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New Tesla (temp) Cybertruck, Cybercab, Ford wants China in the US, and more

New Tesla (temp) Cybertruck, Cybercab, Ford wants China in the US, and more

Electrek Feb 20, 2026 49 min
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About this episode

Discussion centers on Tesla's brief launch and quick cancellation of a $60,000 all-wheel-drive Cybertruck trim lacking key features like air suspension, raising questions about Tesla's inventory and future plans for the model. The hosts analyze Elon Musk's cryptic '10 days' tweet hinting at limited availability or a short-term pricing strategy. The episode also covers a landmark legal case where Tesla was found 33% liable for a fatal Autopilot crash, resulting in a $243 million judgment, highlighting growing scrutiny of Tesla's autonomous driving technology and its real-world consequences.

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Technical Too Afraid to Ask
Car

Tesla Cybertruck

"We're going to start out by a new Cybertruck being launched this week. I was very excited about it for a good half a day because after half a day, Elon already canceled it or sort of. So for those of you that haven't followed, last night, Tesla updated its online configurator for the Cybertruck and launched a new all-wheel-drive Cybertruck at $60,000, starting at $60,000."

The Tesla Cybertruck is a new kind of electric pickup truck that looks very different from regular trucks. It can drive all four wheels and is made to be strong and useful for work or everyday driving.

Term

range

"The range is also adjusted though, it's 325 miles, if I'm not mistaken, yeah, 325 miles. So the two main things you're losing here is the little bit of range and the air suspension"

Range means how far an electric car can go before it needs to be charged again.

Part

air suspension

"So the two main things you're losing here is the little bit of range and the air suspension"

Air suspension is a special system in some cars that uses air to make the ride smoother and lets the car raise or lower itself.

Concept

Gigafactory

"Tesla had planned for a capacity, Gigafactory takes us about $250,000 a year. So when you're running about less than 10% of your production capacity,"

A Gigafactory is a very big factory where Tesla makes batteries and cars to sell to lots of people.

Term

all-wheel drive

"even though it's, there's already an all the drive Cybertruck."

All-wheel drive means the vehicle can send power to all four wheels at the same time, which helps it drive better on slippery or rough roads.

Part

battery pack

"So maybe a different battery pack."

The battery pack is like a big rechargeable battery that powers the car instead of gas.

Part

active damping

"so this has active damping like the other ones."

Active damping means the car can change how soft or hard the shocks are while you drive to make the ride better.

Concept

inventory reduction

"Well, one main thing I think Tesla is trying to reduce inventory."

Inventory reduction means the company wants to sell cars quickly so they don’t have too many sitting around unused.

Term

software locked

"I mean, is it possible that these are just software locked? Like they, they pulled some of the battery capacity."

Software locking means the car has parts that can do more, but the computer inside stops it from using all of them. This can be changed later by updating the car's software.

Term

rear wheel drive

""...40 K for the real rear wheel drive, um, you know what...""

Rear wheel drive means the car sends power only to the back wheels, which can make it feel more fun to drive, especially on dry roads.

Term

resell value

"resell value is also important. So you want to know like what's happening with the program right now."

Resell value means how much money you can get if you sell your car later. It helps you know if a car keeps its value over time.

Term

Tesla Autopilot

"Uh, first off, big news on the first Tesla autopilot fatal accident liability case, uh, that happened in Florida last year. Tesla for the first time went to trial on a fatal case involving a crash of, uh, on autopilot and was found 33% liable for it."

Tesla Autopilot helps the car drive itself a bit by keeping distance from other cars and staying in the lane, but the driver still needs to pay attention and control the car.

Term

AFSD

"And sometimes people crash into a Tesla that's, uh, self-driving or, uh, on autopilot or AFSD, I should say, it's not really self-driving and, uh, there's no responsibility,"

AFSD means Full Self-Driving, a set of features in Tesla cars that help the car drive itself, but the driver still needs to pay attention and be ready to take over.

Term

emergency braking system

"autopilot, you know, was playing to have emergency braking system that should have detected the crash and should have activated to Tesla based on its, what, what the Tesla was communicating to customer,"

This system helps stop the car quickly if it thinks a crash might happen, even if the driver doesn't press the brakes.

Term

autonomy

"vehicle without having truly solved autonomy yet. Um, but my, my agreement on that set, I think it's very interesting is that this is like the, the most blatant case of Tesla putting the cart in front of the horse, but it's, um, not the first one when it comes to autonomy."

