Tesla Cybertruck Is A Pickup From The Future Now; 0-60 In 2.9s, From $39,900


Elon Musk unveiled Tesla’s hotly anticipated Cybertruck all-electric pickup on Thursday night in California. This may sound odd, but when we first saw the wedge-shaped truck that has the presence of an autocratic government’s police vehicle from a 1990s dystopian future film, we thought he might be kidding, waiting to pull a switcheroo on us. Turns out, he wasn’t.

As with the Palto Alto company’s other endeavors, Tesla wants to disrupt the heavily contested, yet hugely lucrative, especially in the United States, pickup truck segment.


Seven years in the making, the Cybertruck, or CYBRTRK, as some at Tesla like calling it, is a futuristic looking, albeit unpolished, wedge-shaped full size pickup truck. At 231.7 inches (5,885mm) long, 79.8 inches (2,027mm) wide and 75.0 inches (1,905mm) tall, with seating for six, it sits nicely between the numerous offerings from Ford’s F-150, which depending on the body, measure 209 to 250 inches long, 80 to 86 inches wide and 75 to 78.5 inches tall.

While Musk didn’t show the insides of the electric pickup truck during the event, the company did release a single image. It’s even simpler and more minimal than usual for a Tesla, with your typical huge touch-screen in the middle, two rows with three seats each, and a Knight Rider 2000-style steering wheel that (probably) won’t make the cut in production. There’s also the top part of the dash that looks like a marble-style quartz slab from a kitchen countertop. Or maybe that’s just the picture. Who knows.


If there’s one thing Tesla hasn’t been shy about, that’s offering performance out-of-this-world, and the same applies to the Cybertruck, with the most potent Tri-Motor AWD version accelerating to 60mph (96km/h) in a supercar blasting 2.9 seconds, and completing the quarter mile in 10.8 seconds. For reference, the 2019 Dodge Challenger Hellcat Redeye special does the 0-60 in 3.8 sec and the 1/4 mile in 10.8 sec. This configuration offers a 500+ mile (800+ km)  driving range and a 130 mph (209 km/h) top speed. It will cost $69,900.

There will be two other models available, the base Single Motor RWD Cybertruck priced at $39,900 with a 250+ mile (400+ km) range and 0-60 in 6.5 sec, and the mid-level Dual Motor variant that starts from $49,900 offering a 0-60 in 4.5 sec and a 300+ mile (480+ km) range.


Musk claimed in his presentation that the battery-powered truck will handle like a Porsche – even showing a video of the Cybertruck out-accelerating a 911, yet at the same time, offer commendable off-road abilities, with a  a 35-degree approach angle, a 28-degree departure angle and up to 16 inches of ground clearance. As far as towing is concerned and aside from a video Musk showed of the Cybertruck destroying an F-150 in a tug of war, it will be rated between 7,500 to 14,000 pounds (3,401kg to 6,350 kg).

If you missed the live presentation, Musk had Tesla employees abuse the Cybertruck hitting its body with sledgehammers and throwing metal balls on the windows. Why? To prove that it’s Tesla strong (hint, hint, Ford). Now, while the stainless body proved its metal (sic), the same didn’t happen with the supposedly shatterproof windows that were busted. Oops. “We’ll fix it in post,” Musk bantered.


Unlike the competition that has a body-on-frame design, the Cybertruck gets a stainless steel monocoque construction. Other highlights include the air suspension and the 6.5-foot (2m) bed that Tesla calls the Vault and which has a lockable aerodynamic cover offering 100 cubic feet (2,831L) of protected cargo storage. Tesla also showed an ATV, though it didn’t go into any further details on it.

The Californian automaker is already accepting $100 refundable deposits for the Cybertruck that is scheduled to enter production in 2021, with the more powerful tri-motor model to follow the next year.

carscoops

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Limited Edition Ford GT 'Competition Series' Is All About The Track

Image
Ford's new GT Competition Series was built with weight-saving in mind, but also with an improved center of gravity for better road-holding. Among its features, you'll notice the lightweight carbon fiber racing stripes, A-Pillars and side mirrors, as well as the unique race-inspired Perspex acrylic engine hatch with integrated venting. Thanks to the manual latch and the carbon fiber prop rod, weight near the roof has been reduced, though Ford engineers went even further in their quest to make the car lighter, by making the bulkhead Gorilla Glass behind the driver about half as thick (and as light) as on other models. "The Ford GT has racing in its blood," said Ford exec Raj Nair, while adding that the Competition Series "was developed with the most hardcore track enthusiasts in mind, providing a tailored set of lightweight features and unique livery to match." There are also plenty of remaining performance features from the production car, such as
Read more

Alpine A110 Hits Geneva With Pure, Legende And GT4 Versions

Image
Renault’s reborn Alpine brand has been getting rave reviews for its new A110 and now, as promised, it’s revealed new versions of its coupe at the Geneva Motor Show. Following the success of the sold-out Premiere Edition, the A110 will now be offered in Pure and Legende trims. The A110 Pure is targeted at driving enthusiasts. It features one-piece Sabelt sports seats that weigh barely more than 13 kilograms (28.6 pounds) each and, combined with other weight-saving measures, helps keep the curb weight below 1,100 kg ( 2,425 lbs). It’s not entirely stripped out, though, and still comes with features like air-conditioning and satellite navigation. Buyers can also add upgraded Brembo brakes and an adaptive exhaust system and can upgrade to the adjustable comfort seats. Those come standard on the Legende model, which is geared more towards every day driving and grand touring and comes with leather upholstery. Customers can also choose between two Focal sound systems and two wheel
Read more

Volkswagen T-Roc Cabriolet Is A Crossover For Droptop Lovers

Image
Droptop crossovers have always been rather odd and the T-Roc Cabriolet is no different. It will be the only convertible Volkswagen on sale for the foreseeable future and will celebrate its public debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. Rather than simply removing the roof of the standard T-Roc, Volkswagen has drastically altered the vehicle’s structure and body. In fact, its wheelbase is 37 mm longer than the standard T-Roc while its overall length is up by 34 mm. In addition, the Volkswagen T-Roc Cabriolet features structural strengthening in the underbody, side panels, cross members, doors, and windscreen frame to make up for the lack of a roof. The folding fabric roof developed by Volkswagen retracts in just nine seconds at speeds of up to 19 mph (30.5 km/h) and is similar in operation to the roof of the outgoing Golf Cabriolet. The presence of the soft top reduces trunk space by 161 liters down from the 284 liters of the run-of-the-mill T-Roc. We don’t think bu
Read more