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Daily Crunch: Tesla unveils its futuristic Cybertruck

The Daily Crunch is TechCrunch’s roundup of our biggest and most important stories. If you’d like to get this delivered to your inbox every day at around 9am Pacific, you can subscribe here. 1. Behold, the Tesla Cybertruck is here Elon Musk has unveiled a vehicle that looks like it was ripped straight out of… Continue reading Daily Crunch: Tesla unveils its futuristic Cybertruck

Elon Musk: Tesla will make electric ATV available as Cybertruck option

Elon Musk confirmed that electric ATV Tesla unveiled at the Cybertruck unveiling will actually be an optional add-on for the buyers of the electric pickup trucks. At the end of the Cybertruck unveiling last night, Tesla brought on stage an electric ATV made by its design team. The vehicle, called Tesla Cyberquad, was used to… Continue reading Elon Musk: Tesla will make electric ATV available as Cybertruck option

Congressman Thomas Massie on Tesla Cybertruck, preferring Model S to Model 3

One of the biggest boosters of electric vehicles in Congress is a Republican representing a rural stretch of east Kentucky. The Congressman is also a legit Tesla hacker with a YouTube channel, two MIT engineering degrees, and serves on the US House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure. So what does he think about the Tesla… Continue reading Congressman Thomas Massie on Tesla Cybertruck, preferring Model S to Model 3

Tesla Cybertruck will have solar roof option to add 15 miles of range per day

Elon Musk confirmed that Tesla’s new Cybertruck electric pickup truck will be offered with a solar roof option over the truck’s bed that will be able to add 15 miles of range per day. We’ve discussed solar roofs on electric vehicles before, most recently with the one on the new Prius Prime, but the recurring problem is that… Continue reading Tesla Cybertruck will have solar roof option to add 15 miles of range per day

Tesla Cybertruck hauls relief for GM and Ford

Shares in Detroit automakers pushed higher in reaction to Elon Musk’s futuristic truck Go to Source

Tesla: monster truck

Revenues at the carmaker dipped last year, this beast is unlikely to reverse the trend Go to Source

Check Out These Top Memes About The Tesla Cybertruck Official Unveil

And add some more to our comments if you find them. Polarizing is the least you could say about the new Tesla Cybertruck. Elon Musk tried to prepare us for it, but it was clearly not enough. Some celebrated the truck because they celebrate everything Elon does. Some really liked it. Most wept, but there… Continue reading Check Out These Top Memes About The Tesla Cybertruck Official Unveil

Watch The Tesla Cybertruck Livestream Here

In case you missed it, here’s the livestream in full. The big Tesla Cybertruck debut occurred last night and now we’ve got the livestream rewind for your viewing enjoyment right here. More Cybertruck News Here are some details on the Tesla Cybertruck: Cybertruck is designed to have the utility of a truck and the performance of… Continue reading Watch The Tesla Cybertruck Livestream Here

Going Back To The Future: What It’s Like Riding In Tesla’s New Cybertruck

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Published on November 22nd, 2019 |

by Kyle Field

Going Back To The Future: What It’s Like Riding In Tesla’s New Cybertruck

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November 22nd, 2019 by Kyle Field

Tesla’s new Cybertruck is unlike anything the world has seen, and I was one of the first non-employees to get a ride in it at the grand unveiling last night at Tesla’s Design Studio in Hawthorne, California. I’ll share what I thought of it from the inside and up close.

At first glance, the stainless steel wedge that is the Cybertruck makes it clear that it is not only a sharp diversion from the world of pickup trucks, but from anything Tesla has done before. Its stainless steel skin harkens back to the Delorean made popular by the ’80s cult classic Back to the Future. Walking up to the vehicle, the vast expanse of ultra hard rolled stainless steel that comprises the vertical expanse of the broadside of the vehicle grew ever more imposing. From afar, Cybertruck’s wedge-like posture tricks the eyes into believing it is smaller than it really is, but that illusion quickly fell away up close.

