How California Tried and Failed To Destroy Tesla

 

How California Tried and Failed To Destroy Tesla

Tesla's Fremont Expansion Shutdown: A Blow to California's EV Ambitions

California has lost its woke mind, and as a native-born and raised San Franciscan who watched Elon Musk revolutionize the automobile industry by literally electrifying it right here in Fremont, this story is both heartbreaking and disturbing. What was once a beacon of innovation and jobs—the Tesla Fremont factory—now stands as a symbol of how overzealous regulations can drive progress away. 

I grew up seeing the old NUMMI plant transform into a cutting-edge EV powerhouse, employing thousands and putting California at the forefront of the green revolution. But aggressive policies, endless bureaucracy, and punitive laws have turned that dream into a cautionary tale.

This YouTube video from Sophia Miller, posted January 17, 2026, delivers a razor-sharp, highly informative, no-holds-barred analysis of California's self-inflicted wound—it's absolutely AMAZING, must-watch, and spot-on in every way!!!

Tesla canceled its Fremont factory expansion, announced in 2021 to add 500,000 annual vehicles and 4,000 jobs.

California's delays, multiple agency permits, and AB 1346 (net-zero emissions by 2030, adding ~$600M costs) made it unviable. Tesla spent over $80M on compliance with no approvals.

Result: $4,000 higher per-vehicle cost vs. Texas (~$2B annual disadvantage at scale), leading to cancellation in 2023. Focus shifted to Texas/Nevada incentives.

Impacts: 4,000 direct jobs lost, 15,000+ indirect; $30M annual tax revenue gone amid $23B state shortfall.

California's aggressive policies backfired—pushing manufacturing out, not destroying Tesla.

Me and Governor Newsom

I recently ran into California Governor Gavin Newsom at our 40th Redwood High School reunion in October 2025. While standing in line for my badge, I turned around—and there he was.

Back when Gavin first ran for mayor of San Francisco, I worked on his campaign. One night at Balboa Cafe, we were discussing his chances. He asked if I thought he’d win. I said, “Of course you’re going to win!” When he pressed me why I was so sure, I told him: “I think you’re going to become President of the United States one day—this is just the first step.”

He looked genuinely surprised and asked what made me believe that. I answered: “Gavin, you have that JFK vibe Americans love, and your oratory skills rival Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Your path to the White House is clear.”

He seemed flattered, thanked me for the support, and said he hoped I was right.

Fast forward to now. As a native-born Californian, I’m stunned by how poorly the state is managed. The dysfunction feels absurd, and I hold Gavin largely responsible.

Yet here’s the strange part: when we spoke at the reunion, he was as charming, charismatic, and articulate as ever. We had a great conversation. In person, he’s thoughtful and intelligent. 

Governor Gavin Newsom & Jake Ehrlich at their 40th Redwood High School Reunion in 2025. 

Two San Francisco kids who went very, very different ways...

That leaves me deeply perplexed—how can California be falling apart under someone who seems so capable, charismatic and competent up close?

Do I still think Gavin will become President? Yes. I believe he’s very likely to be the next President of the United States. Let that sink in.

For the record, I also don’t think the American people truly elect the President. I believe he’s always chosen by the powers that be.

The news that Tesla is completely moving out of California totally bums me out...After I purchased my first Tesla in 2014, which was a P85D Model S (pictured below), Tesla invited me to take a tour of their factory, which completely blew my mind!!! 

California's war on Tesla didn't destroy the company—it only accelerated its exodus to freer states. As a lifelong Californian who once believed in the promise of innovation here, I now watch with sadness as jobs, investment, and progress are quickly fleeing. The Fremont factory remains a symbol of what could have been, but Tesla thrives anyway. The real loss is California's.

Fascinatingly Bizarre CyberTruck Video

 

Fascinatingly Bizarre CyberTruck Video

This is one of the most bizarre video's I have ever watched in my life—in a good way. Instead of spelling it out for your, I just recommend you watch it:

Tesla will stop selling FSD after February 14, 2026

 

Elon Musk Announces 

Tesla will stop selling FSD after February 14, 2026

Elon Musk tweeted today that Tesla will stop selling FSD after February 14, 2026, and will only be available as a monthly subscription thereafer. 

What exactly does this mean and what are the ramifications? The greatest question is "Once FSD goes unsupervised, how will this effect customer vehicles that purchased FSD?"

It's pretty likely that once Tesla solves FSD "Unsupervised", it will offer two tiers of Subscription as follows:

1. FSD (Supervised). I would imagine Tesla will continue offering supervised FSD for $99 a month. I assume this would work similarly to the way supervised FSD works today, but the driver would be required to sit in the front seat of their Tesla, and supervise the vehicle. This might allow drivers to text on their phone while driving, if the car senses it's safe to do so, but if not, the vehicle will naaag the user and tell them to take over.

2. FSD (Unsupervised). This next level would allow users to sleep in the back seat of a Tesla if they want, as it would require no supervision, and I would expect Tesla to charge $299 per month for this service, and if you purchase this as a subcription that is pre-paid 6 months in advance the price would drop down to $249 per month.

There is also some fascinating speculation that Tesla might offer a per mile subscription as well for Unsupervised FSD, which is covered in the video below:

From what I can tell, for users who pre-paid the $8-15K for FSD, which is currently $8K, once Tesla offers Unsupervised FSD, they will get full FSD (Unsupervised) at no additional charge. Thus, if they start charing $3,600 a year for FSD Unsupervised in the not so distant future then vehicles where owners who purchased the $8K FSD package, might end up saving some good money if they keep their cars for many years.

Transportation as a Service

Will Tesla Keep Selling Cars To The Public?

One of the great questions is, "Will Tesla even keep selling cars to the public?" I think the answer to this question has to do with what Tesla feels they can get away with. I think in a vacuum, if Tesla could figure out a way to stop selling vehicles to customers they would take it and only make vehicles that go directly into their RoboTaxi fleet. In other words, why would they want to make a Standard RWD or AWD Tesla Model X they can sell to a customer for $40-50K, when they can build the same car, and rent it out by the mile and in the first 4 years generate 10 times the amount of money?

The only variable that will likely stop Tesla from doing this, ironically, is competitors. If a company like LUCID or Rivian, or even Toyota, can figure out how to make vehicles that can offers a form of unsupervised FSD-like performance, that might force Tesla to compete in that space, but then again, perhaps not. Either way it will be very interesting to see where this all goes.

As I have mentioned before, I strongly believe the following:

1. Tesla has had the entire automotive industry in check mate since 2017, but very few people realized it.

2. Elon directed Franz and his design team in 2023: "I want you to stop all meaningful product development on the Model 3, Y, S, X and CyberTruck, and simply finish up the Roadster. Then I want you to focus 100% of your energy on developing they next generation of Tesla vehicles that lack steering wheels and front facing seats, which include CyberVAN, and new form-factors, including the CyberTaxi which still will have front facing seats, but lack a steering wheel.

I believe that the ONLY new model that will be introduced in the future that will include a steering wheel will be the new Tesla Roadster.

Ferrari Pursangue v.Tesla Model Y Performance

More is Less

Ferrari Pursangue v. 

Tesla Model Y Performance 

Ferrari’s Purosangue—translated as “thoroughbred”—from Italian carries a name that promises purebred Italian passion. In reality, it delivers a $524,000, 715-hp, naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12 SUV burdened by complexity, weight (over 4,800 lbs), and old-school engineering.

I find the styling of the Ferrari Purosangue to be extremely unappealing, as it looks like modern Toyota Prius (pictured below) copy, with a wagon back and Ferrari badges slapped all over it!?!! I think the Ferrari looks really stupid on both the outside and inside, and is a HORRIBLE investment for people who love wasting money... A CyberTruck destroys this car in every way possible, for 20% or less of the cost...

I would say the Ferrari name of "Purosangue", which is not memorable in any way, nor is it even pronounceable as a name, pretty much sums up the vehicle, if you ask me. I think if Ferrari named this vehicle "The Rube Goldberg" model, it would have been more accurate and appealing. The supreme irony—at least in my mind—is the sales tax on the Ferrari is around the same price as the total cost of the Model Y Performance!?!!

Brooks Weisblat from DragTimes put both cars to the test. The Ferrari Purosangue runs 0–60 mph in 3.55 seconds and the quarter-mile in 11.43 seconds at 123 mph. Respectable numbers—until you compare them to the Tesla Model Y Performance.

For just $58,000, the Model Y Performance delivers 510 horsepower, instant torque, and a 0–60 mph in 3.49 seconds, with a quarter-mile in 11.4 seconds at 121 mph. In acceleration and real-world usability, the Tesla holds its own or edges ahead, especially considering traction and launch consistency.

Brooks does an amazing job of comparing and contrasting the $500,000 Ferrari to the $60,000 Tesla Model S Performance model, which basically smokes the Ferrari—badly.

This video clearly illustrates why Tesla had the entire automotive industry in check mate. For instance, the $60K Tesla has FSD built-in, and the Ferrari has none. The Ferrari Purosangue has an interior that looks like the Goodwill blew up, and the Tesla has a zen-like ultra simple interior. The Ferrari has 18 cubic feet of cargo area in the back, and the Model Y has 72 cubic feet of cargo space. I rest my case, your honor...

JAKEeWRAP 3D Rear Pyramid Window Sail Panel

 

Real World

JAKEeWRAP

3D Rear Pyramid Window Sail Panel

If you are a regular reader of Jake's Tesla World you are likely aware of the long saga on how I finally brought my JAKEeWRAP CyberTruck to reality. One of the latest details I experimented with was trying to figure out how to make the pyramid rear sail panel actually look like a glass window. My original spec called for simply using STEK glossy PPF, which looked great, and I coupled this by having Jay's Tint Shop in Kirkland, Washington tint my windows, as well as black out my window sills.

I typically refer to the trifecta of dark tinted windows as SUNGLASSES for my CyberTruck, with the black PPF strips on the window sills as MASCARA, and the rear pyramid sail panel, which completes the pyramid window shape, as EYE LINER, but I wasn't happy with just having the glossy rear pyramid PPF panel be glossy. 

My design mind told me there was something missing, so I kept experimenting and had Jay's Tint Shop ad a think STEK PPF in matte black top and bottom edge to the rear panel to significantly enhance it to make it look way more 3-Dimensional, and as we see with the close up below, it worked out pretty well, as it creates the optical illusion of continuing the shadow cast by the cantrail down onto the top of the side windows.

New JAKEeERAP rear pyramid sail panel detail ads upper and lower window shadow using matte PPF strips

I still have more experimenting to do with the JAKEeWRAP, so stay tuned, and if you own a CyberTruck, or are thinking about purchasing one, be sure to check out my "Must-Have CyberTruck Accessories: Hand Picked & Tested by Jake" guide.

Tesla ONE Alien MOde

Tesla ONE Alien MOde
Most people don't have the foggiest idea of how huge a lead Elon Musk and Tesla have over the entire automotive industry. This video details many aspects of this sea-change strategic advantage.

What If Tesla Made a Shorter CyberTruck?

 

What If Tesla Made a Shorter CyberTruck?

One thing I keep hearing over and over and over from people is, "I with Tesla made a CyberTruck that was shorter!" I put together these images just so see what a CyberTruck might look like in shorter versions, which would make a big difference, and doing so makes the CyberTruck seem much more like a Model X SUV, and I think it looks great and would sell really well, as many people are freaked out by the extended length of the CyberTruck.

