Tesla’s Cybertruck is like nothing you, or I, have ever seen. But with performance numbers beyond any production truck on the planet and an unexpectedly affordable price, it has the whole world doing a double-take.
Last night, Tesla revealed the Cybertruck. It looks like all your Blade Runner dreams, or nightmares, come true. But look past the admittedly insane styling, and the forthcoming all-electric truck offers up incredible performance and unique features. And boy, this thing will turn heads.
It’s really hard to believe that the truck Tesla has revealed to us is the actual vehicle that we’ll see go into production in late 2021. The styling of this new Tesla truck is wild and, dare I say, ugly. The truck looks like a concept vehicle in every way; no side mirrors, crazy wheels that protrude over the tires, super tinted-out glass, no paint, etc.
Elon Musk stood on stage and declared this to be the truck that Tesla is offering, and the one you can put a deposit down on now to buy. A $100 fully refundable deposit gets your name on the list for the late-2021 or early-2022 production for the top-of-the-line model.
While it’s hard to believe that this crazy-angular, futuristic, truck-like vehicle is going to be the production Tesla truck, we have no good reason to believe any different. Here’s what we know about this impressive machine.
Tesla Cybertruck: 3 Models
There will be three basic configurations of the Tesla Cybertruck. The base single-motor RWD version will start at $39,900 and get you 250-plus-mile range, a towing capacity of over 7,500 pounds, and a sub-6.5-second 0-60mph time.
The midrange, dual-motor AWD Cybertruck will start at $49,900 and get you 300-plus-mile range, 10,000-plus-pound towing, and a sub-4.5-second 0-60mph time.
And the top-of-the-line Tesla Cybertruck will start at $69,900, offer over 500 miles of range, 14,000-plus pounds of towing capacity, and go 0-60 mph in under 2.9 seconds.
Those numbers, even for the base model, are utterly mind-blowing. The Cybertruck will even offer up to a whopping 3,500 pounds of payload capacity. If true, the Tesla Cybertruck will offer the best performance and capability for your money of any truck that has been announced to go into production in the next few years.
Inside the Cybertruck
The Tesla Cybertruck will seat six people. The interior is quite roomy, and there is ample storage under the rear seats. A huge 17-inch touchscreen dominates the dash and controls everything in the truck.
Besides that basic info, and the fact that you can secure the “full-self driving” option for an additional $7,000, there is little else known about the interior of the truck. Obviously, the exterior robustness and functionality are what Tesla focused on.
Cybertruck Exterior
The outside of the Cybertruck is made of “Ultra-hard 30x cold-rolled stainless steel,” which creates a smooth monochrome exoskeleton structural exterior shell. This construction is said to be for superior strength and durability. The material and construction are so strong that it’s “bulletproof to a 9mm handgun.”
Even the glass on this truck, Tesla Armor Glass, is supposed to be special and super-strong. During the debut, it broke during both demonstration tests on the truck, which Elon Musk didn’t seem too happy about.
While it might not look like it at first glance, this vehicle does have a truck bed. The bed is 6.5 feet long and covered by a locking tonneau cover that is said to be “strong enough to stand on.” This area in the bed, the under-bed storage, frunk, and sail-pillar compartments combine to create a massive 100 cubic feet of locked exterior storage. The tailgate even has a built-in deployable load ramp, but it does look really heavy to lift.
Not only does the Cybertruck have adaptive damping and ride height, but the air suspension is manually adjustable. This system offers up to 16 inches of ground clearance and 4 inches of ride height adjustment. The truck automatically drops down to a low ride height for better fuel efficiency on the highway or for loading when the tailgate is dropped. On top of all that, the air ride system offers the ability to run pneumatic tools and to air up the tires.
Beyond onboard air, but the truck also operates as a power station. This allows you to run all your job site or campsite electronics and tools off the vehicle, in both 110 and 220 volts.
Gunning for Top Truck
Throughout the debut presentation, the Ford F-150 was referenced as the standard to be beaten, as it’s the best-selling truck in America. Everything from its durability to its price was made fun of and topped during the Cybertruck reveal. Obviously, Elon Musk expects the Tesla Cybertruck to be the best-selling and toughest truck in America.
More Adventure: The Tesla Quad?
At the end of the reveal for the Cybertruck, there was one more surprise. Elon Musk said Tesla had also made an all-electric quad. One was rolled out onto the stage, loaded into the back of the truck, and plugged into the truck to charge. Nothing else was said about it, so we’re unsure if it was just to demonstrate a few of the truck’s features, or if a Tesla electric quad will actually go into production.
If you look through every image on the Tesla Cybertruck website, you’ll also dig up a rendering of a full overland-style build of the truck. It features a pop-up tent, pull-out kitchen, and more. Overlanding, or glorified car camping, is hot right now, and the Cybertruck looks to be getting in on the action.
The Electric Truck Wars
Will Tesla, Rivian, Bollinger, Ford, or someone else make it to market first with a viable mass-production, all-electric American truck? Ford has the dealer network, marketing dollars, and production experience to bring a truly competitive vehicle to market in any category they choose.
The Bollinger truck will be a low-production, high-priced vehicle. Rivian has a compelling concept vehicle but might be distracted by making Amazon electric vans and vehicle platforms for companies like Ford.
Tesla is ramping up massive production facilities around the globe and has the energy, creative talent, and money to make a run at the market. With a starting price of about $40,000, the Tesla Cybertruck is a compelling vehicle. Add to that, you should be able to buy a massive-range, super-fast, insane-towing truck for $70,000 — and it’s hard to think about buying anything else. Well, besides maybe its crazy looks.
Does an all-electric truck appeal to you? Which of these companies do you think will bring us the next great American pickup? Is this Cybertruck the truck we’ll actually see on the road in a few years from Tesla? There are so many questions, and only time will answer them.
