Cybertruck RWD is out

[dogememe]

I was really excited for this (not like I can afford one anyway I just wanted to see a more affordable one) but now that it’s out I’m not so sure.

RWD is $70K and AWD is $80K.

RWD does 0-60 in 6.2. On the surface, that’s fine. Sure it’s not as quick as other versions but it’s still about the same as the Prologue. Kinda a snooze fest if you have any other Tesla but if you’re coming from an ICE vehicle you’ll still think it feels fast.

But I think they removed too much stuff. I’m OK with cloth seats and no rear screen. And I’ll take regular suspension over air suspension any day. And I bet the sound system is still decent even though it’s got half the speakers. But no 240V outlets in the bed? That’s one of the things that make EV trucks awesome.

I think it should have been cheaper, although the current price makes the AWD version almost a no-brainer. I think Cyberbeast is dumb because it’s FWD biased. AWD is RWD biased - how a truck should be. So I guess what I’m saying is the only reason the RWD version exists is to justify the price of the AWD version?

Overall I don’t know how much profit they are making but they should take $10K off the price of all Cybertruck trims… there are just so many other great EV trucks out there, some of which do certain things a lot better. Rivians don’t come with free middle fingers while driving, Lightnings are cheaper, Silverado/Sierra EV have better range.

I don’t hate the Cybertruck, in fact I kinda want one, and I love some of the under the hood tech like steer by wire and 48V low voltage system, but I just don’t think any version is worth what they are asking if you cross shop it.

 

[skyactiv]

If I was buying an EV truck, I'd get a Silverado EV. It looks good and has four wheel steer on the RST trim.

 

[97prizm]

I was really excited for this (not like I can afford one anyway I just wanted to see a more affordable one) but now that it’s out I’m not so sure.

RWD is $70K and AWD is $80K.

RWD does 0-60 in 6.2. On the surface, that’s fine. Sure it’s not as quick as other versions but it’s still about the same as the Prologue. Kinda a snooze fest if you have any other Tesla but if you’re coming from an ICE vehicle you’ll still think it feels fast.

But I think they removed too much stuff. I’m OK with cloth seats and no rear screen. And I’ll take regular suspension over air suspension any day. And I bet the sound system is still decent even though it’s got half the speakers. But no 240V outlets in the bed? That’s one of the things that make EV trucks awesome.

I think it should have been cheaper, although the current price makes the AWD version almost a no-brainer. I think Cyberbeast is dumb because it’s FWD biased. AWD is RWD biased - how a truck should be. So I guess what I’m saying is the only reason the RWD version exists is to justify the price of the AWD version?

Overall I don’t know how much profit they are making but they should take $10K off the price of all Cybertruck trims… there are just so many other great EV trucks out there, some of which do certain things a lot better. Rivians don’t come with free middle fingers while driving, Lightnings are cheaper, Silverado/Sierra EV have better range.

I don’t hate the Cybertruck, in fact I kinda want one, and I love some of the under the hood tech like steer by wire and 48V low voltage system, but I just don’t think any version is worth what they are asking if you cross shop it.

From reading it also loses a decent amount of ground clearance. Tesla has only managed 64,000 Cybertruck sales since December 2023. They have (depending on who you ask) between 6-9,150 still sitting in their holding lots. The 2025 models somehow are eligible for the $7,500 tax credit while the 2024s are not. Even with slashing 6k off of a First Edition and 3k off of the cyberbeast they still aren't selling.

 

[97prizm]

If I was buying an EV truck, I'd get a Silverado EV. It looks good and has four wheel steer on the RST trim.

This is why they Scout with the engine as a generator would be a great compromise. Thry are going to offer a full ev version as well. Unfortunately CADA or the Colorado Auto Dealers Association are trying to force Scout to be sold at VW dealerships even though yes VW gave them start-up money they aren't affiliated with VW. We'll see how this plays out.

 

[dogememe]

If I was buying an EV truck, I'd get a Silverado EV. It looks good and has four wheel steer on the RST trim.

Why not go for Sierra EV? Silverado EV RST is about the same price and the GMC version not only looks better (in my opinion) but has a MUCH better interior (fact, not opinion). Now, Silverado EV does get cheaper in lower trims but if you're spending $75K what's another $10K and you get a way nicer looking and feeling truck.