This first image (pictured below) is the shortest version. All details and portions are identical to the original CyberTruck up the the end of the rear door. I was able to remove around 2 feet of length overall from the very rear of the CyberTuck, and I also moved the rear wheels forward about 9 inches. Can you imagine how amazing the turning radius would be on such a vehicle, assuming it had 4-wheel steering like the standard CyberTruck has!?!! Essentially, the vehicle depicted below is very close in length to the current Model X, and would be an amazing replacement for the Model X.

The version below is about a foot shorter than the CyberTruck, and I also moved the rear tires forward about 9 inches.

The image below is of my actual CyberTruck, just for visual frame of reference.

ONE MORE THANG

Many people would prefer a hatchback version of the CyberTruck which would make it more of a wagon/minivan, so I made this version, which is about 2.5 feet shorter than the standard CyberTruck, and has the front wheels forward about 9 inches. 

Another huge advantage to such a form-factor, is that it would have a standard working rearview mirror. Of course this form factor looks familiar to my CyberSUV I featured in my article last year, which is very cool. The being said, I prefer my CyberVAN concept even better, which I also published around the same time. The most remarkable feature this form factor benefits from is a potentially massive increase in rear cargo capacity, including potentially a third row set of seats. 

Once again, it's important to realize this icicle is identical in length to the current Tesla Model X and would make an excellent replacement. If it were up to me, I would also make the rear side doors so they would slide open like a minivan, and that way they would have many of the benefits of the Model X's Falcon Wing doors, without all the additional expense, and hassle they present.

Tesla's Future Vehicles

I might be wrong, but from what I can surmise, I think it's likely that Tesla is only going to make one more vehicle with a front facing front seat and a steering wheel in the future, and that will be the new Tesla Roadster. 

I think it's likely that when Elon realized back in 2023 that Tesla would very likely solve FSD by 2026, he froze all new vehicle development and innovation for cars with steering wheels, and I think Tesla has very quietly been working on the next generation of vehicles that will once again revolutionize the form factor by eliminating the steering wheel. 

I wrote about this extensively in my article titled "Thoughts on the Future of Autonomous Vehicles: The Shape of Things to Come: Part 2: 2030 Predictions: CyberVAN. Autonomous Tesla Transport Design Concept by JAKE EHRLICH" which showcases what I believe the future form-factor of vehicles will become. 

Think about it for a second: If Tesla really has solved FSD so it can offer Unsupervised Full Self Driving, why would they keep making old-fashioned vehicles that have steering wheels and front facing front seats? 

The CyberCab is a specific example in the sense it lacks a steering wheel, and the only reason it has front facing seats is that it only has 2 seats, so that make sense, but if you make a 4-5 seat version, it would likely make much more sense to have the front seats face the rear for multiple reason.

Great New Elon Musk Interview

 

Great New Elon Musk Interview

"I call AI and Robotics the Supersonic Tsunami. 

We're in the Singularity." 

—Elon Musk

Does Tesla Really Have the entire Auto Industry in Checkmate?

Does Tesla Really Have the entire Auto Industry in Checkmate?

Tesla's Valuation worth 1.2 Times more 

than the entire International Auto Industry Combined 

Brighter with Herbert's YouTube channel is the best source for all things Tesla, and one of my favorite regular guests is Jeff Lutz, whose analytical reasoning abilities are second to none. In the new episode below they talk about how Tesla's current market valuation is worth 1.2 Times more that all other automakers combined:

The graph above is beyond profound and really does illustrate and communicate the reality of the situation. If this is not direct evidence of checkmate, I don't know what is?

I have been arguing for the past 7 years that Tesla has had the entire automotive industry in checkmate, and if you watch the video below you will see how just Porsche alone has been effected by this new reality.

Waymo v. Telsa

Elon and Tesla are hyper-focused on the development of their CyberTaxi platform vehicles today, and with their new unboxed manufacturing process will be able to make one CyberTaxi every 10 seconds.

Today, there are only 2,500 Waymo vehicles on the road in their fleet, yet there are now 9 Million Tesla vehicles driving around earth collecting significant road data. 

