satisfied with the, I guess, the uptake of that patch
and Apple's happy, we should hopefully have Apple CarPlay in our Teslas inside of three months from now.
Next this week as we continue to get warmed up and again, I'm warning you, this is a busy Tesla news week.
If you're planning on ordering one of the last Model S's or Model X's before they are retired
and you have your eye on the Lunar Silver paint, I do have some bad news for you.
I wasn't even looking.
I was actually poking around the Tesla Design Studio yesterday while I was putting my notes together
for the Cybertruck news that headlines the podcast that I'll be talking about in a few minutes.
And I noticed something as I was poking around the Tesla Design Studio.
The Lunar Silver color was crossed out on the S and X Design Studio.
And sure enough, if you try to click it, it says Lunar Silver paint is sold out.
Which probably means that it's not that they physically are going to be out of the paint.
It's that Tesla does their vehicles in batches.
So they'll do a run of ultra red S's at a time in the paint shop.
They'll do a run of Diamond Black.
They'll do a run of Frost Blue.
So they batch them by color and then put in whatever interior colors they have orders for
and whatever wheel types, etc.
You get what I'm saying.
So it doesn't necessarily mean that Lunar Silver is physically out of the paint.
Because of course they're going to be supporting Lunar Silver in body shops and etc.
For years and years and years.
But they have clearly run their last batch of Lunar Silver S's or X's.
So that means that the last Lunar Silver Model S and the last Lunar Silver Model X
have either already been or are about to be produced.
In fact, maybe one of you listening to this will get the last Lunar Silver S or X.
And unfortunately if you do, you probably won't even know it.
Technically if you were to do some community detective work online and compare VIN numbers
to other 2026 Lunar Silver S's or X's you could try and suss it out with the community.
But by and large if one of you might end up with the last Lunar Silver S or X
and sadly you'll probably never know that you have the privilege.
But they are now just about done.
Which is a little bit of a bummer because the SNX themselves aren't done yet.
I mean I get why Tesla does this.
Anecdotally, I will say that of all the colors that are available on SNX
I would very anecdotally say that I see Lunar Silver the least.
Out of, you know, Stealth Gray, Ultra Red, Pearl White Multicote, etc.
I don't have any data to back that up but it's probably that Tesla is only going to do
like I said either one more run of Lunar Silver S's or X's or they've already done it
as they begin to wind down production on SNX.
Speaking of production, the first production cyber cab has rolled off the assembly line at Gigatexus.
Tesla posted on its official X account this week with a photo of all the factory workers
on that assembly line surrounding the car and a caption that read simply
first cyber cab off the production line at Gigatexus, presumably VIN number one.
Now if you're wondering, wait, I thought Tesla told us that they were going into production in April with cyber cab.
You're not wrong. As far as we know, these cars don't yet have regulatory approval to carry actual paying customers
slash members of the public, meaning people that don't work at Tesla.
So Tesla might simply be building up an initial fleet of them so that once that regulatory approval is granted
Tesla has a good size fleet of cars ready to go when that switch is flipped
and they can deploy them presumably in Austin first, closest to the factory
and then we'll see what other cities that they make their way to next.
I mean it certainly stands to reason that it would probably be the Bay Area Second
since that's how the RoboTaxi network has been, that they've got the in-progress regulatory initial approval
to operate, of course here it's with a safety monitor for now, but anyway
we shall see what that rollout actually looks like.
It's clearly going to be different than any other Tesla vehicle rollout ever
just by nature of its transportation as a service routes, right?
It is not just a car that any of us can buy and we'll get in our driveway
and I guess that is going to happen.
In fact, a long time listener of this podcast, Marques Brownlee, MKBHD, the popular tech YouTuber
has an on-camera bet with Tesla that they will not deliver one to a regular customer like you or I
before 2027 and if they do that Marques is going to shave his head on camera
and Elon Musk took to X this week to say that Tesla will deliver cybercabs to regular paying customers
in other words in a non-fleet basis, so we shall see if that bet will need to be paid or not
but anyway for now it is definitely the fact that the initial rollout of this is not going to be like any other Tesla vehicle we've ever seen
so we'll see what happens in April but for a bit of context here before I move along
I went back and looked it up and the first Model 3 rolled off the assembly line on July 7th, 2017
and the first Model 3s were delivered to customers meaning the actual official launch of the car
took place on July 28th of that year so just a three week to the day difference there
whereas in this case we have a much wider gap in the calendar between the first cybercab off the assembly line
and the first ones that will be quote unquote delivered I guess they won't be delivered to customers
because Tesla will probably be the first customer I would be willing to bet just about any amount of money on that
so again that April rollout we'll see what that actually looks like when they go into proper I guess volume production of the cybercab in April
that's that again April's what they've been guiding us towards for months now so it's is Tesla ahead of schedule here maybe
I hope either way that we get a bit of clarity on this soon but regardless it sure seems like good news
before I continue this week I wanted to quickly mention this week's lightning round mini episode
which I do for that most popular tier on my patreon page if you're kindly supporting me on patreon at that $10 per month tier or higher
you get access to all hundred and eighty something of the lightning round mini episodes
this one continues my pledge that I made really to all of you and to myself to talk to an illicitor and interview them once a month
because I think it's fun to just talk to my fellow Tesla and EV owners and enthusiasts and hear their story and hear their perspective
and this month this week I talked to Travis Brewer who had never considered an EV previously
but was a relatively recent Tesla and EV owner who was completely won over when he test drove the Model Y
so I had a really nice conversation with Travis I hope those of you who are with me on patreon will check that out and enjoy that
and again you can join me on patreon for as little as five bucks a month you can be supporting what I'm doing here
as you know I do this podcast every single week I'm really proud of that and I'm really grateful to have the health to continue to do that
so if you're willing and able to support me on patreon you can do so by going to patreon.com slash Tesla podcast
and you'll find all the information there just five bucks a month gets you an ad free episode and early access to that ad free episode
the ten dollar per month tier which again is that most popular one gets you the ad free the early access and all of those lightning round
mini episodes each and every week on my patreon page
I move now to this week's main story yes believe it or not the cyber cab starting production was not the main story this week
because on Thursday evening this week which is typically when Tesla ends up making these different design studio changes
whether it's a new paint color or a new trim or what have you
this week on Thursday evening Tesla has announced and made available for sale a meaningfully more affordable cyber truck
yes there is now a sixty thousand dollar cyber truck the most affordable one they've made yet and it is not a rear wheel drive vehicle
it is a dual motor all wheel drive version for sixty K there are some sacrifices I'm going to walk you through all this
but this one is in my humble opinion a lot more appealing than Tesla's first short lived attempt at a more affordable version
which as you'll recall was a seventy thousand dollar rear wheel drive version that stripped out a ton of stuff so much stuff
this one as I said sixty grand it's all wheel drive it's got the same three hundred and twenty five miles of range so same battery pack
hundred twenty three kilowatt hour battery pack as the premium all wheel drive trim it's got the same zero to sixty times same performance
so that's four point one seconds in a full size truck to sixty miles an hour it's also got the powered to no cover to lock your contents in the bed
and crucially this is one of the first things I went looking for when I started digging into this after it got announced
it's got the power share home backup that is clutch and that is key in my opinion so what trade-offs does it make let me go through them
the big one for me is no air suspension which there was the same thing with the long range rear wheel drive from last year that seventy thousand dollar version
also did not have air suspension but it's a bummer sure but to me this is the only real major sacrifice in exchange for a sixty thousand dollar version of this truck
so I'm not really complaining here at the end of the day let me go through the rest of this so air suspension isn't the only trade-off
the bulk of the rest of the trade-offs are in the interior of the truck so there's no premium interior meaning it's got fabric seats
