Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed a Tesla pickup truck on Thursday night.
The Tesla Cybertruck looks like a massive lunar rover, with few traditional pickup truck design traits. Its slab-sided, unpainted body is made of cold-rolled steel, according to Tesla. The glass is allegedly bulletproof, though it failed and shattered, twice, when large steel ball bearings were thrown at it during the reveal presentation.
Tesla says it plans to offer the Cybertruck in 2021 in multiple configurations, with a single rear motor, dual motors for all-wheel drive, and a triple-motor setup for maximum performance. Musk promises electric driving ranges of more than 250, 300, and 500 miles with prices set at $41,100, $51,100, and $71,100 (including destination), respectively. The company quotes performance figures of 2.9 seconds for the 0-60 mph run, a quarter-mile time of 10.8 seconds, up to 14,000 pounds of towing capacity, and up to 3,500 pounds of payload capacity.
We remain skeptical. The design, specifications, and performance figures quoted for the Cybertruck raise a lot of questions that need answers.
Tesla Cybertruck
How will it truck?
Musk claimed the Cybertruck would tow up to 14,000 pounds and haul 3,500 pounds of payload. It will almost certainly have less range when pulling a trailer, but Musk didn’t say anything about that. Tesla offered no details about access to the pickup bed when towing, either. Musk said nothing about an 8-foot pickup bed, the most-popular configuration for work-duty trucks—and the Cybertruck’s fenders and bed look decidedly unfriendly to the range of aftermarket fittings so popular with truck buyers.
Tesla Cybertruck
How will it perform in crash tests?
The Cybertruck’s design will no doubt have some interesting crash-test hurdles to pass. The peak of the cab is ahead of the B-pillar just above front seat occupant's heads. Exactly how the roof will handle roof crush standards hasn’t been detailed. Tesla demonstrated how the cold-rolled steel body might withstand a hit from a sledgehammer without a mark, but it did not say what happens to a pedestrian, another vehicle, or its own occupants when the Cybertruck is in a crash.
Tesla Cybertruck
Is the tonneau cover a good idea?
The 6.5-foot bed features a hard tonneau cover that retracts to allow access to a 100-cubic-foot bed Musk calls "the vault." Tesla didn’t divulge where the tonneau cover stows, how it works, how flexible it is for position, or how it might work in winter.
Tesla Cybertruck prototype - Nov. 2019
Are its lights street-legal?
The Cybertruck has three distinct sets of lights up front. What most would refer to as fog lights where a bumper would typically be, a full-width LED light element acts as the headlight, and LED off-road-like lights are mounted to the "roof” (there's no real roof, just a peak). The full-width headlight is a new idea, but there’s been no discussion as to whether it is street-legal.
Tesla Cybertruck prototype - Nov. 2019
Is the touchscreen interior what truck drivers want?
The Cybertruck has seating for six with two three-seat benches inside the four-door cab. The simple, horizontal dashboard features a center-mounted 17-inch touchscreen (like in the Model 3) and a metal two-spoke steering wheel. Ram, Ford, and Chevy/GMC all design interiors with big knobs and buttons for simple use with gloved hands; Tesla’s interior is the opposite.
Tesla Cybertruck prototype - Nov. 2019
Is it possible to see out of the Cybertruck?
With the hard retractable tonneau cover in place, the only way to see out the back of the Cybertruck is via a digital rearview mirror that displays a video feed from a rear-mounted camera. Outward vision, especially in the rain and snow, appears to be a problem—as are the lack of side mirrors and the bed’s large sail panels that may create massive blind spots.
Tesla Cybertruck live unveiling - November 21, 2019
Does it wear custom tires?
The Cybertruck at the reveal rolled out on 35-inch tires. While they were knobby Goodyears, they’re also not production tires. Tesla did not say whether Goodyear created special tires for the Cybertruck.
Tesla Cybertruck
How will it be repaired?
The cold-rolled steel body might be as tough as Musk claims. However, if an owner crashes the truck, it’s uncertain how the body parts can be repaired or replaced. As other sources have suggested, the Cybertruck’s unibody design isn’t even the specification for the final truck, so much remains to be learned about the structure itself.
Tesla Cybertruck prototype - Nov. 2019
How big are the battery packs?
Tesla talked range, performance, and capability, but notably, it didn't mention battery-pack sizes. Until it does, we won’t know how the larger, heavier Cybertruck can extract 500-plus miles of range while the best-rated Tesla Model S only now achieves 373 miles on the EPA cycle.
Tesla Gigafactory 2, Buffalo NY
Where will it be built?
Tesla finally announced where it's going to build the Model Y, but it’s still unclear where the Roadster will be built, or the Semi. Tesla needs production space in the U.S., where the truck may sell the best, but hasn’t proven that it has access to any.
Tesla Cybertruck
Can Tesla deliver?
Tesla gets an “F” for its track record of delivering vehicles on time, as promised, and with the quoted pricing. The company could prove us wrong with the Model Y, though. By its own statements, the company says it will deliver the Cybertruck to customers in two years, but the hurdles in design, production capacity, and especially, in funding, seem enormous.
