Cybertruck Is A Disaster. Or Is It?
Cybertruck Is A Disaster. Or Is It?
Sadly, it epitomises Musk.
It’s 2019. The world is jamming to Old Town Road, Corona was still a weird beer, Donald Trump had his first impeachment, and the world got its first glimpse of the Tesla Cybertruck. Divisive design choices aside, it marked a significant leap forward in the EV world and promised to eclipse Tesla’s newfound rivals. It was significantly cheaper and more powerful than any other equivalent EV out there, whilst also having an utterly enormous range and gargantuan towing capacity. It was so impressive that 2 million people reserved a Cybertruck, without ever seeing a production version. Well, over the weekend, Tesla held a launch event and not only delivered the first customer Cybertrucks but also finally released the prices and specs of this highly anticipated vehicle. Sadly, reactions were mixed. So, the question has to be asked: Is Cybertruck a failure?
Now, before we start, I have to address the elephant in the room. I have been accused of being anti-Tesla a few times now, but that really isn’t the case. I am happy to sing Musk’s and Tesla’s praises when they deserve, such as my coverage of Battery Day or the Model 3 LR RWD. But, I often try to cut through Musk’s over-exaggerated rhetoric to see what is actually going on, which, understandably, many Tesla fans are not happy with. So, let’s try to look at Cybertruck with a balanced and unbiased eye (at least, as much as possible).
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Let’s start with the specs and prices announced at the event.
The headline trim is the ‘Cyberbeast’, formerly known as the tri-motor. It has a whopping 845 bhp, does 0–60 mph in 2.6 seconds, has a range of 320 miles, and has a massive towing capacity of 11,000 lbs (4.9 tons) at a “reasonable” price of $99,990 (damn, I’m short $10…). The middle AWD dual-motor trim is a little more restrained with 600 bhp, 0–60 in 4.1 seconds, a range of 340 miles, and the same towing capacity, all for $79,990. Sadly, we are going to have to wait until 2025 for the base $60,990 RWD trim, which has 250 miles of range, a 0–60 of 6.5 seconds and a towing capacity of 7,500 lbs (3.4 tons).
Both the Cyberbeast and the AWD have a gigantic 123 kWh battery pack, but this can also be extended using a 50 kWh plug-and-play battery extender that goes in the bed. It does take up a third of the cargo space but extends the range of the AWD to 470 miles and the Cyberbeast to 440 miles. Sadly, we don’t yet know how expensive this extender is, but I guess it will cost around $10,000 or more, as it is effectively just a Model 3 base trim battery pack. Though, as towing can more than half the range of an EV, this option is likely to be popular with many people, no matter the price.
This 123 kWh pack is also the first 800 V battery architecture ever seen in a Tesla. This higher battery voltage (more than double Tesla’s usual) allows for far more rapid charging. As such, these versions can charge at up to 350 kW, which enables up to 136 miles of range to be added in only 15 minutes or a charge speed of 544 miles per hour (for the AWD version). Though, you will need a V4 Supercharger to achieve these speeds. While this is a giant leap forward for Tesla, it still isn’t the best in the industry. For example, a Hyundai IONIQ 5 can charge at 630 mph.
Several journalists actually got to drive a Cyberbeast over the weekend. Surprisingly, they found that all the panel gaps seemed okay, and the build quality was better than expected. Many cited that the driving experience could have been better, with the handling being a bit weird. But they all praised it as having the specs most truck owners want, i.e., towing capacity, cargo space, capacity, and range. As such, the Cybertruck is by far the most practical EV out there. So overall, the Cybertruck seems a damn good truck.
But, the problem with Cybertruck isn’t really the truck itself. I mean, ramping up production of that stainless-steel body will be interesting, to say the least, so while the product is good, the practicality of Tesla making it and Tesla’s ability to make a profit or make the Cybertruck cheaper is still up for grabs. But right now, the main problem with Cybertruck is Musk and how he overhyped it. Quite simply, the Cybertruck isn’t what people — especially the 2 million reservation holders — were promised.
About a year ago, when Musk surely should have been honing in on the final Cybertruck design, he announced it would come with 1MW peak charging rates. This would allow a Cybertruck to charge from 0% to 70% in only 6 minutes, making it by far the fastest-charging EV out there, and that is with the expected 200 kWh battery pack (more on that in a minute). Considering how close this announcement came to the expected launch date of the Cybertruck and how it came out several years after the truck’s unveiling in 2019, many, including myself, thought this spec was set in stone. Apparently not though, as the actual charge rates are piddly in comparison, and are far from industry leading.
The gulf between what was promised and what we actually got is painful when you compare the 2019 announced specs and prices to 2023's.
Take the 2019 tri-motor Cybertruck. It was meant to only cost $60,990, yet it had a 500-mile range (thanks to a 200 kWh battery), could tow 14,000 lbs (6.3 tons), and had a max payload of 3,500 lbs (1.6 tons). The 2023 Cyberbeast is $30,000 more expensive, has a 180 miles less range, can tow 3,000 lbs (1.4 tons) less, and has 1,000 lbs (450 kg) less payload capacity.
Things are a little better with the AWD version. In 2019, it was meant to cost only $49,900, have 300 miles of range, and could tow 10,000 lbs (4.5 tons). The 2023 AWD Cybertruck does have 20 more miles of range and 1,000 lbs (450 kg) of extra towing capacity, but it costs $30,000 more! This price difference puts it in an entirely different category.
Even the base RWD version isn’t safe for this short-changing. When it finally becomes available, it will have 2,500 lbs (1.1 tons) less towing capacity than expected and will cost $20,000 more than promised!
So, it isn’t really a surprise that Business Insider found that reservation holders are seriously unhappy that the truck is significantly more expensive and has far shorter ranges than initially promised. Many said they would cancel their reservations, while others said they would stomach the extra price. And no wonder the truck itself seems fantastic, and even with the steeper price and lower specifications, it is still ahead of Tesla’s rivals (such as Rivian, GMC & Ford).
But then the problem of scaling up production comes in. Manufacturing stainless-steel cars is a nightmare. It is a hard material to work with, and getting accurate and fast production is nearly impossible. As such, Musk has said that they won’t hit fully ramped-up production of 200,000+ trucks a year at Giga Texas until 2025. Yet, we should take a pinch of salt with this claim, as, after all, it did come from Musk. So, even if you are a reservation holder, the chances of getting a Cybertruck within the next five years are super low. If you plan to reserve one now, I wouldn’t expect to see it until maybe even 2030 (given that full production could take longer than 2025).
This is the crux of Tesla and the Cybertruck and the moment: If Musk Hadn’t oversold it, it would have been a brilliant launch and a fantastic vehicle set to dominate the market. Even more, if he just went for a more regular truck chassis rather than trying to reinvent the wheel and, in turn, cause a “production nightmare.” Musk’s pathological need to lie and hubris driving him towards ever more unasked-for design choices are hurting Tesla. As such, for many, the Cybertruck will forever embody Musk’s broken promises. I get why Musk does this; it massively bolsters Tesla’s stock price, as people think they can deliver more than they actually can. This increased valuation enables Tesla to grow rapidly as it opens up all sorts of credit lines. This is a morally questionable way to drive a business forward, but it has worked for Musk. However, the lukewarm reaction to Cybertruck, despite its impressive price and specs, must show him that this dangerous game of over-promising and under-performing is about to backfire on him.
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Sources: Top Gear, The Independent, Business Insider, Will Lockett, Car & Driver, Electrek, The Verge