Earlier this week, as we awaited the introduction of the actual production vehicle of the Cybertruck, I jotted down some thoughts on Tesala’s latest.
The actual reveal was both better (at the top end) and worse (at the entry-level) than anticipated: The truck that was introduced was far more capable than expected, with great specs (see below). But that Cyberbeast was a $100k top of the line vehicle.
If you want the entry-level model, aka the cheapest Cybertruck, well, bad news: Its 2 years away, is rear-wheel (not AWD) drive, and gets “only” 250 miles of range on a full charge. Oh, and prices start at $60,990 — much higher than the original price of $39,900 when first intro’d in 2019.
What you can get now — or more accurately, sometime in 2024 — are the dual-motor and tri-motor “Cyberbeast” versions. The AWD Cybertruck will start at $79,990, and the 3-motor “Cyberbeast” starts at $99,990.
Tesla says in 2025 it will be making 250,000 trucks annually — a very high target for a difficult-to-manufacture vehicle. I will be curious to see if they can hit that lofty target.
Recall the original Cybertruck unveil: $39,900 base price, ready in 2021, 3,500-pound payload in a 6.5ft bed, and a 14,000 pounds max towoing, and a range of 500+ miles for the top-end version (which was $69,900). Electrek notes Tesla missed all of those targets.
Here are the specs, from the most to least impressive models:
Tesla Cyberbeast (2024)
0-60mph: 2.6 seconds
Range: ~320 miles
Top speed: 130mph
845 horsepower
Towing capacity: 11,000 lbsTesla Cybertruck AWD (late 2024)
0-60mph: 4.1 seconds
Range: ~340 miles
Top speed: 112mph
600 horsepower
Towing capacity: 11,000 lbsBase Tesla RWD Cybertruck (2025)
Rear-wheel drive
0-60mph: 6.5 seconds
Range: ~250 miles
Top speed: 112mph
Towing capacity: 7,500 lbs
I am not the target audience for this pickup generally — I think it’s gimmicky and ugly, lacking in the graceful lines I prefer in any automobile. But there are over 1 million reservations at $100 each (and it’s $250 if you want to reserve one now).
While I appreciate what Musk has done with Space X and in forcing the automobile industry to take zero emissions seriously, his other behavior is a bridge too far for me — so I am not a TSLA buyer. But Tesla has a very faithful client base, seemingly immune to the antics of its CEO. They collectively lent him $100 million interest-free dollars since 2019 with all their deposits on Cybertrucks.
I cannot believe this ugly, goofy pricey truck will sell well — just the looks alone disqualify it for me. But at the same time, I am unwilling to bet against Elon, who has proven his critics wrong time and again.
Previously:
“Clown Car” (November 30, 2023)
Rivian R1T Pickup Truck (January 24, 2020)
Ford to Tesla: “We got it from here” (June 17, 2022)
See also:
Very positive Hagerty review video here: Tesla Cybertruck Full Review & Drag Race w R1T & Hummer
Musk’s Cybertruck Is Already a Production Nightmare for Tesla (Bloomberg 11.28.2023)
Source: Road & Track
Source: Car and Driver
Source: The Verge
See Also: Tesla, Teslarati
