Cybertruck ‘Release Candidate’ spotted supercharging, shows why we need V4
A Tesla Cybertruck labeled as an “RC Engineering Prototype” has been spotted supercharging in Las Vegas, showing why V4 superchargers will be needed as more vehicles get access to the supercharger network.
The Tesla Cybertruck is coming soon, and we’ve been seeing more and more pics and videos of it testing in recent days. We’ve seen it towing a trailer, with the frunk open and liner installed, and the components under the hood and the interior.
We’ve also seen it wearing silly wraps, looking like an F-150 or a Tundra. But now we’re seeing it in new clothes, with stickers on the side and rear that say “RC_BUILD ENGINEERING PROTOTYPE.”
In software, “RC” stands for “release candidate” and is used to designate an internal build of software that is basically the final internal version before release. It’s further along than the alpha and beta versions would be.
And so, this is the “final” version of the Cybertruck before going into full production, if Tesla’s stickers are to be believed.
In the video, we can see that the RC has several wires and sensors attached. Two are taped to the vehicle near the charging port (which makes sense if they’re testing supercharging), and one runs between the tow hitch area and the rear passenger window. The driver of the truck is an employee wearing a “McKinley Laboratory” T-shirt, though, as you might expect, he couldn’t say anything about what was happening.
The video, posted to YouTube by Tesla Uber Guy, shows the truck charging at a supercharger, but due to the truck’s size, the cable is looking a bit stretched. There’s still some slack in it, but not much, and you can tell that the truck is cheated to the right side of the parking spot to give a little extra room:
Anyone who has supercharged will know that the cables aren’t very long and don’t give you a ton of wiggle room when backing into a spot. You feel like you need to get quite close to the curb/charger in order to reach it. (Hmm, it sure would be nice to have parking sensors to help with that.)
But the Cybertruck compounds this problem by being a much larger vehicle and thus taking up most of the spot. Tesla says the Cybertruck will be the first sub-19-foot pickup with four doors and a 6-foot bed, but that’s still about 3 feet longer than a Model 3, and it will be wider as well. The Cybertruck’s charging port is on the wheel well, which is a little further forward in the vehicle than the ports that are placed beside the taillight in other Teslas.
This Cybertruck RC also has a tow hitch attached, which in the video looks like it’s very close to bumping against the “Tesla charging only” sign:
This chonky boi may have been able to supercharge just fine in this video, but it might be more difficult in a crowded lot (due to cheating to one side of the spot) or if the tailgate on the truck is down due to hauling things. In that case, V2/V3 superchargers seem like they simply won’t have enough slack to reach the charging port above the wheel well of the Cybertruck.
Luckily, the new V4 superchargers are rolling out, and one major improvement they come with is longer cables. Instead of the short cables on previous supercharger versions, the V4 includes a roughly 10-foot-long cable.
And they can’t come soon enough. With the Cybertruck set to hit the road imminently, and with other manufacturers committing to NACS, there will no longer be one standard placement for Tesla supercharger spots – on the far left rear corner of the car.
Having more reach will allow cars to charge if their ports are in different places or on the “wrong” side of the vehicle. We’re already seeing some chaotic situations after Tesla installed the Magic Dock that allows other cars to use superchargers. So V4 can’t come fast enough.
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Founded in 1689, Husqvarna was a musket maker for the king of Sweden – but now, the company best known for quirky motorcycles and commercial riding mowers is becoming an innovator in the field of robotics, and its latest fleet of electric autonomous mowers are eager to get grazing.
Husqvarna’s autonomous lawnmowers made history earlier this year at the AIG Women’s Open, when they became the first autonomous groundskeeping solution to see duty during a UK Major golf week.
“At the AIG Women’s Open, the Husqvarna portfolio is helping us deliver this goal through improved resource management, regular lightweight mowing and reduced carbon usage,” explains Royal Porthcawl’s Course Manager, Ian Kinley, who has championed the use of robotic technology at the course. “With the AIG Women’s Open set to be the largest-ever women’s sporting event in Wales, we know there’s tremendous pressure to produce playing surfaces that are worthy of such a high-profile event.”
The robots themselves operate a bit differently than Husqvarna’s traditional line of big, bad, zero-turn riding mowers that whip through thick grass once or twice a month with heavy, whirling blades. Instead, they employ a series of tiny razor blades that gently nibble at the grass daily – just like little electric sheep grazing on the turf.
“That cutting system, developed by Husqvarna engineers, has then become the basis for the entire robot mower industry, of which we’re the market leader,” Nick Rawson, VP of Strategy and Business Development at Husqvarna told Forbes.
Events like the AIG Women’s Open are proving that the little robot Huskies can get the job done quietly, sustainably, and with significantly less operator input. As such, you’d think everyone at Husqvarna would be excited about them.
You’d be wrong. The company’s franchise dealers have been hesitant to push them forward, effectively putting the parent company in the position of going B2C, or going home.
“Dealers live and breathe the previous technology,” said Yvette Henshall-Bell, Husqvarna’s President of its Forest and Garden division for Europe, in that same Forbes piece. “They want to protect that servicing, that aftermarket revenue. Whereas if they really thought about what the customer’s problems are and the job to be done, they would be looking at a completely different solution.”
A solution, frankly, that looks a lot like a little robot mower.
The things, themselves
Husqvarna offers three types of autonomous electric mowers aimed at commercial golf courses, but the Husqvarna CEORA for large-area mowing, and Husqvarna Automower, for smaller, steeper and more complex areas, are the models relevant to this story.
The bigger CEORA can handle up to 18 acres of ground twice each week, while the Automower, with its 80V battery and pinpoint precision EPOS (Exact Positioning Operating System) software, can handle another 2.5 acres. Both are fully electric, and can guide themselves back to their pens to recharge as needed.
Prices aren’t public, but the Husqvarna CEORA and Automowers are available as part of a custom lease package through Husqvarna Finance that will include access to the company’s customizable back end and ongoing support. Check with your local dealer for more.
Electrek’s Take
As a typically pro-union, pro-labor type of guy, I am hesitant to heap praise upon a robot taking away anyone’s job. That said, it does seem to be difficult for landscapers and construction crews to keep and find good labor at rates they can afford (and, let’s face it – the current Trump Administration isn’t going to be making that any easier). As such, if companies like Husqvarna and John Deere and Einride and others can build a demonstrably better mousetrap at a compelling price point … good for them. (?)
Let us know what you think in the comments.
SOURCES: Forbes, Golf Monthly; images by Husqvarna.
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Environment
Podcast: Apple CarPlay in Tesla cars, VW on Superchargers, Toyota electric pickup, and more
In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss Apple CarPlay possibly coming to Tesla cars, VW getting access to Superchargers, a Toyota electric pickup, and more.
The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.
As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.
After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:
We now have a Patreon if you want to help us avoid more ads and invest more in our content. We have some awesome gifts for our Patreons and more coming.
Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast:
Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET:
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US EV sales declined in October following the expiration of the $7,500 federal tax credit on September 30, and the average transaction price (ATP) edged up, according to initial estimates from Kelley Blue Book, a Cox Automotive brand. However, there are still deals to be had.
Kelley Blue Book’s initial estimates show that US EV sales fell to 74,835 in October, down 48.9% from September, which was a record month, and 30.3% year-over-year.
Prices also ticked up. The average transaction price (ATP) for a new EV climbed 1.6% month-over-month to $59,125, which is 2.3% higher than a year ago.
Tesla didn’t escape the downturn, but it held up better than the overall EV market. The company’s ATP fell 1.1% from September to $53,526, and its prices are 5.5% lower than they were in October 2024. Sales of the Model 3 and Model Y both declined month-over-month, and overall Tesla sales decreased by 35.3% from September and 23.6% year-over-year, which are smaller declines compared to the broader EV segment.
Cox Automotive senior analyst Stephanie Valdez Streaty said the shift wasn’t surprising:
We expected this shift in the electric vehicle market. With the IRA-backed sales incentives gone, lower-cost EV volume was hit hard, pushing the mix toward more luxury and driving October’s EV ATP to a 2025 high of $59,125 – now $9,359 above the industry average. Affordability has always been the core challenge with EV sales, and this reset only underscores how critical it is to bring more attainable EV options to market.
Electrek’s Take
September was a record-breaking month for both EV deals and sales. Dealers were offering all sorts of sweet incentives to stack with the federal tax credit to move cars off the lot. October’s sales drop was entirely anticipated, like a pounding headache after a big blowout party.
We didn’t know what the post-federal tax credit EV market would look like. As Valdez Streaty rightly states, EVs do have a higher ATP than the industry average. But it turns out that, so far, it’s not all doom and gloom, and the federal tax credit isn’t the only incentive in town.
Every month, I compile great EV lease deals, and for the last few months, some EVs’ monthly lease payments have been cheaper than before the federal tax credit expired. Many states are still offering rebates on EV purchases, and dealers still have really good deals. While cheaper models would definitely be welcome, there are good deals available right now.
And let’s not forget the fact that EVs are much cheaper to drive than gas cars, with or without that tax credit.
Read more: From $189 a month: 5 of the best EV lease deals in November [Updated]
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