Elon Musk rolled out his new Cybertruck pickup and it’s obvious he didn’t steal anyone else’s design, this is definitely coloring outside the lines, but minus the color. The monochrome metal exterior is made of Ultra-Hard 30X Cold-Rolled stainless-steel. According to Musk, “If there was something better, we’d use it.” During the rollout they hit a door with a sledgehammer and it didn’t dent. The overall look is sort of sci-fi futuristic and some will be instantly turned off, but others, well, like me, find it oddly good looking utilitarian and perhaps, purposely provocative, after you get over the initial shock.
The specifications are nothing short of spectacular and it comes in three versions with single motor rear drive, and two or three motor AWD. Range and performance improve with each step up, beginning with a 0-60 time of 6.5 seconds and 250 mile range all the way up to a 0-60 in 2.9 seconds and a range of 500 miles! Towing capacity likewise improves at each step, starting at 7500 pounds with the single motor and 14,000 pounds with the tri-motor version.
There’s 100 cubic feet of storage in the 6 1/2 foot bed that has a sliding tonneau cover enclosing what they call the vault when it’s locked. The suspension can be raised or lowered 4 inches on either end for access and as you can see in the image, the tailgate has a telescoping ramp hidden inside. I really like that, after seeing all of the variations of steps and flip up sections other manufacturers have been putting out there.
The interior seats 6 and there’s a 17 inch touchscreen on the dash for what is sure to be an extensive range of functions and displays.
Pricing for the one, two and three motor variants is set at $39,900, $49,900 and $69,900 and there is a $7,000 self driving option. The one and two motor versions are slated for late 2021 and the tri-motor is coming in late 2022, at least, that’s the plan.
It will be interesting to see how this compares to what companies like Ford bring out since I believe there is an electric F-150 on the way. The future is coming fast, really fast, so make sure your garage wiring is ready for that charger you’ll be installing.
Check it out at Tesla
All images: credit Tesla
UPDATE: It seems a few people like the Cybertruck, according to Elon Musk it’s received 146,000 (pre -) orders so far with 42% choosing dual, 41% tri & 17% single motor.
Bill Lawson says
Interesting Idea
one of the good things they have is that potentially the bed can be much lower. I really miss the days when a pickup (which had the same clearance as present day pickup) was 6 inches or more lower. It was nice to not need a ten foot ramp to load the bike in the back.
Victor Herbert says
I think it will be 10 more years of battery and solar development before electric vehicles will become more or less main stream. Until then I will not let go of my F-150 V-8 powered crew cab pickup.
Paul Crowe says
Just a few months ago, I let go of mine, a 2004 that I had for almost 16 years. Maybe it was this experience that finally did it.
From what I’m seeing online, this Tesla has a lot of detractors, most of those hate the look, but the look can be changed with a new body style easy enough since the electric skateboard it sits on doesn’t change when you put on new metal. I like that he’s trying it, he’s doing something, critics be damned, That’s a common thread in hundreds of posts on this site because I like doers.
I’m not planning on buying an electric any time soon, but they’re definitely coming. We’ll all just have to stay tuned.
Drive the Wheels Off says
The possibilities of the skateboard architecture contain a long list as shown by the Rivian truck as well.
One that came to mind the other week was for the low rider truck crowd. You can get this really low without sacrificing the purpose of the bed.
Paul Crowe says
Another idea crossed my mind about this truck. Suppose you had a company building rockets to go to the moon and Mars and suppose you had big enough rockets to put one or more of these inside. Once you get to your destination, you offload and drive it around without any modification because it runs on electricity, no internal combustion necessary and the sci-fi look would be right at home. Big off road tires with approach and departure angles for getting up and down steep hills and over rough terrain where there are no roads. Of course it only makes sense if you actually have a company that builds rockets like that, …
Crazy idea? Maybe, but I’d bet this is part of Musk’s thinking. After all, he’s already launched a Tesla roadster into space.
At least one person has looked at all of his tech and thinks it’s a plan to survive a failed state. I hadn’t thought of that, but it also fits.
If the only thing someone sees when they look at this truck is a weird design, they need to expand their thinking. Musk is playing a long game, he’s not just building a pickup.
Paul Crowe says
Seen on Twitter in reply to Musk’s (pre-order) sales figures. For those who don’t recognize the first image, it’s the Rivian electric:
Mark Lewellen says
I like it.
It seriously reminds me of the Roamer from Ark 2. (look it up).
This could be a pretty interesting alternative to IC trucks.
Lot of interesting ideas. Ramp is awesome for obvious reasons.
Cover is interesting. How strong, and what happens if something needs to protrude from the bed?
Paul Crowe says
The bed cover is supposed to support someone walking on it so it’s pretty strong, but since the closed bed is described as the vault, it may be a lot stronger than that indicates.
That ATV they rolled up the ramp is electric, though there was no mention of it in the presentation.
I wonder how long before someone else steals that ramp idea.
Jason says
The 1961 – 1964 Corvair truck had an integrated ramp
Paul Crowe says
Yes, they did, I forgot about those. The side ramp they had was pretty interesting, not quite as useful as a rear ramp would be, but a nice idea, nevertheless. Thanks for the reminder.