The Tesla Cybertruck is a vehicle like no other on the road. Part electric pickup truck, part futuristic tank from a cyberpunk city. From the moment it was revealed it has been a hot topic, but did the Cybertruck actually turn out like Tesla said it would? Or did they miss the mark at release?
Read on to find out about the Tesla Cybertruck reveal event, and how the stats shared there translated to the real world. Did Tesla get a reality check or are we about to live in a cyberpunk dream?
The reveal event
On November 21st, 2019 (a date familiar to fans of the Blade Runner movies), the Tesla Cybertruck, like something straight out of the cyberpunk film itself, rolled onto the stage. Angular, stainless steel, and utterly unconventional—it was love at first sight for some, shock and even disgust for others.
At the event, Elon Musk rattled off numbers, features, and specs like a proud parent showing off their child's report card. While the looks split people down the middle, it was hard to deny that if Tesla could hit all of the presented specs, there would be no other truck (electric or otherwise) on the road that could compete with the Cybertruck.
Elon set the expectations high. His goal for Tesla was to produce a vehicle with "more utility than a Ford F-150, and more performance than a base Porsche 911."
That's a lofty goal. To set them up for success, Elon Musk shared a long list of key specs and features.
The original specs
These are the original specs that were shared with the world at the Cybertruck release event held in November of 2019.
Cybertruck Release date
After being revealed in late 2019, The original release date of the Cybertruck was estimated to be going in to production by the end of 2021. Many people met this with skepticism. Tesla and Elon Musk aren't exactly known for making their aggressive deadlines.
Cybertruck Range
The range of an electric vehicle is how far it can go on a single, maximum charge. The originally stated range of the Cybertruck was broken out in to three trim levels. Each providing a different, but respectable range number.
The single motor, rear-wheel drive Cybertruck was expected to launch with a range of 250 or more miles on a charge.
The dual motor, all-wheel drive Cybertruck was announced to launch with a range of at least 300 or more miles.
The top of the line "tri-motor", all-wheel drive Cybertruck was announced to have an astonishing range of 500 or more miles on a single charge!
Cybertruck Payload & Towing
An important metric for those who use a truck to do truck things, is the capacity it can hold and the weight it can tow. With the goal of meeting or beating gas-powered trucks, Elon Musk also showcased different capacity limits based on the Cybertruck trim level.
All models were estimated to have a payload capacity of 3,500lbs (1,588kg). Each trim level of the Cybertruck though had widely varying towing capabilities:
The single motor, rear-wheel drive Cybertruck towing capacity was estimated to be 7,500lbs (3,402kg)
The dual motor, all-wheel drive Cybertruck came in at 10,000lbs (4,536kg).
The beastly "tri-motor", all-wheel drive Cybertruck was announced at a tow rating of 14,000lbs (6,350kg)
Cybertruck Performance
Never before has the goal of a truck been to beat a base-level Porsche 911. However the Cybertruck is no ordinary truck and Tesla was aiming high to ensure their high-end truck could out perform a sports car.
One of Elon Musk's stated goals for the truck was to provide better performance than what is probably the most recognizable sports car on the planet, a Porsche 911. To do that, they shared the following specs:
The single motor, rear-wheel drive Cybertruck estimated a 0-60 time of 6.5 seconds and a top speed of 110mph. Keep in mind, this is meant to be a very basic work truck, and not a model that's competing with sports cars.
The dual motor, all-wheel drive Cybertruck expected 0-60 time is a respectable 4.5 seconds, with a 120mph top speed.
The "tri-motor", all-wheel drive Cybertruck however was expected to blow away the competition with a 2.9 second 0-60 time and a top speed of 130mph.
Cybertruck Durability
It's hard to ignore the bare, stainless steel body panels of a Tesla Cybertruck. The goal of these panels was to make it the toughest truck on the planet. This, among other features were highlighted in a major way during the Cybertruck reveal presentation. Here are a few key points they shared with some demonstrations.
Strong stainless steel body panels: As demonstrated by the truck's designer, Franz Von Holzhausen, who came out swinging a sledge hammer on the Cybertruck doors, no dents were made!