and it's just got the basic seven speaker sound system but let me pause right there because I honestly think that a lot of truck buyers might actually prefer fabric seats
it's just you know because it tends to be more of a rugged crowd they you know they want to the trucks going to get dirty like that
a lot of people I think will either if not prefer the fabric seat at least not feel like it's a downgrade at all they'll just be totally fine with the fabric seats
though that sadly does mean no more ventilated cooling function in those seats or it also means I should say and it also means no heated seats in the rear in the second row unfortunately
so you only get heated the only climate in the seats is heated seats for the front row and then that lesser sound system yeah it's a slight disappointment
only because the premium sound system that's got the 15 speakers and the subwoofers has widely been regarded as one of the best sound systems period in any car
but seven speakers you're still going to get a decent audio system you also only get the basic center console not the premium center console but again I think that's really not a big deal in my humble opinion
and then finally this one this one stings a little bit if you ask me it just reduces it's removing some useful functionality there are no 120 volt household power outlets in the cabin
because in the premium version of the truck there's one in the first row and one in the second row so there are zero there are no 120 volt household style power outlets in the cabin of the $60,000 Cybertruck
now there's also no second row screen again it's a downgrade for sure but not the end of the world you do still get the RGB accent lighting in the interior just like every other Cybertruck and now every other Tesla has
so that's it that's everything in the interior so I think all in all most of the trade-offs that you're making with this trim are in the interior again along with the air suspension but I still think it's not a bad interior situation
at least on paper in that truck there are a couple of other things to tell you about the towing capacity is reduced in this vehicle it's a 7500 pound towing capacity instead of 11,000 pounds on the other two trims
and the payload capacity is reduced to 2,006 pounds instead of the 2,500 pound payload capacity with the premium dual motor
and then finally the last thing on the list here is more basic wheels 18 inch basic wheels the same ones that were on the long range rear wheel drive $70,000 Cybertruck that was on sale for five minutes last year
which very subjective I personally don't care for those but I'll also say and I've said it on the podcast I don't really like them any less than the core wheels that are the default wheel on the other two trims
I am I really only like the cyber wheels on any Cybertruck it's the only one of the three wheel designs that I personally think look good on the Cybertruck but that's completely subjective you may disagree
so all in all not only is the price much better 60 grand and it's much better by the way whether you're comparing to that $70,000 trim from last year or the existing $80,000 premium dual motor trim
but you also don't sacrifice quite as much on this $60,000 version as you did on that $70,000 version from last year
so the popular opinion on that $70,000 version last year I did a patreon poll on this and you all agreed with me or the majority of you agreed with me
was that Tesla stripped out way too much of from that truck for the price the Tesla was still asking and let's be honest the market seemed to reflect that opinion given that those trucks are unicorns they're practically not existent and Tesla got rid of them after just three months on sale
this one should stick around a lot longer hold that thought just hold that thought for one minute but I also think it should help move the needle sales wise I think 60k will make a difference
do I think the $60,000 Cybertruck will quote unquote save the Cybertruck from the quite low volumes it's at relative to initial Cybertruck sales expectations as well as the volumes of say the three in the Y
no I don't think it's going to have any sort of night and day transformative effect on Cybertruck sales I think for better or for worse the Cybertruck is seen largely seen as I mean there's people that just don't like the design of it
and then there's other people that that sort of see it as the avatar of Elon Musk who is a very controversial person these days so I don't think this is going to quote unquote save Cybertruck sales but I do think it is going to appreciably move the needle
I think the sales volume of Cybertruck will go it will move upward on this in fact I think I might have to make this the subject of next week's patreon poll to see how if all of you feel similarly to the way I do about this or if you still aren't aren't moved by a $60,000 version or what
but so so take a look on my patreon page I think I think this is going to be a good poll topic for this week so the thought that I asked you to hold a moment ago about this trim sticking around a lot longer than the three months that the long range rear wheel drive variant was available last year
yeah um about that so this the next part of this story I still can't make heads or tails of it but I'll just tell you what the deal is and you can have your own reaction to it as I will share with you mine
so Thursday night as I said this got announced it got posted up to the Xbox designs to the Xbox designs that's day job coming into the coming to play here the Tesla design studio and the reaction online was in the Tesla community was largely very positive
like yes this is a this is a pretty good this is a good value here this is great love to see this very positive reaction overall in the middle of the night or early early the next morning depending on time zones I'd have to go look again but
Tesla CEO Elon Musk quote tweets Cybertruck lead engineer Wes Morrill and Wes had had he all he did was he's sharing his team's good news he posts on his ex account saying
all wheel drive Cybertruck now starting at fifty nine thousand nine hundred ninety dollars with an exclamation mark and Wes you earned that exclamation mark yes you should celebrate that that's great
the CEO of Tesla quote posts that post with the following words only for the next ten days
what excuse me like are you kidding me right now are you serious Elon Musk come on like dude do you even want to sell cars anymore also what what even do you mean what are you talking about
is this a sale is this a is this trim gonna go up to seventy K and ten day like what are you talking about like I'm sorry I don't care how big of an Elon Musk fan you are this is that that's horrible leadership it's terrible leadership you post in the middle of the night just like you
posted about the discontinuation of autopilot in the middle of the night with no clarity it's just this vague response that calls into question that the entire sixty thousand dollars Cybertruck trim that people are happy about that
they're excited about so you're under cutting your kneecapping your own team on that and it's just like and now and nobody knows what the hell he's talking about it's I guess we'll find out in well less than ten days by the time you guys hear this I just I don't understand
what on earth is in his mind when he's doing something like that that is just I'm sorry it's that's just one of the dumbest things I've ever seen from Elon Musk what are you like if you're gonna say that tell us what the heck you're talking about
and by the way if let's say if that is the case if this is a an introductory price for this trim and it's only sixty K for the first ten days why why you're not selling Cybertruck says it is
why would you limit that to ten days that will only result in angry customers who don't follow you on X who hear about it later and go wait I could have had this first I mean it's I'm sorry this it's just it's it's mind boggling to me at how ridiculous
of a of a of a move that was from the CEO so sorry I know I got a little a little riled up there but again it's just like this is a company that I'm there's tons of receipts of me over the years on this podcast saying that that I think more often than not Tesla does the right thing
by its customers well guess what this whatever Elon's talking about not the right thing by your customers or in this case as I said it's not the right thing to do by your team either by your Cybertruck team by Wes and his team of people that have worked really hard to get this
trim together so it's I will see I mean ten ten days from now is after my next recording so I don't know if I'll have an answer to this on next week's podcast but
I if you're interested in the truck I'm not going to tell you to buy it now because it not a lot of people can just drop what they're doing and draw and spend 60 grand on a car in the next ten days if they hadn't already been seriously planning on it but I guess we'll all find out together
in another episode or two of this podcast what the heck is going on
as you probably recall the cyber beast had the luxe package added to it as a mandatory bundle raising the price of that configuration by $10,000 that luxe package has been removed which clearly tells me that they weren't getting any takers on a 110,000
cyber beast purely anecdotally again I very rarely see cyber beast it seems to me at least around here where I do see plenty of cyber trucks that the overwhelming majority of cyber trucks that are bought are the dual motors
I very rarely see the the Cerberus three headed beast on the back on the lower right corner of that tailgate and certainly making the cyber beast $10,000 more with the luxe package was clearly not helping matters but so that means the cyber beast is now back down to its original price of $100,000 $99,990
