Year: 2026

Child at Roadster Event

Roadster: Maximize Happiness for the General Population

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(McGregor, Texas) I drove to the outskirts of the Tesla Roadster reveal last night to be close to the historic event, the last of the cars Tesla will build that will be designed for manual driving by a human. Elon said, “Life cannot just be about solving one miserable problem after another. There need to be things that inspire you, that make you glad to wake up in the morning”.

Elon Musk has long been a man who wants to max out happiness for the general population. The Roadster does that, and you can bet people will love going to future events that feature this wild car with its thruster and suction stunts. I recall as a kid people lining up in stadiums to see Evel Knievel jump over a line of cars. People will be beyond excited to see the Tesla Roadster do this.

One writer, M.C.A. Hogarth, put it well when he said that not everything is about whether you can imagine it being useful to you. He is correct: with art, things are lovingly created simply for the act of making them.

Hogarth goes on to write (and I reference him because Elon Musk chose to highlight his words): “we do not know if what we’ll learn will make your toaster work better and you will never realize it because you take for granted that things get better without thinking through how that happens”.

Elon knows that he will not inspire people with everyday toasters, or a “Tesla” phone, but he knows he CAN inspire some kid, somewhere, with a real car that can drive upside down. This is the reason for the Roadster.

Despite the grind of daily life and the routines and obligations that kids often have, I know there will be many kids who will see the videos shared from the event by Tesla, and even by people I consider friends from the Tesla community. These people’s videos will start to spread, and everybody will see them.

When Elon said that he knew we would need real people there to prove it really happened, he was right. This DID happen last night. It WAS reality. It was super cool. It WILL inspire minds and bring them great excitement. What a huge gift to us all. Thanks to Elon Musk. He was once a kid too, who found excitement. Thankfully he made it to the US where he could build great things like this Roadster.

Adding a compilation of posts here by people who shared their videos from their iphones from the actual event!

From Elon Musk himself!

From Sawyer Merritt (volume UP for the crowd’s priceless reactions!):

From Ben Schaffer (darling of the Tesla community, from UnPlugged Tesla):

From John Stringer (seeing this car up close, in all its brilliancy):

From Alexandra Merz (what a kind lady, who also appeared on my recent podcast!):

Bret Winton captured the childlike wonder at the event, in this spontaneous video that I reshared, and has over 400,000 views at time of publishing!

More from Sawyer Merritt, (let’s climb into the Roadster with Sawyer):

Here are newly released images of the Roadster (there are many more) for media usage by the Tesla Media website, below shows off the Gold Glazed tinted glass.

Tesla Roadster has Gold Glazed tinted glass mimicking the copper coating of spacesuit visors, with subtle titanium accents. Image courtesy Tesla, Inc.

Above shows the Ano White paint, which is an aerospace-derived finish w/ UV & cryogenic protection, electrostatic dissipation & corrosion resistance. Concealed headlights are another asset, bringing a a minimalist, highly technical form. My old Mazda RX7 had this and seeing it on the Roadster just makes perfect sense!

Below is a close-up of the super light wheels w/ thin spokes that reinforce structural strength when earthbound.

Thanks for reading. I’m Gail Alfar. I write about Elon Musk, Tesla, SpaceX, and the things that make the future feel real. You can find me on X at @gailalfaratx and on Gail’s Tesla Podcast.

This is an independent personal account. All opinions are my own.

Interior of the Roadster

For the interior of the Roadster, Tesla explains, “Interior– Ultrawhite interior w/ gray microsuede detailing & seat bolsters for added grip – Manual controls & a fixed seat position reduce overall vehicle mass – Lightweight, high-strength materials throughout, including magnesium, titanium & carbon fiber help reduce it further This allows Roadster to respond to driver inputs almost instantly”.

Gail’s Tesla Podcast Episode 193: Conversation with Alexandra Merz (@TeslaBoomerMama)

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Austin, Texas. Episode 193 of Gail’s Tesla Podcast is now live.

This is a conversation with Alexandra Merz, known to many in the Tesla community as @TeslaBoomerMama. We talked about what people would gain if they understood Elon Musk better. This is one of my favorite conversations.

In the episode we cover her perspective as a long-time retail shareholder, her background, and the practical value of looking past the noise to see the actual work.

Outline summary:

  • Opening conversation while riding in Austin
  • Alexandra’s path and interest in Tesla
  • Discussion of what clearer understanding of Elon Musk changes for people (retail shareholders, the public, and the mission)
  • Reflections on Tesla beyond the car company framing
  • Personal notes and shared observations from the ride

Watch the full episode here (or tap the X post for the video with captions):

These conversations keep focusing on the real progress and the people who follow it closely.

