During our trip to the United States to cover CES in Las Vegas, we had the chance to see two Tesla Cybertrucks. The first in a brand showroom, the second in a public parking lot. Here are our first impressions of this very special electric car.
The Tesla Cybertruck is a 100% electric pickup truck designed and produced by Tesla, Elon Musk’s company. It is an electric car, despite its design, opinions about which are very strong. And to realize the scale of the thing, you have to see the Cybertruck in real life. This is the opportunity we had, twice, during our trip to the United States for CES 2024.
I personally went to see the Cybertruck in a Tesla showroom in Los Angeles, while my colleague Omar, almost at the same time, crossed paths with the pickup in a parking lot in San José, near San Francisco. Here are all our photos, as well as our opinions and impressions.
An impressive size… but indescribable
The first thing that jumps out at you when you see a Cybertruck “in real life” is its size. Its size is impressive… but also indescribable. Usually, it’s easy to tell if a car is long or “fat”. Here, it’s difficult to say, as the proportions are… astonishing! The unusual shape of the body prevents any comparison with a traditional car or pickup truck.
Depending on the angle, it looks like a huge car. But as soon as you move around the car a little, this feeling disappears a little. We imagine that this is explained by the receding roof, at the front and at the rear, which makes the pickup visually lower than its competitors.
We’re thinking in particular of the Rivian R1T that we were able to drive there for 24 hours (our test is coming soon). It’s shorter and narrower, but gives the impression of taking up more space on the road than the Cybertruck. From a subjective point of view, I prefer the design of the Rivian pickup to that of the Tesla.
“Free” advertising for Tesla?
But we must still admit that the lines of the Cybertruck do not go unnoticed and are quite successful. At one condition. Being comfortable with living in the future (or the one imagined by Elon Musk), and being the object of all eyes on the street. Because yes, it’s impossible to drive with such a machine without everyone turning around in your path. And this is perhaps the secret of the Cybertruck’s success.
Because the Tesla showroom that we visited is located in a huge shopping center in the heart of Los Angeles. Many passersby stopped to photograph this car, without even being interested in purchasing it. A beautiful promotional item, which brings money to the American firm!
Details from the future
In detail, it is true that Tesla succeeded in mixing a classic design with a futuristic pencil stroke. We think of the two huge LED strips on the front and rear bumpers. A light signature that we find more and more on recent cars.
But ultimately, what makes this car special are its clean, raw, almost sharp angles. There is no rounding on the body of the Cybertruck. And it is for this reason in particular that the Tesla pickup does not have the right to be marketed in Europe!
We can also focus on the wheels of the Cybertruck. They are… quite indescribable, due to the hubcap and the tires, whose shape was specially studied with Goodyear to give a future adventurer appearance to the pickup.
Omar’s photos, taken in a parking lot, allow us to better understand the extraordinary design and size of the Cybertruck, compared to some more conventional models of cars.
A camera… and fingerprints
Unfortunately we were not able to board the Cybertruck. But we were still able to get close enough to see the famous front camera, placed in the bumper. It is this which should allow Tesla to move into another dimension. Enough to give them a true 360-degree view for parking maneuvers, while improving their semi-autonomous driving capabilities.
But what marked us the most and what left the most traces in our minds… were the fingerprints. The Tesla pickup truck was protected by a safety net preventing us from touching it. But that didn’t prevent the presence of a few fingerprints on the stainless steel bodywork. Quite visible.
We cannot imagine the quantity of fingerprints on a car in everyday life, subject to the curiosity of passers-by or quite simply to daily use.
In the Tesla showroom, the Cybertruck was accompanied by the Cyberquad for children that we were able to test a few months ago. While waiting for the adult version, which should eventually accompany the Cybertruck.
It’s difficult to form a clear opinion on the design of the Cybertruck after an encounter with this electric pickup. I imagine it’s a bit like any good self-respecting music album. The first listen is confusing, but not unpleasant. Then the different successive listenings allow you to better appreciate the work. Will it be similar with Tesla’s new car? Only the future will tell us…
Don’t hesitate to give us your opinion in the comments.
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