now I'm not totally anti luxe package at all I'm actually it's actually the opposite I like the luxe package I would actually like to upgrade my Model 3 performance to have the luxe package because I plan to keep it for a very long time
I've already bought FSD so I would love to pay you know extra two whatever thousand dollars to to get myself free super charging for the life of the car free premium connectivity for the life of the car that would be great I will Tesla can take my money right now if they want to give me that option
and so that's all I'm saying is I would be happy to see the luxe package stick around on the cyber beast or again or all of the Tesla any variant of any Tesla as an option but for the time being the luxe package is simply gone from cyber beast and there is no option to add it
but the good news there is it brings the cyber beast back down to $100,000
before I continue with the rest of this week's Tesla and EV news and there is plenty more a quick note for all you EV owners out there listening and not just Tesla owners
one thing that comes up a lot on this podcast is how long people actually plan to keep their cars again that study that I talked about recently where the average time now is over 12 years here in America of how long people keep their cars
and whether you realize it or not there is a timing element to ownership that matters more than most people think so when it comes to your EV coverage it's not really about if you buy that extended warranty coverage it's about when
coverage is generally more cost advantage when you purchase it before your factory warranty ends rather than after and that's because pricing eligibility and available options change with time and mileage even if nothing's wrong with the car so think of it like tires right
you don't wait till they're bald to plan tire replacement you look at the mileage the where and the timing EV ownership works the same way and that's where my friends at X care come in
X care helps EV owners understand where they are now what changes later and when it makes sense to act and if you want to learn more about getting an extended coverage plan for your EV you can talk directly with the Tesla and EV experts
not a generic call center you will talk directly with my friends at Accelerate Auto and their X care plan by calling them up at 844-755-4186
you can also go to xcare.com and if you just want to configure your plan there during checkout make sure you use the referral code lightning for $100 off so they will take good care of you and your car again I'm on my second policy now
I had a three year plan on our 2018 went finish that and now I'm on another three year plan I've elected to to keep that car covered for another three years so I am very much a customer here as well as just somebody that's recommending them so again X care dot com use the referral code lightning for $100 off or call 844-755-4186
moving along this week independent car review website Edmunds has named the Model 3 the top rated electric car for the second year in a row why have me tell you about it when the Edmunds team themselves can tell you all about it in this two minute clip take a listen
Tesla recently added the more affordable Model 3 standard which still has the key strengths of the Model 3 at a lower price now this lower bar for entry makes a difference and we appreciate that every version feels solidly built and comfortable with all of the improvements Tesla has made this is the best version of the Model 3 we've ever had
we bought a Model 3 long range and a Model 3 performance for a one year road test fleet the long range was the perfect commuter for us it's spacious enough to be practical even with kids I never worried about range and it has plenty of speed and ability to deal with any on road situation
the Model 3 performance gave us world beating speed without sacrificing comfort the speed you get for the money is shocking no car is quicker for anything close to this price
both the Model 3 long range and the new standard went almost 340 miles on the Edmunds EV range test that's a great result for a small affordable electric car and a big part of the Tesla's appeal this is an upscale EV that doesn't cost a lot to get into and goes very very far
the Tesla Model 3 is quite simply the best small affordable EV on the market the driving experience range overall comfort and build quality along with the lowered cost of entry make the Model 3 a standout among electric cars
remember how I was talking last week about Tesla building up its reputation for quality slowly as they've already very successfully done with safety over the years
well here is another log of evidence for the fire right they specifically mentioned build quality in that video and certainly I'll tell you as a Model 3 performance owner I also liked hearing them specifically call out that trim as a completely unrivaled level of performance for the money
without sacrificing anything else although admittedly it does sacrifice a little bit of range which for me is a perfectly reasonable trade off for the 0-60 in 2.9 seconds that I have available at a flick of my right ankle anytime I want but
I know I'm just shouting into the void on this but again like accolades like this hearing Tesla get kudos from independent sources for making great cars affordable cars
sure makes me wish that Tesla was doing a sub $30,000 compact sedan and or compact SUV it doesn't have to be at the expense of the cyber cab as I've been screaming about for a while it can be in addition to the cyber cab
but alas that ship is sailed for now but hopefully the new Chevy bolt though that car speaking of the $60,000 cyber truck potentially being only available for 10 days the new bolt or the return of the bolt will only be a temporary thing be longer than 10 days but still temporary
hopefully that car helps bring more people new people into the EV tent and the new the new Nissan Leaf that's 300 miles of range for 30 grand and the new Ford pickup truck that I'm going to tell you about in just a few minutes as well that's going to be a $30,000 vehicle too
more good news for Tesla this week the Model 3 and the Model Y topped JD Power's EV owner satisfaction survey or satisfaction study pardon me saw this one on Drive Tesla Canada who wrote
data from the latest US electric vehicle experience or EVX ownership study from JD Power shows Tesla and battery electric vehicle owners remain overwhelmingly happy with their purchases those new BEV owners are so happy that 96% of them
say they would consider purchasing or leasing another EV for their next car helping push overall BEV satisfaction to its highest level since the study began in 2021
quote improvements in battery technology charging infrastructure and overall vehicle performance have driven customer satisfaction to its highest level ever
what's more the vast majority of current EV owners say they will consider purchasing another EV for their next vehicle regardless of whether they benefited from the now expired federal tax credit said Brent Gruber executive director of the EV practice at JD Power
the Tesla Model 3 ranked highest overall in the study with a score of 804 although I realize we have no context for that but 804 also securing the top position in the premium BEV category
the Model Y followed closely behind with a score of 797 BMW also had a strong showing with the I-4 and the I-X taking the third and fourth spots respectively
thank you to JD Power and Drive Tesla Canada on that
now second as to Tesla's topping performance in this study I imagine that absolutely none of you are surprised about the 96% satisfaction figure for BEV owners heck I would be in that group myself
and if JD Power's sample size is representative of the broader market statistically the overwhelming majority of you would be in that same 96% as well although I guess if I think about it since you are very kindly listening to this podcast
that number amongst my audience might even be higher than 96% but I digress
one other quick note I wanted to make on this sort of half tongue in cheek but I know the Model Y gets most of the headlines these days and the Model 3 has become something of an afterthought at least by comparison and I get it right
the Model Y is either the top selling or second best selling new car of any type in the entire world over the past few years but as all of you know my heart belongs to the Model 3 we have two of them and I am thrilled to see the Model 3 get some love in this JD Power study
as the Edmonds folks so perfectly stated in the clip that I played for you a few minutes ago it's just the best commuter car out there
it's insanely efficient even more than the Model Y by virtue of it being a smaller vehicle and thus a lighter weight vehicle and it looks nice
and by virtue of its smaller size and weight again it's going to actually cost you even a little less money to operate in terms of tires in terms of pumping electrons into the car but the other thing too it's like it's got FSD 14 available to it
and if you're like me and you want to blow away almost any car off the line short of a supercar or Model S or Model X plaid then the Model 3 performance is available as well for a little bit more money
so bravo to the Model 3 and Model Y design engineering and general assembly teams for earning these well deserved honors from both JD Power and Edmonds as well
but while we're discussing accolades for Tesla I wanted to throw one more at you because I enjoyed this this week
YouTube car reviewer Doug Demiro who I've cited here on this podcast from time to time including most recently just last week with his first drive impressions his first review of the Rivian R2
well Doug in a new video this week gave the Model S some love ahead of that car's retirement he called it the most important vehicle of the past 30 years take a listen to this clip
but unquestionably in my mind the number one most important car of the last 30 years it's not even a question in fact I started this list because I have the number one car in mind
the 2012 Tesla Model S there is no doubt that that is the most important car of the last 30 years I understand that EV adoption has kind of declined a little bit in the last few years
and you know things are the incentives gone away the current political climate is hostile the EVs but if you're a rational person who's truthful with yourself you know that the future is electric and whether it's 10, 20, 30 years the future will be electric
and it was the Model S that was the very first car that did that truthfully there were some EVs before which I'll talk about in a second but the Model S really changed the world
it made you think that EVs could be cool could be fast could be luxurious could be for enthusiasts could be like it really would reset any public opinion that existed about EVs that you didn't have to make major compromises it was an amazing car
beyond it being an amazing car I think it did two other major things it was a cultural touchstone obviously it created a whole universe around Elon Musk around Tesla and the supercharger network and the plugs and the battery wall
and you know Tesla suddenly became basically an apple with a car and that is a pretty crazy thing but to me the thing that the Model S did that was the most surprising to me is that it created a new car company
people now take for granted like VinFast makes cars and Fisker makes cars and Lucid makes cars when I was a kid and when my dad was a kid so for decades it was generally agreed that there would never be another competitive American car company
because the infrastructure and the investment required to start up another American car company was just too challenging building factories getting a dealership network together getting consumer interest going
and in fact what had happened since the 60s was American brands were getting consolidated and shrinking down Saturn went away Pontiac went away American motors went away like all of these things were kind of shrinking down into these few remaining brands the big three
and it was just a given basically that you couldn't do it and not only did they do it but they created a cultural icon they created a completely new type of propulsion and that car just truly changed the world in a way that I don't know that
I mean if you make a list of the top ten all time cars that change the world I think Model S is in the top five it really really had a massive impact
Now I recognize that Doug is just one voice in the automotive enthusiast slash media community but he is an influential voice his opinion does carry weight he's got millions of YouTube subscribers and as I was saying last week
I find him to be very fair which is something I appreciate very much Doug is not an EV guy nor is he a petrol head he is a car guy he drives everything regardless of its propulsion method so I really enjoyed watching Doug's video and I thought you would enjoy that clip
A couple more Tesla stories for you this week before I start talking about Ford's new next gen EV platform
Tesla will not face a 30 day sales suspension here in California after the state's Department of Motor Vehicles stated that the company has come into compliance regarding the marketing of its automated driving features
I saw this story on Tesla Roddy who wrote the agency confirmed that Tesla has taken quote corrective action following a prior ruling over how it promoted autopilot and full self driving as noted in a Bloomberg News report
The California DMV had previously given Tesla 90 days to address concerns that were raised by an administrative judge
Regulators had alleged that Tesla overstated the capabilities of its driver assist systems which were branded as autopilot and full self driving
A potential 30 day suspension of vehicle sales in California was on the table if Tesla had failed to comply
However this week the DMV stated that Tesla had met the requirements to avoid that penalty though it did not provide detailed specifics about the changes that were made
Well I think it's fair to wonder if the removal of basic autopilot on newly sold cars on new orders and thus the removal of that term entirely from Tesla's design studio has anything to do with this
I've seen that tossed around and it is certainly a very easy straight line to draw
However I don't want to jump straight to that conclusion I'm not saying that's not the case I'm not refuting it but I don't want to jump straight to that conclusion
By the way if that is the reason that Tesla did it that the reason that they got rid of basic autopilot I'm not going to be mad at the California DMV
I'm still going to be upset at Tesla for not just rebranding the darn thing instead of taking their ball and going home and not offering that functionality to new buyers anymore
But that is why I'm convinced that these two things are not necessarily directly related because the DMV didn't say autopilot as a driving assistance feature is bad
That's not what the DMV said here they simply took issue whether you agree with them or not with the marketing branding naming of autopilot
So whatever Tesla did whether it was getting rid of autopilot entirely on new cars or something else it did satisfy the folks at the California DMV
So I genuinely do hope that we get some clarity on exactly what Tesla did to achieve compliance and I hope we get that clarity sooner rather than later
And the final Tesla news story I have for you this week is better California news for the company
The Model Y recorded 110,120 registrations in California in 2025
The second best selling vehicle the Toyota RAV4 posted 65,604 units followed by the Toyota Camry at over 62,000 units
The Model 3 ranked fourth with just under 54,000 sales ahead of the Honda Civic at just over 53,000 units are very close between those two
Despite leading the state Model Y sales have trended downward year over year
Registrations fell from over 132,000 in 2023 to just under 129,000 in 2024 and then to 110,000 and change in 2025
Overall Tesla sales in California also declined dropping from over 238,000 in 2023 to 202,000 plus in 2024 and 179,000 plus in 2025
Well as we all know California is the US's largest individual car market and it is absolutely the largest EV market within the United States as well
So I thought this was notable even if you don't live in California
Now as the data noted it is trending downward for Tesla which would seem like to me that it's attributable to some combination of
You gotta acknowledge the fallout of Elon Musk's political activities but more so probably more than anything else increased competition
Because if it were really all about Elon and his politics sales would have gone off a cliff in California
So I think it has to be acknowledged but really it's mostly to me about increased competition
There are simply way more EVs, way more choices out in the market now which is a good thing
That's great in fact
Now I was honestly not the slightest bit surprised that the Model Y was number one again
But I can honestly say that I was quite surprised by just how substantial the gap was
Like the reason I say that is because globally the RAV4 is neck and neck with the Y for the number one slot in the world
For that number one most new car sold for the year recognition on planet earth
It is like it's so close, it's neck and neck
But here in California the Model Y crushed the RAV4
Not that the RAV4 should, not that Toyota should be sad, they sold plenty of units but it just, it was not close
Here in California the way that it is globally
Again it's not quite 2 to 1 but 110k to 65k
You're still lapping the competition there
In fact the math is that that's 69% higher sales nice for the Tesla than for the Toyota
I will have to tip my cap to Toyota on the Camry being comfortably ahead of the Model 3 though
And for the same reason that the Model Y dominated the RAV4
I would have guessed that the Model 3 would have placed well ahead of the Camry on this list
But in fairness to the Model 3 the Camry is a lot cheaper
So the Camry starts at about $30,000 and tops out, tops out at about $37,000
And as we all know the Model 3 starts at $37,500 and goes up to well $55,000 for the performance plus any options you might add
So in that sense it's pretty impressive that the Model 3 was that close to the Camry
Given how much cheaper the Camry is
But hey, Camry's a good car, I'm not trying to take anything away from it
But if the Model 3 were priced where the Camry was
Then I think those two would have absolutely been flipped in those rankings
But anyway, California continues to choose Tesla
To the point where up here in my neck of the woods in Northern California and the San Francisco area
It is not unusual at all, in fact it's quite a regular occurrence for me to see at least three other Teslas besides me
Around me at any given time if I'm either at an intersection or just cruising down the highway
Like if I look ahead of me and I look in my rear view, if I'm moving down the freeway
There are usually at least three other ones and at an intersection if I'm at a red light
There's usually at least two or three other Teslas at the light
It's pretty wild here in that sense and in a good way
It's pretty darn cool how many EVs there are up in my neck of the woods
Finally this week in other EV news, Ford started talking up their next gen
Affordably priced EV pickup truck and its next gen manufacturing process this week