Shatterproof "armor" glass": This is part of what catapulted the Cybertruck to infamy. Everyone remembers this moment where Franz wound-up with a steel ball in hand to showcase the nearly unbreakable glass. He threw and.... the glass shattered. The moment lives on in infamy, but Tesla and Elon promised they'd get it right for the launch of the truck.
Bulletproof body: Elon Musk is no stranger to exaggeration, and he often shared that the truck panels should literally be "bullterproof". A video of this features was shown at the event where a standard automotive steel door saw bullets cut through the door like butter. But the Cybertruck metal absorbed and deflected a 9MM handgun bullet with just a dent.
Cybertruck Price
Now for one of the most astounding things from the Cybertruck reveal and announcement, the price point. By this time, Elon and Tesla shared so many great features, the assumption was the truck would be astronomically expensive. In a great moment, Elon stood on stage as the price faded in on a screen above his head, and the crowd erupted.
The Cybertruck was to start at under $40,000. While this was the basic rear-wheel drive, non performance model, it was still an incredible price for any electric vehicle, let alone one that was being held-up as a truck that could last a lifetime.
The different trim levels of course had different reveal prices. All of which offered great value for the features:
The single motor, rear-wheel drive Cybertruck as we saw above was to begin pricing at $39,900.
The dual motor, all-wheel drive Cybertruck, likely the most popular choice for the average Tesla truck enthusiast, was to begin at $49,900.
The "tri-motor", all-wheel drive Cybertruck offering every feature and incredible performance, was listed at $69,900.
Cybertruck Software features
Current Tesla vehicles like the Model S, Model 3, Model X, and Model Y; are loved by those who drive them. Although they're great to drive, Tesla is known for having by-far the best software of any major automotive manufacturer.
Expectations for the Cybertruck were of course in-line with what's currently available, with Elon himself sharing the following features available at launch:
Full-self driving: Tesla's controversial but (somewhat) functional full self driving software. This would eventually allow the truck to drive itself. It's still not figured out for Tesla's other cars, but the "FSD" feature is Tesla's second most important goal after electrification of cars.
Autopilot: A standard useful feature on all Tesla models, no matter how basic. Autopilot is basically a fancy, lane-keeping cruise control that makes driving on highways a breeze.
Autopark: The truck would be able to park itself. A handy feature for a vehicle so large!
Trailer docking: This wasn't shared in detail, but the expectation was that this would automatically back up the truck perfectly for mounting a trailer hitch.
Cybertruck Accessories & other features
Among all of the amazing features and specs shared, Tesla either directly called-out or showed sneak peeks at all of these unique-to-Cybertruck features. Did they deliver on them?
Tailgate loading ramp: A ramp, built directly in to the truck's tailgate, could fold out allowing for easy loading and unloading of the truck bed.
Air suspension: Tesla showed an impressive air suspension that lifted the Cybertruck for amazing ground clearance, or allowed it to drop low to the ground for that sporty performance.
Built-in air compressor: A key feature shared was that the same system used for the truck's impressive air-suspension, could be fed in to a line for a compressor. This would allow off-roaders to take care of flat tires anywhere they might be!
Cyber tent: Pictured on Tesla's website after the event and an exciting option for campers. A nicely designed and appropriately "cyber" angular tent fit perfectly for the Cybertruck's bed.
"Load mode". Back of truck squats to load: The Cybertruck, using the previously mentioned ramp, could lower the rear suspension and raise the front, tilting the car and allowing extremely easy access to drive an ATV directly in to the bed.
"Sail" storage: A small picture during the presentation showed that the triangular, sale-like shapes on either side of the bed could be opened up for storage of tools or other small items.
The reveal conclusion:
Now, several years later, the first Cybertrucks are beginning to show up on the roads of America. What specs were originally shared and how do they stack up to this first wave of publicly available Tesla Cybertrucks?
The launch specs
Now it's time to put Tesla's Cybertruck to the test. did it meet the amazing reveal specs, or did reality slap it in the face? Let's take a look at where these stats all ended up.
