Tesla Cybertrucks are finally starting to appear in stores across North America. Some love it and some hate it, but our recent visit to the Bellevue, Washington, location provided an up-close encounter with this polarizing EV.
The Cybertruck has undeniably captured the public’s attention like no other vehicle before it, putting it along the lines of the DeLorean from Back to the Future. Its unconventional design, mystical aesthetics, and notorious CEO have propelled it into the limelight, generating both fervent enthusiasm and vocal skepticism. The discourse surrounding this electric vehicle has been nothing short of extraordinary, with discussions highlighting its strengths, weaknesses, and the polarizing nature of its appearance.
Read on to learn more about the intricacies of the Tesla Cybertruck, including its features, performance capabilities, challenges in production, and a stepping stone for prospective buyers keen on being part of the electric vehicle revolution.
Interior and exterior of the Tesla Cybertruck
On first glance at the initial photo releases, this author wasn’t sure who in their right mind would drive a vehicle that looks straight out of the pages of a teen’s dystopian novel. However, when seeing it in person, there’s no doubt about it, The Tesla Cybertruck is a dystopian nerd fever-dream. It looks so distinct that they didn’t even bother to put the Tesla logo on it. Elon Musk’s message is clear: You’ve never seen anything like this before.
Tesla boasts its Cybertruck has a nearly impenetrable exoskeleton of ultra-hard 30X cold-rolled stainless steel that is corrosion and dent-resistant — the same alloy that SpaceX’s Starship is made of. With 100 cubic feet of exterior, lockable space, a towing capability of 11,000 pounds, a payload capacity of 2,500 pounds, and adjustable suspension, the Cybertruck will be able to handle some tough adventures.
Peeking inside, the Tesla Cybertruck interior can hold six passengers in two rows of three seats. The team at Tesla has gone for a plain and minimalist feel for the interior, which some think is a bit on the boring side. That said, the truck features Tesla’s signature glass roof, which helps make it feel roomier than it is.
Many people have also been concerned that the back row might not have enough headroom due to the triangular slope of the roof, but the specs are out and the 39 inches seem to be adequate for most people who have had the opportunity to test drive it.
Drivers are greeted with a 17-inch display and a yoke-like steering mechanism, coupled with an electrifying acceleration of 0 to 60 mph in 2.9 seconds — it may feel more like a fighter jet. Netizens speculate that the Cybertruck will have a range of around 300 miles based on a post from the famous YouTube tech reviewer MKBHD.
Production challenges for the Tesla Cybertruck
As nice as it sounds, it hasn’t been all sunshine and roses for Elon Musk and the team behind Tesla’s latest EV. This electric truck was originally announced back in 2019, and it continues to face complication after complication during the production process.
Some previous prototypes of the Cybertruck have had issues with gaps between the panels, but the display model in Bellevue, Washington, was pristine. From this model, it looks like production has fixed many of the quality control concerns regarding the exoskeleton. We hope to see the same kind of quality roll out of the factory.
While Elon Musk has previously stated that Tesla has “dug its own grave” due to the delays, the uphill battles were expected since the design is so far outside of what we’ve seen for the past 100 years. Car manufacturers have gotten things down to a science, but since this model has been rethought and flipped around, the manufacturing process has also had to be re-engineered.
When will the Tesla Cybertruck be available?
If you’re not already on the waitlist, it’s going to be a while. The Tesla sales associates at the Bellevue, Washington, location said there is already a two-year-long waitlist for this vehicle. You can virtually line up for a Tesla truck with a $100 reservation fee.
As for the Tesla Cybertruck price, Musk stated in 2019 that the base model would start at $39,000, but it was just revealed that the starting price was raised to $60,990.
Despite these uncertainties, the allure of the Cybertruck continues to grow, with prospective buyers across North America eagerly signing up for test drives before the demonstration models become available. But if you don’t want to wait two years (or more), there are plenty of alternatives available to you from other automakers.
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