$61K Cybertruck: Stacking up the price vs. EV pickups
Let’s cut to the chase: You’ve already made up your mind about the Cybertruck. If you truly want one, you’ve likely already plunked down a reservation fee for one, and you’re reading this to validate your decision. (No judgement; you’re more patient than any of us.) If you haven’t put money down on a Cybertruck, maybe you’ve been waiting until now. Or, you think the thing is dumb and absurd, but you want to know how much other poor sops are paying for their stupid, fake truck.
Welcome one, welcome all!
Spoilers first: The Cybertruck really is the least expensive of the pure-electric pickup trucks on the market today. We hesitate to say “cheapest,” because $60,990 is not cheap for your average new-car buyer. $61K is two down payments on a starter home in a lot of places, or to put it in universal car terms, two Miatas: one to take on Sunday drives and another to race. Hungry? It’s about 18,541 McDoubles.
That $60,990 figure omits the $7500 federal tax credit, for which the Cybertruck does qualify in full. It also ignores the potential gas savings over three years (which Tesla has calculated, with apparent diligence and transparency, to $3600.) Why? Neither impact the up-front cost, because tax credits and future savings are basically reimbursements, not coupons or cash offers. The $60,990 also omits a destination fee, which Tesla does not yet specify for the truck. As of this writing, you’ll pay an extra $1390 in shipping for a Model 3 Long Range, a Model S, or a Model Y. Will Tesla charge the same for the Cybertruck? Check the Tesla forums, that information should trickle out soon.
If you think of trucks as work vehicles, then you’re probably familiar with the F-150 Lightning and the Silverado EV, both of which are designed as electric makeovers of existing models. Those trucks start around $53K and $78K, respectively, if you’re buying a fleet-spec example. The base Lightning comes with a targeted range of 240 miles and an output of 452 hp; the Silverado, with 450 EPA-estimated miles of range and 510 hp. The base Cybertruck, with a Tesla-estimated range of 250 miles and no listed hp figure, falls in between these two—but let’s be real, it also falls in another category.
If you want to buy a Cybertruck, you want it because it has an it-factor no other vehicle has. You’ll boast about power and towing capacity to your friends, but utility was either just as important or less than that je ne sais quoi.
Here are the three configurations of Cybertruck, not including destination:
• Rear-wheel-drive Cybertruck, $60,990: 250-mile range (mf’r est.), no listed hp, available in 2025
Comparable spec of Rivian R1T (Adventure, with base battery pack): AWD, 533 hp, 270-mile range (mf’r est.), 11,000-pound towing capacity: $74,800
Comparable spec of Hummer EV (2X): AWD, 311-mile range (mf’r est.), 625 hp, 7400 lb-ft torque, 12,000-pound towing capacity: $98,845
• All-wheel-drive Cybertruck, $79,990: 340-mile range (mf’r est.), 600 hp, 7435 lb-ft torque, 11,000-pound towing capacity
Comparable spec of Rivian R1T (Adventure, with Large battery pack and Performance Dual-Motor): AWD, 352-mile range (EPA rated), 665 hp, 11,000-pound towing capacity: $85,800
Comparable spec of F-150 Lightning (Platinum, or top spec, with Extended-Range Battery): 580 hp, 775 lb-ft peak torque, 300-mile range (EPA rated), 8500-pound towing capacity: $93,540, if you pay cash (Ford Credit charges $645 acquisition fee).
• Cyberbeast, $107,490: AWD, 320-mile range (mf’r est.), 845 hp, 10,296 lb-ft torque*, 11,000-pound towing capacity
Comparable spec of Rivian R1T (Quad Motor, with Large Battery Pack; Max not available): AWD, 835 hp, 352-mile range, 11,000-pound towing capacity: $88,800
Comparable spec of Hummer EV (3X, without Extreme Off-Road Package): AWD, 314-mile range (EPA), 1000 hp, 11,500 lb-ft of torque*, 8500-pound towing capacity: $106,945
Comparable spec of Silverado EV (RST 1st Edition, reservations closed as of this writing): AWD, 400-mile range (mf’r est.), 754 hp, 785 lb-ft of torque, 10,000-pound towing capacity: $105,000+
*Wondering how Tesla and GMC got these massive numbers? Click here for an explainer.
We’ll leave it to you, in the comments, to debate the various details that elevate one truck over another, because that’s the real world: You make your own decisions for your own reasons. Bulletproof steel doors really do it for you? Go crazy. Want Ford’s familiar F-150, but electric? It’s a damn good truck—we’ve driven it. Putting down a deposit on the revamp of the Hummer? Go off, you rich king.
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If Ford or Chevybhad panel gaps like this the media would crucify them.
The styling is like a first grader. And the stainless will hurt them more than help. The finger prints will be horrible.
It does have all of the curb appeal of something someone would put together for a Red Bull soapbox derby
Me with a 15 year old Ford that still works (but not particularly great); cost of single digit thousands – I’m not the target market.