And a lot of this will sound very familiar to Tesla fans
I got this information from our Tesla tipster friend Sawyer Merritt on X who posted
Ford has announced that it's upcoming $30,000 midsize electric truck
Will have 48 volt architecture, sound familiar, Cybertruck
And have 15% more aerodynamic efficiency than any other pickup truck on the market today
This truck will have an LFP battery, again should sound familiar to Tesla fans
Structural battery pack, again sound familiar
Ford, it's a first for Ford LFP and that pack will be made in Michigan, that's cool
New regen braking design that saves $100 in battery cost
Which I presume translates to mean that their regen system is such that they're able to take a cell out of the pack
Which is great, like again, that drives down cost which drives up profit
And allows Ford to keep making more EVs, so that's good
Ford says, quote, if the same battery was married to the aerodynamics of the most aerodynamically efficient midsize gas truck in the US
We believe our new electric truck would have nearly 50 miles more or 15% more driving range and a 30% improvement at highway speeds
Next, more facts about this platform, this truck uses unicastings, we in the Tesla world know them as giga castings
That's going to reduce parts by 20% versus a typical vehicle
25% fewer fasteners, 40% fewer workstations on the assembly line, and 15% faster assembly time
The side mirror body size is 20% smaller than a conventional mirror, adding about 1.5 miles of extra range
There is a new tire wake design, take a listen to this, they say, we guided the front tire wake directly toward the rear tires
Effectively, quote, hiding the rear wheels, this adds 4.5 miles of range
That's cool stuff right there
Their wiring harness in this midsize EV truck is more than 4,000 feet shorter and 22 kilograms lighter than the one used in their first gen electric SUV
Meaning the Mach E, the Mustang Mach E
So again, that's going to save cost, that's going to save weight, that's all good stuff
The new midsize truck is forecasted to have more passenger room than the latest Toyota RAV4
Even before you include the front and the truck bed, it will have a targeted 0-60 time of 4.5 seconds, yes
Yes, Ford, that's what I'm talking about
It will have a completely redesigned EV architecture, deliveries will start in the US next year in 2027
With a target starting MSRP of $30,000
And here is a clip from the video that Ford released on this, if you'd like to hear a little more
The technology, engineering, creativity and innovation are already happening
We need to scale these advancements and deliver them to dryways across America and around the world
We can't wait to share more as we continue on our path to deliver our universal EV platform and a family of compelling and fun to drive affordable electric vehicles
Thanks for coming along for the ride, we can't wait to get you behind the wheel
This is no part, which of course has been one of Tesla's mantras for years
They're also using giga-castings as you heard earlier, which they're calling unicastings
And I point these things out, by the way, not to poke fun at Ford, of course, or claim any sort of, well, Tesla did it first and they're better than you
No, nothing like that
I applaud Ford, because again, I want to remind everybody that the thing is I see this in the Tesla space a lot in the Tesla community and I don't like it
I see certain Tesla fans that get so defensive about Tesla, and so I guess protective of it, that they attack anybody else that's trying to do good in the EV space
Because they're not Tesla and they're, and it's, I just, I don't roll that way
And so I applaud Ford for taking notes from Tesla and seeing what they've done to become a profitable EV company
Which still, a friendly reminder that most everybody else in the industry, whether they're an EV-only company or a legacy automaker that makes gas cars and EVs
Most companies that aren't Tesla are still struggling to profitably build and sell EVs
So I salute Ford here, I applaud them, and if you don't want to take my word for it, and you think, well, forget you Ryan, you're just a guy on the internet
This is true, I am just a guy on the internet, as are we all really
But I want to take you back, I'm going to do the Ryan McAfrey thing again, zoom out, 10,000 foot view, I'm going to take you back to when Tesla won Motor Trends 2013 Car of the Year award for the Model S
In unanimous fashion, and Elon Musk literally said at the time, I hope others copy us
Now, I know I've mentioned that quote every now and again, but this segment inspired me to actually go dig it up again so that you could hear it straight from Elon's work, his mitts
Except this obviously on behalf of all the employees of Tesla, you guys rock, thank you
I think we've said about as much as there is to say, but I really think this is going to be a look back and this is sort of a point at which the gears of history moved
And it's going to be an important day, obviously we've got to stay in the course and we've got to ramp up production, like I said, and make the next generation vehicle, make them affordable, that's incredibly important
And I'm hopeful that other car companies will in fact copy us and follow through and do electric car programs with greater vigor as a result of this award
So that's the thing I hope will most occur as a result of this
So once again, thank you very much for coming and it's really been great, thank you
Well, he was right about that, wasn't he? It was a moment that the gears of history turned
And it took a while for other car companies to copy them, but it's finally happened
We have a lot of great EVs in the market now and here now we have Ford with their next generation vehicle platform
Almost literally copying Tesla's homework as Elon said all those years ago that he wanted other companies to do
Again, so this is a good thing, I can't wait to see Ford's $30,000 pickup truck and bring it on
More affordable EVs is a good thing
Alright, that's everything I have for you in the world of Tesla and other EV news
I'm going to move along now to the ride the lightning hotline
Your chance to call in and potentially be featured here on the podcast
If you've got a question, comment, or discussion topic for the podcast
Give me a call anytime, toll free
The number is 1-888-989-8752
That number again, 1-888-989-TSLA
There are two ways to do it, either just call that number or use your smart phones built in voice recording software
Record the question, then email it to me at TeslaPodcastatgmail.com
Now, whichever way you decide to call in, I very politely request that you limit yourself to 90 seconds on your message
That's so I can get to as many callers each week as possible
In fact, this week I've only got time for just a quick few here
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You can give them a unique gift of recorded voices from friends and family telling them why they are special
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First up this week is Mike from the Philly Suburbs who has some thoughts on the Model S
Hey Ryan, it's Mike from the Philadelphia Suburbs
Giving you a quick call, I just caught up on the last two episodes, I was a little bit behind on my podcast listening
And wanted to share a couple thoughts on the Model S discontinuation
I've been a long time listener, I've been listening to you since episode 4
And got my Model 3 performance around the same time you did, if you recall I left a message many years ago about that
Anyway, with regards to the Model S and X, it's quite disappointing since in my mind those two vehicles are the flagships for Tesla
And unlike Mercedes or BMW who have the S class and the 7 series that probably have similar numbers for their flagship cars
Tesla unfortunately decided not to stick with producing these vehicles
It's a little bit disappointing but on the flip side when you think about Elon and his dedication to automation
It makes sense and we've always said that Tesla at the end of the day is not just a car company
So with that being said, a Model S was always in my plans, I mean it's the car that I fell in love with when I first learned about Tesla
And it was probably another two to three years away from me actually making that decision
But given the relatively short amount of time that that car is going to be left on the market
I played with the numbers and I decided to go ahead and order myself a Model S Plaid
So I'm probably that small percentage from your survey that was actually willing to make a positive action based on this news
Anyways, hope you're doing well, appreciate everything you do in the show and looking forward to the next episode
Take care
First of all Mike, I want to say congratulations on getting one of the last Model S Plads ever
You are going to have a blast with it and I wish you many hundreds of thousands of miles driven in good health
Second, thank you for the kind words and for sticking with me all these years
I think your point about flagship sales of other cars in the Model S's class is a fair one
I looked it up and if the data that I found is correct, they only sold, they meaning BMW, only sold 11,393 units of the 7 series
Although I couldn't find global numbers, that's only in the US
So I recognize that's not the complete picture
Though apparently global numbers for the whole brand, the whole of BMW were 2.1 million
So I think that backs up your point, really, because even if the US was only 11,000 and changed
The rest of the global numbers on a full size sedan probably aren't going to be, let's say double, let's say it's double that
Even be a little generous, let's say 25,000
That's not huge, especially compared to 2.1 million
Which I think again reinforces your point about the percentage of sales with Tesla that the Model S represents
