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Tesla CyberTruck "Performance Edition" Announced · Elon Musk Podcast

• 0:00
  Hi everybody and welcome back to the Elon Musk podcast.
• 0:04
  In this episode, we're going to talk about Tesla's latest move
• 0:07
  to make electric vehicle charging more accessible for
• 0:10
  everyone, not just Tesla owners, but owners of all electric cars.
• 0:15
  Over the last couple of years, Tesla has been slowly opening up
• 0:18
  its Supercharger network to non Tesla vehicles, especially in
• 0:22
  Europe. But the real news is what's
• 0:24
  happening stateside. In North America, Tesla has
• 0:28
  faced some challenges with compatibility issues, largely
• 0:31
  due to the unique connector that Tesla uses for charging.
• 0:35
  And unlike in Europe where standard connectors are widely
• 0:38
  in use, Tesla's proprietary connector here became a
• 0:42
  potential obstacle for non Tesla EV users.
• 0:46
  However, last year Tesla decided to open up its connector to
• 0:50
  other manufacturers, a move that started a transition in the
• 0:53
  industry. So let's dig into this.
• 0:56
  We'll be discussing the significance of Tesla's Magic
• 0:58
  Dock Superchargers, how it's making the Supercharger network
• 1:03
  more inclusive, and the longterm strategy behind all of this.
• 1:07
  We'll also talk about some of the recent developments around
• 1:09
  EV charging infrastructure in Britain, and how various
• 1:13
  automakers are looking at tapping into the Tesla
• 1:15
  Supercharger network now. Earlier this year, Tesla
• 1:19
  introduced a novel piece of tech called the Magic Dock.
• 1:23
  This is essentially a new receiver for the Tesla Charging
• 1:26
  connector at Supercharger stations.
• 1:29
  The Magic Dock allows for flexibility.
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  It can disconnect from the charger to act as an adapter
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  between Tesla's connector, known as the NACS, and the CSS
• 1:38
  connector used by other electric vehicles.
• 1:41
  Now in February, Tesla started the installation of Magic Docks
• 1:45
  at Supercharger stations in New York and California as a pilot
• 1:48
  project, though further expansion of the Superchargers
• 1:52
  was halted for some time, likely due to the transition to the
• 1:55
  NECS standard. Tesla recently resumed this
• 1:58
  expansion by installing new stations in Texas.
• 2:02
  Now Tesla has gone even further. They've extended its Magic Doc
• 2:06
  supercharges into Utah, Colorado, Michigan and
• 2:09
  Washington State, and the expansion is still in the early
• 2:12
  stages. But it's clear that Tesla is
• 2:14
  investing in this technology as a bridge until direct
• 2:17
  integration becomes widespread in 2025.
• 2:21
  Now, while Tesla has been progressing with its
• 2:24
  Supercharger network in North America, let's not forget about
• 2:27
  its European endeavors. In Europe, Tesla has already set
• 2:31
  up hundreds of stations and the integration with non Tesla
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  vehicles has been smoother there due to the already standardized
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  connectors. In the UK, charging
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  infrastructure is also growing at a very impressive rate.
• 2:44
  For instance, Ubertricity, a Shell owned charging network,
• 2:48
  recently announced the installation of 1050 St. side
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  public EV chargers. These charges will be part of
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  the company's innovative lamppost charging project,
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  showing that charging infrastructure is becoming more
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  commonplace and versatile. Now, moving away from Tesla,
• 3:05
  just for a second, let's talk about how other automakers are
• 3:09
  responding to this trend. Jaguar has become the latest
• 3:13
  brand to announce its plans to integrate Tesla and ACS into its
• 3:17
  electric vehicles. They're following in the
• 3:19
  footsteps of other big names like Ford, GM, Honda, and more.
• 3:24
  And these companies are not only planning to adopt any CS in
• 3:27
  future models, but are also considering providing adapters
• 3:31
  for existing models. While it's still uncertain when
• 3:35
  exactly these adapters will become available, given the
• 3:38
  logistics involved, the commitment by these automakers
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  to adopt the Tesla standard signifies A monumental shift in
• 3:46
  the industry. And Tesla set the stage.
• 3:49
  And now the world's adapting to them.
• 3:52
  And the company sold 325,291 vehicles in the United States in
• 3:58
  the first half of 2023 alone. That's outpacing its next 19
• 4:03
  competitors by a ratio of 10 to one or more.
• 4:08
  And as the EV market continues to grow, Tesla remains the
• 4:11
  dominant force. But other brands are slowly
• 4:13
  increasing their share as well, and the demand for electric
• 4:16
  vehicles and charging infrastructure is growing.
• 4:19
  But so were the challenges. Companies are investing billions
• 4:22
  into new EV and battery plants, but whether the market can
• 4:25
  sustain all this new capability remains to be seen.
• 4:29
  For instance, Ford recently decided to pause work about a
• 4:32
  $3.5 billion electric vehicle plant in Michigan, raising
• 4:36
  questions about the pace of EV adoption.