The giant rubber donuts that it rolled around on would be more at home on a military vehicle than on any vehicle from an auto dealer in the US, and that’s kind of the point. Its stainless skin will allegedly stop a 9mm bullet and the bulletproof windows should be similarly up to the task, though they were one of the big failings of the vehicle at the unveiling. At Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s urging, lead designer Franz von Holzhausen hurled a large ball of metal at the windows that caused them to fail in grand fashion. They didn’t fully penetrate into the cabin, but left Tesla’s brand new stage baby damaged for the balance of the presentation. It was a risky move and it clearly didn’t go off as planned, but hey, they have two years to figure that out.

Angular door handles popped out to present themselves to us and the massive doors swung open much more like the door of a house than that of a vehicle. Stepping up into the Cybertruck’s front seat, it appeared that there were only two seats up front, split by an oversized center console with three cupholders in it. Closer inspection revealed that this was in fact the back of a center seat that can fold up to accommodate three full-sized humans up front and in the rear.

A 17-inch landscape display carried forward the same interior design ethos of the Model 3, but with a completely revamped user interface that the driver was clearly very familiar with. The vehicle itself only had 261 miles on the odometer, though would be completely reasonable for it to be a simple graphic rather than a fully functional mileage counter at this point. After all, the Cybertruck isn’t due to hit the market until late 2021 or early 2022.

Our driver flipped to a map that showed an overview of the short route he would be taking us on in what felt like an aerial version of what you might see in the Terminator movies. Futuristic, but functional. Elon and Franz are clearly intent on bringing the experiences teased in front of an entire generation of Sci-Fi film viewers into reality. By all accounts, the Cybertruck isn’t a bet-the-farm play for Tesla like the Model 3 was, but it does represent the biggest singular design diversion the company has taken in its 15-year existence.

As we pulled away from the crowd, the large knobby tires could be heard humming along from inside the cabin as really the only noise that indicated we were moving. Looking to my left, the driver felt far removed from me, leaving no doubt that three adults could comfortably fit on each of the front and rear bench seats. Indeed, looking to the rear, the three humans accompanying us on the ride looked very comfortable and not at all cramped.

The juxtaposition of the high-riding suspension of a truck and the elegant power of its electric powertrain were brought together as our pilot dropped the air suspension into low for a quick launch up the street. All occupants let out one form of amazed gasp as Cybertruck attempted to break free of the confines of gravity in a push towards orbit. It tore up the length of the street as its now low-slung mass hurtled us towards an uncertain future.

Thankfully, the brakes were up to the task and quickly quelled the energy down to a more mundane speed as its Hulky frame gently pitched forward in response to our rapid deceleration. It flipped a U-turn and we casually flew back towards the Tesla Design Studio. The variable air suspension shined here as it easily absorbed bumps and driveways along the way.

Its ability to change postures in response to driver input or driving style truly allows it to bring the power and acceleration of Tesla’s Model S into a reimagined truck. Our quick ride was a nice teaser and I’m still overcoming the mental shock of the Cybertruck’s stark departure from Tesla’s design DNA, but one thing is for certain: Tesla is serious about redefining the world’s expectations for what a pickup truck is.

Whether the world is ready for such a drastic change is yet to be determined. With buyers able to reserve a Cybertruck for a measly $100 refundable deposit, we won’t actually know what the demand is for the new vehicle until the masses can actually convert them to real orders of one of its three configurations.

Stay tuned here on CleanTechnica as we continue to unpack the unveiling event experience, compare the Cybertruck to the competition, run some total cost of ownership calculations, and more in the coming hours and days.

All images by Kyle Field | CleanTechnica — feel free to use anywhere with credit

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Kyle Field I'm a tech geek passionately in search of actionable ways to reduce the negative impact my life has on the planet, save money and reduce stress. Live intentionally, make conscious decisions, love more, act responsibly, play. The more you know, the less you need. TSLA investor.