I'm still just lament that Tesla has chosen to get rid of SNX and do the Optimus instead
When I just think they have all the resources at their disposal financially, talent-wise
They could easily recruit if they needed to because there's all that data that Tesla and SpaceX are like the two of the top places that engineers want to go work
I just wish they would do both things instead of sacrificing so much for Optimus
Like let's keep S, let's reinvent them and build an Optimus line
Okay, maybe you couldn't build that first Optimus line in Fremont, but there's plenty of space in Texas
But you know what, me crying about it is not going to make a difference
The decision's made, that is it
At the very least we do have one more halo car to look forward to from Tesla
That being the next generation Roadster before everything at this company pivots completely to autonomy
Next up, here's a regular caller, Brian from Pennsylvania talking about more real-world scenarios for CyberCab
Go ahead Brian
Thanks Brian, so I may be looking at this narrow-mindedly a little bit
I'm going back to the whole Optimus driving that's the future, everybody's going to want an Optimus vehicle and never own a car again
I know a caller last week talked about being a rural area, I am also a rural area
I am not waiting 15 minutes for a autonomous car, it can get me
The times I see where I would want to use something like that would be if I'm traveling going to an airport
I don't want to park my car for a week, it would be cheaper to, well maybe, I hope it would be cheaper
To hail a car to take me to the airport versus parking my car there for a week
But the other big issue I see is we Americans, we love our cars, blah blah blah
But we go shopping on a weekend to go do your weekly grocery shopping, your trip to the hardware store, whatever you need to do
And this is where I've seen the big problem with this robo-taxi idea
If I go to Walmart and buy my groceries for my family, I now have five, six bags of groceries
I put them back in my robo-taxi but usually I don't just go to one place, I go to multiple places when I'm out shopping
What am I to do with all of my stuff? Take it with me into the next store and I've acquired more stuff
And then I go to the next store and I have more stuff, there's a big flaw to this
Aside from being in a city and needing to get from point A to point B because you are a tourist traveling or something like that
I don't really see other needs or reasons for why people would want a robo-taxi like this
Am I just being too narrow-minded? Am I missing something? If I am, please, please help me here
Back to you
Thanks Brian, you are preaching to the choir here for sure, I am with you
I think you've laid out a very real, very normal use case for a vehicle that I agree a cyber cab or other robo-taxi might not be suitable for
At least not without a lot of hassle
And it's a scenario that applies to a whole lot of Americans
Now that doesn't mean that the cyber cab or robo-taxi program in general can't or won't be successful, I'm not saying that
But I do agree that it's going to be a major sticking point for a lot of families in terms of Tesla's idea to eventually replace your car with a transportation as a service strategy
I mean we should be, again, about two months away from the cyber cab's proper launch if it stays on schedule in terms of both production on the Tesla side and regulatory approval on the government side
So we should learn more soon, I mean maybe the software for robo-taxi and specifically the cyber cab, maybe it's got more functionality coming to it soon for that full proper launch of the cyber cab
Meaning something like software functionality built in where you can basically rent that cyber cab that comes to you for the whole day or some stretch of hours where it can follow you around on those multi-stop errands
Maybe that's going to be a thing that the cyber cab and the robo-taxis can do
So maybe Tesla's already got a solve for this that will become clear soon enough
As always, Brian, I appreciate you calling in
And then the third and final call that I've got time for this week, I'll get to more of your calls next week, is another regular let's hear from Bill in Wisconsin responding to a caller from several episodes back
who was annoyed at the windshield wipers turning on whenever you turn on FSD
Hey, Ryan, Bill from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, again, sorry to call you twice in the same, I was in the same episode, but I felt compelled to respond to one of your other callers
specifically about the wipers turning on when you engage FSD
That, yes, is an annoyance for all of us
I'm driving today, it's the middle of January, but it's a beautiful winter day
The sky is blue, there's not a cloud in the sky, the sun is shining brightly on the snow
And yet the wiper has a tendency from time to time to want to swipe across the window
So my habit on a day like today is as soon as I engage FSD, I press the microphone button and say wiper off
That's all I have to do, and it shuts it off
You know, and now if it happens to be a day where, okay, maybe there's some moisture on the road that's getting kicked up by car tires
and from time to time I do need to run the wiper, then I just press the button on my steering wheel
Just to do a single swipe across the windshield
But that's my quote unquote hack, is just microphone wiper off, works every time
Take care
Bill, thank you very much for that constructive suggestion
I have no doubt that plenty of folks listening will find that very useful
Alright, as I start to wind down this episode, there's not too much going on with me or my cars
Because it's just been raining pretty much all week here
I've wanted to clean them, but Mother Nature says that's probably not a good idea right now
So they've mostly just been dirty, but getting driven, that's okay
That's what they're there for
Entertainment recommendation though, I've got one of those for you this week
It's a new video game, it's available now for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox and Switch
So pretty much all the major gaming platforms
And that game is called ReAnimal
R-E-A-N-I-M-A-L ReAnimal
And it is a two player, you don't have to play two player
Like with some of those other two player games that I've recommended to you over the past couple years
But it's a two player co-op game, which it's sort of a puzzle game, but the puzzles are very light
It's more of a sort of narrative adventure with very, it's got a very like dark macabre tone to it
I wouldn't call it a horror game, but it's really good, my daughter and I are playing it together
And we're still early on, I admit I haven't finished it yet, but IGN gave it a 9 out of 10
And we're having a really good time with it so far
So check that out if that sounds, you know, you could look up the review on IGN maybe if you want to learn more about it
But that is definitely one that I would recommend for if you're in need of some video game entertainment this week
Time for a pro tip of the week, it comes from Dave in Yorktown, Virginia
Credentials are, you know, unavailable, and I was like, man, how am I going to fix that?
So, luckily, Tesla has placed in the service menu a selection, you can use it anytime, even while you're driving
To clear web cache data, that's the name of it, clear web cache data under the service
And I hit that and by the boom I was able to get into Spotify, no problem, hope that helps
Have a great day, bye
And I gave you the two easy call in methods for that just a few minutes ago, so refer back there
If you'd like to call in with a pro tip of the week, I play one every single week towards the end of the episode
So keep them coming, I really enjoy this part of the podcast and it's all thanks to you guys
So thank you for keeping those pro tips of the week coming
And we come to the part of the podcast here near the end where I mention a few friends of Ride the Lightning
That I hope will be useful to you at some point sooner or later
I will start with RPM Tesla, they specialize in OEM style Tesla upgrades
Focusing on carbon fiber, interior enhancements and functional accessories that integrate seamlessly with the Tesla factory designs
They are all about compatibility, meaning their accessories do not compromise Tesla's design language, safety systems or functionality
They design a ton of their stuff in house, like say all their steering wheel upgrades for the yoke and for the round wheel
They prioritize quality over speed, so you are not getting some cheap junk here
I can assure you that, they offer over 1500 Tesla accessories ranging from cup holders
To full carbon fiber body kits and everything in between
Shop with confidence thanks to free returns, no restocking fees and lifetime warranties
Check them out at rpmtesla.com
Use the promo code RTLPODPLUS
That's RTLPODPLUS
And it's the symbol plus, not the word
RTLPODPLUS
For 10% extra off your next order
That's rpmtesla.com
Check them out
And then the infinity shield
So again, as I've mentioned the last couple weeks, I really did have a little mishap
I don't remember if I talked about it on the podcast at the time
I probably was too embarrassed at the time
Like for instance, when I told my wife about the infinity shield
Because they were nice enough to send one, I've got to get it set up
And I told her, well, do you remember the time that I accidentally dropped the garage door
Like I lowered it onto the roof of the car when I was pulling out
She was like, I don't remember that
So I may have completely just internalized that out of shame
But I'm telling you now because infinity shield can help you avoid this entirely
So what is the infinity shield?
