By PH Staff \/ Thursday, 30 November 2023 \/ Loading comments<\/p>\n
Given it\u2019s been four years since Tesla unveiled its wilfully futuristic pickup, it probably did not matter that it was marginally behind schedule with a live online stream of its first customer handovers. The so-called Cybertruck has been beset by delays throughout its development, and on an earnings call earlier this week, CEO Elon Musk made it clear that issues remained: \u201cThere will be enormous challenges in reaching volume production with the Cybertruck and then in making a Cybertruck cashflow-positive.\u201d <\/p>\n
But that\u2019s very much Tesla\u2019s problem. It still reckons it will reach its targeted production of 250,000 units per year by 2025; what we\u2019re (mildly) more interested in is the devil in the detail – because, until Thursday night, the manufacturer had been remarkably tight-lipped about the technical specification, aside from the fact that its new pickup would provide 11,000lbs of towing capacity (or 4,990kg) and be able to carry 2,500lbs (or 1,134kg) on its composite truck bed. Now, with the first customers receiving the cars they must\u2019ve preordered yonks ago, we know a good deal more about it. <\/p>\n
More truck than truck, Musk called it during the presentation – but also \u2018more sports car than a sports car\u2019. Not least because the Cybertruck is claimed to have more torsional stiffness than a McLaren P1 thanks to the Tesla-designed stainless steel alloy used in its construction (which also makes it bulletproof – or \u2018bullet-tough\u2019 as Musk prefers). It ought to be strong if we\u2019re going on kerbweight: the flagship tri-motor derivative weighs in at 6,843lbs – or 3,103kg. Not astonishingly heavy in a world of enormous Super Duty trucks – or when you consider the amount of tech onboard, which includes adaptive air suspension, four-wheel steering, locking differentials etc – but, still: astonishingly heavy from where we\u2019re sitting. <\/p>\n
Somewhat inevitably, that doesn\u2019t limit its performance much. Tesla has dubbed its range-topper the \u2018Cyberbeast\u2019 and with an output of 845hp it lives up to the name. During the presentation, Tesla showed a film of the pickup beating an (unidentified) Porsche 911 over a quarter-mile – while towing a Porsche 911. Gimmicky, sure – but indicative of a claimed 0-60mph time of 2.6 seconds (as ever, that\u2019s with the rollout subtracted). The range is somewhat less impressive at an estimated 320 miles, but there\u2019s a fairly mediocre 0.34 drag coefficient to cope with, and, again, that kerbweight. A \u2018range-extender\u2019 is promised that ought to improve that figure to beyond 440 miles, although we were not told precisely how this will work. Or what size the current batteries are. <\/p>\n
Tesla did finally reveal a price, though: the Cyberbeast starts at $99,990 – or around \u00a379k. Beneath it there is the option of a dual-motor All-Wheel Drive version with 600hp or a single-motor Rear-Wheel Drive model, although the latter won\u2019t be available till 2025 and will likely only manage 250 miles of range and 6.5 seconds to 60mph for a $60,990 sticker price – around \u00a348k. Which makes the mid-tier AWD variant seem like a reasonable choice based on a 340-mile range (or 470 miles when range extended) and a 0-60mph time of 4.1 seconds. It\u2019s even a tiny bit lighter. At 2,995kg. <\/p>\n
But that doesn\u2019t come cheap at $79,990 for that – or around \u00a363k – and, as with the Cyberbeast, Tesla reckons you\u2019ll take delivery at some point in 2024. Whether that\u2019s accurate or not remains to be seen. You still can\u2019t actually order one; Tesla still asking for a fully refundable \u00a3250 to \u2018reserve now\u2019. Musk previously suggested that 200,000 people had done just that. For now, his firm has united just 10 of them with Cybertrucks, having initially promised that deliveries would begin in 2021. But tonight he celebrated regardless: \u201cI think it\u2019s our best product; the most unique thing on the road. The future should look like the future.\u201d Now Tesla just needs to make it arrive in the present. <\/p>\n