Cybertruck Release date
As it seems to always be with Tesla, their timelines are usually too optimistic. The Cybertruck began its first deliveries on November 30, 2023 at a "delivery event" giving away the first vehicles to their owners.
It's worth noting however that Tesla revealed the Cybertruck right before a global pandemic, which shifted timelines for everyone the world over. This likely attributed pretty significantly to the delayed timeline.
Cybertruck Range
The Cybertruck available at the time of writing has the following range stats shared by Tesla.
The single motor, rear-wheel drive Cybertruck is not being produced yet, however Tesla still states a 250mi range.
The dual motor, all-wheel drive Cybertruck, is showcasing a range on Tesla's website of 340mi.
The "tri-motor", all-wheel drive Cybertruck is showing a range of 320 mi. based on the Tesla vehicle configurator.
Cybertruck Payload & Towing
According to Tesla's website, the Cybertruck has 2,500lbs of payload capacity, and 11,000lbs of towing capacity for both the all-wheel drive dual-motor and "Cyberbeast" tri-motor models.
At the time of writing, Tesla has not shared if these numbers will be different for the rear-wheel drive version of the truck.
Cybertruck Performance
Now to the performance stats at the time of the Tesla Cybertruck's launch. Each model has different specs as expected, but did they meet or beat the goals set at the reveal event?
The single motor, rear-wheel drive Cybertruck is showing a 6.5 second 0-60 time. Tesla has not yet shared the top speed and the truck isn't yet in production to verify what the speed might be.
The dual motor, all-wheel drive Cybertruck, is being showcased with a 4.1 second 0-60 time. The top speed is limited to 112mph.
The "tri-motor", all-wheel drive Cybertruck is displaying an eye-watering 2.6 second 0-60 time and a 130mph top speed.
Cybertruck Durability
The release model Cybertrucks are definitely built with durability in mind. Did they deliver on these key durability features?
Strong stainless steel body panels: The Tesla Cybertruck launched exactly as displayed. An unpainted, stainless steel exterior set of body panels keeps the truck tough and invulnerable to shopping cart and other car door dings!
Shatterproof glass: Telsa never re-demonstrated these with the steel ball bearing. But they claim the windows will survive a hit from a baseball at 70mph and "class 4" balls of hail.
Bulletproof body: Some youtubers have put this to the test and the doors are in fact bulletproof! However it's only effective against smaller, 9mm ammunition.
Cybertruck Price
One of the biggest questions after the event is if Tesla could really meet the ambitious price targets they set for themselves. Now that the dust has settled an people can begin ordering their trucks for delivery, where did they come in at?
The single motor, rear-wheel drive Cybertruck is listed on tesla's website at $60,990.
The dual motor, all-wheel drive Cybertruck, is being sold for $79,990.
The "Cyberbeast", all-wheel drive Cybertruck as a top-of-the-line model is listed at $99,990.
Cybertruck Software features
As mentioned before, Tesla is known for being the kings of electric vehicle software. Are their offerings up to par?
Full-self driving:Â Full-self driving is still only in testing on all of Tesla's models and can't be relied on yet. But the Cybertruck doesn't even have a test-build of the software available yet. So no FSD for the time being.
Autopilot:Â This standard Tesla feature is strangely nowhere to be seen on the Cybertruck at launch. Most people expect this to be added soon in a future software update though.
Autopark:Â Along with the other self-driving features, autopark is nowhere to be found on the Cybertruck.
Trailer docking:Â Although there's been some fantastic testing from automotive youtube channels. Trailering something continues to be a manual process for the Cybertruck for now.
Keep in mind, of all things, software can change the most. Tesla will continually work on and make improvements for everything here as time goes on.
Cybertruck Accessories & other features
Finally wet get to the final few little details. What was featured on the Tesla Cybertruck at launch?
Tailgate loading ramp: There's no special ramp on the tailgate of the Cybertruck at launch. The tailgate however automatically opens with the push of a button, and provides assistance when lifting making it easy to close.
