The Tesla Cybertruck has finally made its way into the hands of eager buyers who have waited for the fully electric pick-up truck since it was first announced way back in 2019. Dubbed as offering “more utility than a truck” and “faster than a sports car,” the production-spec Cybertruck is noticeably different from what was promised four years ago. For starters, it’s a lot more expensive than what Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced then. Without federal tax credits, the Cybertruck was originally estimated to go for between USD 39,900 and USD 69,900 across three variants, which were the Single Motor RWD, Dual Motor AWD and Tri Motor AWD.
At yesterday’s customers delivery event,
the company revealed the Cybertruck will still come in three variants, albeit
renamed, with the base Rear-Wheel Drive variant listed at USD 60,990. This is followed by the All-Wheel Drive at USD 79,990 and finally, the range-topping Cyberbeast at a whopping USD 99,990. With
these figures, the Cybertruck is priced within range of other premium electric
pick-up trucks that are available in the United States, namely the Rivian R1T
and GMC Hummer EV, both of which are priced around the USD 100,000 mark in their top configurations.
Of the three variants, the Rear-Wheel
Drive variant won’t be available at launch and buyers will have to wait until
2025 to get their hands on one. As for the All-Wheel Drive and Cyberbeast,
these will have available in 2024. Compared
to what Musk originally promised, the production-spec Cybertruck’s payload
capacity is actually 453 kg lower. The same also applies to the
towing capacity of the range topper, which has been reduced by 1,361 kg, but sees its 0-96 km/h time slashed by 0.3 seconds. The Cyberbeast is the
most potent of the bunch, and the company demonstrated just how powerful it is
by having it drag race a Porsche 911 while towing a 911. Tesla took a page out
of GMC’s book by listing eye-watering torque figures, which actually correspond
to wheel torque (motor torque multiplied through the transmission’s drive
ratio), so that’s something to keep in mind.
Moving on the the mid-range All-Wheel
Drive, this variant sees more changes, with its towing capacity going up by 453
kg, the top speed going down from 193 km/h and the 0-96
km/h time gets reduced by 0.4 seconds. As for range, only the base option keeps
to what was promised, with the All-Wheel Drive gaining an extra 64 km while the range-topping variant is down by 290 km. If you’re
wondering what the whole “range extender” is about, it is an dealer-installed
option that Tesla offers that essentially adds another battery pack to the Cybertruck’s
bed to boost range – this “EV power bank” is estimated to cost USD 16,000. The electric vehicle (EV) also gets a power delivery system in its
bed capable of delivering up to 11.5 kW to power tools, accessories, charge
other EVs or even to directly power at home. Tesla says there is one 240-volt
and two 120-volt outlets in the bed, along with two 120-volt outlets and three
USB-C ports in the cabin as well as two auxiliary power connections with 2.1 kW
of output.
That bed measures 1,829 mm long
and 1,219 mm wide and contributes to a total storage volume of
1,897 litres. There’s also a lockable bed cover and with the
second-row seats folded up, there’s an extra 1,529 litres available. Moving on to design, the Cybertruck’s shape looks pretty much
unchanged from when it was first presented as a prototype and is presented with
20-inch wheels. It is a big truck, measuring in at 5,682 mm long, 2,413 mm wide with the side mirrors extended (2,200 mm), 1,790 mm (70.5 inches) tall and with a wheelbase
spanning 3,810 mm. In what Tesla calls “Extract Mode,” the
Cybertruck provides 443 mm of ground clearance thanks to its
adaptive air suspension system which otherwise defaults to 305 mm in normal mode.
The outer panels, which Tesla calls an
“exoskeleton” is made up of an ultra-hard stainless-steel that the company says
reduces dents, damage, long-term corrosion and is even bulletproof. On that
last bit, the company posted a video of a Cybertruck withstanding
gunfire from a Thompson submachine gun (also known as a Tommy gun). Remember
the “shatter-resistant glass” that shattered when Tesla designer Franz von
Holzhausen threw a metal ball at back in 2019? Well, Tesla has taken the jokes
and memes in stride and has now said that its armour glass can resist an impact
of a baseball fired at it at a speed of 113 km/h, which is equivalent
to Class 4 hail. The glass also has acoustic properties aimed at making the
cabin “as quiet as outer space,” the company added.
Moving inside, we find typical Tesla
minimalism, with the main item of focus being an 18.5-inch touchscreen that is
the main portal to all vehicle functions and driving information. Other
features include a rectangular-shaped steering wheel, a large glass roof as
well as a 9.4-inch touchscreen for rear passengers. The kit list also includes
Tesla’s Full Self-Driving suite and there’s vast range of accessories to
complement each purchase. These include a deployable bed tent, paint film, a
spare tyre and tool kit, all-wheel floor mats, carpet interior mats, a bottle
opener, storage bins, a sunshade for the glass roof, bumper protectors,
crossbars for the roof, a light bar, a tailgate ramp, cargo dividers, hooks,
molle panels and a wheel cover. Just for giggles, there’s also the ‘OMFG decal’
that pokes fun at the “glass-shattering” initial unveil event.
