Everything we know about the Tesla Cybertruck 

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In a twist of good timing, Tesla held its Q2 2023 earnings call this week, providing a slew of details about the Cybertruck which had yet to be gleaned by the general public. For starters, we now have a better idea of its size, after company spox claimed the truck will be less than 19 feet long, but also have a bed measuring more than six feet in length. This means the production vehicle will be smaller than the gargantuan thing on display during its reveal four years ago.

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Speaking of that reveal, alert readers may recall that a demonstration of the prototype’s so-called “armor glass” went totally pear-shaped, with shards of formerly useful glass littering the stage floor after a worker soft-pitched a metal sphere into the window at point-blank range. Musk then muttered there was “room for improvement,” and we haven’t heard about armor glass since.

The pickup was initially targeted for production in late 2021, a date then pushed back to 2022, and now we’re well into 2023 with the first few mules just being hove out of the factory. This is a case of Classic Musk, a person who often wildly overpromises on deliverables before running into what most humans understand as The Real World. Building cars is hard, building one from scratch is even harder, and building a machine that looks like little else the segment has ever seen is hardest of all. In reality, four years is not an unreasonable amount of time to bring this vehicle to market; what caused the criticism of delays was Musk’s own irrational promises.

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New photos of the Cybertruck – official ones, this time – were shared this week, showing test mules (also called “release candidates”) being put through their paces in mud pits and on wet handling tracks. The machine has changed in numerous and significant ways since its 2019 reveal, sprouting side mirrors and an enormous wiper blade. There’s also the realization mentioned above that the Cybertruck will be notably smaller in size than the one which rolled out onto the stage during its announcement party.

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What is the Tesla Cybertruck? Is it an EV?

Absolutely. Like all other models in the Tesla lineup, from the junior Model 3 to the jumbo Semi, the Cybertruck will be an all-electric vehicle. The company has deep roots in developing battery technology, meaning it has a deep well from which to draw to design a battery pack suitable for duty in this type of vehicle.

How much will the Tesla Cybertruck cost in Canada?

That’s the million-dollar question — or at least the $39,990 question. Nearly half a decade ago when this machine was first spoken of in an official capacity, company spox (read: Elon Musk) were bragging of being able to offer this truck at a sub-US$40,000 price point in America. Since then, much has changed: COVID-19 upended supply chains, inflation took off at a rapid pace, and the world generally became more expensive.

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For clues as to what it might cost now, we turn to some competitors, such as the Ford F-150 Lightning. That machine starts at $59,000 in Canada for a Pro trim or $69,000 for a much easier to find XLT with the standard-range battery. Chevrolet plans to offer an entry-level Silverado EV at $52,448 plus freight. At the other end of the spectrum, top trims of those models will cost $115,000 and $119,948, respectively. It’ll surprise no one if some examples of the Cybertruck cost six figures.

Still, we wouldn’t put it past Elon to slap a very aggressive price on the base Cybertruck (at least in America) in light of recent price cuts on his other models, and just to thumb his nose at the establishment. Adding fuel to the fire is a tweet from Musk just a few days ago in which he pontificated that the Ford F-150 Lightning is a good vehicle, but “somewhat overpriced.” Given that truck has, as of this writing, a starting price of US$49,995 for the entry-level Pro trim, it would be hypocritical of Musk to price his truck higher than that sum.

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When will the Cybertruck arrive in Canada? Can I order one yet?

Even though there is no official date for when the Cybertruck will arrive in Canada, Tesla is more than glad to take deposits on the things, and has been doing so since the original show-truck reveal nearly half-a-decade ago. For a grand total of CDN$150, customers can plunk their name on a list that blesses them with the opportunity to complete their vehicle configuration as official production nears its as-yet unannounced date.

According to those in the know, it is estimated Tesla has taken approximately 1.5 million pre-orders for the Cybertruck, a towering number by any measure. Here’s another measure: if most of those reservations were accompanied by a refundable US$100 deposit (the amount required of American customers) then Tesla managed to snooker a US$150-million interest-free loan not backed by a bank or government, but instead wholly fronted by the enthusiasm of John Q. Public.

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What are the build options and configurations?

Can we use the shrugging shoulders emoji here? Are we allowed to use emojis on this website? It’d help, since the simple fact of the matter is – despite allegedly having about 1.5 million pre-orders for the thing – there remains precisely zero build options or configuration tools on the official Tesla website.

How fast is the Cybertruck?

It’ll depend on the number of motors. Initial estimates pegged the Cybertruck as being offered with one, two, or three electric motors depending on trim, a logical suggestion since some of its other models have similar configurations available. Scuttlebutt has it the single-motor variant has been either dropped or pushed to the back burner, likely in order to get high-profit twin- and triple-motor trims out to customers as fast as possible. This profit-first approach is used by many automakers, and is not unique to Tesla.

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Three-motor versions of the truck are likely to be nearly quick as the Model S Plaid, a sedan which can shoot to 60 mph (96 km/h) from a standstill in about two seconds, though the CT is bound to be much heavier and needs to push a much boxier body through atmosphere. The gargantuan GMC Hummer EV pickup can turn the same trick in about 3.0 seconds — and you can bet Tesla wants to beat that number.

What is the range and charging time for the Tesla Cybertruck?

There are no official figures yet, but only a fool would believe Tesla isn’t going to include its latest and greatest charging technology in what’s arguably one of its most hotly anticipated vehicles. Many top-grade Teslas can hoover up electrons at a rate of 250 kW, provided they are hooked up to a sufficiently robust fast-charger, meaning they can be juiced from 10 to 80 per cent in about half an hour. We expect the Cybertruck to be similar.