Once Tesla gets moving full-speed-ahead on manufacturing CyberTaxi models it's estimated they will be able to crank out 38,000 CyberTaxi vehicles per week. That means in the first year Tesla will be able to add 2,000,000 CyberTaxi vehicles to their fleet annually, so the great question becomes, how can/will Waymo possibly be able to complete with Tesla?

Waymo vehicle driving recently on the streets of San Francisco

All of Waymo's existing fleet of Jaguar I-PACE vehicles cost between $150,000 and $175,000, which includes a base price of $75,000 for the I-PACE vehicle and an additional $100K for hardware retrofitting. Official product of CyberTaxi starts in April of 2026 at Giga Texas with a lower ramp: ultimate line rate of one ever 10 second (~36,000 per week per line) at a cost of around only $30,000 per CyberTaxi according to Elon Musk, and it's believed once Tesla hits economies of scale they will get the cost down as low as $20,000 per unit, so my question is how on earth will Waymo be able to compete with Tesla on any level?

CyberTaxi vehicle driving recently on the streets of South Lamar in Austin, Texas

Not only are CyberTaxi vehicles way less expensive to produce than a Waymo vehicle, but they look way simpler aesthetically as they don't look like a science experiment gone astray. Also, they can only seat 2 passengers, but the average United State ride hailing vehicle only drives between 1.3 and 1.4 passengers per trip. If you think about the average Uber vehicle, it seats 4 passengers, but one of them is a driver, so a standard Uber vehicle only offers 1 more seat per vehicle.

Jake's Book Club: Books & Audiobooks Recommended by Jake

 

Jake's Book Club

My Top Life-Changing 

Books & Audiobooks

Jake's Must-Reads for 2026

Ready to level up in 2026? These powerhouse books have transformed my life—boosting my mindset, productivity, and success. Dive-in and watch the magic happen! In the future, I will continue to update this list, but these are my 3 of my favorite books to start with...

Reinventing Yourself

by Steve Chandler

My #1 life-changer:"Reinventing Yourself", I read this magnificent book years ago and it absolutely transformed my mindset, habits, and entire trajectory—hands down the spark that reinvented me!!!

Getting Things Done

by David Allen

Next Up is "Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen", This book revolutionized how I manage time, tasks, and stress—turned chaos into calm and made me insanely organized. Absolute must-read for anyone drowning in to-dos!

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

by Dr. Stephen Covey

Next Up is "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Dr. Stephen Covey", which is completely changed my life for the better, and I can't highly enough recommend this spectacular self-improvement book!!!

These are affiliate links—I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases (at no extra cost to you).

JAKEeWRAP CyberTuck On a Rainy Day

 

JAKEeWRAP CyberTuck

On a Rainy Christmas Eve

If you are a reader of Jake's Tesla World, you know I recently completed the essential JAKEeWRAP on my CyberTruck, and I recently took this photo which to my way of thinking really captures the core essence of my JAKEeWRAP CyberTruck.

The only think left to add or try on the outside of my JAKEeWRAP is to try it out with the red fat stripe, which I photoshopped in below just to see what it will look like, which definitely gives it a more Santa Claus' Sled vibe. Once I decide if I want to keep the red stripe, or just keep it black and silver, I will also ceramic coat the CyberTruck. On the inside, I definitely need to add the digital rear view mirror.

Current Model X Review

 

Current Model X Review

Failure To Innovate

Out of Spec Reviews just did a comprehensive review of the 2025 Model X, and concluded essentially that the Model Y, which is about half the price to be far superior, and I agree. The Model X needs a complete overhaul, and hopefully Tesla is working on such a solution. I am extremely familiar with the Model X, and I think the current model is ridiculously overpriced, and I find it to be totally ironic that despite the fact it starts at $20,000 more than a CyberTruck, doesn't even have a power up/down frunk? Also, I think the CyberTruck is a way, way, way better vehicle...

So what is going on with model development at Tesla, and why did Tesla vehicle innovation stop just after the CyberTruck was launched? Because Elon has shifted the focus of Tesla from being an innovative automobile manufacturer to an AI first company, that is 1000% focused on delivering FSD. From what I can tell, Tesla was so exhausted after finally getting the CyberTruck to market a few years ago, and just completed stopped innovating on all current Tesla models.

