No, your eyes are not deceiving you. The Tesla Cybertruck is finally here. The production-spec electric pickup was revealed at an event at Tesla’s Gigafactory in Austin, Texas, that was livestreamed on X, formerly known as Twitter.
CEO Elon Musk started off the event by proclaiming, “You have a car here that experts said would never be made . . . I think it’s our best product. Finally, the future will look like the future.” He also referred to it as “a better truck than a truck, and a better sports car than a sports car in the same package.”
The Cybertruck has retained its stainless steel body for production, and Musk claims that this “exoskeleton” gives the Cybertruck more torsional stiffness than a McLaren P1. Musk also touted the “shatter-resistant glass” that had failed spectacularly at the original launch event in 2019 when Tesla designer Franz von Holzhausen threw a metal ball at the windows. This time around, von Holzhausen threw a baseball at the window to show its durability, with the baseball bouncing off. Tesla claims it can withstand a baseball thrown at 70 mph or “class 4 hail.” A video played that showed it withstanding a barrage of bullets from a Tommy gun, as well as a video of Joe Rogan firing a high-powered arrow at the Cybertruck.
Key Specs, Performance, and Capacities
The Cybertruck has a claimed 11,000-pound towing capacity and a claimed 2500-pound payload. The composite bed is six feet long and four feet wide, and it can fit four-by-eight-foot pieces of plywood with the tailgate down. Musk said it doesn’t need a bed liner.
The tri-motor model has a claimed 6843-pound curb weight. There is an adaptive air suspension with a maximum of 17.4 inches of ground clearance, and the Cybertruck rides on 35-inch all-terrain tires, although it’s unclear if these are standard or optional. A drag coefficient of 0.34 is claimed.
The Cybertruck uses a steer-by-wire system that adjusts the amount of steering wheel rotation depending on vehicle speed and presumably other factors. It is also fitted with rear-wheel steering and rear torque vectoring, and Musk said it has a turning circle smaller than a Model S.
The Cybertruck uses an 800-volt electric architecture. Tesla claims a 60-mph time of 2.6 seconds in “Beast” mode for the top Cyberbeast model and a quarter-mile time of under 11.0 seconds.
More specifications were published on Tesla’s website as the truck was revealed. There are three trims: RWD, AWD, and Cyberbeast. Tesla claims the RWD will hit 60 mph in 6.5 seconds, reach a top speed of 112 mph, and be able to tow 7500 pounds. The claimed range is 250 miles, and this rear-wheel-drive variant won’t arrive until 2025.
The AWD model produces 600 horsepower and will zip to 60 mph in a claimed 3.9 seconds while eking out 340 miles of range. That’s without the available “range extender,” which is a toolbox-sized battery that’s located at the front of the cargo bed against the back of the cab. That increases the estimated range to over 470 miles. The claimed curb weight for the all-wheel-drive model is 6603 pounds. Tesla also says the Cybertruck AWD can add 136 miles of range in just 15 minutes on one of its Superchargers.
The range-topping model is called Cyberbeast and brings the headlining 2.6-second sprint to 60 mph. With 845 hp, top speed increases to 130 mph while range drops to 320 miles, or 440 miles with the range-extender setup. Both the AWD and the Cyberbeast ride on 20-inch wheels. The Cyberbeast can replenish 128 miles of range in 15 minutes on a Tesla Supercharger.
Prices and Other Details
“Deliveries begin now,” Musk said, as a line of Cybertrucks drove out onto stage and were handed over to their owners. There are no visible door handles, and the front doors appear to open via a button on the B-pillar.
Tesla claims the acoustic glass keeps the cabin “as quiet as outer space” and the 18.5-inch central touchscreen is supplemented by a secondary 9.4-inch screen for rear passengers. There is also a claimed 67 cubic feet of lockable storage, which appears to include the bed.
Tesla also listed warranties for the Cybertruck. The basic vehicle warranty covers four years or 50,000 miles, while the battery and drive unit remain under warranty for eight years or 150,000 miles. This warranty applies to both the AWD and Cyberbeast models, with no details revealed for the RWD.
The RWD model starts at $60,990, with the AWD ringing in at $79,990. The Cyberbeast caps things off with a $99,990 base price.
Associate News Editor
Caleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan.