What was your first thought when you saw Tesla’s newest offering, the Cybertruck? Some (OK, I) reported shock. Some, delight. One automotive design expert we spoke to this week called it “horrifying.” (He came around later, though—you should read the story.) At the very least, as Tesla CEO Elon Musk put it during the all-electric pickup truck’s Thursday night unveiling, CYBRTRCK “doesn’t look like anything else!”
But are the people reserving trucks right now going to get exactly what showed up on stage on Thursday? How should rival truck companies—electric and nonelectric—feel about the whole thing? Oh, and just in case you’re not into Tesla: What does an Aston Martin SUV look like? It’s been a week: Let’s get you caught up.
Stories you might have missed from WIRED this week
The National Transportation Safety Board wrapped up its 19-month investigation of the fatal Uber self-driving vehicle crash and found that a slew of terrible decisions—by Uber, the state of Arizona, the federal government, and the woman who was supposed to monitor the tech from behind the wheel—contributed to the collision.
What it takes to turn a vintage F-16 into a drone.
Aston Martin is betting on its new, $189,000 DBX SUV.
Get a load of the powerful electric batteries in Formula E race cars.
Here’s what you need to know about the new form of ID required to fly next fall.
What automotive designers think about the CYBRTRCK.
Is the CYBRTRCK...real?
It’s this black lab from Florida, who drove in circles for an hour.\
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That is, unfortunately, the number of US civil aviation deaths last year, according to preliminary statistics released by the National Transportation Safety Board—a 13 percent increase over 2017. Only one of those deaths occurred on a passenger airline, when a blown engine on a Southwest Airlines flight smashed a window and killed the woman sitting next to it.
News from elsewhere on the internet
Uber will test an opt-in audio recording feature that passengers could use if they feel unsafe.
The Chevy Corvette is the Motor Trend Car of the Year.
Electric scooter companies Ojo and Gotcha merge.
Meet the guy running Elon Musk’s Boring Company.
A new Arizona development will #bancars.
The Paris Metro is full.
See ya: Friday, November 29 is the last day you can use tokens on the LA Metro. After that, you’ll have to use a reloadable smart card.
Essential stories from WIRED’s canon
Remember when Tesla released the Model 3? That was fun.
- A journey to Galaxy's Edge, the nerdiest place on earth
- Burglars really do use Bluetooth scanners to find laptops and phones
- How the dumb design of a WWII plane led to the Macintosh
- Electric cars—and irrationality—just might save the stick shift
- China's sprawling movie sets put Hollywood to shame
- 👁 A safer way to protect your data; plus, the latest news on AI
- ✨ Optimize your home life with our Gear team’s best picks, from robot vacuums to affordable mattresses to smart speakers.
