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Tesla Has Several Cars With Covers on at Giga Texas, Let the Speculation Game Begin

When a Tesla enthusiast edited a drone video he took at Giga Texas, his attention was drawn toward an image he had previously overlooked. The picture shows several covered Model Y cars in a parking lot in the vehicle testing and staging area at Giga Texas. The reason Tesla would cover the cars is widely debated on social media.
Tesla has several covered cars at Giga Texas 6 photos
Photo: Joe Tegtmeyer via Twitter
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Tesla rarely covers its cars, and even camouflaged testing prototypes are a rare sighting. This is why the image of several Model Ys covered with fabric in a parking lot at Giga Texas ignited people’s imagination on Twitter. The image was posted by the Tesla enthusiast Joe Tegtmeyer, who discovered it by chance while editing the video he took at Giga Texas on Monday. He still hasn’t had the opportunity to redo the footage with emphasis on that parking lot, but we’re certain that more will come from his Twitter account in the following days.

Until then, let’s indulge in the speculation game, like everyone else, while simultaneously reading the comments to Tietmeyer’s post. Interestingly, people commented that similar sightings were seen in other areas at Giga Texas and also at Giga Shanghai. Somebody even claimed that such covered Tesla cars left the Giga Texas on trailers, immediately raising the speculation heat a notch or two. What could possibly hide beneath the covers?

The most anticipated feature Tesla is expected to launch soon is the new Autopilot HW4 sensor suite. This is further supported by a document Tesla filed with the FCC in November. According to this document, Tesla requested an extension of a confidentiality agreement related to a high-definition radar device until February 7, 2023. The reason was that “this device would not be marketed until Mid-January 2023.” Unless Tesla files a new authorization letter to extend the agreement beyond February 7, we’ll probably see more details about the new radar device.

We’re in “mid-January” now, and people expect Tesla to release more information about the radar. This would presumably be included in the HW4 sensor suite, which is expected to launch anytime. Tesla is probably waiting for the March 1 Investor Day to make an official announcement, but prototypes running the new parts could already be out in the wild testing the new setup.

This could be wishful thinking, which might or might not be related to the covered Teslas in the parking lot. Some people recalled that Tesla used covers for vehicles in the past, although it gave up using them because the covers were quickly removed by the wind. A trained eye can spot that some cars in the parking lot also have missing covers. One white Model Y can be seen missing the tailgate, which might also explain why those cars are covered.

On the other hand, there are too many of them in the lot, which might paint a disturbing problem for Tesla and Giga Texas, as seen in the footage. If so many cars are missing body parts, it must be something wrong with Tesla’s supply chain.

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About the author: Cristian Agatie
Cristian Agatie profile photo

After his childhood dream of becoming a "tractor operator" didn't pan out, Cristian turned to journalism, first in print and later moving to online media. His top interests are electric vehicles and new energy solutions.
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