Clips from the Conversation with Alexandra Merz (@TeslaBoomerMama): What People Would Gain by Understanding Elon Better

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These two short clips are from my recent conversation with Alexandra Merz.

In the first, we talk about what we wish more people understood about Elon Musk. Alexandra says it breaks her heart that he is misunderstood by a large portion of the population, often because of basic resentment toward someone who is rich. She notes that Elon does not appear to care about being rich and shows that every day. If people set that aside and looked closer, they could learn from him about manufacturing, space, and how to handle difficulties. He does not want sympathy or admiration; he wants to be heard. We also touch on his sense of humor and the fact that comedy is legal on X.

Watch that clip here:


In the second clip, I ask what she would want the next group of shareholders to understand if they could grasp only one thing about why the mission matters. Alexandra points to the larger direction: Mars eventually, and in the meantime Terafab, chip production, and Orbital AI. She acknowledges that some who bought into a car company may feel the scope has grown larger and later, but the execution so far has been strong enough that the goal deserves support. We also discuss data center opposition, the inconsistency of wanting fast AI tools while opposing the infrastructure that makes them possible, and the need for communities to be properly compensated. She notes that Elon learned in California to think carefully about where to build, and that the move to Texas was the right one.

Watch that clip here:


These short segments capture the heart of the conversation. Full episodes remain on X.

Gail’s Tesla Podcast Episode 192: Cybercab Past the Clumsy Bus and Double-Parked Truck

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Episode 192 of Gail’s Tesla Podcast is now live.

Thanks to Elon for this ride. Cybercab takes us through Austin past a clumsy bus and a double-parked truck (the kind of things that used to require human intervention and mild swearing). The windows open and close on the way to the Singularity Thought House and Rainey Street. Grok sends the drop-off option straight to my iPhone.

In this episode I share the real-time ride while Cybercab handles the everyday obstacles and gets us where we’re going.

Watch the full episode here (or tap the X post for the video):

These rides keep showing the steady progress. Elon builds the future; the rest of us just try not to leave anything behind when the doors open.

Gail’s Tesla Podcast Episode 191: Jessica Tetreau’s First Cybercab Ride in Austin – Full Interview Inside the Vehicle

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Episode 191 of Gail’s Tesla Podcast is now live.

This is Jessica Tetreau’s first-ever Cybercab ride in lovely Austin. The complete interview is filmed inside the Cybercab as we move through the city. She calls the ride “amazing” and shares her honest first impressions.

Here’s my summary of the episode:

  • As we ride through Austin’s bar district; Jessica’s immediate reaction that it feels like the Jetsons and the future
  • We discuss no steering wheel, no pedals, and no mirrors; her suggestion for a four-seater Cybercab
  • Our arrival is fast (~10 minutes at night) and we had the ability to change the destination
  • People on the street notice the Cybercab, giving thumbs-up, and getting excited
  • Recap of the day’s stops: Allen’s Boots, walk down Congress, Four Seasons (valet curiosity about the vehicle), Mount Bonnell (winding hills handled smoothly), and dinner at Elon’s brother’s restaurant (gnocchi, bolognese, Indian puffy tacos)
  • Jessica’s comments that the ride is smooth, quick, and “sassy”; the vehicle closes doors and drives away efficiently
  • Closing reflections that Austin feels like a Disneyland or fantasy city with Cybercab access, and that this was “the best day ever”

Watch the full episode here (or tap the X post for the video with captions):

These in-car Cybercab rides continue to show the real-world experience of autonomy as it operates in Austin.

Jessica Tetreau on Brownsville Matriarch Mary Yturria and the Land That Became Part of SpaceX’s Water Deal

Gail’s Tesla Podcast Episode 190: Interview with Jessica Tetreau on Brownsville Matriarch Mary Yturria and the Land That Became Part of SpaceX’s Water Deal

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Episode 190 of Gail’s Tesla Podcast is now live.

This is an interview with Jessica Tetreau of Brownsville. She shares the story of Mary Yturria, the longtime Brownsville philanthropist and matriarch who once owned a portion of the land SpaceX recently acquired.

That acquisition is part of the agreement in which SpaceX is contributing up to $220 million toward major water and wastewater infrastructure projects for the city and its people, expected to add roughly 18 million gallons of pure, healthy water per day of capacity.

In this warm conversation, Jessica talks about her friendship with Mary Yturria (who lived into her late 90s), visiting the landfill area herself, and her perspective as a local business owner (Car Wash Plus) on the changes and the water solution for Brownsville.