 

[dogememe]

This is why they Scout with the engine as a generator would be a great compromise. Thry are going to offer a full ev version as well. Unfortunately CADA or the Colorado Auto Dealers Association are trying to force Scout to be sold at VW dealerships even though yes VW gave them start-up money they aren't affiliated with VW. We'll see how this plays out.

Yeah, the traditional dealer model sucks. I was telling my coworker about the $1K down, $299/mo Model 3 lease deal (which I'd personally go for if I didn't already have the Prologue). I showed him how you set up a demo drive in the Tesla app and you can take the car and check it out without an annoying, likely clueless, salesperson yapping away in the passenger seat... and if you want to get one you just order it in the app and pick it up at the same place in a day or two. No negotiating BS addons or anything. He was stunned!

 

[JHZR2]

This is why they Scout with the engine as a generator would be a great compromise. Thry are going to offer a full ev version as well. Unfortunately CADA or the Colorado Auto Dealers Association are trying to force Scout to be sold at VW dealerships even though yes VW gave them start-up money they aren't affiliated with VW. We'll see how this plays out.

Yea, the scout is the one ew ev/hybrid vehicle I’m interested in. Hope they don’t screw up its sales.

Cybertrucks are all over the place here.

I was really excited for this (not like I can afford one anyway I just wanted to see a more affordable one) but now that it’s out I’m not so sure.

RWD is $70K and AWD is $80K.

RWD does 0-60 in 6.2. On the surface, that’s fine. Sure it’s not as quick as other versions but it’s still about the same as the Prologue. Kinda a snooze fest if you have any other Tesla but if you’re coming from an ICE vehicle you’ll still think it feels fast.

But I think they removed too much stuff. I’m OK with cloth seats and no rear screen. And I’ll take regular suspension over air suspension any day. And I bet the sound system is still decent even though it’s got half the speakers. But no 240V outlets in the bed? That’s one of the things that make EV trucks awesome.

I think it should have been cheaper, although the current price makes the AWD version almost a no-brainer. I think Cyberbeast is dumb because it’s FWD biased. AWD is RWD biased - how a truck should be. So I guess what I’m saying is the only reason the RWD version exists is to justify the price of the AWD version?

Overall I don’t know how much profit they are making but they should take $10K off the price of all Cybertruck trims… there are just so many other great EV trucks out there, some of which do certain things a lot better. Rivians don’t come with free middle fingers while driving, Lightnings are cheaper, Silverado/Sierra EV have better range.

I don’t hate the Cybertruck, in fact I kinda want one, and I love some of the under the hood tech like steer by wire and 48V low voltage system, but I just don’t think any version is worth what they are asking if you cross shop it.

0-60 in 6.2 is just silly. No need for it. They should have worked on more efficient/more range, or better hauling performance.

 

[eljefino]

0-60 in 6.2 is just silly. No need for it. They should have worked on more efficient/more range, or better hauling performance.

Need to disagree here. If they use "off the shelf" Tesla battery tech, and why wouldn't they-- it's amazing, the batteries are capable of discharging at a rate to support this acceleration. Then you just need enough wiring and a big enough drive motor to consume it, probably an extra 100-200 pounds.

I'm sure if you keep your foot out of it the truck returns respectable consumption.

 

[JHZR2]

Need to disagree here. If they use "off the shelf" Tesla battery tech, and why wouldn't they-- it's amazing, the batteries are capable of discharging at a rate to support this acceleration. Then you just need enough wiring and a big enough drive motor to consume it, probably an extra 100-200 pounds.

I'm sure if you keep your foot out of it the truck returns respectable consumption.

We know the range of the truck. It’s lousy. 362 miles is what the site claims. Even if we don’t care about hauling loads, it’s still poor.

Running batteries at rate increases losses. Makes heat. I^2R and all that. Lower output, less losses, sure.

But the reality is that getting to practical range should have been the goal. Not flaunting these massive acceleration rates. And that’s for evs across the board. But this is just another example of fail in my book.

 

[dogememe]

We know the range of the truck. It’s lousy. 362 miles is what the site claims. Even if we don’t care about hauling loads, it’s still poor.

