First Cybertruck rolls off the Gigafactory Texas assembly line
“Better utility than a truck, with more performance than a sports car.”
That’s Tesla’s listed mandate for the Cybertruck, which is just now beginning production nearly four years after its introduction, and two years behind schedule due to, says Tesla’s Elon Musk, supply shortages related to the pandemic.
We know it’s in production thanks to a tweet last weekend that showed a Cybertruck surrounded by manufacturing personnel at Gigafactory Texas, complete with a happy face wearing a cowboy hat.
First Cybertruck built at Giga Texas! 🤠 pic.twitter.com/ODRhHVsd0t
— Tesla (@Tesla) July 15, 2023
Exactly when we can expect deliveries to start is unclear, but there’s no denying the Cybertruck seems farther along than it did a week ago. Price is still unclear as well, but Musk tweeted a backhand compliment to the electric Ford Lightning, which had a major price cut on Monday, saying that it was a good truck, but expensive. This could mean the Cybertruck will come in under the Lightning, but being as how the Lightning can still be optioned up from the $50,000 base price to well over $90,000, there’s a big window there.
So what do we know about the Cybertruck? Most of our information still comes from the Tesla.com website.
The Cybertruck is “Now entering a new class of strength, speed, and versatility—only possible with an all-electric design. The powerful drivetrain and low center of gravity provide extraordinary traction control and torque—enabling acceleration from 0–60 mph in as little as 2.9 seconds and up to 500 miles of range.”
Cybertruck “is built with an exterior shell made for ultimate durability and passenger protection. Starting with a nearly impenetrable exoskeleton, every component is designed for superior strength and endurance, from Ultra-Hard 30X Cold-Rolled stainless-steel structural skin to Tesla armor glass.”
And, “Ultra-strong glass and polymer-layered composite can absorb and redirect impact force for improved performance and damage tolerance.” You’ll recall that at the Cybertruck’s introduction, the ultra-strong glass famously shattered in a demonstration to show that it wouldn’t do that.
Towing capacity will be over 14,000 pounds; payload is 3500 pounds; it will seat six “comfortably.”
Suspension is self-leveling, and can be raised or lowered four inches. There’s onboard power and compressed air. There’s a 17-inch touchscreen inside, and 100 cubic feet of lockable storage outside. It may or may not have four-wheel steering.
It’s also handsome or hideous, depending on your opinion of the beyond-angular styling, but it is unique. Part of the appeal, or lack of it, will be the fact that it comes only in silver, as in brushed stainless.
We’ll have to see some on the street to render a final judgment on the Cybertruck’s appearance. Bottom line, it seems that should happen sooner rather than later now.
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I’m voting for “hideous”. It ought to be less expensive than a Ford – they surely didn’t invest much money in designing an attractive vehicle.
Think how much money they must save by not having a styling department.
No kidding.
This is a gimmick. An electric truck is fine for 75% of the buying populous, but this? Who wants a truck that only comes in one color? Can they be painted? Do they expect every other buyer to wrap theirs? I feel the novelty will wear off quick once Jimmy McEarlyAdopter drives his CT to work and sees 4 others that look *exactly like it* in the parking lot.
Also, hard sell to call a 5,000lb truck anything near a “sports car” let alone assuming it has “more performance.” I’d like to see the data on that. Oh, wait, we can’t, because Tesla doesn’t have a PR department to loan these things to the press.
Gee, how did the last vehicle made in natural stainless steel turn out?
Unless Elon plans on doing product placement in a “Back To The Future – Part 4”, where he goes 30 years into the future to get a vehicle he promises to deliver on time today.
I think it’s an interesting vehicle but it looks in my opinion like it’s more situated to be a “lifestyle vehicle” cargo hauler (ie: mountain bikes, kayaks, boxes, etc…) than a serious work vehicle. I own two pickups and have used them extensively for work to haul lots of dirt, gravel, sand, building materials and lots of car parts… I wonder how many people are going to take their cybertruck to the landscape yard and get it’s bed filled with 2 yards of crushed granite…still it is an interesting vehicle and well have to wait and see…
It seems to me that all pickups marketed in the U.S. are situated to be “lifestyle vehicle” haulers.
They are certainly headed that way, although there are still some good ol’ working trucks out there (fewer than 20 years ago for sure). It’s a chicken-and-egg thing IMO – did the trucks start veering into this arena due to OEM decisions, and people liked/bought them, or did people demand the change first?
Last week, I helped a friend move his project car on my trailer – pulled by our 2002 Dodge p/u. Three days ago, Mrs. DUB6 and I loaded salvaged bricks into the truck to work on a patio project. Tomorrow, I need to haul a load of salvaged RR ties to our place in the next town for some landscaping changes. In September, it’ll be taking a load of parts out to a local swap meet.
THAT is my personal “lifestyle” and what my “vehicle” does to assist me! 😁
As Ahab said, there’s something fishy here. The lower photos are either doctored or a model- no door or B-pillar lines, how does that bed cover work? And does it have a back seat? The deep sloping roof looks like anyone over 5-feet tall is out of headroom. Styling, as always, is a matter of taste but I think it looks like Reynolds Wrap origami.
I don’t think so. I have a new 32″ monitor, which may be why I can see the door lines and you don’t seem to be able to. The B-pillar is faintly visible behind the window glass. The back seats appear to be considerably lower than the front – the photos of the interior show about the same amount of rear headroom as the front seats have. I’m guessing that the bed cover works like an old-fashioned roll-top desk, rolling up just behind the back seats.
I think it looks great. Great change from all the mundane trucks available at this time.
What a dull looking vehicle. Honestly any other Tesla looks decent, the Model S looks pretty good but the “cyber truck” is just ugly.
I’ll toss this in with that goofy Isuzu VehiCROSS ( which was actually a pretty good vehicle, I guess ) than with any pickup style heavy duty vehicle of gas or diesel. My guess is the reception for this will continue to be cold ( “impenetrable exoskeleton”; do we really need this..? ) and a limited production run will take place ( a few thousand ) and it’ll be a memory just like the Isuzu.
We’re about to enter a 10 year period of raw material battery wars and I believe that the major players (GM, Ford, Toyota, anything from China ) will eventually stomp out Tesla just as they have done to other smaller auto makers for over 100 years. It wouldn’t surprise me if Tesla was just acquired along the way after their value decreases. That is if anything of value is still there.
Sorry Elon, but you’re having your 10 minutes of fame.
And if you keep designing and making vehicles like this it might be even fewer.
Elon does for trucks what he did for twitter. What a nightmare. Hopefully he has come up with invisible paint so we don’t have to look at this monstrosity.
No thanks!!
As an 80’s teen I loved my mini trucks, and still have one. For my money, the new Wolf truck is by far more handsome than anything Tesla or the Detroit 3 have put out.
I’ll reserve judgement on Cybertruck until I see it in person, but let me say this: for all those that want something “different,” you best be looking for a local vinyl wrap shop to do your truck because otherwise they’re all going to look the same in the parking lot.
What’s the range when loaded or towing? Not good. And what does using the AC or heater do to the range? Sure doesn’t help it but neither of those affect gas engine powered vehicles much. I know I don’t want one even if I could afford it.
Since the stainless steel body is the predominate element of the design related to impact safety, I can only imagine what repair costs will be if damaged. How many of these are going to be “totaled” by insurance companies because the repair costs are too high? And finally, they are just …. simply …. ugly.