Outline summary of the episode:

  • Opening in the Cybercab / ride context
  • Jessica’s personal connection to Mary Yturria: friendship, lunches, and admiration for her as a Brownsville matriarch
  • Mary Yturria’s ownership of part of the land near the landfill / Port of Brownsville area that SpaceX acquired
  • Jessica’s own visit to the landfill site and observations
  • Local viewpoint on SpaceX’s water infrastructure commitment (wastewater reclamation + Southmost Regional Water Authority expansion) in exchange for the jurisdictional change
  • Discussion of the practical impact on Brownsville’s water future and community response
  • Closing reflections on Elon/SpaceX engineers and excitement about the outcome

Watch the full episode here (or tap the X post for the video with captions):

These conversations capture real South Texas local history intersecting with the progress SpaceX is delivering.

Quattro ore, un burattino e un’ovazione per pettegolezzi riciclati

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Ascolto Elon per intero da anni, non a spezzoni di quattro minuti. Così, quando il Washington Post definisce «terrificante» il film veneziano di Alex Gibney e lo dipinge come «truffatore megalomane con un complesso di Dio», e il Guardian lo giudica «banale», «senza fascino» e «un ragazzaccio cresciuto male», faccio quello che farebbe chiunque abbia ancora la testa sulle spalle. Rileggo la lunga lista di quello che Elon Musk sta davvero consegnando.

La lista non comprende una gara al festival. Ha contribuito a Thank You for Smoking come produttore esecutivo. Ha anche interpretato se stesso in Iron Man 2. Carino. Non è il lavoro.

La lista sono booster riutilizzabili che atterrano su navi drone, terminali Starlink dove la fibra non è mai arrivata, dieci milioni di Tesla uscite di fabbrica e auto che la gente continua a comprare. Gibney non è riuscito a mettere Elon davanti alla camera, così ha costruito un burattino digitale per recitare vecchie citazioni, come un karaoke stregato. Elon ha detto no all’intervista. Gibney ha comunque animato un sosia e l’ha presentato nella sala principale di Venezia, sperando che gli applausi corressero più veloci delle fabbriche.

Gibney vende un montaggio di quattro ore fatto di ex partner, cofondatori estromessi e applausi da festival, come se un’ovazione fosse un crash test. Il Guardian può trovarlo noioso il lunedì e il mercoledì appiccicarlo a un’elezione tedesca come se avesse riempito lui le urne. I media tradizionali funzionano così. Prima la storia. Poi l’hardware.

La mia regola è semplice e non è cambiata da quando ho iniziato a scrivere contro il FUD. Guardate l’hardware. Contate i lanci. Fate un giro su un Cybercab qui ad Austin. Se un documentario ha bisogno di un fantasma di IA e di un’ovazione in piedi per dimostrare che Elon Musk è noioso, il fantasma vada a timbrare in catena. La catena, quella, lavora.

Quatre heures, une marionnette, et une ovation pour du ragot recyclé

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J’écoute Elon en entier depuis des années, pas en extraits de quatre minutes. Alors quand le Washington Post trouve le film vénitien d’Alex Gibney « terrifiant » et le peint en « escroc mégalomane avec un complexe de dieu », et que le Guardian le juge « banal », « sans charme » et « grand gamin mal élevé », je fais ce que ferait n’importe qui de sensé. Je reviens à la longue liste de ce qu’Elon Musk livre vraiment.

La liste n’inclut pas un concours de festival. Il a bien aidé à produire Thank You for Smoking comme producteur exécutif. Il a aussi joué son propre rôle dans Iron Man 2. Mignon. Ce n’est pas le métier.

La liste, c’est des boosters réutilisables qui se posent sur des barges, des terminaux Starlink là où la fibre n’est jamais arrivée, dix millions de Tesla sorties d’usine, et des voitures que les gens continuent d’acheter. Gibney n’a pas réussi à mettre Elon devant la caméra, alors il a fabriqué une marionnette numérique pour réciter de vieilles citations, comme une machine de karaoké hantée. Elon a dit non à l’interview. Gibney a quand même animé un sosie et l’a présenté dans la grande salle de Venise, en espérant que les applaudissements courraient plus vite que les usines.

Gibney vend un montage de quatre heures d’ex-compagnes, de cofondateurs évincés et d’applaudissements de festival comme si une ovation remplaçait un crash-test. Le Guardian peut le trouver ennuyeux le lundi, puis le mercredi le coller à une élection allemande comme s’il avait lui-même bourré les urnes. Les médias traditionnels fonctionnent comme ça. D’abord l’histoire. Ensuite le matériel.

