Announced in 2019, the Cybertruck is finally a reality. Customers of Tesla’s electric pickup truck are starting to receive deliveries, four years after pre-orders opened. It is also an opportunity to discover the latest details of this model and its differences with the showcar previously shown by Tesla.
The production Cybertruck retains its very angular design, inspired by Blade Runner or by James Bond’s Lotus Esprit in The Spy Who Loved Me. It is nevertheless equipped with mirrors and a very imposing wiper arm placed vertically when not in use. As a reminder, the Cybertruck body is made of cold-rolled, unpainted stainless steel. It is however possible to opt for an optional satin black wrap, billed at $6,500 by Tesla.
If one might think that the Cybertruck has never put a wheel in a wind tunnel, given its physique which seems drawn with a ruler, it actually displays a relatively flattering drag coefficient for a pickup, of 0.335. Of course, we are still far from that of a streamlined sedan.
The interior is also very angular, but the furniture is ultimately less massive than on board most pickups. There is a large central screen, but no instrument cluster, like on the Model 3 and Model Y. The rear passengers are also entitled to their own entertainment screen, already seen on Tesla’s latest productions.
The steering wheel which equips the presentation models is close to the famous Yoke of the Model S and Model steer-by-wirelike the Toyota bZ4X for example.
The Cybertruck integrates two household outlets (one 120 V and 40 A, the other 240 V and 40 A) in its bed and one in the passenger compartment (120 V and 40 A). They can power various devices (V2L) or even recharge another electric vehicle (V2V), like the Ford F-150 Lightning. Unfortunately, the front trunk (frunk) of the Cybertruck appears much smaller than that of its rival, according to photos of the first prototypes.
The entry-level version still not available
Initially announced starting at $39,900, the Tesla Cybertruck is finally launching at a price of $60,990, more than 50% more expensive. In addition, this price concerns the entry-level rear-wheel drive version, which will only be available in 2025 according to Tesla. The first models to be delivered are the two-motor 4×4, at $79,990, and the three-motor Cyberbeast, at $99,990.
TESLA CYBERTRUCK TECHNICAL DATA SHEET
| Cybertruck Rear-Wheel Drive | Cybertruck All-Wheel Drive | Cybertruck Cyberbeast | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prices in the United States | $60,990 | $79,990 | $99,990 |
| Configuration | Single-engine propulsion | 4×4 with two engines | 4×4 with three engines |
| Autonomy | 402 km | 547km | 514 km |
| Maximum power | n.c. | 608 hp | 856 hp |
| 0 to 96 km/h | 6.5 sec | 3.9 sec | 2.6 s (excluding launch) |
| Maximum speed | 180 km/h | 180 km/h | 209 km/h |
| Pulling capacity | 3401 kg | 4989 kg | 4989 kg |
It is the intermediate version with four-wheel drive and two electric motors which offers the greatest autonomy, with a range of 340 miles (547 km). However, Tesla had promised that the Cybertruck would achieve 500 miles (804 km) of range at the top of the range. However, we can get closer with an optional range extender, the price of which has not yet been revealed. Unlike the BMW i3 (REx) and other Mazda MX-30 R-EVs, it is not a thermal engine, but rather a secondary battery pack to be installed at the bottom of the bed. It announces an extended range of up to 130 miles (209 km) for the dual-motor version, bringing its total range to 470 miles (756 km).
Such autonomy might seem superfluous, since it is possible to quickly regain range at each break thanks to the very good coverage of the Supercharger network. However, the Cybertruck, like any self-respecting pickup truck, must be able to load and tow heavy items, which inevitably has an impact on its consumption, therefore considerably reducing its autonomy. It announces up to 11,000 pounds (4989 kg) of towing capacity for the 4×4 versions, approximately as much as other electric pickups.
For the moment, marketing of the Cybertruck in Europe has not been confirmed. With its 5.68 m length, it is obviously intended primarily for the North American market. If it were sold in our region, you would need a heavy goods vehicle license to drive it anyway, at least for the heaviest 4×4 models.