Four years after it was revealed, Tesla will finally begin delivering its radical new Cybertruck to customers later today, 30 November.
The electric car maker is due to host an event at its Austin, Texas headquarters this evening, kicking off at 2:00 pm local time. Although details are thin on the ground, the event is expected to be live-streamed on Tesla’s YouTube channel and through X, formerly Twitter.
It looks like Tesla will also show a live stream on its own website, where the Cybertruck page has been replaced with a silhouette of the vehicle and a countdown timer. I’ll embed the live stream below once it appears on YouTube later today.
Tesla boss Elon Musk said earlier this week that “Cybertruck deliveries start on Thursday,” although it isn’t known exactly how many trucks will be handed to their new owners. Reports claim the event could feature as few as ten vehicles. They will be received by customers who placed a deposit right after the Cybertruck was revealed back in 2019.
Perhaps no other vehicle has attracted as much intrigue as the Cybertruck. Its radical, angular design is unlike anything else produced by Tesla, and indeed it looks nothing like any other truck on sale today. It is intended to blend the performance of a sports car with the practicality of a truck like the best-selling Ford F-150. But it is no secret that the unusual stainless steel body has presented serious manufacturing challenges for Tesla to overcome.
The company has said very little about the specification of the production-ready Cybertruck. At launch Tesla said dual- and triple-motor versions would be available, and that prices for an entry-level variant would start at $39,900. That may be some time away, however, as the flagship model is now expected to be priced at around $100,000 in ‘launch edition’ trim.
This price comes from an exclusive first-drive published in the UK by TopGear magazine. Landing on shelves a couple of days before the Cybertruck delivery event, the magazine also states how the Cybertruck is shorter than a Ford F-150 Lighting, but with a slightly larger 6ft bed (albeit shorter than the 6.5ft promised in 2019). In triple-motor guise the Cybertruck is said to produce over 900 horsepower and accelerate to 62 mph (100 km/h) in under three seconds – matching the 2.9s time claimed for the triple-motor truck in 2019.
The battery pack is estimated to have a capacity of 123 kWh, the largest used by Tesla in a production vehicle, and Musk had promised in 2019 a range of over 500 miles for the flagship model.
It is also the first Tesla to use an 800v system architecture, which will offer faster charging than the 400v system used by all other Tesla cars to date. This should mean a peak charge rate of up to 350 kW when hooked up to a sufficiently powerful charger. Another stat? The windshield is the largest piece of glass used in any automotive application and the huge, single wiper blade is 47 inches long
What remains to be seen is whether Tesla can quickly ramp up Cybertruck production after the first few examples are handed over to customers. The company has its sights set on building 200,000 units annually, but this is unlikely to happen right away.
Whatever you think of the Cybertruck – and at this point it feels like everyone and their dog has opinion on it – the delivery event should prove again that, given long enough, Tesla usually makes good on its promises. Albeit by approaching the concept of time differently to everyone else. Let’s hope the event tonight sticks to schedule.
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