UPDATE: Tesla Model Q is reportedly coming in first half 2025: Here’s what it will cost
By Joey Klender
Update 7:37 p.m. ET: The Wall Street Journal’s Becky Peterson reports having a copy of Deutsche Bank’s report. Here’s what she said:
“I got a copy of the Deutsche Bank report. Here’s what it does say: 1. Travis Axelrod met with DB for its Autonomous Driving Day on December 5 in NYC. 2. DB describes “the new Tesla model” which it calls “Model Q”. 3. DB says it will launch in the first half of 2025, and will cost less than $30k with subsidies, or $37,499 if Trump cancels the IRA tax credit. 4. DB says it will be built on Tesla’s existing lines.
The report doesn’t say anything about Redwood, the internal code name for a mass market vehicle, built on a new platform, which Musk paused earlier this year. It also doesn’t say anything about the size or cost, or how it might differ from a Model 3.
A couple of more points of context: Tesla told investors on its Q3 earnings call that its plans to deliver a more affordable model in H1 2025. They said that to do that it will lower the price of its current line up and then eventually sell robotaxis. When asked about a non-robotaxi, $25,000 car Musk said: ‘We’re not making a non-robo…’”
We can encapsulate that the Model Q is Deutsche Bank’s name for the vehicle, not Tesla’s. Model Q is still a label used by those outside of Tesla.
Paragraph 5 has also been updated for accuracy as Tesla China has now appeared to have commented on the Model Q report.
Tesla is reportedly planning to launch the affordable Model Q in the first half of next year, a massive development to the company’s plans as it aims to offer a cheaper car that will help expand its annual growth rate.
One of Tesla’s plans moving past 2024 was to launch a new platform that will enable more cost-effective models, bringing the vehicles to a new demographic and perhaps expanding sales for years to come.
Rumors of the Model Q, Model 2, and others have floated around the community for a very long time, but now it seems we have some substance with a new report out of China.
According to a report from Globalchinaev, Tesla announced during an investor meeting with Deutsche Bank that it has plans to launch the Model Q for less than $30,000, aiming to compete with vehicles like the BYD Dolphin and Volkswagen ID.3.
Earlier today, Tesla China said it had “no information to share about the Model Q,” via MKTnews.net.
Tesla said early this year that investors should expect a lower growth rate in 2024 because of the company’s focus on the next-generation platform that would bring more affordable vehicles.
It also said on more than one occasion that it plans to bring affordable models to market in the first half of 2025.
Both of these things would align with the report, which details the vehicle as part of the rumored “Project Redwood” that we reported on during January of this year.
The report says the vehicle will be 15 percent smaller and 30 percent lighter than the Model 3, bringing a more compact vehicle to the Tesla lineup. With Tesla also focusing on the Robotaxi and its Full Self-Driving efforts, this vehicle will likely be as minimalist as possible.
It will feature a steering wheel and pedals for the time being, but will be geared toward autonomous driving functionality.
Need some awesome accessories for your Tesla in time for the Holidays? Check out the Teslarati Marketplace:
- https://shop.teslarati.com/collections/tesla-cybertruck-accessories
- https://shop.teslarati.com/collections/tesla-model-y-accessories
- https://shop.teslarati.com/collections/tesla-model-3-accessories
Please email me with questions and comments at joey@teslarati.com. I’d love to chat! You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.
Super RAD CyberTruck Aurora Wrap
Joseph Torbati is my favorite CyberTruck wrapper, and his video reviews are second to none. In this video whoever shows off an UltraFit XP Aurora Purple Color Shifting PPF, which is totally over the top insane looking!!!!
I have covered Joeseph’s amazing OCDetailing wraps in the past, but his one is just sublime!!!https://www.youtube.com/embed/x5FRtZ_xmBA?si=9waqlq9eCGhPQ6l3
Posted by Jake Ehrlich at 4:29 AM 0 comments
Labels: OCDetailing
Saturday, November 8, 2025
Great CyberTruck Review
Great CyberTruck Review
I have probably watched EVERY single CyberTruck review video on YouTube at least once, and most of them are a terrible waste of time. In other words, most of them are clickbaity, and say, ‘blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, the CyberTruck doesn’t look like any other vehicle on the road, and it has drive by wire steering coupled with 4 wheel steering which is very unique’.
I want to learn about cool insight that everybody doesn’t already know, or isn’t painfully obvious, and that kind of ‘out of the box’ insight only come from critical thinking, and is hard to come by, and that is what makes TeslaMagazine.org far different than any other online Tesla resource. As you may know I have been publishing RolexMagazine.com for 18 years, and it’s exactly the same, in the sense it’s not like any other online Rolex resource.