Ma règle est simple, et elle n’a pas bougé depuis que j’écris contre le FUD. Regardez le matériel. Comptez les lancements. Prenez un Cybercab ici, à Austin. Si un documentaire a besoin d’un fantôme d’IA et d’une ovation debout pour prouver qu’Elon Musk est ennuyeux, le fantôme n’a qu’à pointer à la chaîne. La chaîne, elle, tourne.

In a Cybercab with Gail Alfar

Gail’s Tesla Podcast Episode 189: Filmed Entirely in Cybercab in Austin – Grok Coaches a Job Interview + Ashok Elluswamy

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Episode 189 of Gail’s Tesla Podcast is now live.

This one was filmed entirely inside a Cybercab in Austin. Grok answers quickly, handles the task, then coaches me through a simulated job interview. The episode also includes Ashok Elluswamy from Cybercab launch day, which I personally attended and recorded for you.

In this full episode, I share the ride and the conversation while the vehicle does the driving.

Watch the full episode here (or tap the X post for the video):

These in-car rides and conversations highlight the steady real-world progress Elon and the Tesla team continue to deliver every day form their hearts!

Gail’s Tesla Podcast Episode 188: I Sat Inside a Cybercab — No Wheel, No Pedals, Just Joy

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September 3, 2026 — Austin, Texas

Episode 188 is the day I sat inside a Tesla Cybercab.

No steering wheel. No pedals. Just joy.

Thank you, Elon. The future is real, and it is this beautiful.

This episode was filmed on Cybercab launch day in Austin. I climbed into the two-seater, looked at that empty dash with the CYBERCAB script across it, and felt something I have been waiting years to feel in person: a car built from the ground up for riding, not driving.

Watch Episode 188 here:

Sitting Where the Wheel Used to Be

I have taken a lot of unsupervised Robotaxi rides in Model Ys here in Austin. Those rides already feel like history. This was different.

Cybercab is not a regular Tesla with the driver controls left unused. There is nothing left unused. The front of the cabin is open. The seats face a clean interior, a wide screen, and that little CYBERCAB mark where a steering wheel would have been for more than a century.

I was wearing my I ❤️ ELON shirt and red pants, sunglasses on, gold nails catching the Texas light, and I kept reaching out to touch things the way you do when your brain is still catching up with your eyes. The leatherlike seats. The cupholders. The speaker grille. The simple controls on the door. Every detail said: this vehicle was designed for people, not for a person who has to keep a hand near a wheel.

My daughter Grace sat beside me. Two seats. That is the whole cabin. It feels intimate and calm, like the car already knows the job is to carry you, not to ask you to work.

What the Video Shows

Episode 188 is short on purpose. About three and a half minutes. I wanted you to sit there with me.

You will see:

  • The first look from outside, with the cabin inset so you can see the empty dash and the Cybercab lettering
  • The two of us buckled in, laughing, taking in a vehicle with no driver controls at all
  • Close looks at the seats, cupholders, door controls, and speakers
  • Downtown Austin moving past the windows while the cabin stays quiet and bright
  • That last beat of me sitting there, hand on my face, trying to put a feeling into words

I did not need a long speech. The car is the speech.

Why This One Matters

For years I have covered Tesla Full Self-Driving, unsupervised Robotaxi rides in Model Ys, and the promise of a purpose-built robotaxi. Episode 188 is the moment that promise became a seat I could sit in.

Model Y Robotaxi proved the software on streets I actually use. Cybercab is the next chapter: a vehicle that does not pretend a human might grab the wheel. That absence is not a missing feature. It is the point.

Launch day in Austin was noisy in the best way with people circling the gold two-seaters, phones up, lambo doors up, the feeling that the city had just been handed a new kind of gold Roman chariot. I wanted this episode to keep the human part. As a woman from Austin sitting in the car and telling you the truth: it made me happy.

If you have followed this podcast from the early FSD drives through the unsupervised Robotaxi rides, this is one of the episodes we were driving toward.

Watch Next

Episode 189 was filmed entirely inside a Cybercab here in Austin with Grok answering fast, a simulated job-interview coaching moment, and Ashok Elluswamy from Cybercab launch day. Episode 188 is the sit-down. Episode 189 is the ride that follows.

Join the Conversation

Have you sat in a Cybercab yet, or taken one through the Robotaxi app in Austin?

What hits you first, is it the the missing wheel, the two-seat cabin, or the feeling that the future finally has a door you can open?

Drop your thoughts in the comments. I read every one.

Stay curious. Stay adventurous. And keep enjoying the ride ahead! 🚕✨

Previous on the blog: Episodes 186 & 187 – Iba Thiam’s First Supervised FSD Ride