New Tesla Cybertruck: radical electric pick-up due for 2023 production

The long-awaited Tesla Cybertruck is close to being signed off for customers, and it’ll be built at the firm’s Texas Gigafactory

The Tesla Cybertruck has been subject to numerous setbacks since it was first announced in 2019 – perhaps unsurprisingly given its unusual stainless steel exoskeleton and other-worldy design. Nevertheless, there is now hope for early adopters of the vehicle, with Tesla executives promising once again that production will commence this year.

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The confirmation came as part of Tesla’s Investor Day presentation, which saw the company tease two new cars – a boxy MPV-style vehicle and what looks to be a low-slung saloon. Tesla’s widely tipped entry-level Volkswagen ID. 3 rival didn’t break cover as expected, but it’ll be revealed “at a later date” according to design chief Franz von Holzhausen.

Numerous iterations of the Cybertruck have appeared testing during the pick-up’s development cycle, with the latest prototype – shown at the Gigafactory during the Investor Day – bearing a remarkable resemblance to the original concept. 

Cybertruck design

Despite concerns over pedestrian safety and homologation, the Cybertruck’s distinctive flat-panel design is largely intact, with squared-off wheel arch extensions jutting out from the bodywork. The windscreen sits flush with the bonnet and uses a single vertical wiper to reduce drag.

In fact – and despite what the brutal styling might suggest – the Cybertruck’s aerodynamics are rather promising in comparison to conventional pick-up trucks. The continuous straight panel from the top of the windscreen to the ‘kamm tail’ rear end produces less turbulence than the boxy silhouette of rival trucks, for example.

Where the Cybertruck does deviate from initial plans is in its structure. While most of the body serves as a steel exoskeleton as intended, the production Cybertruck will adopt a cast aluminium section at the rear. This will be produced using an 8,000-ton Giga Press machine at the Texas factory. 

The Cybertruck will arrive in showrooms with a set of triangle-shaped door mirrors, although smaller digital camera units could be available as an option to further reduce drag. The wheels of these pre-production cars – which tie-in with a design moulded into the tyre sidewalls – are unlikely to reach showrooms, however. 

Cybertruck interior 

Inside, the general architecture draws heavily from the 2019 show car, with a blocky dashboard design and a large central touchscreen mounted to it. The concept’s central front seat has been replaced by a large storage console, and there’s a closed-top yoke steering wheel.

Latest Cybertruck is a spectacle. Love that the rear seats fold up. Camera in front bumper will help when 4 wheeling. Charge port is in the right rear wheel well. pic.twitter.com/OsqrbP164G

Elon Musk previously noted that once Cybertruck production starts, he hopes to produce a quarter-million Cybertrucks annually, but achieving this will take time because the tech is yet to be improved and it is still very costly at this stage.

"I worry more about things like how do we make the Cybertruck affordable despite having awesome technology.”

The Tesla Cybertruck was first revealed in 2019 and has been delayed every year since. Since then, other manufacturers have entered the electric pickup truck space, including Ford with the F-150 Lightning, Rivian with the R1T, GMC with the Hummer EV, and Chevrolet with the Silverado EV, to name a few.

Tesla Cybertruck: specs and details

When the Cybertruck concept was introduced, it shocked the automotive space with its angular, stainless-steel-bodied utility vehicle with bulletproof glass and a claimed maximum towing capacity in excess of six tonnes. 

After a series of delays, Tesla has assured that series production will commence later this year, and first customer deliveries can be expected soon afterwards.

Following the pick-up’s 2019 reveal, Musk announced on Twitter that more than 250,000 customers had placed orders for the new model – all of whom haven’t received one yet. Then he released a video showing the Tesla Cybertruck pulling a Ford F150, America's best-selling pick-up truck, that's caused some controversy online.

Elon Musk claimed that it can carry a payload of up to 1,587kg and tow up to 6,350kg. It also comes with a lockable, 2,832-litre load bed which can carry items up to 1,981mm long.

Musk promises the pick-up will be handy off-road, too. It has 406mm of ground clearance, an approach angle of 35 degrees and a departure angle of 28 degrees – which is better than a Ford F-150. A range of new traction control settings, designed to simulate mechanical locking differentials, is also promised. 

Tesla Cybertruck: performance and range

Back in 2019, Tesla claimed the range-topping Tesla Cybertruck will be priced from £69,900 in the US (around £54,000), and will feature a tri-motor, all-wheel-drive powertrain and a large battery pack adapted from the Model X SUV. Tesla says it’ll have enough power for a 0–60mph time of 2.9 seconds and a top speed of 130mph, while its maximum range will stand at 500 miles.

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Entry-level, Single Motor, rear-wheel-drive Cybertrucks will be priced from $39,900 (roughly £31,000), undercutting the all-electric Ford F-150 Lightning’s starting price of $51,974.  The single-motor Cybertruck will have a claimed 0–60mph time of 6.5 seconds and a top speed of 110mph. However, they’ll be fitted with smaller battery packs than the flagship model, meaning they’ll only be able to cover 250 miles between charges and tow up to 3,402kg.

Sitting between the two extremes will be a Dual Motor, all-wheel-drive model that’s priced from $49,900 (around £39,000). It will offer a claimed range of “more than 300 miles,” a 0–60mph time of 4.5 seconds and a maximum towing capacity of 4,536kg.

At the Investor Day presentation, it was announced that the Cybertruck would be the first Tesla to adopt a new low-voltage 48V electronic architecture, which will make its way to the brand’s future vehicles.

​​Tesla Cybertruck: chassis, platform and toughness

Like the Tesla Model X, the Cybertruck rides on air suspension which allows the rear of the pick-up to be lowered to make loading and unloading easier. The truck is also fitted with a retractable ramp, which was demonstrated with a rebadged and rebodied Yamaha all-terrain vehicle driving across the stage and into the bed.

Musk claims the Cybertruck will be the toughest pick-up on the market, thanks to a body made of ultra-hard 30X cold-rolled stainless steel. Tesla’s design boss, Franz von Holzhausen, demonstrated the strength of the pick-up’s body by attempting to dent one of its doors with a sledgehammer.

The Cybertruck will also be fitted with Tesla Armour Glass – an ultra-strong polymer-layered composite, which Elon Musk described as “transparent metal.” Its on-stage demonstration didn’t go as smoothly as the bodywork’s though as, when Holzhausen threw a heavy metal ball at the pick-up’s front and rear door glass, both windows cracked. Musk admitted to the crowd that there was “room for improvement.”

And, as with all US-market pick-ups, the Tesla Cybertruck is big. It measures 5,885mm in length, 2,027mm wide and 1905mm high, which makes it around the same size as the Supercab version of North America’s current best-seller, the Ford F-150.

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