Autonomy means a car can drive on its own without a person controlling it.

Part

turn signal stalk

"we've seen this happen with Tesla many times before with the removing of the stall, uh, whether it be the turn signal stock or the, um, drive, uh, gear, uh, stock,"

It's the little stick next to the steering wheel that you push up or down to show other drivers you want to turn.

Part

drive gear stalk

"we've seen this happen with Tesla many times before with the removing of the stall, uh, whether it be the turn signal stock or the, um, drive, uh, gear, uh, stock,"

It's the stick you move to choose if the car goes forward, backward, or stays still.

Term

yoke steering wheel

""the yoke steering wheel is also very similar situation. Like, uh, unless you put drive by steering, like in the Cybertruck,""

A yoke steering wheel is a steering control shaped more like a video game controller than a round wheel. It lets you see more of the dashboard but can feel different when turning the car.

Term

unsupervised self-driving vehicle

"Tesla would deliver it through unsupervised self-driving vehicle to consumer by the end of the year."

This means a car that can drive itself without a person watching or controlling it at all.

Brand

Waymo

"And there's kind of a regulatory battle now between Tesla and Waymo there. Waymo basically wants to distance itself as much as possible from what Tesla is doing..."

Waymo is a company that builds self-driving car technology, which means cars that can drive themselves without a person controlling them.

Concept

robotaxi service

"They it's not an autonomous robotaxi service. There are drivers behind the wheel."

A robotaxi is like a taxi that drives itself without a driver. You can use an app to call one, and it will take you where you want to go on its own.

Concept

vehicle customization

""...with a lot of customization available after the fact. So you can buy the truck and then customize it here...""

Vehicle customization means changing or adding things to your truck after you buy it to make it look or work the way you want.

Car

Ford Maverick

"...is and saying, oh, all we have to do is release a Maverick that's very configurable"

The Ford Maverick is a small truck that’s easy to drive and can carry things like a big car but isn’t too big itself. People like it because it’s affordable and you can choose different options to fit what you need. It’s good if you want a truck but don’t want something huge.

Car

Polestar 2

"a refresh of the Polestar 2. So, not entirely new model, but mostly new model..."

The Polestar 2 is an electric car that looks nice and has lots of modern features. It’s made by a company related to Volvo and is good for people who want a clean, quiet ride. The new version has some improvements to make it even better.

Car

Polestar 4

"...in Q4 you have the new long groove variant of the Polestar 4. So, again, not completely new models yet."

The Polestar 4 is a new electric car that looks like a small SUV with a sporty shape. It’s designed to go far on a single charge and be fun to drive. It’s coming out soon and is part of a new group of electric cars.

Car

Ford F150 Lightning

"What did I have last? I think it was an F-150 lightning with blue crews. Maybe about a year and a half ago."

The Ford F-150 Lightning is a big truck that runs on electricity instead of gas. It can do many things a normal truck does but is better for the environment and can save money on fuel. People talk about it because it’s one of the first electric trucks from a big company.

Car

Tesla Semi

"Here's a question. Has anyone tested a Tesla Semi with an electric assisted trailer?"

The Tesla Semi is a big truck that runs on electricity instead of diesel fuel. It’s made to carry heavy loads while being better for the planet. People talk about it because it’s a new way to move goods without pollution.

Term

EV factory

"in a few months BYD is opening an EV factory in Hungary with 200,000 EV yearly capacity"

An EV factory is a place where electric cars are made. They have special equipment to build the batteries and electric parts.

Car

Byd Shark 6

"one, Fred, how has the BYD shark been? we've seen some social media driving around"

The BYD Shark 6 is an electric car made by a company from China. It’s getting popular because it looks good, drives well, and doesn’t use gas. People are sharing videos about it online because it’s a new and interesting car.

Concept

focus on efficiency

"it's more about the approach of making it focus on efficiency which I think is the way to go"

Making a vehicle efficient means it uses less fuel and is better for the environment, so it costs less to drive and pollutes less.

Car

Dodge Charger

"...een maybe a few hotels that have this legislation charger and that's it so"

The Dodge Charger is a big car that can go very fast and has a strong engine. It’s popular with people who like cars that feel sporty but can still carry a family. Sometimes it’s talked about when rules about cars are changing.

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