It is a giant, basically laser grid array for your garage door sensor
So that if anything is in the path of the door
Most garage door openers, mine included, up until I get my infinity shield installed
Just have that sensor at the very bottom, like two inches off the ground
So if say your four wheels are half backed out
Well, the garage door is going to keep coming down, which is what happened to me
Because the sensors just see in daylight because you're between the wheels
So the infinity shield covers a full 25 beam array
So anything in there is going to get detected and your garage door is going to stop
And it's not going to come down anymore
So it detects protruding bumpers, open hatches, or anything else in the way of the garage door
It's easy to install yourself with no special tools
It doesn't need to be aligned ever and it's compatible with all garage door openers
It's really a heck of a piece of engineering
Get yours at infinity-shield.com and use promo code RTL at checkout for a $35 discount
So that's infinity-shield.com promo code RTL
AbstractOcean.com
They've always got so much good stuff, in fact I'm clicking in there right now
Cybertruck, which is probably the star of this week's podcast
They've got the expel armor for the non-stainless pieces to keep all those trim pieces looking great and protected over the years
So the bed sail trim, the tailgate lip, the wheel arches, the fender flares, all that stuff
Pre-cut expel, but they've also got a million other things
Like again, if I click on Model Y and I even go like New Model Y, let's click on New Model Y
Door noise reduction seals to further quiet the cabin, if that's of interest
The expel PPF door edge guard protection, in case you're ever to just, you know, bop that, open that door too far and just tap it into something
Well, you'd have a little piece of PPF film there to help hopefully keep the edge of your door from getting scratched
They've got the premium puddle lights in different colors, in different styles
The ultra-tempered premium glass custom fit screen protectors, and so on
And so forth, just a million different great aftermarket accessories
I say as a compliment, they are abstract oceans basically like the Amazon of aftermarket Tesla accessories
Check them out, abstractocean.com
And when you have everything that you like in your online shopping cart and you get to check out
Use the coupon code RTLpodcast to get 15% off of your first order
That code again, RTLpodcast, all one word, no spaces
The snap plate is the front license plate bracket that I recommend rather than the one that Tesla gives you
The snap plate is a nice clean minimalist design that goes on your car securely
But if you ever want to take it off, it will come off without leaving anything behind
It will come off as if it was never there
Again, it's a really nice clean minimal design, it won't get in the way of your front bumper camera
If you've got any of the newer Teslas and it just looks good
There's also a stronger version, the snap plate plus
So either way, the snap plate or the snap plate plus available for all the Teslas
The Rivians plus some other EVs as well
Get yours at everyamp.com slash RTL and use the coupon code RTL at checkout for a nice discount there
Both the snap plate and snap plate plus are made from recycled, made in the USA plastics
With stainless steel reinforcements, I am a fan of the snap plate
Immaculate Reflections is a phenomenal professional detailer here in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area
That's who's taken care of both of my Model 3 performances
And if you're in or going to be in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area
I very much encourage you to reach out through the website IRDetailing.com
Ahead of time, if you live here or if you don't
But just reach out, get on the schedule because he does book up, Jeff is his name
Jeff does book up, but get on his schedule and then work with him to decide
If you want to do paint protection film on the front of the car or all the rocker panels
Or the entire car, whatever you want to do, whatever works for you
Maybe you want to do ceramic coating, as I just did
To get that finish protected from the sun and its UV rays for the next 05 to 7 years or so
Maybe you want to do paint correction to get your actual paint finish
Get all those little flaws taken out of your paint finish
I promise you, that's the one, like I know PPF, like a lot of people know paint protection film
And even ceramic coating I think is starting to become more widely recognized in the enthusiast car space
But it's paint correction, I'm not saying that you should definitely choose that over PPF or ceramic
Because they're all three important for different reasons, but it depends on your priorities
Whether you're looking for more protection or just beautification
But if you are looking for beautification of your paint finish
Oh my goodness, paint correction is amazing
It's amazing, if you have a chance to see any car that's been paint corrected
If you ever meet up with me, if you're ever out in San Francisco and you reach out and say
I'm going to be in your neck of the woods, Ryan, let's get some in and out
And I say, sure, that'd be great
And you see my car, you will see what a paint corrected finish looks like
It's such a beautiful, it really just makes your paint look so, so good
So I'm a big fan of all three of those major professional detailing services
But anyway, whatever you want to do, there is a ride the lightning listener discount
If you bring your car to Immaculate Reflections and you have, well, whatever service you have done
So reach out through the website irdetailing.com, you'll see the contact button
In either the upper left corner or right in the center of the page as well
And when you reach out to Jeff and you talk through what you want to have done with your car
Just let him know that you're a ride the lightning listener
And that you would like the ride the lightning listener discount
And Jeff will kindly extend that to you
My Patreon, I mentioned it earlier in the podcast
But if you'll humor me one more time here
Patreon.com slash Tesla podcast
It's the way that you can support this podcast if you'd like to
And I hope that at some point, maybe today's the day, that I earn your support
I know I gotta keep showing up every single week
Which I've been blessed to be able to do here for 551 weeks
Straight, actually more since I've put out a couple of bonus episodes over the years
And not Patreon ones, like bonus episodes for everybody
But anyway, the point is, if you'd like to support me
I would be so grateful if you would consider that
The support, you can support starting at just 5 bucks a month
The most popular tier is the $10 tier
Because I feel like you get a lot of good stuff for that 10 bucks a month
Although I'm always open to your feedback as well
If there's something that you'd like to see me incorporate into the Patreon
I'm happy to do that, or I'm happy to consider it certainly
But anyway, Patreon.com slash Tesla podcast
If you'd like to join the Patreon
There are annual pledge options as well
And the thank you that I give you for that is 10% off of your annual pledge
If you'd just like to pledge once for an entire year of support
I will give you a 10% discount as a thank you for doing so
So check it out, Patreon.com slash Tesla podcast
And most of you get this podcast from Apple podcasts
But if you're not doing that or you are not getting this podcast from any podcast service
I do recommend that you choose one you like
And follow Ride the Lightning on there
Now to do that, just search Ride the Lightning Tesla
On your favorite podcast service
Whether that's Apple podcasts or Spotify
Or tune in or YouTube podcasts
Type in Ride the Lightning Tesla to search that
You should see this podcast come right up
Click the follow button
And that's it, you're done, it's totally free
And you will get a push notification every Sunday
Because that's when there's a new episode
It's every Sunday at 9am Eastern, 6am Pacific