• 4:38
  And as Tesla gears up to start deliveries of the much
• 4:42
  anticipated cyber truck vehicle, new information about a
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  performance version has come to light.
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  Elon Musk himself took to social media to reveal that he recently
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  drove a performance cyber truck that is sure to exceed
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  expectation. Now the cyber trucks first
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  unveiled in 2019, it's undergone significant modifications since
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  its prototype dates. In a market that has witnessed
• 5:05
  profound shifts, Tesla has not been shy about tweaking its
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  designs to adapt. Although Tesla initially laid
• 5:12
  out specs and pricing for the cyber truck, those could very
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  well change considering the automaker's penchant for making
• 5:18
  updates to its vehicles even after they've been unveiled.
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  Now this leaves us with many questions about the cyber Trucks
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  features, release timelines, and most critically, its pricing
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  structure. Now, Cybertruck is no longer
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  just a concept, it's a tangible machine, and the company has
• 5:34
  produced hundreds of these electric pickups labeled as
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  release candidates or beta builds.
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  But details have been very scarce, while preproduction
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  models have been spotted on the roads, providing the world with
• 5:44
  its first real look at Tesla's latest creation.
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  These aren't the final versions. Photographs of the truck's bed
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  in particular indicate some interesting design choices that
• 5:54
  set it apart from traditional pickups.
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  Now, in the midst of the suspense, Elon Musk tweeted that
• 6:00
  he just drove a quote Performance Cyber Truck, a
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  phrase that naturally triggers A flurry of speculation.
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  Tesla had previously announced a Tri motor version with rather
• 6:10
  impressive specs 500 plus miles of range, zero to 60 and 2.9
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  seconds, and a starting price of $69,900.
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  Now the revelation of a performance version hints that
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  there could be multiple iterations of the Cyber Truck,
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  possibly even a quad motor version with even greater
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  capabilities. Though Elon Musk's tweet was
• 6:32
  characteristically brief, it opens a new chapter in the Cyber
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  Truck saga. If a performance version exists,
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  Musk found it noteworthy enough to mention, then it's reasonable
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  to assume that this variant could be among the first to roll
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  off the production lines. And the term performance often
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  correlates with higher speeds, better handling, and generally
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  enhanced capabilities, which could position this version as a
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  high end offering within the cyber truck lineup.
• 7:00
  Now the electric pickup truck market is getting crowded with
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  entrants like Rivians, R1T and the GMC Hummer EV and Ford's
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  options, and the Cyber Truck aims to distinguish itself
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  through its unconventional design and superior bed length.
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  Measuring at 6.5 feet longer than any other electric pickup
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  currently on the market, this offers utility that other
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  electric pickups simply can't match.
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  Additionally, Tesla may include a midgate feature similar to the
• 7:25
  Chevy Silverado EV, according to visitors who attended Tesla
• 7:29
  Cyber Rodeo event in April of 2022, features like these can
• 7:34
  make the Cyber Truck not only a performance powerhouse, but also
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  a highly versatile vehicle. Thus, Tesla's electric pickup is
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  not merely seeking to join the ranks of existing electric
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  vehicles, but aims to redefine the category altogether.
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  Now, photos of the cybertruck taken by a Facebook user reveal
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  a bed floor panel with bolt holes, likely a space for a full
• 7:55
  size spare tire and sloped bedsides.
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  These design elements have generated mixed reactions.
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  The slope size, for example, can limit the width of loads and
• 8:04
  potentially stress the bed walls.
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  However, Tesla could turn these limitations into unique features
• 8:09
  such as additional storage compartments, and the
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  photographs also show that the tailgate reaches armpit height,
• 8:16
  indicating that loading could be a challenge.
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  While Tesla has suggested that the rear suspension will dip for
• 8:22
  easier loading and unloading, the design still raises
• 8:24
  questions about accessibility. However, Tesla has never been
• 8:29
  one to shy away from bold design choices.
• 8:31
  It's likely the final production version will include innovative
• 8:34
  solutions to these challenges now, with Tesla expected to
• 8:38
  announce all the details in an upcoming event.
• 8:41
  The final specs and features of the Cyber Truck, including its
• 8:44
  performance version, are just weeks away from being officially
• 8:47
  revealed. Given that the company is 2
• 8:49
  years behind its original schedule, anticipation is
• 8:52
  running really high. Tesla's delivery event will
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  answer lingering questions, confirm rumors, and give
• 8:58
  prospective buyers a comprehensive look what the
• 9:01
  automaker has been laboring on behind closed doors.
• 9:04
  Now, thank you so much for tuning into the Elon Musk
• 9:06
  Podcast today. To stay updated on stories like
• 9:09
  this and more, hit the subscribe or follow button on your
• 9:12
  favorite podcast platform. It's free, it just takes a
• 9:15
  minute and until next time, please take care of yourselves
• 9:18
  and each other and I'll see you in the next one.