But I don’t know who is
No question it’s goofy looking but I would’ve gladly taken a solid coating of fingerprints instead of the corrosion I measured in inches per month on my trucks.
So the body doesn’t corrode… but what about the batteries?
Fantastic video. I had been reconsidering my deposit on the Cybertruck but am now interested to try it. As owners of a Model 3 we know how much thought went into the design and execution of a Tesla. Whilst nothing can replace the joy of my Mustang GT convertible there is a lot to be said for only needing to replace 4 tires and brakes on the Model 3 in 4 years. And that’s with my wife commuting 4 days a week. Send the truck over – I for one am interested.
I saw one rolling down the road. It looks like a class project for a bunch of high school kids that going to displayed at the county fair. Unrefined would be a kind description for this THING.
Speaking of THING… Hey Elon, the 80’s are calling, VW wants their car back.
EVs are a shell game that don’t save energy and don’t pollute less but the video is well done and the engineering is impressive on the cybertruck
Isn’t this article about people mover cars without a trunk lid? I don’t see one real usable truck.
So what is the mileage range when pulling 11,000 pound trailer?
Very good question for all the electric trucks.
Look up “electric truck towing” on YouTube. One test tows a 10,000# trailer with an F-150 EV. IIRC they get somewhere around 25-30% of advertised range when towing that heavy a load (the max rating). Of course a lighter load would mean more. For those who use a truck for heavy towing (such as an RV) an electric truck is definitely not going to work. Even going on the high side, say 1/3 of advertised range (say my 7,000 pound 30′ camper instead of 10K), that’s only 80 miles. It’s about 150 miles (three hour drive) to our favorite beach campground, about 200 if we go to the mountains instead. So wouldn’t even make it there! So for sporting around like most truck owners do (truck just substitutes for a big car, really — but you can haul the trash off easier!) it’s fine. I could use it in my home repair business since I don’t tow heavy loads, but for REAL truck work an ICE truck is needed, and will be for a long time unless there is some big battery or fuel cell break-through.
The silly styling with the sharp corners suggests bad aerodynamics and high wind noise.
Not true on both counts. The coefficient of drag is far lower on the Cybertruck than its competitors, and it’s quieter inside due to the thicker glass and body.
I have a deposit on the RIVIAN R1T since 2018, MAX PACK BATTERY QUAD MOTOR AWD. Still waiting for that configuration if they build it. SO I have deposits on the Silverado RST EV and the CYBER BEAST. Tired of waiting on RIVIAN with no answer to my original deposit on the truck named above. I hope they build it because that is my first choice !
If you just have to have an EV truck go ahead and waste your money on something that looks like a truck, except for the cyber truck which is just plain hideous, but none of these EV trucks do anything but impersonate a truck. They cost as much or more than a 3/4 ton real truck fully loaded and towing with one forget it. It might tow 7000 to 11000 lbs. but not for very long so what good is it other than you can drive around and show everyone you are saving the planet by wasting your money on a worthless vehicle.
Not to mention the raw minerals needed for the batteries is extremely unfriendly to the environment because it is done at Chinese owned mines in Africa where there are no laws protecting the environment, by people being slave labor wages. Then the processing of raw ore and manufacturing of the batteries is done in China were there are no laws to protect the environment. Finally when the battery life is ended, replacement batteries are very expensive and not recycled so the old batteries end up in landfills. Sure doesn’t sound like saving the planet to me.
I’m saving the planet by happily driving a 22 year old F150 4×4 5sp sport truck that I saved from a wrecking yard when it was two months old. I can now donate the $100k I saved to green causes by avoiding the fake saving planet by buying a new electric future trash pile of toxic batteries etc. because it will need too expensive batteries too soon. I also don’t need to tow a trailer for a proper truck load like these “trucks”.
Does anyone have hard data on the percentage of full size trucks sold in the US that are EVER used for towing(or at least more than once a year)?. I have a feeling it’s way below 50%
Don’t know but I use my 2013 Avalanche tow a car and trailer often, with round trips from 100-1,000 miles. Can only do the 100 miles with an electric one. All you need is one tow event a year and the EV becomes a burden. COUNT ME OUT. (although the Silverado EV is really an Avalanche so I do like the styling)
Where did you get this 100 mile range while towing number?
ISEECARS does a survey of about 250k truck owners every few years. I googled and found an article on TheDrive regarding the survey in 2019 (google “You Don’t Need A Full-Size Pickup Truck, You Need a Cowboy Costume”) and 75% was the number that didn’t tow at all or only did so once a year (why the survey decided to combine 1 and none/never I don’t know, annoying), 70% off-road 0-1 times a year, and 35% only use the bed to haul 0-1 times a year.
Again, those numbers are self-reported by the truck owners. So, by the assumption that there is some overlap in these groups, I would bet that the 35% not using the bed are 100% in the off-road and towing categories, so we can assume at least 35% of full size trucks are not used as trucks in any way, and probably close to 50% have never seen off-road or towing use, leaving the 20-25% remaining as used to tow or off-road 1 time per year.
10,000+ lb ft of torque. Holy Twister Batman.