Running batteries at rate increases losses. Makes heat. I^2R and all that. Lower output, less losses, sure.

But the reality is that getting to practical range should have been the goal. Not flaunting these massive acceleration rates. And that’s for evs across the board. But this is just another example of fail in my book.

This has been brought up in other threads but basically the wiring needs to be fat anyway for fast charging and the cooling system needs to be capable anyway so there is really minimal loss or expensive to have good performance.

 

[Cujet]

We know the range of the truck. It’s lousy. 362 miles is what the site claims. Even if we don’t care about hauling loads, it’s still poor.

That seems to be in line with most other long range EV's with the exception of the 200+kWh battery pack monsters.

My current truck, a $66K 2024 F150 5.0 4x4 shows over 600 miles range and will easily do 575 miles at high highway speeds between stops.

I wonder what the 2WD CT range would be at the same speeds I drive? I asked Grok3 to make an estimate. Answer 190 miles at the speeds I drive, with 5% range remaining.

 

[JHZR2]

This has been brought up in other threads but basically the wiring needs to be fat anyway for fast charging and the cooling system needs to be capable anyway so there is really minimal loss or expensive to have good performance.

No kidding on wiring and cooling. Nobody is arguing big wiring other than maybe cost and weight. Heavier wiring means lower resistance which is needed for efficiency. Cooling is needed amongst other things to prevent cell to cell propagation when a battery fails.

Nobody needs 0-60 in 6s, but everybody needs 500 mile range. Perhaps if resources were applied to further benefit range, folks would be more interested. Not doing so is a detriment to the tech, as is the inability to run with a small generator or way to increase range and improve resilience.

 

[JHZR2]

That seems to be in line with most other long range EV's with the exception of the 200+kWh battery pack monsters.

My current truck, a $66K 2024 F150 5.0 4x4 shows over 600 miles range and will easily do 575 miles at high highway speeds between stops.

I wonder what the 2WD CT range would be at the same speeds I drive? I asked Grok3 to make an estimate. Answer 190 miles at the speeds I drive, with 5% range remaining.

Precisely.

And to call a spade a spade, your truck may be a relative pig on fuel by my standards. But it can make that range, at speed, and with reasonable load, indefinitely.

 

[dogememe]

No kidding on wiring and cooling. Nobody is arguing big wiring other than maybe cost and weight. Heavier wiring means lower resistance which is needed for efficiency. Cooling is needed amongst other things to prevent cell to cell propagation when a battery fails.

Nobody needs 0-60 in 6s, but everybody needs 500 mile range. Perhaps if resources were applied to further benefit range, folks would be more interested. Not doing so is a detriment to the tech, as is the inability to run with a small generator or way to increase range and improve resilience.

I mean yeah 6s is fine that’s what my current vehicle does but it’s nothing special. Plenty of faster cars out there.

 

[Astro14]

I would actually shop the Cybertruck if it wasn’t so darn ugly.

$70,000 to $80,000 is about what trucks cost these days - my trim level Tundra is now over $80,000 - so, it’s not the price that’s a barrier for me - it’s just the looks.

De-contented for $10,000 actually reduces the value, for me, I would rather spend the extra $10,000 and get all the capability - it’s a better “bang for the buck”.

So, I see the RWD selling only to those that want to make a statement (again, not a statement that I would want to make, but to each his own).

 

[JHZR2]

I would actually shop the Cybertruck if it wasn’t so darn ugly.

$70,000 to $80,000 is about what trucks cost these days - my trim level Tundra is now over $80,000 - so, it’s not the price that’s a barrier for me - it’s just the looks.

De-contented for $10,000 actually reduces the value, for me, I would rather spend the extra $10,000 and get all the capability - it’s a better “bang for the buck”.

So, I see the RWD selling only to those that want to make a statement (again, not a statement that I would want to make, but to each his own).

Agree.

Trucks don’t have to look mainstream, but the cybertruck, with its interesting innovations, just doesn’t pass the test for me. Bummer they couldn’t have done a better cross section of looks with innovation. I don’t generally mind the Tesla corporate styling.