So it's a good idea to follow so that your device will remind you that there's a new episode
Finally, my socials
I'm on X and I'm on Instagram
Same username on both
DMC underscore Ryan
You can also email me
Teslapodcastatgmail.com
Oh, and I guess with the $60,000 Cybertruck
Again, we don't know if it's going away in a matter of days or not
But if you buy with a referral code
A referral link specifically
You get $1,000 off
So you can actually get that $60,000 dual motor all wheel drive Cybertruck
For $59,000
If you buy with someone's referral link
If you're already a Tesla owner
Well, you'll use your own link
But if you're not already a Tesla owner
Make sure you use someone's referral link to make your order
Whether that's no matter which Tesla that you're ordering
I'm just calling out the Cybertruck
Because it's got the $1,000 discount on it
And that, as I'm clicking into it now
That, yeah, you can definitely do that
You can apply that to the $60,000 Cybertruck
So anyway, my referral link
You have to order through this link
It's ts.la.ryan73014
Again, you don't have to use mine
Just make sure that you use somebody's
To get that referral discount
In the case of SX and Cybertruck
In the case of 3NY
You get three months of free FSD
With your order
Lastly, I want to say a big thank you
And hello to my top tier Patreon backers
That's one of the perks they get as a shout out
At the end of each week's episode
I'll start with the Roadster in Space to your backers
Big thanks to Pete White, Lyle Austin, Steve Radspinner
Fernando Cordero, Lawton from Chicago
Sean Nydig, Neil Weaver, Jackson Wallace
Rolf and Jennifer Evers, Howard Anthony Smith
Victoria Aya Caveto, Tesla Hitchhiker 42
Carol Weston, Robert from Near Philly
American Home Contractors
Doug Carey, Michael Gallo and Tony Figueroa
Next up, the grandfathered in plaid level supporters
They are George Cascioppo, Logan Willis
Peter Chalet, Eric Randolph
Dory and Steve Guberman
The Tesla Owners Club of Taiwan
Ron Lee, Charlie Gillespie
Jeff Angwin, Chase Cabanias
The Lydia family
Aaron, pardon me, I'm sorry Aaron
Aaron Altschule, there we go
My tongue just twisted on itself for some reason there
Jared Brown, Jamie Dalton
Mike and Barbara from Louisville
Matt Nixon, The Tesla Owners Club of Wisconsin
Ish, not Elon Musk in quotes
Peter and the Bear Boys of Colorado
And then the maximum plaid backers
They get invited, everybody at the maximum plaid tier
On Up gets invited to the monthly
Patreon Zoom Hangout
Which I typically aim for the first Saturday of every month
Which I realize, okay, yeah, that's
We should be able to hit that, it'll be Saturday, March 7th
And I guess we'll once again have lots to talk about
Like this $60,000 Cybertruck
And if it's still around on March 7th
I guess we'll find out, but anyway
That'll be fun, it's always fun every month
To do that monthly Patreon Hangout
But thank you to the maximum plaid backers
Jonathan Wales, Cameron Clark, Daniel Grummer
Seth Capello, The Galpin Family
Ryan from New York City, Darren Nicholl
Cos Barnes, Patrick Wisneski, Gil Cabrera
Todd Badger, Joe Edgel, Kevin Yank
The Tesla Owners Club of San Joaquin Valley
Will Steadman, Jeremy Harris
Chris Beech, Tom Mills
Cory O'Donnell, Aaron
John Cody, Joel Sapp
Paul Casarino, Chris Osborn
KB, Adam Lavoie, Jason Chalukis
Travis Krenzel, Bruce Otterstein
Tom Behan, Josh Pennington
John from Cream Ridge, New Jersey
Dustin Hart, Derek Finley
Charles Clement, Damon Klein
Jeff Brown, Jerry Slinger, Kenneth Corbett
Brian Bertoglio, Kim Bae
Troy Sievers, Chip Hooper
Matt Chinander, Robert Moran
Rob, Christopher Mann, Michael Williams
and Eric Harbert
Big thanks to all of you for listening
Especially if you made it this far, another long episode
I guess if you were to plot the
lengths of the podcasts of this podcast
over time, there's no question that that line
would trend upward
I remember, I mean the very first episodes were like
20 minutes, typically on average, 20-25 minutes
Then I think I got the ride the lightning hotline
and they got a little longer and a little... and now it's just there's
the thing is now, especially now that I'm covering
other EVs, which I'm super excited about doing
there's just more to talk about every week
So here we go again, we're over
oh yeah, well over an hour and a half
this week, so I won't talk anymore
I won't keep you any longer, your time is extremely valuable
In fact, your time is in my opinion
your most precious resource
We all only get 24 hours of it in a day
No more, no less, thank you for spending some of it with me
this week here on Ride the Lightning
Hope you enjoyed this week's episode, I had fun putting it together
and I'll see you back here next week
Happy electric motoring my friends
Elon Musk, people don't like Elon Musk
The guy found a PayPal and Tesla and people are like
yeah, but he's a troll and a bad dad
I'm like, so is mine, he did nothing to fight climate change
Also, have you been in a Tesla?
Have you been in a Tesla?
My buddy let me drive his Tesla, I laughed out loud
at how fast it went, been clinically depressed my entire life
on dozens of medications in a Tesla for 13 seconds
cured forever
I mean, I think a Tesla
is the most fun thing you could possibly buy ever
That's what it's meant to be
Our goal is to make, it's not exactly a car
It's actually a thing to maximize enjoyment
It's maximum fun
About this episode
Tesla has introduced a new $60,000 trim of the Cybertruck, which, despite some compromises, is generating excitement among fans. The episode also covers the retirement of the Lunar Silver color option for the Model S and Model X, updates on the delayed Apple CarPlay integration due to compatibility issues, and Ford's advancements in their next-gen EV platform. Ryan shares insights from a recent Patreon poll about interest in the Rivian R2, highlighting the growing diversity in the EV market. The episode features lively discussions and personal anecdotes, making it a rich listen for EV enthusiasts.
Original notes
Tesla unveils a new $60,000 trim of the Cybertruck, and while it does make some sacrifices, it's pretty darn appealing. I'll tell you all about it on this episode. Plus: one option on the outgoing Model S and X has already been retired, Ford talks up their Tesla-like next-gen EV platform, and more!
If you enjoy the podcast and would like to support my efforts, please check out my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/teslapodcast and consider a monthly or (10% discounted!) annual pledge. Every little bit helps, and you can support for just $5 per month. And there are stacking bonuses in it for you at each pledge level, like early access to each episode at the $5 tier and the weekly Lightning Round bonus mini-episode (AND the early access!) at the $10 tier! And NO ADS at every Patreon tier!
Also, don't forget to leave a message on the Ride the Lightning hotline anytime with a question, comment, or discussion topic for next week's show! The toll-free number to call is 1-888-989-8752.
INTERESTED IN A FLEXIBLE EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR YOUR TESLA? Be a part of the future of transportation with XCare, the first extended warranty designed & built exclusively for EV owners, by EV owners. Use the code Lightning to get $100 off their "One-time Payment" option! Go to www.xcelerateauto.com/xcare to find the extended warranty policy that's right for you and your Tesla.
P.S. Get 15% off your first order of awesome aftermarket Tesla accessories at AbstractOcean.com by using the code RTLpodcast at checkout. Grab the SnapPlate front license plate bracket for any Tesla at https://everyamp.com/RTL/ (don't forget the coupon code RTL too!). Enhance your car with cool carbon-fiber upgrades from RPMTesla.com and use the promo code RTLPOD+ for 10% off your next purchase. And make your garage door foolproof with the Infinity Shield – get yours at infinity-shield.com and use the promo code RTL at checkout for a $35 discount.
Ride the Lightning: Tesla and EV Podcast
Ryan McCaffrey
0:00
101:45