After 4 years of waiting, Tesla has finally started deliveries of the Cybertruck. The delivery event — held in a strangely dark room — finally answered a load of questions about the electric pickup. But, it left us with almost as many.
Here’s what we know and what we still want to know.
What We Know About Tesla Cybertruck
Stainless Steel Shell
The industry wasn’t sure if it could be done, but Tesla has pulled off the stainless steel bodywork. It’s the first stainless steel car since the DeLorean.
Tesla’s presentation showed the steel standing up to a barrage of bullets and even an arrow fired by Joe Rogan. Tesla’s website shows it being smashed by a hammer and a shopping cart without so much as a dent or a scratch. Expect many YouTube channels to test these claims.
Tesla Truck Off-Road Specs
The official specs are limited, as in Tesla only revealed them for the top-spec Cyberbeast and only a few of them. We know that the truck will offer an adaptive air suspension and that it will allow up to 17.44 inches of ground clearance “in extract mode.”
So, 17.44 inches is a max figure, and we don’t know when you’ll be able to use it. The suspension will offer up to 12 inches of travel to go with. It’s about 2.5 inches more clearance than the Rivian R1T and around 2 inches more suspension travel. No word on what the base suspensions will offer.
Cybertruck Powertrain
Tesla launched three versions, a rear-drive, AWD twin-motor, and the (also AWD) Cyberbeast. Cyberbeast will, you guessed it, be the quickest one. With 845 horsepower, Tesla says it can hit 60 mph in 2.6 seconds. The AWD model has 600 horses and can do it in 4.1. There’s no power figure for the rear-drive model, but expect it to run to highway speeds in 6.5 seconds.
The torque figure is a bit misleading. Pulling the same trick as GMC with the Hummer EV, Tesla used a wheel torque figure. Hummer EV will make 11,500 pound-feet, Cyberbeast 10,296. By the same metric, a Jeep Wrangler diesel makes nearly 30,000 pound-feet of torque. Without gear ratios, it’s useless.
Cyberbeast and AWD models can tow up to 11,000 pounds. Maximum payload is 2,500 pounds. That’s 1,000 pounds more trailer than the F-150 Lightning and about 500 pounds more payload.
Tesla Cybertruck Range
Rear-drive models get 250 miles of range. AWD models have 340 miles, and Cyberbeast 320.
An add-on battery pack Tesla calls a “Range Extender” goes in the cargo bed. It bumps range to 470 miles for the AWD and 440 miles for Cyberbeast.
Cargo Space
The Cybertruck gets a 6-foot-by-4-foot bed that can be covered by a lockable tonneau cover. There is more locking storage underneath in what Tesla calls the Vault. Cybertruck will get a mid-gate-style pass-through that lets long cargo extend into the cab if you need a bit more.
In the front trunk, or frunk, space is a bit smaller. It’s about half the size of the Ford F-150 Lightning’s, though Tesla didn’t give the exact figure.
Cybertruck Pricing
The Cyberbeast is the most expensive model, with a price tag of $99,990. All-Wheel Drive spec trucks are $79,990. The rear-drive model is $60,990, but it won’t arrive for more than a year.
CyberTent
A picture of a Cybertruck with a matching and equally angular tent in the bed caught our eye — see the lead image at the top of this post. It looks quite spacious. And with the Cybertruck’s 120V and 240V cargo bay power plugs, going off grid for a while is a definite possibility. But when can we get one, and how much?
Things We Don’t Know
Ride and Handling
Elon Musk claimed Porsche 911-like handling and acceleration — he showed a Cybertruck towing a Porsche 911 outrunning another 911 — but what does that mean? We’ll have to wait and see once the trucks get into the hands of trusted reviewers since sports car handling and all-terrain tires go together like, well, 911s and pickup trucks.
Rockproof Glass?
After the ill-fated bulletproof glass test in 2019, Tesla revised its claims for the Cybertruck’s glass. At the delivery event, Musk said it could withstand rocks and even a baseball at highway speeds. The only demo was a baseball lightly lobbed at the side window.
Cabin Noise?
In space, no one can hear you scream. Musk said that the inside of a Cybertruck is quieter than that. How silent will it actually be? The International Space Station is loud enough that astronauts have to wear hearing protection. And, if we could hear the sun from Earth, it would be as loud as a rock concert.
Cybertruck Deliveries
Tesla delivered a handful of Cybertruck models live at the event. But we have no idea when the next batches will arrive. Or who will get them. The company has loads of reservations. But, Tesla has shown with Model 3 and Model Y that being first on that list doesn’t mean first to get your vehicle.
Look at the company’s site and deliveries for the Cyberbeast are “est 2024.” RWD is “est 2025.” So it could be quite some time before you start seeing this pickup on the road.
CyberTent
Yup, that tent again. How much is going to cost? When will we be able to get one? Will it have any other-worldly claims and capabilities like the Cybertruck?
OK, we can answer some of those. The tent, called Cybertruck Basecamp, is $2,975. It can be inflated using a manual pump, and only needs poles for the awning. The tent stores above the cargo floor on a track when you aren’t using it and it keeps you elevated off the cargo bed floor.