It is interesting that the option setup doesn’t allow for a higher content RWD unit. I’m sure the market research backs that. To me, the RWD unit would be more along the lines of the old GM W/T models - v6, mt, low content to keep costs down, and more efficiency. On those old trucks, 17 vs 21 mpg highway (like the old 4.3 vs 5.7 ratings) yields a 100 mile range difference in a 25 gallon tank. I get it not everyone wants a decontested vehicle, or a lower power one. But those trades have always existed. It’s just surprising that in this trade they can’t do better.

Cybertruck gives 37 miles of range difference with their RWD unit, and that’s likely optimistic.

I mean yeah 6s is fine that’s what my current vehicle does but it’s nothing special. Plenty of faster cars out there.

6s is absurd for any practical and realistic driving. I reject the notion that people need that speed to accelerate on the highway or pass. If someone is that entitled or that poor of a driver, they have other issues. How fast do the busses and trucks accelerate? What about vans? What about pickups with trailers?

Is it fun? Sure. Are there faster cars? Yes.

What I’ve come to realize with a car that does 0-60 in low 5s is that it’s next to impossible to use it in any instance without being unsafe or breaking the law. And I have no interest in going to a drag strip to run a straight line. It’s too easy to hit way illegal speeds without thinking twice. And for what? To slam on the brakes at the next red light? And what I’ve learned from driving model 3 rentals quite a bit is that the novelty of a very brisk off the line gets old after the first many times, and then it’s just wasted opportunity to provide better overall capability.

But that circles back to my original point. Tesla has some great engineers. I know some of them. Some of my folks went across country in the past to go work there in engineering. I have confidence in the ability to engineer better solutions. And a better solution, regardless of if it’s $25k, $50k, $85k, whatever, would be to get me better range that’s on par with my legacy trucks. Will a CT ever haul and return the MPGs of my diesel trucks? Never. But could it create an efficient, range focused version that gets closer to the 600 miles that @Cujet memtooned? Or at least 400-450 maybe? It’s in the realm of the possible. It’s just not the design approach they take, and thus I’ll buy other options.

The scout with range extender is on my list, I was tempted to put a deposit the other week.

 

[LowMilesLesabre]

You make some great points about the futility of having the fastest car in the world. If the vast majority of your driving is to go to the coffeehouse on a Saturday afternoon, what exactly is the point of getting to the next traffic light one or two car lanes ahead?

I’m pretty sure that, long-term, EV‘s are going to succeed with hybrids being the bridge to get the industry there. It is unreasonable to think that you can simply switch from one propulsion system to another without fits and starts. And we know this from the history of technology when it is new in virtually any product category. New technology always comes at a premium price when first introduced and then, once scaling up production and, over time, mass market acceptance, prices, fall, and stabilize. Remember that the first people to own refrigerators paid an exorbitant price for them when that technology first became available to consumers. And just as with EV‘s, there were technical issues and infrastructure standards that had to be dealt with. (some of the early refrigerant used in 1920s refrigerators were either flammable or poisonous when released into the air). But you have to start somewhere and so I think some of the criticisms of EV’s generally are fair but not always well intentioned. In spite of some folks wishes to the contrary, we are not going back to 5000 pounds of rolling steel with carbureted engines that guzzle liquid carbon fuel like there is no tomorrow for future new vehicles. Vintage examples will always be here and we will have the fuel to keep them preserved, and we have plenty of examples to tinker on which makes me happy as I enjoy it immensely as do many of the folks here on these forums.

And I have to agree that the Scout is a far more compelling product in many ways. I could be wrong, of course, but I suspect that the cyber truck will follow the same fate as the DMC DeLorean. But at least it will be something for collectors to consider. Now that I think about it, its design really does remind me of that iconic car from “back to the future“.

 

[JHZR2]

You make some great points about the futility of having the fastest car in the world. If the vast majority of your driving is to go to the coffeehouse on a Saturday afternoon, what exactly is the point of getting to the next traffic light one or two car lanes ahead?