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Lucid’s Atieva Formula E Battery Packs A Punch For Season 6

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Published on November 22nd, 2019 |

by Nicolas Zart

Lucid’s Atieva Formula E Battery Packs A Punch For Season 6

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November 22nd, 2019 by Nicolas Zart

We haven’t heard much from Atieva lately, the electric vehicle (EV) technology company from Lucid Motors. That’s for a good reason. It is working harder than ever and just announced a new battery pack for Formula E’s 6th season.

The Lucid Motors Air unveiling. Photo by Nicolas Zart

Atieva is the Silicon Valley-based EV technology company held by Lucid Motors. I interviewed Peter Rawlinson, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Technology Officer of Lucid, two years ago after taking a ride in the Air. It was an impressive demonstration of the potential of EVs in general, and specifically the Air, back then in its Alpha stage. Rawlinson has a fascinating background, having worked on the Model S’s architecture. He was Vice President of Vehicle Engineering at Tesla and Chief Engineer of the Model S. He led the engineering of the Model S from a clean sheet to production readiness while building the engineering team. He told me the Lucid Air was the way he wanted to push the envelope further by sculpting the batteries in the car for maximum weight distribution. After that ride, I can say he succeeded in that task with brio. I’ll connect with the team again soon and find out what it is doing and where it is going.

Atieva Packs a Lasting Punch For Formula E
Getting back to today, Atieva just announced it designed the spec battery pack for the entire 24-car Formula E field for the upcoming 2019/20 race season with its partners. We know that the Formula E battery pack was conceptualized, designed, tested, and manufactured by Atieva at its Silicon Valley headquarters in Newark, California.

Atieva acts as Lucid Motors’s technology department. Essentially, Atieva’s prominent role with Formula E means the Lucid Air and future EVs have serious racing DNA electrons running through their nervous systems.

Formula E has also come a long way since when I first interviewed Alejandro Agag and Luca di Grassi in 2014 — a year before the official launch. Today, it is the world’s premier form of electric open-wheel racing. 2019/20 will be the second consecutive season powered by the Atieva-designed battery pack. The big change is that Atieva can power the race with one of its battery packs without it having to recharge or be swapped. Previously, the race cars were limited to a half-race, and thus had to swap cars. The full-race distance comes with increased performance over the course of 14 races next season.

Rawlinson said: “We were delighted with the performance of the pack in Season 5. We are proud that our technology has played a role in advancing this important form of motorsport and we look forward to the upcoming season.”

When Atieva created this powerful battery pack, it relied on its substantial experience and database of battery cells. Its engineers identified the perfect cell with the right balance of energy and power for this specific racing application. The cells went through a battery of simulations — no pun intended — to handle a full race season with the right pack level. Once the correct cell was determined, Atieva’s engineers designed the pack with a unique and innovative trapezium shape to best integrate into the aerodynamic and structural envelope of the race car. They continued with another series of computer-simulated tests and determined key attributes such as thermal management and structural performance.

Atieva says its battery management system (BMS) software was created in-house to ensure the pack performs at its utmost for the duration of the season with no significant degradation. That’s a pretty high degree of engineering with such load on the batteries during the race. As a final note, the packs were manufactured at Atieva’s headquarters.

It’s exciting to hear from Atieva and Lucid Motors again. Something tells me we’re about to hear more from this diligent team that has worked hard behind the scenes to bring us more of the vast potential EVs offer.
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About the Author

Nicolas Zart Nicolas was born and raised around classic cars of the 1920s, but it wasn't until he drove an AC Propulsion eBox and a Tesla Roadster that the light went on. Ever since he has produced green mobility content on various CleanTech outlets since 2007 and found his home on CleanTechnica.

His communication passion led to cover electric vehicles, autonomous vehicles, renewable energy, test drives, podcasts, shoot pictures, and film for various international outlets in print and online. Nicolas offers an in-depth look at the e-mobility world through interviews and the many contacts he has forged in those industries.

His favorite taglines are: “There are more solutions than obstacles.” and “Yesterday's Future Now”

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