Tesla Cybertruck
The Tesla Cybertruck’s angular design evokes both awe and skepticism. It has the potential to shift the truck genre in radical ways, including 800V architecture, steer-by-wire technology and full-scale in-house parts design and manufacturing.
But a closer look at the vehicle’s flaws suggests that it may not be as revolutionary as its fans hope.
It’s a truck
The Tesla Cybertruck is a strange vehicle that looks like a futuristic sci-fi fantasy. It has a bed that is 6 feet long and 4 feet wide, four-wheel steering and can tow up to 11,000 pounds. It also features a rear video view that displays on the center screen. The only thing missing from this vehicle is a traditional gear shifter, but there are buttons to drive, park and reverse on the large central touchscreen.
In a time when concept cars rarely make it to production and automakers bemoan jelly bean EVs, the Cybertruck stands out in its hard, unforgiving steel. It seems to embody a disturbing level of individual arrogance on the part of chief executive Elon Musk, who has poured resources into this truck and other futuristic projects.
The truck is easy to drive and surprisingly maneuverable. It has tight steering, including a yoke, and a stiff chassis similar to that of a sports car. The main problem with the Cybertruck is that it doesn’t feel like a truck, especially when it comes to driving dynamics and seating. Its shape also means that some off-the-shelf pickup accessories won’t work. Kyle tried using a carrot and a package of hotdogs to see how resistant the Cybertruck’s frunk, doors, and other moving parts would be to finger contact. He found that they were not very resistant at all, and they crunched the vegetables and smashed the hotdogs.
It’s a car
The Tesla Cybertruck is a car with truck-like abilities, but it doesn’t really have much truck in it. It has a useful bed, good towing and great range. But it also has polarizing looks and hard-to-judge steering, which have made it difficult for many drivers to use it. It is a good EV boxed in by its own design choices.
All versions of the Cybertruck will have Tesla’s Autopilot advanced driver-assistance features standard, but full self-driving will only be available in 2024. It can go from 0 to 60 mph in less than 6.5 seconds and tops out at over 150 mph. It can also tow up to 7,500 pounds and has a large rear-view camera that displays a video of what’s in the back of the truck on the central touchscreen.
It’s too early to tell if the Cybertruck is actually a good pickup, but the first one Edmunds tested had several issues that might be Tesla-specific. For example, the regenerative braking stopped working on one trip, and the windshield wipers started wiping even when it wasn’t raining. These issues don’t bode well for a truck that is supposed to be self-driving capable. Tesla has promised that over-the-air updates will fix these problems. But the company isn’t known for its rapid updates or reliable vehicles, so they may not come soon enough to save the Cybertruck from its polarizing looks and poor handling.
It’s a monster
Tesla’s Cybertruck looks like nothing else on the road. From the side and three-quarter angles, it is a sight to behold. And it’s big – about as long as a F-150, but with an even wider stance. It resembles a child’s sketch of the future, but in a good way. The design will draw attention, which is a plus for the EV maker. It is important for the company to win some market share if it wants to survive.
However, the Cybertruck’s novel design has forced Tesla to make compromises. For example, the huge A-pillars create a blind spot on the driver’s side. And the tonneau cover makes the rear-view mirror useless. In addition, the truck’s steering wheel has no mechanical connection with the front wheels, and it is controlled by a “steer-by-wire” system.
The Cybertruck has a spacious cabin with plenty of legroom and headroom. It also has a large cargo hold and can tow up to 7,500 pounds. Its battery has a range of up to 340 miles with the dual-motor model and can be recharged in 15 minutes with a Supercharger.
The one Edmunds drove had several issues, including a faulty windshield wiper that didn’t stop wiping on its own and regenerative braking that stopped working when the vehicle was stopped. These problems reflect Tesla’s move-fast-and-break-things Silicon Valley roots, and they could prove costly to the company if they continue.
It’s a hoax
There are many scams out there, and the Tesla Cybertruck is no exception. BR Auto Wrecking posted an image of a crashed Cybertruck on their Facebook page, and it’s not hard to tell that it’s fake. The company claims that the truck got into a rollover ditch crash, but it’s clearly not true. The picture was AI-generated, and it’s easy to see that the truck didn’t get into any kind of accident at all.
If you’re a car enthusiast, then you’ve probably heard about the Tesla Cybertruck. It’s an electric pickup that’s made to compete with traditional trucks and SUVs, and it’s supposed to be able to beat them in a drag race. But the truth is that it’s not as fast as advertised, and it’s prone to problems.
The most obvious problem with the Cybertruck is that it doesn’t have side view mirrors. However, a trained eye can easily spot several other tell-tale signs that the pictures are fake. For example, the Cybertruck in the pictures has stainless steel cutouts for door handles that aren’t present in any actual Cybertrucks delivered to customers. And the rear window is shattered, which makes it even more clear that the picture is a hoax.