The video review of the CyberTruck seen above is hosted by Dan Markham and is a pretty good review, as it offers some interesting insights. I was shocked to discover that he NEVER removed the wheel covers in the whole 7 months he’s owned his CyberTruck, and he points out that your fingers will get all dirty removing them.
This is true, and why I wear gloves when removing the covers. What he doesn’t point out is the extreme benefit, of these covers is that since they protect your entire wheel, not only can you not get curb rash, but also they are wicked-easy to clean as you don’t need to clean rims with all kinds of specialty brushes. For the record, I removed my rims a few days after having owned my CyberTruck, which explains why I thought it was strange it took him 7 months to do so, and I also thought it was kinda weird that he was complaining about getting his fingers dirty. I mean, welcome to the real world, as that will happen to ANY and EVERY vehicle if you don’t clean them.
He also makes a point about how if you charge at the SuperCharger, it cost much more to charge up a CyberTruck than a Model Y, on a per mile basis. In other words, on a long road trip, the cost to charge up a Model Y, is close to twice as much to cover the same amount of miles. This makes sense as the CyberTruck is close to double the size and weight of the Model S, and the CyberTruck is King of the Road, where the Model Y is generic. Speaking of generic looks, I think his blacked out CyberTruck, looks pretty RaaaaaaD.
Speaking of Tesla Superchargers, I took the photo below at a Tesla Supercharger in Ashland, Oregon and I was shocked at how many different brands were charging at the same time. It’s like the United Nations of Superchargers as we see Rivian, Chevy, in the image below, but I also see Ford Lightning and all kinds of other brands charging at Tesla Superchargers. Basically, most other brands, including Mercedes and BMW, just gave up, and threw the towel in and capitulated to Tesla for charging. In my estimation this is a harbinger and sign of things to come in the automotive space, as I believe in the next couple of years we will see the same thing play out with FSD. In other words, I think many, if not all these brands will switch over to FSD, cause if you can’t beat em, you better join em.
I remember when Elon mentioned years ago that Tesla would not operate the service centers or superchargers as profit centers, which never really made sense to me. One thing that is crystal clear, is the cost to Supercharge is far more expensive that charging at home, depending unless you live in California which suffers from ridiculously high energy prices.
For the record, I am working on a super detailed video review of my CyberTruck, and I promise once I publish it will be unlike any other video review. I am also working on a number or reviews for superb accessories for the CyberTruck. As previously mentioned, I have watched EVERY CyberTruck review video, including videos on CyberTruck accessories, and I a surprised at many of the products people say they like, as so many of them are a waste of time and money. Since I am a hardcore designer, you can rest assured that I will be scrutinizing all CyberTruck accessories and ONLY sharing information on great products, so stay tuned for that as well!One More Thang
Dan Markham also shot this AMAZING documentary on how he wrapped his CyberTruck, and it’s chock full of amazing insight. 12 minutes in, he give an amazing demo on the self healing characteristics of PPF, which blew my mind!!!!
https://www.youtube.com/embed/r70zVOyjhiY?si=geyRxr5HThb_mtat
Posted by Jake Ehrlich at 5:53 PM 0 comments
Labels: Cybertruck review, Video, Video Review
Thursday, November 6, 2025
Tesla Annual Shareholder Meeting 2025
Tesla Annual Shareholder Meeting 2025
Elon’s $1 Trillion pay package was passed today by voters with more than 75% voting for it. Also the shareholders approved authorizing a potential investment in XAI. One this is crystal clear, and that’s fact that the Best is Yet to Come!!!
Posted by Jake Ehrlich at 8:12 PM 0 comments
Labels: Elon Musk, Tesla Annual Shareholder Meeting, Tesla Annual Shareholder Meeting 2025, Video
Friday, October 24, 2025
How To Clean A CyberTruck in 15 minutes for under $5
How To Clean A CyberTruck in 15 minutes for under $5?
The title above was from the second video below, and in my experience I would say a more accurate title would be, “How to perfectly clean a CyberTruck exterior in 45 Minutes for under $2“.
UPDATE: I was so fascinated by the videos below, I went to Walmart and purchased cans of Sprayway Glass Cleaner with Foaming Action for $2.48 per spray bottle. BTW: I also found them in a 4-pack at Home Depot for $7.26, which is only $1.82 per bottle!?!!
