Cybertruck Trade-in Confession + Tesla's New Subscriptions

First: Merry Christmas. It’s September, which means it’s officially Christmas season for Filipinos. Ber months. You know how it is.

Okay, now the actual stuff. This is a big one — a lot has been happening, and I wanted to get it all out in one place.

A Fan at the Supercharger

A few weeks ago, Abby and I were at breakfast near a Supercharger. Another Cybertruck was charging there, and when I moved ours, he followed me to the parking spot. Turns out he’d been watching the Model X buyback videos, used them to successfully get a buyback on his own Foundation Series Cybertruck, and replaced it with a Cyberbeast. He just wanted to say thank you.

I didn’t catch his name, but if you’re reading this — congratulations. That’s the whole point of making these videos. Chime in on the comments and let me know it’s you. Would love to do an EV Confessions with you.

I Submitted a Trade-in on the Cybertruck

I’ll just say it. About a month ago, people were posting wild trade-in appraisal numbers online, and I wanted to see what Tesla would offer. We took delivery of a demo unit, got a couple discounts, and bought it through the business — so after the $7,500 tax credit filing, we were in around $72,000.

Tesla came back willing to buy it at 14,000 miles for roughly that same number. As if the miles were free.

The reason I was even looking was the new Lux package. But here’s the thing — the Lux package is only available on the Cyberbeast, and the price increase they bundle in makes it anything but free. I don’t want a Cyberbeast. So I walked away from it.

What I do want is FSD. Since getting the Juniper, I’ve been using it more than I ever did on Hardware 3 or even Hardware 4 on the Model X. The improvement is real. The Lux package includes FSD and lifetime free Supercharging, and I noticed how expensive charging the truck actually is once the 3-month free Supercharging ran out. But not enough to pay for a Cyberbeast.

One open item: the cant rail recall is still pending. All Cybertrucks are affected. No issues with ours — nothing flying off, no problems at all — but it’s still sitting there. No update yet. I covered the cant rail service visit when it first came up.

Referrals, Abby’s Account, and a Change of Ownership

I maxed out my Tesla referral credits, so I transferred the referral link to Abby’s account. The wrinkle: the Juniper is registered under my business, and Abby had no active cars on her profile. So I did a change of ownership on the Juniper and moved it to her account. It’s a straightforward process but confusing to navigate — if there’s interest I’ll do a dedicated video on it.

She’ll get the referral credit going forward. Either way, anyone using the Tesla referral link in the description gets the discount regardless.

On the Rivian side — 10 deliveries plus one pending at the time of filming. Those Rivian referral points went toward the crossbars and awning. I covered the R1S cargo crossbars separately; the awning video is coming.

Falken Wildpeak Update

A lot of people called me out in the comments on the Wildpeak install video for not showing enough actual tire footage. Fair. That’s why this video was filmed sitting right next to the truck — you can see exactly what they look like.

Honest update after putting miles on them: efficiency is slightly worse, and road noise is a little more noticeable. But they look great, and I’m confident they’ll outlast the OEM Goodyear Duratrac by a significant margin. An efficiency numbers video is coming.

Tesla’s New Subscription Plans

Two new ones worth knowing about.

Windshield protection — Monthly fee that covers replacement. Pricing by vehicle: Model 3 and Y are $12, Model S and X are $23, Cybertruck is $35. First replacement within 12 months is no cost; anything after that has a $100 deductible. It’s month-to-month and transferable if you sell the car. Catch: you need the OEM windshield. Third-party replacement may disqualify you. Also worth checking: your existing insurance might already cover this, possibly cheaper.

Wheel and tire protection — $20/month, $25 deductible per replacement. Covers tire repairs, flat tires, cracked wheels. Here’s the important caveat that I almost missed in the fine print: cosmetic damage is not covered. Curb rash is cosmetic. If you’re paying for this expecting curb rash repairs, that’s not what this is. For actual road damage — flat, cracked wheel — it’s useful, but compare it against your insurance deductible before signing up.

On the Model Y L

The six-seater Model Y is out in China. A lot of people asked what I think. Short version: we owned a seven-seater Model Y for a year before getting the Model X, and it wasn’t worth it for us. The third row head clearance is basically nonexistent — there’s a photo going around showing someone sitting back there with the liftgate up, head well above the roofline.

For road trips with actual luggage and multiple people, the R1S handles what the Model Y L can’t. The Model Y is great as a five-seater. If you’re just doing day trips without gear, the six-seater might make sense — but for our use, I don’t need it.

What’s Coming

A lot of content is queued up. Highlights:

• Joshua Tree stargazing trip with the new Cybertruck tires
• Rivian crossbar install — awning video still coming
• R1S roof shade review
• Big Bear Toyo Trail Pass camping — first time camping with the R1S, and I submitted a Rivian ticket about camp mode energy draw, so that’s a story in itself
• Insurance switch update — moved off Tesla Insurance and saving over $200 a month with better coverage and actual customer service
• ACG Ontario event recap
• EV Confessions with Reese (TeslaRap) from that same event

Also: Osmo Pocket 3 is out for warranty repair (screen kept failing), so this video was shot on the DSLR while I’m getting used to it. And the iPhone 17 Pro Max in orange is pre-ordered — the Apple watch situation is still being sorted out.

Almost at 3,000 subscribers. Genuinely grateful for every one of you.

Let me know in the comments what topics you want to see covered first.