CyberTruck Ultimate Snowboard Solution

 

CyberTruck Ultimate Snowboard Storage Solution

Being an avid snowboarder, and prior to purchasing my CyberTruck, I spent a lot of time contemplating the best method for transporting snowboards in the bed of my CyberTruck. I pretty much came up empty-handed, as not only were there not any commercial options, but all the homemade solutions looked like the Goodwill blew up. The two images below are examples of homemade solutions that look very unappealing to me, like a Rube Goldberg contraption that's unnecessarily complicated:

The solution above and below show how this self-concocted system mounts and locks into the CyberTruck L-Bracket rail system. One of my challenges, is that in order to use it, you have to first install it, and/or look at it sitting empty taking up real estate in your bed, which looks like an eyesore to me. If you are not using it, what do you do with it? Where do you store it?

In all fairness to the person who came up with this solution, it appears to be designed to hold both Ski's and Snowboards, and since I haven't skied for many decades, I'm only interested in a snowboarding solution. The image below shows this rack system holding 3 snowboards and a single pair of skis, so in all fairness, my solution only holds two snowboards, but I haven't had the need to try and hold more than 2 boards, so I can't really tell what kind of solution I might come up with for more than 2 snowboards.

Ironically, one of the primary reasons I prefer snowboarding over skiing is simplicity. Skiing requires very stiff boots that are REALLY uncomfortable for walking in, and you have to traipse around with two skis and two poles, everywhere you go. With snowboarding the boots are very comfortable, and you only have to carry one snowboard.

My Simple Snowboard Solution

I believe I might have come up with the ultimate simple solution, which is to simply lean them up against the inner sidewalls, while holding them up against the raised surface ledges in the bed itself as seen below. This is hyper-counterintuitive, but it seems to work brilliantly in the sense the boards seem to stay put, and don't slide around or move at all.

Just before I took this photo of snowboards in my CyberTruck bed, I went to open the tonneau cover, but realized snow could end up covering my bed as it would get scraped off the cover as it opened, then I quickly realized I could easily pull/slide out the snowboards without having to open the tonneau cover, which is brilliant!!

You might also notice in my CyberTruck I keep a mesh cargo net in the back for smaller items, like groceries, so they don't slide around, and the snowboards slide past them easily.

Last year, Tesla loaned me an AWD and a Tri-Motor Beast CyberTruck for extended test drives, and naturally I took them up to the snow country to go snowboarding, which is where I first experimented with my idea, as seen below, to lean the snowboards against the sidewalls. 

The only concern I had was that my board might shift forward and backward a few inches and bang into the front and rear of the bed, but I think due to it's weight and angle, that gravity keeps it from moving...

I consider this an ultimate solution for multiple reasons, including the fact it's not only free, but requires zero setup, teardown, or storage of a rack system when not in use. Once again, instead of being high maintenance, or low maintenance, it meets my ideal of a NO MAINTENANCE solution!!! (Said with Chris Rock intonation). Notice the OEM Plaid badge on my Burton Hometown Hero snowboard pictured below...

I believe is rough cornering the snowboard with stay leaned up against the sidewall of the bed, and typically when I am driving in the snow I am taking it easy going around corners. For my board, the only possible way it could move would be back and forth by around 4-5 inches from what I can tell, but I don't take off fast in the CyberTruck in the snow, or in icy winder conditions, so I think that's also a non-issue. I will keep experimenting with my concept and update this story in the future, once I have had a chance to better prove it out.

Dual Black JAKEeWRAP CyberTrucks

 

That Was Fast

A Tale of Two Black JAKEeWRAP CyberTrucks

Jay at Jay's Tint Shop in Kirkland, Washington just got done wrapping Ben's CyberBeast in all black, and of course Ben went with the JAKEeWRAP rear pyramid panel, which to the best of my knowledge makes it the very first all matte black CyberTruck with this feature, which makes it very cool. I put together the image below to just show my AWD CyberTruck next to Ben's Tri-Motor CyberTruck, and it's remarkable how similar, yet different they look.

Ben is beyond stoked with the way his CyberBeast ended up, and he even got it fully ceramic coated, which I will be covering in detail in the future. This is going to be great for future content as we plan to do a deep dive comparison between the silver top JAKEeWRAP. v. the black top JAKEeWRAP, as well as comparing the AWD v. The Beast, so stay tuned. Also, as Ben and I continue to dialing in our custom CyberTrucks with Jay, we will have way more great reviews and content coming up...

Which CyberTruck JAKEeWRAP look better? Ben and I agree it's a straight up 50/50 tie. I love both and think they look great. Ben's all black looks more Batman, and stealth, serious, whereas my silver top looks more geometric and unusual, and kind of bolder. I genuinely love both...

Brighter Tesla News

Brighter Tesla News

My absolute favorite YouTube channel for Tesla news is Brighter with Herbert, and Jeff Lutz, who is a regular on the show, always blows my mind with his knowledge and insight on Tesla. I highly recommend watching this superbly insightful episode where they point out that Tesla reality is strange than fiction.

"We are sold out of inventory on Cybertrucks at this time." Elon and Tesla Make A Bold Move

"We are sold out of CyberTruck Inventory!"

Elon Musk's Bold Fleet Buy Clears Stock Overnight

This is an exclusive story you find on ANY mainstream news, or automotive news sources, as they only spread FUD, but keep in mind you heard this here first, on Jake's Tesla World:

I took my good pal Ben for a drive in my JAKEeWRAP CyberTruck on Tuesday of this week.

So Ben climbs in my CyberTruck, and said "I am sold. This is the car for me!" I kind of thought maybe he was messing with me, but we took it for a drive on the most recent FSD 14.2.1.25, and he kept going on and on about how much he liked it, and how he wanted to get one, and wrap in with my JAKEeWRAP (pictured below), which he said he loved the look of. I was naturally stoked for him. That was earlier this week on Tuesday afternoon, and just for frame of reference, I am writing this on Friday morning of the same week, and already owns and is driving his CyberBeast!?!! 

JAKEeWRAP CyberTruck Design Reference Pictured Above

The next day, Ben calls me and says, "I ordered the CyberTruck and I am going out of state to pick it up tomorrow!?!!" 

Then he tells me, there are zero AWD CyberTrucks available, and he could only find a new CyberBeast, and he was so stoked, he was going all in for the Beast! He then mentioned the lease price was $1,726 per month, as apposed to $726 per month for the AWD. This seemed like a crazy price delta to me. I immediately thought to myself, for $1,726 per month, you could get two AWD CyberTrucks, and have plenty of money left over every month to cover insurance and charging costs. Ben said, "I work really hard, and you only live once. I'm sold, and I don't mind having a Beast, and if not now, when?"

I then spoke with a Tesla salesperson I know, and they said, "We are sold out of inventory on Cybertrucks at this time." 

Note: This is based on a report from one Tesla salesperson and anecdotal experiences; there is no official public confirmation from Tesla of zero Cybertruck inventory nationwide, but the fact there is a current 3-5 week wait on Tesla.com for AWD and CyberBeast very much supports this sold-out claim!

This surprised me, as I had recently read articles saying Tesla had over 10,000 unsold CyberTrucks in inventory. The image below appears courtesy of Arena EV, and shows a parking lot back in May of 2025, ironically in Detroit, that was filled with excess CyberTruck inventory. 

I saw many different arial photos similar to this image online, that showed the same thing, most of which were accompanied by headlines that said things like "CyberTruck Sale Slow Down as Inventory piles up", or Fred Lambert's hateful Tesla hating Electrek title "Elon Musk's Space X bought tens of millions worth of Cybertrucks Tesla can't sell." FWIW, as a Tesla fanatic, I found these images to be awe inspiring and equally disturbing.