I used a total of 6 clean Costco microfiber towels, and one entire spray bottle of Sprayway. It did an amazing job, and made the CyberTruck look brand spanking new!!!! This was after having not washed it for a month. All in, it took about 45 minutes, and it started raining just as I finished up. After I got done dialing in cleaning all the stainless panels and windows, I took the saturated Costco microfiber towels, and used them to wipe down the door sits and Core Wheel Hubcaps and tires, which also looked great.
So the bottom line, is that for $2.50, and 6 Clean Microfiber towels, and 40 minutes of time I was able to perfectly able to clean my CyberTruck and make it look perfect—like it was detailed. The coolest aspect is I didn’t have to mix anything, or use sponges or buckets, or clean up afterwards. My CyberTruck was pretty dirty when I started out, and in the future I will experiment more with this brilliant method, and update this article accordingly.
Another great takeaway for me personally is how amazingly simple a CyberTruck is to clean. Especially the wheels and tires, as the core wheel covers get wiped down and perfectly cleaned in less than 30 seconds, as you don’t have to use a wheel brush, and you don’t have to worry about curb rash either, since the covers are made out of a rubbery ABS plastic that completely covers the edge of the wheels, leaving them unexposed.
For the record, a few days after I took delivery I tried cleaning my CyberTruck with Windex after noticing a comment on a CyberTruck forum from somebody saying they liked how good of job it did. I tried using the Windex, but noticed it left some streaking, which the Sprayway did NOT.
The Sprayway cleaned it all perfectly. Not just the windows and stainless, but the black plastic wheel wells and bumpers. I used a total of 6 Costco microfiber towels, and the method I came up with was I would first do a deep clean with towel, then once it got saturated, and had materially cleaned a section, then I would go back over it with a new clean towel, which would not get that saturated. Then I would take that still pretty clean towel I had used to polish the finish, and then spray a new section and get it wet. Once a towel reach a saturation point, I would open the doors, and use it on the door sills, and then on the dirty tires and wheels.
I have been obsessed for a while about trying to figure out the best method for being able to clean a Tesla as quickly as possible, and naturally I came across the product named Rubbit, which I thought was interesting, but I didn’t purchase or try it, but when I thought about it, I realized that the Sprayway CyberTruck cleaning method is was essentially exactly like the Rubbit, but:
-I didn’t have to purchase $150 worth of product.
-I didn’t have to charge up a USB-C sprayer, or worry if it was charged.
-I didn’t have to measure solution and mix it with water.
-It cost me $2.48 for one spray can of Sprayway, which covered the entire vehicle.
Rubbit Foam 2.0 costs $45 for a bottle that can cover up to 25 washes, which works out to about $2 per wash, but if you amortize the cost of the sprayer, probably ends up being closer to $4-5 per wash.
Now I am all curious about what would happen if I use Sprayway on a Tesla with paint? I will research it to see if it’s safe, and if so, will tryin it out, and write a review of that experience.
I think in my quest to find the absolute simplest, easiest, most hassle free method to clean a vehicle, and certainly a CyberTruck, the Sprayway method seems like it must be the absolute winner. Also, it strikes me that when you go on a long drive Sprayway would also be great as you can keep a can in the subtrunk, under the bed, with some clean Costco microfiber towels, and just clean the front of the CyberTruck, or the whole thing if time and weather permit, when you are at a Supercharger. Speaking of Costco microfiber towels, they sell a 36 pack of them for around $20. The big advantage to using Costco microfiber towels, is you don’t have to purchase a bunch of expensive big microfiber towels that you have to baby so you don’t damage them.
Update #2: October 31, 2025:
I did some more research and realized that Costco sells a proprietary version of Sprayway Glass Cleaner, which is $8.59 for 4 Spray Cans, which works out to around $2.15 per canister, but the Costco version is 23 Ounces as apposed to the standard 19 ounces that everybody else sells.
This is significant, as when I used the 19 ounce version not only did I end up using an entire spray can, but at the end the spray can ran out, and I was thinking to myself, if it just had a few more ounces, it would be perfect. So while the Home Depot version might be a little bit less expensive @ $1.85, I would rather have 23 ounces, which should be more the perfect amount to thourogphly lean an entire CyberTruck, including the rims, tires and windows.
————–Original Article Below————-I just watched this video, and it blew my mind. I plan to try it out, and will publish my results once I have had the chance to experiment with this product. When I had a Model S, I was always preoccupied with the paint, not only cleaning it all the time, but was always freaked out about the paint getting scratched, as well as door dings. With the CyberTruck, that is not an issue at all, and since the CyberTruck is silver, or grey, it’s essentially the color of dust, so it stays far cleaner looking than any other color.
