When the Tesla Cybertruck was first revealed more than four years ago, the strongest version was claimed to have a max towing capacity of 14,000 pounds. However, it looks like the production version will fall a few thousand pounds short of that figure, as new details have emerged that suggest the Cybertruck will be able to tow up to 11,000 pounds.
Cybertruck Towing
The Cybertruck’s max tow rating was recently released on signs at Tesla stores where the electric truck was on display. That’s according to multiple online reports that circulated photos of the information on X (formerly known as Twitter) as well as on the Cybertruck Owners Club forum.
For comparison, other electric trucks that are already in production can pull similar amounts. The Ford F-150 Lightning has a max towing capacity of 10,000 pounds, and the Rivian R1T matches the Cybertruck’s claim with an 11,000-pound max tow rating. Meanwhile, Chevy claims the 2024 Silverado EV can pull up to 10,000 pounds (a version with a 20,000-pound rating is said to be coming); Ram claims the upcoming REV 1500 can pull up to 14,000 pounds.
Cybertruck Payload
In addition to the upcoming Cybertruck’s towing capacity, the signs listed its max payload capacity at 2500 pounds. Originally, Tesla claimed that every Cybertruck could handle a 3500-pound payload.
While Tesla’s electric truck will be able to carry less than expected in its cargo bed, its claimed payload capacity actually exceeds most other current electric trucks. The Chevy, the Rivian, and the Ford can only haul up to 1400, 1760, and 2235 pounds, respectively. The Ram REV 1500 is claimed to have a 2700-pound payload rating.
Despite falling short of some of the company’s original claims, the production Cybertruck will arrive with an adjustable air suspension and a stainless steel body as promised. Then again, it looks like there won’t be a $40K single-motor rear-wheel-drive variant and we’re not sure “shatter-resistant glass” is the same as the bulletproof stuff that’s been touted—but there’s one way to find out.
We expect to learn more details about the 2024 Tesla Cybertruck when the first customers take deliveries later this week. The event will be held at Tesla’s Gigafactory in Austin, Texas, on Thursday, November 30.
Senior Editor
Eric Stafford’s automobile addiction began before he could walk, and it has fueled his passion to write news, reviews, and more for Car and Driver since 2016. His aspiration growing up was to become a millionaire with a Jay Leno–like car collection. Apparently, getting rich is harder than social-media influencers make it seem, so he avoided financial success entirely to become an automotive journalist and drive new cars for a living. After earning a journalism degree at Central Michigan University and working at a daily newspaper, the years of basically burning money on failed project cars and lemon-flavored jalopies finally paid off when Car and Driver hired him. His garage currently includes a 2010 Acura RDX, a manual ’97 Chevy Camaro Z/28, and a ’90 Honda CRX Si.