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Tesla is about to deliver the first Cybertrucks to customers at a delivery event, held at their Gigafactory in Austin, Texas. The controversial design makes Cybertruck one of the most loved and most hated vehicles and products in a very long time, with almost nobody landing in the middle.
Today we learned that Tesla has provided access to Cybertruck for at least a couple of high-profile content creators, Marques Brownley (MKBHD) and Sandy Munroe (Munroe Live). We should expect these videos to come out after the delivery event tomorrow.
Tesla hasn’t officially said how many cars will be delivered at the delivery event, regardless of the final number, the more important figure is the production rate going forward. On a recent earnings call, Musk indicated that they were likely to have a manufacturing capability of 250,000 by the end of 2024.
We should think of tomorrow as the start of a change in the most popular vehicle segment, trucks (aka utes in Australia). While there are a few EV options available to date, most have struggled to gain significant traction and if the success of the Model Y can be repeated with the Cybertruck, Tesla will jump straight to the lead in terms of zero-emission trucks.
While we do know what the truck looks like and many of its features, we are yet to have the most important questions answered, including the final features, performance, range and price.
Features
During tomorrow’s delivery event, we hope that Tesla still has some secrets left up their sleeve with the Cybertruck. With dozens of Cybertrucks coming off the pilot production line and rolling around the streets (and now showrooms) of North America, we’ve learned a number of things over the past few weeks, adding to a slow rollout of details over the months and years since launch.
- Unique Cybertruck UI
- Ambient interior lighting
- Unique front camera up front
- 4-wheel steering will allow for a better turning radius
- Cybertruck has a wheel that is flat at the top and bottom, almost like a mid-point between a wheel and a yoke
- The frunk is powered and storage is big, but not as big as the F150 lightning
- There are 5 seats, not 6
- Baha mode for off-roading
- Adaptive air suspension
- There is a rear display (similar to the refreshed Model S/X/3)
- Jo Rogan shot an arrow at the stainless steel and it barely dented
- Elon Musk fired a .45 calibre (0.452″) bullet at the stainless steel and the bullets did not penetrate the cabin (at the launch event, Tesla announced it could withstand a 9mm (0.355″) bullet.
- No door handles
- Powered Tonneau cover to secure the bed
- Lighting and power outlets in the bed
- Beast Mode found in Mobile app
- Multiple-sized wheel options
- 1st party Tent Accessory option
- May be offered with factory wraps
Performance
The details of the Cybertruck specs we know are listed below (thanks Wiki), but there’s so much we still don’t know, despite the delivery event being 12 hours away (at the time of writing).
The last item on this list, the Quad-motor AWD spec is perhaps the biggest unknown quantity. Musk announced this but provided almost no detail on it, which also happened back in August 2020 when he said ‘Plaid Cybertruck is what I will drive’. There is no known Plaid version of the Cybertruck.
| Model | Range (EPA est.) | 0 to 60 mph | Top speed | Payload | Towing capacity | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rear-wheel drive | 250 mi (400 km) | < 6.5 sec. | 110 mph (180 km/h) | 3,500 lb (1,600 kg) | 7,500 lb (3,400 kg) | TBA |
| Dual-motor AWD | 300 mi (480 km) | < 4.5 sec. | 120 mph (190 km/h) | 3,500 lb (1,600 kg) | 10,000 lb (4,500 kg) | TBA |
| Tri-motor AWD | 500 mi (800 km) | < 2.9 sec. | 130 mph (210 km/h) | 3,500 lb (1,600 kg) | 14,000 lb (6,400 kg) | TBA |
| Quad-motor AWD | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
There has also been no further mention of the Cyber ATV that was shown during the unveiling event for the Cybertruck. It is extremely doubtful this will make it to production, however, we did see a Cybertruck for Kids, an electric ATV made by a 3rd party brand, along with a Cybertruck RC car with non-functional Cyberquad in the bed.