Air suspension:Â Tesla's air suspension is in every production model of the Cybertruck. Raising it up for off-roading and down for on-road performance and efficiency.
Built-in air compressor:Â The Cybertruck is lacking a built-in air compressor. Instead they are offering a standalone accessory air compressor that can plug in to the car as an additional purchase with the truck.
Cyber tent:Â Tesla did create a purpose-built tent for the Cybertruck. The design has changed, but it's a custom, functional tent.
"Load mode". Back of truck squats to load:Â Tesla's "kneeling" or "load mode" has yet to be seen on production Cybertrucks. This however is likely a simple software update away from being reality.
"Sail" storage:Â The production model Cybertruck has no storage in the sails above the bed. Instead they are just solid pieces of the body and add to the overal rigidness of the truck.
Comparing the original specs to the reality at release
Now, let's compare side-by-side. What did the Tesla Cybertruck deliver on, and where did it miss? The below chart showcases all of the key info discussed in the article for an easy comparison.
The items with red text are the specifications that did not meet the expectations set at the reveal event for the Cybertruck. The green text items are the ones that met or exceeded. In a few cases, the orange text is something that can't yet be verified, usually because it's related to the rear-wheel drive model that isn't out yet.
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Note that pricing also includes inflation adjustments so you can see the full picture. Since the reveal, the world has seen a large rate of inflation of consumer goods so the inflation price reflects what the original price would have been in today's dollars for a more apples-to-apples comparison.
 | Truck Reveal Specs | Launch Specs |
Price | RWD: $39,900 ($47,835 infl. adjusted) AWD: $49,900 ($59,690 infl. adjusted) Performance (Tri-Motor): $69,900 ($83,614 infl. adjusted) | RWD: $60,990 AWD: $79,990 Cyberbeast: $99,990 |
Range | RWD: 250+ AWD: 300+ Performance: 500+Â | RWD: 250mi AWD: 340mi Performance: 320mi |
Performance | RWD: 6.5s (110mph) AWD: 4.5s (120mph) Performance: 2.9s (130mph) | RWD: 6.5s (???mph) AWD: 4.1s (112mph) Performance: 2.6s (130mph) |
Payload | 3,500lbs | 2,500lbs |
Tow Rating (lbs) | RWD: 7,500 AWD: 10,000 Performance: 14,000 | RWD: ??? AWD: 11,000 Cyberbeast: 11,000 |
Durability |
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The biggest disappointments for the Cybertruck not meeting the original specs are:
Price: Tesla came in extremely high on the production Cybertruck pricing, even when factoring in inflation. Compared to other electric trucks on the market, it's still a good competitor, however many peoples dreams were upended when the actual prices were revealed. Hopefully this comes down over time as production volume increases. Alternately, maybe some used Cybertrucks will begin showing up in a few years for some good savings.
Range: Tesla really over-estimated on their top of the line Cybertruck model's range. They fell way short of the 500mi goal. the good news however is that the all-wheel drive midrange model, likely to be the most popular Cybertruck model, is coming in right on and beating the original target! Tesla is offering a range extender battery (yet to be produced) for an additional $16,000 that should get the trucks closer to a 450+ mile range, however it's an expensive addition and is still short of the top model's stated range goal.
The big wins for the Tesla Cybertruck meeting expectations is:
All-Wheel Drive Range: Tesla pretty much came in spot-on with their estimate. As Elon Musk tends to over-promise at times, the original reveal spec was even a little conservative for a change!
Performance: Tesla not only met but in many cases beat their performance expectations, at least when it comes to 0-60 times. While not super important for a truck, it sure is fun!
Summary
Overall, the Tesla Cybertruck did not live up to the many features, price points, and utility that Elon Musk shared with the world at the reveal event. That said, Tesla is known for making steady improvements to their vehicles over time and the Cybertruck will be no exception.
When looking at the current electric truck competitive landscape though, Tesla is still giving all other auto makers a run for their money. The most disappointing miss is the price point and range. Given the opportunity, I would still love to have one of theses sitting in my driveway, but unfortunately many of us will have to continue to save our pennies to make this Cybertruck dream a reality.