Elon Musk caught lying about Tesla Cybertruck beating Porsche 911 in a race
Elon Musk was caught lying about Tesla’s Cybertruck beating a Porsche 911 in a quarter-mile race that never actually happened.
The CEO reiterated the claim, despite it having been debunked for more than a year.
When Tesla unveiled the production version of the Cybertruck, it released a video of the electric pickup truck beating a Porsche 911 in what it claimed to be a 1/4 mile race while towing a Porsche 911.
They released a video of the race and then CEO Elon Musk claimed:
“It can tow a Porsche 911 across the 1/4 mile faster than the Porsche 911 can go by itself.”
However, the claim was quickly challenged for many different reasons.
First off, Tesla is comparing the top-of-the-line Cybertruck, the Cyberbeast, with the Porsche 911 Carrera T, which is the slowest 911. There are literally more than half a dozen variants of the 911 that are faster than the Carrera T or the Cybertruck.
There are some layers to this. Of course, Tesla is trying to highlight an electric pickup truck beating a sports car at “doing what it does best” while the pickup is doing what it does best.
For that, we can let slide the fact that Tesla used a lesser 911.
However, more importantly, the quarter-mile race never actually took place. From the video itself, you can see that the race finishes halfway from the speed boards, which mark the quarter mile.
It means that Tesla only filmed a 1/8-mile race.
The Cybertruck’s lead engineer, Wes Morrill, confirmed that the quarter-mile race never happened outside of simulations:
“The fastest 1/8mi CT hit while towing on the day was 7.808s at 88mph and the trailer tires were only rated to 80mph so we opted to call it a day before someone got hurt. Our simulations showed the full 1/4 mi race would be close but with the same net result, so no need to risk it. We also had some room to further lightweight the trailer but didn’t need to.”
Engineering Explained did the math and challenged the claim that the Cybertruck would beat the 911 while towing:
Furthermore, several people have since recreated a full quarter-mile race, and the Porsche 911 consistently beats the Cybertruck.
Yet, more than a year after the claim was fully debunked, CEO Elon Musk repeated it again:
Tesla has since dropped the claim that the Cybertruck is beating the 911 on the “quarter-mile” and instead only refers to a drag race. However, the CEO is still repeating the quarter-mile claim he made in 2023 when Tesla unveiled the production version of the Cybertruck.
Electrek’s Take
This is an excellent example of Elon Musk or Tesla exaggerating a claim when the truth is already impressive.
They could have performed the 1/8 mile race, made the claim, and it would have been tremendous and truthful marketing.
With that said, I think the whole EV drag race stuff is a bit played out. We know that electric powertrains perform exceptionally well in drag races.
The Porsche 911 is not really a drag race machine; it is a fun sports car that is enjoyable to drive and would ultimately smoke a Cybertruck on an extended race with a lot of cornering.
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Shares of USA Rare Earth jumped in extended trading Thursday, after CEO Barbara Humpton told CNBC that the rare earth miner is “in close communication” with the White House.
Humpton’s comment comes after the Trump administration took a 5% equity stake in Lithium Americas this week. The Defense Department took a 15% stake in rare earth miner MP Materials in July.
“We are in close communication with the administration,” Humpton told CNBC’s Morgan Brennan when asked whether USA Rare Earth was interested in a deal with the Trump administration.
USA Rare Earth stock year to date.
USA Rare Earth shares were last up about 8% after hours. Its stock gained 23% in regular trading Thursday and has nearly doubled this year.
“This is a field where it will not be a zero sum game,” Humpton said of the rare earth supply chain. “It’s going to take a lot of players to build out this marketplace.”
USA Rare Earth is developing a mine in Sierra Blanca, Texas, and a magnet production facility in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Humpton said she supports the Trump administration’s deals with MP and Lithium Americas.
“What we’re doing is keeping the administration informed of our own plans,” she said.
The adminstration has said it is making the investments to help support the industry and break U.S. dependence on China.
Environment
Tesla applies for patent to make Cybertruck look even more ridiculous but more efficient
Tesla has applied for a new patent that would make the Cybertruck look even more ridiculous than it already does, but it would also make towing more efficient.
The Cybertruck is one of, if not the most, polarizing vehicles of all time, and its design is primarily to blame.
Much of the design is due to the use of stainless steel panels and the attempt to make pickup trucks more aerodynamically efficient.
Tesla has managed to improve on the drag coefficient of the average pickup truck.
However, it doesn’t help much with towing a trailer, which is going to catch a lot of that drag.
Tesla has now applied for a new patent on a device that would help push wind over a trailer towed by the Cybertruck.
The American automaker wrote in the abstract of the patent application:
An inflatable aerodynamic deflector to reduce drag and enhance efficiency. Constructed from drop stitch material, it forms one or more air chambers between parallel skins. The component includes a pressure regulation mechanism and diverse attachment interfaces such as rail systems, magnetic fasteners, and quick disconnect clips, distributed along the vehicle for secure mounting. This component acts as an aerodynamic deflector, optimizing airflow around conveyances, especially combination vehicles like tow vehicles and trailers.
In short, Tesla is working on an inflatable device that could sit on the bed of the Cybertruck and rise to close the air gap between the truck, thereby extending the angle of the windshield over the trailer.
Here are some of the drawings from the patent application
Electrek’s Take
To be fair, companies often apply for patents on products that they don’t have concrete plans to bring to production, and this could easily be the case here.
That’s especially true for the Cybertruck.
The program is so much smaller than Tesla anticipated, and with smaller volumes, it makes less sense to launch accessories.
That said, I’m pro everything that makes driving more efficient, regardless of whether it makes a vehicle silly.
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The 2026 Hyundai Kona Electric lineup will be offered in a single trim, but at least it’s the most affordable one.
Here’s the new 2026 Hyundai Kona Electric lineup
With the IONIQ 5 stealing the spotlight, Hyundai is downsizing the 2026 Kona Electric to just one trim — the base SE model.
Hyundai didn’t provide prices, but the 2025 Hyundai Kona Electric SE was the brand’s most affordable EV, starting at just $32,975. The SEL, Limited, and N Line trims will not be offered for the 2026 model year.
In another blow, Hyundai is also dropping the Long Range battery, meaning the 2026 Kona Electric will only be available with the Standard Range battery.
The Long Range 64.8 kWh battery offers a driving range of up to 261 miles, while the Standard Range 48.6 kWh battery delivers a driving range of just 200 miles. The only other change is that the SE trim will now include a larger console tray.
With new models arriving, like the 2026 Nissan LEAF and the 2027 Chevy Bolt EV, the Kona Electric will no longer be one of the few EVs starting under $35,000.
Nissan claims the 2026 LEAF “has the lowest starting MSRP for any new EV currently on sale in the US” at just $29,990. The new LEAF also offers significantly more range, with over 300 miles, and features a NACS port for recharging at Tesla Superchargers.
While it’s cutting the Kona Electric lineup, Hyundai appears to be focused on its top-selling EV for 2026, the IONIQ 5.
Following the expiration of the federal EV tax credit, Hyundai reduced prices on the 2026 IONIQ 5 by up to nearly $10,000 on certain trims. The 2026 IONIQ 5 now starts at just $35,000. It’s also extending the $7,500 credit for 2025 models.
Is the Kona Electric on its way out with the IONIQ 5 now available for about the same price? Either that, or Hyundai will have to cut prices on the Kona EV to stay competitive.
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