Elon Musk handed over the first of Tesla’s much-hyped Cybertrucks at a glitzy delivery event in Texas yesterday and we now know the starting price for the vehicle.
It’s been a long road for the electric vehicle (EV) maker to get to this point. The futuristic and blocky Cybertruck was first revealed in November 2019 and has been plagued by delivery delays and, to be fair, a global pandemic.
The launch in Austin on Thursday, Nov.30 was hotly anticipated with ‘Cybertruck’ trending globally on X (formerly Twitter) in the build-up to the delivery show. A formidable achievement but perhaps not surprising when Musk, the company’s CEO, is one of the most googled men on the planet and has for years been promoting the electric pickup truck to his 160 million followers on the social network he owns.
So what is all the fuss about? First and foremost the look of it. Fans describe it as having a cyberpunk aesthetic and it’s true, the design is unlike anything else on the marker – EV or otherwise. It’s also bulletproof and Musk has called it ‘apocalypse proof‘. Yet critics have called it blocky, ugly, and impractical for the average pickup driver. Features of the truck include:
- 4,990kg towing capacity
- 320 miles capacity (for Cyberbeats model)
- 0-60mph in 2.6 seconds
- electronically adaptive air suspension “built for any planet”
- Stainless steel exoskeleton
Making sci-fi a reality
Cybertruck deliveries begin today!
– More utility than a truck, faster than a sports car
11,000 lbs towing capacity, 2,500 lbs max payload.
Est. 340 miles of range. (Dual Motor)
0-60 in 2.6 seconds. (Tri Motor)
– Ultra-hard stainless steel… pic.twitter.com/0V5mDrPsZO
— Tesla (@Tesla) December 1, 2023
What is Tesla Cybertruck’s price tag?
The base model starts at $61,000, only Tesla’s Model S has a starting price higher (approximately $95,000). How affordable it is to the average pickup driver is debatable and might not even matter. The Cybertruck has attracted interest from sci-fi fans, gamers, and Musk’s legions of online fans. Two other versions of the Cybertruck, an all-wheel drive model ($80,000) and a “Cyberbeast” premium model ($100,000) are due to arrive in 2024.
It’s not cheap to make either. The 52-year-old CEO previously said Tesla had “dug our own grave with Cybertruck” relating to the fact it may take 12-18 months to make the truck a profitable line. Indeed the new base model price is over $20,000 more than Musk initially claimed.
Can I buy it now?
If you haven’t already made a reservation – and over one million people have – you’re going to have a wait a while. Tesla has indicated they won’t be able to mass produce the trucks until 2025 when the target is to hit 250,000 a year.
The Cybertruck is a big deal for Tesla. It is genuinely a significant development in the automotive industry. EV pickups are already on the market, American company Rivian was the first to make one, but Musk’s has the star power, experience, and reach to bring this type of car to a mass audience.
Love it or hate it, the design sets it apart from anything else on the market. Underneath its stainless steel armor, it also has some impressive engineering. It can accelerate faster than a Porsche 911 while it tows an actual Porsche 911 (as a clever bit of viral marketing showed). The range is good, although the base model can only do 250 miles on one charge less than some competitors.
Ultimately it will be consumers who decide whether the Tesla Cybertruck is truly a success.#
Featured Image: Tesla/X