I’m pretty sure that, long-term, EV‘s are going to succeed with hybrids being the bridge to get the industry there. It is unreasonable to think that you can simply switch from one propulsion system to another without fits and starts. And we know this from the history of technology when it is new in virtually any product category. New technology always comes at a premium price when first introduced and then, once scaling up production and, over time, mass market acceptance, prices, fall, and stabilize. Remember that the first people to own refrigerators paid an exorbitant price for them when that technology first became available to consumers. And just as with EV‘s, there were technical issues and infrastructure standards that had to be dealt with. (some of the early refrigerant used in 1920s refrigerators were either flammable or poisonous when released into the air). But you have to start somewhere and so I think some of the criticisms of EV’s generally are fair but not always well intentioned. In spite of some folks wishes to the contrary, we are not going back to 5000 pounds of rolling steel with carbureted engines that guzzle liquid carbon fuel like there is no tomorrow for future new vehicles. Vintage examples will always be here and we will have the fuel to keep them preserved, and we have plenty of examples to tinker on which makes me happy as I enjoy it immensely as do many of the folks here on these forums.

And I have to agree that the Scout is a far more compelling product in many ways. I could be wrong, of course, but I suspect that the cyber truck will follow the same fate as the DMC DeLorean. But at least it will be something for collectors to consider. Now that I think about it, its design really does remind me of that iconic car from “back to the future“.

I have no doubt evs have their place. Hybrids may never go away, IMO, as the practical realities of achieving scalable energy density just isn’t the case with batteries. They store, they don’t produce, and to produce with practical scalable fuels is a benefit. But that’s a discussion really not for this thread.

I’m not concerned about the cost of adoption. But that is done and gone. Billions in subsidies, tax benefits. Criticisms on face value is so 2010. Is so model S era… these products and basic designs have been in the wild for a decade now. Cybertruck was a clean sheet design, new design concept on how to do a lot of things. In my view, it failed. It can’t pull heavy and far. It’s not efficient. It looks odd to many (sometimes that’s a feature, granted). Rust or whatever the haters want to point at, the SS exoskeleton and a number of other innovative design attributes are awesome. And new tech for not much more than a mainline high end truck. But it doesn’t deliver on what the tech could have helped enable, IMO.

But in the broader brush related to your discussion, the first adopters have been adopting for a long time now. There is no 500 mile EV. There is no $25k tesla small car. The cycle and timeline is misguided for a vehicle manufacturer. I get the comments that they want to be tech, and lots of eggs are going into the fsd basket, not the make a better EV basket. And then when the matter of a better one comes up, it’s the most ridiculous stupid metrics one can imagine. How many seconds in a quarter mile. How fast 0-60. Useless for what people actually need. Just tugging on emotion. And done get me wrong, that’s what muscle cars and corvettes and SS and /M badging does across the years too. But the rest of the product ranges allowed for economy and practicality that doesn’t exist in the EV toy land. Thus my disappointment…

 

[E365]

2026 Sierra EV Elevation ER would be a far better choice, IMO. Same price, AWD vs. 2WD, 400+ miles (vs. 350), faster charging, ~12,000lbs towing (vs 7,500), much better equipped, etc.

The “Gen 2” GM Ultium truck packs start rolling out this summer in select Silverado EV trims. Probably wider availability next summer. They’re much cheaper LFP packs with over 350 miles range.

 

[LowMilesLesabre]

Hmmmm. It could be that all of the bragging rights that manufacturers try to showcase with how fast their vehicles go are meant for the “halo effect“ of a product that can be marketed when, in fact, most people end up purchasing something more practical. If you go to a Chevrolet dealer, the Corvette always draws a crowd Because it is such a spectacular show of performance capability. Car manufacturers have always had their highest performing or fanciest vehicles as the “glitter“ that draws attention, but most people end up with ordering something in white with four doors. As for how long EVs have had to mature, I was really imagining the contrast between The EV timeline as we know it today versus the long evolution and engineering investments given to ICE platforms in the last 100 years.

You may end up being correct that hybrids are here to stay, but whatever technology ends up being a new common place standard for transportation and energy use in general, it will require lower carbon use. Incidentally, on that topic of 0 to 60 times, my interest in EV’s has far less to do with horsepower than it does torque. I don’t drive particularly fast and never have. But I do love torque at the pedal and electric motors offer that in spades. For the ICE based vehicles I have, torque matters just as much. In other words, I don’t drive fast, but I like to quickly get up to whatever slow speed I’m aiming at .