My Model S was blue, which was beautiful, but it was a magnet for dust, and dirt. Chris Rock, famously once quipped, when it comes to women, there are women that are high maintenance and low maintenance. I say, keep them both away from me. What I want is NO MAINTENANCE!!!! And that’s the greatest takeaway when it comes to the way it looks. It’s a truck, and thus I don’t really care what it looks like…
Posted by Jake Ehrlich at 2:58 AM 0 comments
Labels: CyberTruck, How to clean a CyberTruck, Video
Tuesday, October 7, 2025
More Cheap ‘Diet’ Tesla Models: I am NOT a Fan
More Cheap ‘Diet’ Tesla Models
I am NOT a Fan
Great things happen when you push the envelope.
Mediocrity sets in when you stay in your comfort zone.
Tesla just released the new “Diet” Model Y and Model 3, and I am NOT impressed. I think Tesla trying to move downmarket is a big mistake as these stripped down models lose their mojo. It’s like John Travolta once said “If you are going to have a chocolate chip cookie, have a chocolate chip cookie.” Nobody wants a diet chocolate chip cookie with 3 chocolate chips.
Ironically, the new cheap seat underwhelming Model Y also lacks Autopilot as a standard feature, which has everybody scratching their heads, as this makes zero sense. I mean this model is completely stripped own and lacks even power folding mirrors, and they even removed the power seat controls from the seat side, and now require the user to go into a screen menu setting to move the seats.
This new Model Y is super slow doing 0-60MPH in 6.8 seconds, which is horrendously slow for a Tesla, let alone any electric vehicle!?!! This poor performance unfortunately puts the overall acceleration way out of the ideal Goldilocks zone, thus making it more than twice as slow as the Performance Model Y, which does 0-60MPH in only 3.3 seconds, which is impressive!!!
Tesla also removed the standard dual pane windows and replaced them with single pane, and despite keeping the glass roof, strangely covered it with a headliner.
I recently wrote in detail about how stupid the stripped down 2WD CyberTruck was that Tesla released, only to discontinue it almost immediately afterward as nobody purchased them.
For the record, when Tesla decided to make a stripped down CyberTruck that nobody wanted or purchased, it cost a lot of R&D money to make all the custom changes, like the super goofy new tonneau cover, which ended up being a complete waste of precious time and resources for Tesla.
In my opinion, these stripped down models are just another pathetic cash-grab from Tesla, which is very short sighted. I recall the Porsche 912, which was a 4 cylinder 911, that didn’t last long either, and that’s for a reason.
With the watered down 2WD CyberTruck, Tesla was like, “Hey, we lowered the price by $10K!!!!” and I was like, “Yeah, but you removed $20K worth of cool features!?!!”
Same thing here. Tesla lowered the price by $5k, and easily removed $10K worth of features. All I see here is “Cash Grab, Cash Grab, Cash Grab!!!!” and I don’t like this cheap strategy. In the early days of Tesla, they would include all these extra features and accessories, like including a charging cable, which they now charge separately for.
They even used to include a free electric kids Tesla with the purchase of a Model S or Model Y, but not anymore. Now they charge for EVERYTHING, which is fine so long as they are not charging to take away useful features, which is the case with the new stripped down Model Y and Model 3. I did predict immediately that Tesla would discontinue the stripped down 2WD CyberTruck, and I was right, as they did.
Do I think they are going to discontinue these stripped down new Model Y and Model 3 vehicles? It’s hard to say, but I think they will definitely lower the price on them soon. For instance, the new Standard RWD Model Y, now starts at $39,990, and I would not be surprised within 4 months from its introduction (in Q1 of 2026) the price gets dropped down $10K to $29,990.
On a positive note, I will say I like the aesthetic of the new Model Y better which lacks the CyberTruck-like lightbar. I think removing the lightbar gives it a cleaner, more minimalist look and vibe. On a negative note, cloth seats, YUUUUUUUUCK!!!! In my opinion, as a designer, I think Tesla should focus its energy on adding valuable features, not taking them away. Tesla is great at making cars that surprise and delight and inspire and push the envelope. Vehicles that people aspire to own. Not uninspiring mediocre crap cars.
If I had to sum up these new models in one word, I would say “Booooooooring!?!!” Tesla should only seek to surprise and delight, not to deliver ultra boring and uninspiring vehicles that are stripped down. These new models offer features nobody is asking for or wants. Tesla should focus all of its energy on innovating and raising the bar, not on going backwards, by seriously dumbing down their vehicles.