Pricing
When Cybertruck was unveiled to the world, Tesla announced pricing, which is a bold thing to do, given the vehicle was a long way from production. However dangerous this was to do at the time, it was likely required to allow customers to make buying decisions.
At the launch event, Elon Musk announced the Cybertruck was to be offered with 3 different range options, 250+ miles, 300+ miles and 500+ miles. Keep in mind it was also announced as a 6-seater which we know has since changed to only accommodate 5 seats.
The Single Motor RWD was announced at US$39,990, an aggressive price point for what was being offered. The Dual Motor AWD was priced at US$49,990 and Tri Motor AWD for US$69,900.
Since announcing the price, a lot has happened in the world, including a dramatic change to the economic situation globally, with most markets now raising interest rates in an attempt to curb inflation. Given that 4 years have passed since the price was announced, it seems impossible for Tesla to hit these numbers in 2023 and still make a profit on each vehicle.
In today’s money, assuming a 2.1% inflation rate, that same US39,990 price point would now be US$45,939.22. The dual-motor would increase to US$56,323.29 and the Tri-motor to US$78,959.16 (A$118,845.38).
While components like the cost of batteries have come down over recent years, this is unlikely to be enough to compensate for the rising inflation and it’ll be impressive if Tesla can get anywhere close to the inflation-adjusted prices. If they are well above, it will impact the number of reservation holders that ultimately take delivery, however, those that skip on the purchase will simply make way for others in the long queue.
After the unveiling event, Tesla opened pre-orders which cost US$100 for a fully refundable deposit. for the Cybertruck and if we believe the rumours, the number of pre-orders for the vehicle is close to 2 million. This number is important to enable Tesla to scale the production rate to accommodate.
Cybertruck also features all the standard technology to offer Autopilot, FSD, Autopark and a new feature, trailer docking, the last of which we’re yet to see from any Tesla vehicle.
At the time, a lot of customers locked in a pre-order to secure FSD at a lower price, which also remains an outstanding question, will Tesla honour the initial US$7,000 FSD price, especially given the price is now US$12,000 and has been as high as US$15,000.
My guess is that we’ll see Tesla do its best to find a line between the original price commitment and an inflation-adjusted price, understanding that Tesla’s cost to manufacture these vehicles will have risen significantly since the original estimates.
There is also a lot of R&D cost that needs to be recovered and the issue of balancing new order rates once these hit the streets and customers start giving their friends and families the cyber experience. For this reason, I think we could see two prices, one set of pricing for those who pre-ordered, and a new set going forward.
Cybertruck Timeline
The Cybertruck has been in development for years and 4 years have passed since it was first unveiled to the world. The following is a timeline of important Cybertruck events during this time (US dates).
November 21, 2019: Tesla unveils the Cybertruck at an event in Los Angeles.
May 18, 2021: Tesla removes the Cybertruck from its website, leading to speculation that the project has been cancelled… it had not.
July 2023: Tesla begins pilot production of the Cybertruck at its Gigafactory Texas plant.
October 19, 2023: Musk announces that Cybertruck deliveries will begin on November 30, 2023.
November 30, 2023: Tesla will hold an event at its Gigafactory Texas plant to celebrate the first deliveries of the Cybertruck.
How to watch the Cybertruck delivery event
Tesla updated their Cybertruck website this week, removing all the details and replacing it with a simple, very focused, countdown timer with the side profile silhouette of the Cybertruck.
To watch the event, I’d jump on
If you’re looking for it on YouTube, then you may need to rethink that strategy, it seems this one may be dedicated to streaming live on X. You can follow the official Cybertruck account at @Cybertruck on X at
Watch live at the times below.
| Time Zone | Time |
|---|---|
| Central Time (CT) | 2:00 PM CT |
| Eastern Time (ET) | 3:00 PM ET |
| Pacific Time (PT) | 12:00 PM PT |
| Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT) | 6:00 AM AEDT |
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