At an event on Thursday, Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiled a production version of the Tesla Cybertruck. It looks a lot like the stainless steel genre-bender Tesla launched in 2021, but the electric truck doesn’t come close to the starting price of $39,900 or the then-proposed range of up to 500 miles.
Musk said very little about the actual production specifications for the long-awaited electric truck, and the CEO assured midway through the presentation that “it’s not just a showpiece.” The presentation was only streamed on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter that Musk acquired in 2022.
Tesla has shown how much a Cybertruck can tow alongside a Ford F-350 Super Duty Diesel, which raises a lot of questions. It also showed that if you’re pulling a 911, it can be “faster than a 911,” as Musk put it, showing a clip of the Cybertruck and Porsche’s iconic sports car in a drag strip sprint.
2025 Tesla Cybertruck – Courtesy of Tesla, Inc.
Musk claimed the Cybertruck had higher torsional rigidity than a McLaren P1, a center of gravity low enough to prevent it from tipping over, and 17 inches of ground clearance to “go over virtually anything.”
Regardless, range and starting price are often the main bragging rights of Tesla’s presentation – the $35,000 Model 3for example – and the omission was confirmed a little later when more details were published on Tesla’s website.
Tesla Model 3 Design Prototype – Unveiling Event – March 2016
Up to 470 miles range with… “Range Extender”?
If we take a closer look at the few numbers and details that Tesla updated during the presentation, there will be rear-wheel drive, all-wheel drive and Cyberbeast versions, with estimated prices of $60,990, $79,990 and $99,990 respectively. According to Tesla, these three models have a range of 250 miles, 340 miles and 320 miles respectively.
Tesla also suggests that a “range extender” could enable a range of 440 miles or 470 miles (Cyberbeast or AWD). What that might be was initially unclear – whether Tesla would bring back battery swapping, for example, or whether it would allow some of the payload to be taken up by batteries.
Optional package that fits approximately 1/3 of the truck bed. Still room for lots of cargo.
It is intended for very long trips or hauling heavy objects into the mountains.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 30, 2023
Over
Tesla CTO Drew Baglino later added that the range extender is “a toolbox-sized battery mounted in the back of the cab in the bed.”
Tesla Cybertruck
In any case, this serves as a sort of alter ego for what’s to come Ram 1500 REV That has a range of 500 battery-electric miles, quoted with a 229 kWh battery pack, but a separate one Ramcharger plug-in hybrid will have 145 battery-electric miles plus 545 more miles through a combustion range extender. Since it is currently shipping, that is Chevrolet Silverado EV Offers EPA ratings up to 450 miles.
Tesla lists the maximum charging power as 250 kW – the current maximum for Supercharger V4 technology, although it is expected to increase soon. According to Tesla, that’s enough to cover 128 miles in 15 minutes with the Cyberbeast or 136 miles with all-wheel drive.
2025 Tesla Cybertruck – Courtesy of Tesla, Inc.
This number is an indication that when it comes to efficiency, Tesla aims to get just over 2 miles per kWh with the Cybertruck – so you can expect around 170 kWh for the 340-mile AWD Cybertruck package. It’s not yet clear how you would charge the range extender or how long that might take when towing and transporting it on long road trips.
It’s unclear if this is an EPA range figure, as the Cybertruck may be classified as a medium-duty (commonly referred to as a heavy-duty or super-truck) truck. Tesla reported curb weights of up to 6,843 pounds.
Tesla Cybertruck
RWD, AWD and Cyberbeast
Single-motor, rear-wheel-drive models, which won’t be available until 2025, will accelerate to 60 mph in 6.5 seconds, while all-wheel-drive versions will accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds and the Cyberbeast will sprint to 60 mph in 2.6 seconds. The performance figures for the latter two models are 600 hp and 845 hp.
According to Tesla, the Cybertruck has a towing capacity of 11,000 pounds – 1,000 pounds more than the Ford F-150 Lightning and Chevrolet Silverado EV – and will have a payload of up to 2,500 pounds. Tesla also reported torque figures of 7,435 lb-ft and 10,296 lb-ft for the AWD and Cyberbeast versions, respectively, but it is likely that these are wheel torques and not engine torque, making a comparison with those of others Pickups would allow.
2025 Tesla Cybertruck – Courtesy of Tesla, Inc.
It is 223.7 inches long, has an overall height of 70.4 inches, and is slightly wider than most full-size trucks at 86.6 inches with the mirrors folded. Official ground clearance is 17.44 inches in extraction mode, likely taking advantage of the air suspension’s performance.
As Musk has long indicated, the Cybertruck ditches a 12-volt lead-acid accessory battery and switches to Ethernet-based communications. None of these are new to the market.
2025 Tesla Cybertruck – Courtesy of Tesla, Inc.
2025 Tesla Cybertruck – Courtesy of Tesla, Inc.
2025 Tesla Cybertruck – Courtesy of Tesla, Inc.
Apart from that, there are many Cybertruck market innovations
But there are many new products on the market. The Cybertruck’s stainless steel construction will be a first for a production vehicle – for better or for worse, we’ll have to wait and see. The same applies to the supposedly stone-chip-free exterior and the shatterproof bulletproof glass. And inside, the 18.5-inch touchscreen will be one of the largest ever.
Other less revolutionary off-road and maneuverability technologies include limited-slip differentials, rear torque vectoring and a steer-by-wire system that uses a very fast gear ratio at parking speeds and a longer gear ratio on the highway, making it easier to drive, said Musk, while also offering a smaller turning circle than the Model S’s of about 40 feet.
2025 Tesla Cybertruck – Courtesy of Tesla, Inc.
2025 Tesla Cybertruck – Courtesy of Tesla, Inc.
2025 Tesla Cybertruck – Courtesy of Tesla, Inc.
Of note: Tesla claims the Cybertruck offers up to 11.5 kW of power for homes or other vehicles – although there have been no supporting details yet on how this feature might be activated. This will be the first use of a form of bi-directional charging for one of its vehicles. Therefore, pay attention to how this is marketed along with the Powerwall home energy systems.
2025 Tesla Cybertruck – Courtesy of Tesla, Inc.
The Cybertruck is a long-awaited entry into the pickup class and has the look and technology of an exotic car. Will Tesla’s decisions that went into this product make sense in the real world? We’ll have to wait for many months until more than just a first round of fans tackle the circle wheel.
