Tesla Cybertruck
Let’s face it, the basic pickup cybertruck design hasn’t really changed in the last 70 years. It’s body proportions and engineering are pretty much the same as they were back in the 1950s.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk thought this needed to change. He believed the industry needed a new yardstick and that it should be electric. Enter the Cybertruck, the hottest new truck on the market that was finally officially launched last week. It’s not only radically different in the styling department, but it’s quicker than any other truck out there, and it’s body is bulletproof. To an extent. More on that later.
According to Musk, the design of the Cybertruck was inspired by Blade Runner and “Wet Nellie“, the Lotus Esprit driven by James Bond in The Spy Who Loved Me, which doubled as a submarine.
Okay, so it might have been first shown some four years ago with the expectation that it would land in showrooms in 2021. The Cybertruck is late, yes. But it arrives with unprecedented hype.
Ever since the Tesla truck debuted, its body shape, its brushed stainless steel body panel construction, price, performance and range all had the market in a frenzy—to the extent that nearly two million people pre-ordered one.
In a way, this Tesla is kind of like the very first iPhone, which turned the mobile phone industry upside-down with its groundbreaking design and functionality when it debuted in 2007. Put simply, the look and features of the Cybertruck create a totally new paradigm for trucks, just like the iPhone did for phones.
Ever since the Tesla truck debuted, its body shape, its brushed stainless steel body panel construction, price, performance and range all had the market in a frenzy—to the extent that nearly two million people pre-ordered one.
Cost
Fast forward to late 2023 and the Cybertruck has finally been launched, but with prices starting at $60,900 for the base rear-drive version (that won’t land in showrooms until 2025!).
Dual-motor and tri-motor AWD versions starting from $79,900 will offer 340 miles of range, while the flagship “Cyberbeast” version in tri-motor trim will cost $99,900, and generate 845 hp and 10,296 lb-ft of torque. So for those hoping to buy a Cybertruck for under $40,000, that plan is now fantasy. But then again, when you look at rival electric truck prices, with similar performance, these new prices are definitely competitive.
Giving Hammer a run for their money
So the Tesla’s price might be on a par with its rivals, with the Hummer starting at $79,995 with the Rivian starts at $75,000, but that’s where the similarities end. It blows the modern day truck paradigm out of the water. The Cybertruck boasts features that are as eye-opening as they are industry-changing.
Key features
Among its many other highlights is the world’s first steer-by-wire technology made possible by the truck’s 48V electrical system and rear axle steering with up to 10 degrees of steer angle. This means that the steering is not physically connected to the front wheels, but instead employs several sensors and a force feedback unit.
The benefits? At higher speeds, the steering slows down requiring less effort to steer, while at lower speeds, it’s just one turn of the wheel lock to lock, making maneuvering in tight spaces a breeze. Another great feature is that the truck has 12 inches of suspension travel between the lowest and highest mode, with special settings like ‘extract’ mode and off-road mode as well as standard on-road mode.
Cutting cost
In other words, Tesla makes everything from the motors to the batteries to the inverters to the powertrain to the chassis to the body and service centers and superchargers, in a vertically-integrated and efficient process that helps to keep price down. This process allows Tesla to regularly reduce the prices of its cars, in some cases, by over 20%.
Exterior Design
Now, speaking of that exterior body or exoskeleton, that’s one of the most exciting parts of the Cybertruck. It’s bulletproof. Made out of something Tesla calls “HFS,” (guess what that stands for!), the body panels are made out of a custom alloy developed and produced in-house. Because this material is so strong, it actually becomes the structure, and is, as a result, extremely safe in collisions and resistant to certain types of bullets.
The Vault
Tesla calls this enclosed space “the vault”, because of the additional security the company says it provides.The bed has sloped side walls.
Interior Design
Inside, as you’d expect, the Cybertruck’s cabin is minimalist and subtle with no curves except for the semi-yoke style steering wheel. The windscreen which starts above your head seems to go forever away from you towards the nose of the car—making it the biggest piece of glass in the auto industry. And to clean it, Tesla has created the world’s biggest single windscreen wiper—at 4 feet in length.
One thing seems odd though—there are no Tesla badges located anywhere on the outside or inside, as it seems Tesla wants Cybertruck to an entity on its own—larger than life, or larger than Tesla!
Another unique feature are the gear selector switches located on a panel above your head attached to the inside of the windscreen—which are actually a backup system to gear selectors located on the touchscreen.
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Criticism
The Cybertruck’s design has received criticism from automotive safety groups, including the Australasian New Car Assessment Program and the Euro NCAP, for not conforming to standards for pedestrian and cyclist safety. Particular concerns included the high stiffness of the “exoskeleton” exterior, potentially reducing crumple zones. The tall, flat front of the truck may increase the severity of pedestrian leg injuries. All thanks to the minimalist approach of the design.
The only downsides, are the fact that this truck has no rearview mirror—as you can’t see out of the back window anyway with that sturdy tonneau cover locked in place. You just have to train yourself to quickly glance at the live-feed from the rear camera that shows up on the top of your huge cabin touchscreen.
You’ll either love it or hate it. But it will take the truck genre in a totally new direction, as many rivals adopt the bulk of Tesla’s hi-tech features, including 800V architecture, steer-by-wire tech, full-scale in-house parts design and manufacture, and maybe even that bulletproof skin.
