Electrek 9to5Mac

It turns out people really do win giveaways. In February, Tim Harrington took delivery of the first Cybertruck to be raffled off by Tesla. He later showed how the Cybertruck fits in his garage "like a glove."



2024 continues to be the year of the Cybertruck, and well, Tesla has done it again. After holding a second Tesla referral raffle, the company has delivered a second free Cybertruck to one extremely fortunate winner: Jacob Knight.







An unbelievable, timely message



A few weeks ago, my neighbor and best friend since grade school called me around 9 p.m. with some unbelievable news.







He told me he thought he might have won a free Cybertruck. I literally didn't believe him. Well, I believed that he thought he might have won a free Cybertruck, but I really wanted to debunk whatever phishing expedition was being conducted before it got too far.



Neither we nor ChatGPT could debunk the raffle winner email using the email headers and raw message. A call from Tesla the following day confirmed the message and set things in motion.







Prior to the call, our families had spent the previous day and a half together.



The startup Jacob worked for was downsizing, his father-in-law Brian spent several days hospitalized after a stroke, and the start of summer was just generally turbulent.



My best friend was understandably in a funk, and I wanted to do my part in helping, so we dragged him out to the beach. The next day, I helped him clean his office while he interviewed for new job opportunities.



It felt like a day and a half well spent!







Neither of us had any clue about what was processing in the background.Sure, Tesla absolutely stole my thunder that day. Still, it was a very real lesson in how a tide change may already be developing when you feel like you're underwater. Also, enter more raffles!



Tesla Cybertruck raffle winner



Fast-forward one week and change later, and our families are on a six-hour round trip from Biloxi to the Tesla delivery facility in Brandon, Mississippi. The email was real. The call was real. And Jacob's Cybertruck was waiting in the Tesla parking lot with his name hanging from the mirror.







Prior to owning the Cybertruck, Jacob's family owned two Teslas: a Model 3 Performance and a Model X Plaid.



I drove Jacob’s Model 3 Performance up for the photo op; I bought it a week later! Brian, having recovered from his stroke, rode as a passenger in the Model X on the way up. He was responsible for driving the Model X on the way back. This happened to be his first experience ever behind the wheel of an EV.



Jacob bravely packed his newly received Tesla Cybertruck with one of his two kids and my two kids for the ride back. It was a hot-as-summer spring day in Mississippi, but it was a helluva day to remember.







Jacob's Mawmaw Katie was also part of the day one experience. What a memory!







Personally, I can say I've logged roughly two hours behind the wheel of the Cybertruck. It's GOOD. Meanwhile, Jacob and his Foundation Edition Cyberbeast (yes, tri-motor!) have been the talk of the town. Seriously, people haven't stopped posing for pictures and sharing sightings on our town's Facebook group.







Jacob has also allowed his Cybertruck to join the dark side with a deep black matte wrap.











But enough storytelling from me. You can hear Jacob's story of being the Tesla Cybertruck raffle winner in his own words in a podcast interview recorded this week below:








https://twitter.com/jacobisknight/status/1799145466879267098?s=61&t=Um0m_kl9v8_MM9QONXv-QA




The mission continues.



Photos courtesy of Kristen Knight Photography. Zac Hall is Editor-at-Large for 9to5Mac.



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Tesla Cybertruck drives through water in first real-world Wade Mode t…

On the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss Fred’s week with the Tesla Cybertruck, the Mustang Mach-E Rally, our Chevy Equinox EV first drive, and more.



Today’s episode is sponsored by Momentum, a new brand of lifestyle e-bikes from Giant Group designed to deliver a full range of innovative electric, hybrid and city bikes with premium features, long assist ranges and sensor technologies that offer natural riding experiences that are both energy saving and fun.











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:




Apple Podcasts



Spotify



Overcast



Pocket Casts



Castro



RSS




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:




Tesla reassures judge that move to Texas won’t affect Elon’s compensation case



Mexico still believes Tesla Gigafactory is coming despite change of plans



Rehired Tesla Supercharger manager beautifully explains why he came back



Mustang Mach-E Rally first drive: Ford is getting more comfortable with EVs



Chevy Equinox EV first drive: GM may have cracked the code in delivering a quality SUV that’s affordable [Video]



Is the new Cadillac Optiq the entry-level luxury electric SUV we’ve been waiting for?



GM claims its new Chevy Bolt EV will be the most affordable on the market by 2025



Jeep is launching a $25,000 EV in the US ‘very soon’ to revamp the rugged SUV brand



Rivian (RIVN) CEO warns of ‘messy’ Q2, talks R2 and Tesla NACS




Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET):




https://www.youtube.com/live/t6NXgl7IJUo

On the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss Fred's Tesla Cybertruck first driving impressions, Kia EV3, Chevy Silverado EV RST and more.



