Gary Zhou 
Key Points
- 📜 48V Guide Sent to Auto CEOs: Ford CEO Jim Farley confirms that Tesla indeed sent a “How to Design a 48-Volt Vehicle” guide to other auto CEOs, dispelling initial impressions that it might be a joke.
- 🚗 Ford’s Positive Response: Ford received the 48V pamphlet on December 5, 2023, and Jim Farley appreciates the gesture, thanking Elon Musk and stating that the guide will be beneficial for the industry.
- 🤝 Elon Musk’s Response: Elon Musk responds on social media, saying “You’re welcome,” indicating a light-hearted exchange between the CEOs.
- 🎭 Hagerty’s Humorous Sub-header: Farley acknowledges that the humorous sub-header in Hagerty’s video, attributing a message to Elon Musk, was all in good fun.
- 🚘 Tesla Cybertruck’s 48V Architecture: The Tesla Cybertruck is among the pioneering vehicles using a 48V architecture, enabling innovative features such as the steer-by-wire system.
- 🌐 Sharing Industry Concepts: Tesla’s sharing of 48V concepts with other automakers, as evidenced by the guide, may contribute to an increase in vehicles featuring a 48V architecture in the future.
When motoring content firm Hagerty published its video review of the Tesla Cybertruck, automotive journalist Jason Cammisa lightly noted that Tesla had sent other auto CEOs a pamphlet called “How to Design a 48-Volt Vehicle.” Cammisa seemed like he was joking in the video, so his comments were mostly taken in stride by the electric vehicle community.
But as per a recent comment from Ford CEO Jim Farley, it appears that Tesla really did send out a “How to Design a 48-Volt Vehicle” guide to other auto CEOs. In a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, Farley noted that Tesla was definitely not joking, as Ford had received the document.
Farley also remarked that Ford had received the pamphlet on December 5, 2023. The Ford CEO actually seemed like he appreciated the document, as he thanked Elon Musk and stated that the guide would be “great for the industry.” Elon Musk, for his part, seemed to appreciate the Ford CEO’s reaction to the 48V guide. In a response on X, Musk simply noted, “You’re welcome.”
As for the humorous sub-header that Hagerty featured in its video, Farley noted that the motoring content firm was just having some fun.
For context, the sub-header featured in Hagerty’s video read, “You incompetent boobs! Do we really have to do your homework for you? — xoxo, Elon.” Now, something like this does sound very Tesla, but it would require a CEO with some serious sense of humor to take such a sub-heading in stride. Considering Farley’s comment, it would appear that Tesla opted for the less humorous but more professional route with its 48V pamphlet.
The Tesla Cybertruck is one of the first vehicles to utilize a 48V architecture. Thanks to its 48V architecture, Tesla was able to roll out several novel features for the Cybertruck, such as its steer-by-wire system, which is quite groundbreaking in its own right. Considering that Tesla really seems to be sharing its general 48V concepts with other automakers, however, it would not be surprising if the number of vehicles that feature a 48V architecture increases in the coming years.
Watch Hagerty‘s Tesla Cybertruck review video below.