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As for range, Tesla is noted for suggesting its vehicles are extremely long-legged in terms of driving distance on a full battery — even if some independent testing throws a bit of cold reality onto those numbers. For clues, we’ll again look to its competition, finding a Silverado EV which can top out at a claimed 724 kilometres of range in some trims. Given Musk’s penchant for competitiveness, we’d be wholly surprised if at least one variant of the Cybertruck doesn’t match or exceed that number.

Does anyone know how powerful it is?

Well, official lips are sealed for now, in terms of the Cybertruck’s power output, but we can point to an incident in 2019 which can give us a clue as to how devastatingly powerful it could be. In the final month of that year, not long after the truck’s window-smashing premiere, Elon Musk himself was spotted driving a prototype of the thing in California, inching his way through the crowded parking lot of a trendy restaurant. Spotting an opening in traffic, presumed driver Musk nails the accelerator pedal to zip away at a rapid clip — but not before also nailing and upending a traffic pylon.

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So, it is safe to say top trims of the Cybertruck will not be wanting for power. As an estimate, it is worth noting the tri-motor Model S Plaid peaks at 1,021 horsepower, and is apparently capable of maintaining over 1,000 ponies whilst accelerating all the way to its 322-km/h top speed. Even though the Cybertruck will not share a platform or body panels with the Model S, it is useful to consider the levels of power Tesla already brings to the table in its other offerings.

Can the Cybertruck tow a trailer?

The official Tesla website on which one can reserve-with-real-money – but not yet configure in any way – a Cybertruck includes an asinine claim the Cybertruck has the “ability to pull near infinite mass,” whatever that means. Anyone with a computer and Internet connection can view countless videos of both advertisements and amateur displays in which pickup trucks are used to haul ungodly amounts of weight — usually very slowly and over short distances. Toyota hauled the space shuttle a few years back, while General Motors pulled this trick back in the 1970s with the then-new C/K Series of pickups by showing one attached to a gobsmackingly enormous log train.

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Back in the real world, Tesla also claims a towing capability for the Cybertruck of over 14,000 pounds, a figure which is roughly in line with similarly sized competitors. Of course, there are no other details, such as the number of motors or special options required to haul 14k.

Why does the Cybertruck look like—that?

To be frank, the only one who can answer that is Elon himself. The Cybertruck is essentially a trapezoid on wheels, a shape so easy to draw that one must seriously wonder if it was hewn by Musk during a late-night design-jam session with Grimes before their relationship ended in early 2022, particularly since Grimes is an accomplished musician with a knack for visual arts inspired by sci-fi and fantasy.

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Another explanation is that Musk simply likes to troll people, a term which means to make insincere or extraneous declarations just to shock the public or get a rise out of them. It wouldn’t surprise us in the least if the Cybertruck’s styling is the product of a joke that got out of hand — especially since that’s exactly the lens through which Musk purchased Twitter for an exorbitant sum. Known for shredding employees to bits over perceived slights, it is a real possibility that no one wanted to go against the CEO or tell him the styling ideas were horribly impractical. That explanation may also serve to explain the vehicle’s out-of-sync name, given the rest of Tesla’s lineup follows a completely different nomenclature (Model 3, Y, et al).

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What is the Cybertruck’s interior like?

Minimalist, to say the least. Anyone who’s been in any other Tesla will surely feel at home staring at a large expanse decorated primarily by a large central touchscreen. The dashboard seems to go on for miles towards the windshield, making anyone who grew up in a Dustbuster minivan feel right at home. Some photos have shown a squared-off steering wheel, while others show the controversial yoke. Expect a large truck-like centre console with plenty of storage, though other innovations are anyone’s guess at this point.

Are there any initial driving impressions of the Tesla Cybertruck?

Not by official auto journalists — nor do we expect any soon, since Tesla generally takes an infantile and cavalier attitude towards most members of the media. However, passersby in Texas a few months ago caught a Cybertruck mired in Lone Star muck, having made it barely the length of itself off-road before becoming part of the landscape. We will grant that embarrassing sojourn may have been the result of user error, since we have no idea of the skill of whoever was behind the wheel, and this writer has had enough experience with slick Texas mud to understand it can render even some hardy machines immobile.

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We do expect the Cybertruck to be fleet of foot (wheel?) in at least one or more of its variants. After all, the brand’s portfolio is stacked with speedy entries such as the Model S Plaid and Model 3 Performance.

What are the Tesla Cybertruck’s competitors?

There are several, a development made possible by Tesla completely and utterly squandering the head-start it had on other carmakers, if we use the Cybertruck’s 2019 reveal as a starting point. At this point in the game, each of the Detroit Three either has an EV pickup truck on sale or one in the works, to say nothing of independent companies such as Rivian, which has been cranking out product for some spell.

In short, the Cybertruck’s competitors, both on sale and in the hopper, include: the Ford F-150 Lightning; the Chevrolet Silverado EV; the GMC Sierra EV; the GMC Hummer EV Pickup; the Rivian R1T; and the Ram 1500 REV.

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Where will the Tesla Cybertruck be built?

Don yer ten-gallon hat and shine up those cowboy boots, the Cybertruck is planned for production at Tesla’s new facility in Texas. It is worth noting that the State Fair of Texas, an event which has seen an increasing number of pickup-truck reveals over the last few years, is held annually in September — smack dab in the middle of when Tesla is promising to ramp up production.

Musk has made the suggestion his company will produce up to 500,000 copies of the Cybertruck per year, an asinine declaration given established makers like Ford have goals to manufacture no fewer than 150,000 Lightnings per year, a number which is triple what it was until recent plant renos. We’re all for upending the establishment, but we also must have at least one foot in reality whilst reporting on these things.

Nevertheless, with test mules and validation examples trickling out of the Tesla facility in Texas, it appears as if seeing a Cybertruck in the hands of a real paying customer isn’t too far around the corner.