Today’s episode is sponsored by Momentum, a new brand of lifestyle e-bikes from Giant Group designed to deliver a full range of innovative electric, hybrid and city bikes with premium features, long assist ranges and sensor technologies that offer natural riding experiences that are both energy saving and fun.



Sponsored by SplitVolt: The Splitvolt Splitter Switch automatically shares power from your existing 240V dryer socket with your Level 2 EV charger. Learn more here.











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:




Apple Podcasts



Spotify



Overcast



Pocket Casts



Castro



RSS




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:




Is this the interior of Tesla’s upcoming ‘Robotaxi’?



Elon Musk confirms his threat: give me 25% of Tesla or you don’t get AI and robotics



Tesla ends hiring freeze, but only for one department



Tesla releases update to remove steering wheel nag, shuts down sunglasses loophole



Tesla officially breaks ground at Megafactory in China



Chevy Silverado EV RST first drive: Incredible range and power, but is it worth the hefty price? [Video]



Kia reveals full specs and launch dates of incoming EV3 compact SUV, but will it come to the US?



China threatens tariffs up to 25% on imports in retaliation for EU probe, US tariffs on EVs



Lucid (LCID) cuts US workforce by 6% ahead of Gravity electric SUV launch



Ford slashes 2024 Mustang Mach-E price with new 0% APR offer




Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET):




https://www.youtube.com/live/AKPmmWbMzfY

On the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss Tesla getting close to Full Self-Driving, Equinox EV is here, Chinese EVs, and more.



Sponsored by SplitVolt: The Splitvolt Splitter Switch automatically shares power from your existing 240V dryer socket with your Level 2 EV charger. Learn more here.











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:




Apple Podcasts



Spotify



Overcast



Pocket Casts



Castro



RSS




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:




Elon Musk claims Tesla’s next Full Self-Driving update drives ‘5 to 10x more miles per intervention’



Tesla spotted testing prototype with new camera setup



Tesla launches 0.99% financing on Model Y for limited time



Tesla drops Steam gaming support inside its vehicles



Chevy Equinox EV deliveries kick-off with $35,000 model coming soon



Kia unveils the new EV6 with more range, updated features, and a sleek new design



Biden quadruples tariffs on Chinese EVs, up from 25% to 100%



NIO’s new low-cost Onvo L60 EV could boost sales to +20,000 per month




Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET):




https://www.youtube.com/live/Q14lQa_ke2U

On the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss what's happening with the Tesla Supercharger network, is battery swap going to be a thing?, Ford goes back on BEV, and more.



Sponsored by SplitVolt: The Splitvolt Splitter Switch automatically shares power from your existing 240V dryer socket with your Level 2 EV charger. Learn more here.











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:




Apple Podcasts



Spotify



Overcast



Pocket Casts



Castro



RSS




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:




Elon Musk reveals Tesla software-locked cheapest Model Y, offers 40-60 more miles of range



Tesla (TSLA) launches another round of layoffs



Elon Musk says Tesla is spending $500 million on Superchargers this year after firing entire team



BP tells property owners left in the dark by Elon Musk firing Tesla charging team to call them



Tesla loses another manager to layoffs – but this one quit due to morale



Tesla is about to remove steering wheel nag with new Full Self-Driving update



Elon Musk outlines upcoming Tesla Full Self-Driving updates



Tesla is being probed by DOJ ‘securities or wire fraud’ over self-driving claims



Trump reportedly told oil execs he’ll end electric car incentives for $1 billion in donations



NIO signs a new agreement with GAC Group to co-develop battery standards, charging, and swaps



Ford backtracks on BEV commitments in Europe and may sell ICE models beyond 2030



Fisker files bankruptcy equivalent in Austria to gain ‘breathing room’ amid Ocean production halt



Rivian (RIVN) Q1 results – revenue beat, earnings miss, Q4 profit reaffirmed



Lucid (LCID) shares Q1 2024 numbers: Deliveries and revenue are up year-over-year




Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET):




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjG9L5tuGlY

On the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss the additional Tesla layoffs, the entire charging team's departure, and more. Let's talk about it.



Sponsored by SplitVolt: The Splitvolt Splitter Switch automatically shares power from your existing 240V dryer socket with your Level 2 EV charger. Learn more here.











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:




Apple Podcasts



Spotify



Overcast



Pocket Casts



Castro



RSS




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:




Tesla is already pulling back Supercharger plans after firing team



Elon Musk is throwing his weight around Tesla, comes in like a wrecking ball



Tesla (TSLA) surges on reports China is approving Full Self-Driving deployment



Tesla unveils new Cybertruck off-roading features, Cybertent mode, and more



Tesla Semi spotted being used by another customer



Rivian gets $827m incentives to expand Normal, Illinois factory for R2



Cadillac balks on plans to go all-EV by 2030, may still offer gas cars for ‘a number of years’



NIO begins public trials of its 150 kWh semi-solid-state battery packs ahead of a full rollout




Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET):




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wj9yYf3C8sI