I did some research and it turns out that when Elon said he was planning to have his Space X, XAI, The Boring Company, and Tesla purchase CyberTrucks as service vehicles, he wasn't messing around, as he clearly followed through and did exactly what he said he would do. 

Space X Starbase Parking Lot pictured above loaded with CyberTrucks

If you want to purchase an AWD, or CyberBeast CyberTruck today, the current wait is 3-5 Weeks!?!! This came a a big surprise for me. I guess Elon wanted to finish the year of 2025 with very low CyberTruck inventory on hand, and certainly he achieved exactly that, which was a brilliant 5-D Chess move.

This is particularly interesting, since when I purchased my CyberTruck in late September, I discovered it had only been made earlier in the same month, and ironically when my Pal and I went to lunch on Monday of this week, and he ordered his CyberTruck the next day, and it turns out it was completed the day before we went to lunch, which was on Monday of this same week! This is significant evidence that really does suggest Tesla completely cleaned out all their previous inventory of CyberTrucks.

RESALE Value of CyberTrucks?

If you are a reader of TeslaMagazine.org, you know I intentionally waited two years before purchasing my AWD CyberTruck for reasons I discuss in detail in my previous article. That being said, when I was ready to purchase, I thought, since demand and resale pricing has fallen through the floor on all Tesla models, maybe I should try to purchase a used CyberTruck at a great price? I searched high and low, and scoured the internet, but the really strange thing I discovered, that made no sense at all, was that all the used CyberTrucks for sale were more expensive than purchasing a new AWD model at the time, which made zero sense to me.

I was so surprised, I mentioned it to a friend of mine who is a long time Tesla investor. My point is Elon somehow managed, through some kind of bizarre hyper-exotic Kung Fu maneuvers, to keep the resale value of CyberTrucks way higher than any other used Tesla models. 

In other words, while the price of all other used Tesla models, including Models 3, Y, S and X, have fallen through the floor, which also doesn't make a lot of sense to me, the CyberTruck has done the exact opposite, despite the fact it's had the worst new sales performance, which I believe was due significantly to the way Tesla handled the CyberTruck pricing with their severe cash grab, which I also cover in detail in the previous article you can view below.

I was thinking about how Elon was able to completely save the resale value of the CyberTruck, and it's impressive!!!!!

Update: On December 25, 2025 an interesting article was published by Electrek claiming that used CyberTrucks in 18 months would drop down to around $35K. This make sense to me, but I think much of it has to do with future supply and demand.

So what does this mean for the future of CyberTruck supply and demand? Elon already announced that leasing prices would be going up after December 24, 2025, and my best guess is that Elon slowed down the CyberTruck production line to make it go as slowly as possible, while still being viable. Perhaps this is his way of coping with the lack of demand, and matching demand with supply in the future, which we know he is the king of. To be complete candid, I am almost at a loss for word, and don't really know what to make of all this, as it's so bizarre, but when you are the wealthiest man on earth, you certain can move mountains, or CyberTrucks...

Ben's CyberBeast

Ben is a close friend of Jake's Tesla World and he and I video taped his Model S (video below), when he first got it, and it appeared in my story I published back on July 14, 2021 titled "Thoughts on the Tesla Plaid & Long Range Model S 2021 Refresh with Historical Context."

Below are photos of Ben's CyberTruck he picked up this morning. Keep in mind, I showed Ben my freshly wrapped JAKEeWRAP CyberTruck on Tuesday afternoon of this week, and as I write this on Friday morning of the same week, he already picked up his CyberBeast and is driving it home!!!! This goes to show the heart wants what the heart wants, and many of the best purchases I have ever made, were for things I had to have and couldn't live without...Congrats Ben!!! The next step is Ben is taking it to Jay's Tint Shop in Kirkland to give his CyberBeast a complete JAKEeWRAP makeover!!!!

Ben's Headed Home for Christmas with his 

brand-spanking-new CyberBeast!!!