Tesla Cybertruck: The Future?

[Pilat]

No one thinks it was the final version. But the very construction of thick steel - extra strong steel on the outside being the load carrying part of this thing was surely the point of this exercise, no?
So, unless they do a complete redesign where there is no such "exoskeleton" carrying all the forces and being unforgiving, it will be just as dangerous. They can change it, obviously, but they have to give up on all their notions, except, perhaps, the "bulletproof" glass. They can probably get away with that. The rest of the "engineering" behind this makes it dangerous to both the occupants and anyone they hit.

If they do a redesign from the ground up and construct the thing like their other offerings, is it still the Cybertruck? They will have to do this to make it safe: A safety cell to protect against intrusions surrounded by crumple zones. That's how physics work. And "tech" won't take away the physics of a crash or being hit by this thing.

 

[shade]

Or the maybe could be that “as is” will not be the same truck in a couple few years. Has Tesla said anything or released info about the safety? Does Teller and ANCAP know what Tesla’s plans are to meet federal safety standards? Are you saying Tesla designed a truck that won’t meet safety standards and be allowed on the road? Which sounds more far fetched? 1. Tesla designing a car that can’t be driven on the road 2. Tesla designing a car that can be driven on the road? No one has crash tested this and won’t be able to for a couple years, a lot will change by then. Until Tesla releases that info this is all speculation based on a video of the prototype. If it was ready to sell now they would be selling it now, they gave themselves a couple years for a reason.

All of this has happened before, and all of this will happen again.

 

[rayra]

Looking around for electricity costs for typical EV usage, national average for all drivers is 15k mi / yr, at an average kW/hr rate that's $500+/yr. CA is about twice the US average for electricity. But I drive less than 6k mi / yr on average. So call it $340/yr for electricity. CA also has about the highest fuel costs in the nation. That same 6k mi/yr costs me about $1700 for gas for my Suburban.
My Sub is long in the tooth, I keep all my vehicles too long. I'd go for a mid-level Cybertruck, which I expect to be about on par with whatever new pickup I might buy. Note I still have a 33yr-old pickup, too. So I don't need the CyberTRUCK, either. But it would be fun to have and meet my around-town needs AND save me a good bit on fuel. I'm old and a veteran, my USAA auto insurance is cheap.
And since the Cybertruck is about the same large size as my Sub and longbed pickup, the issues of parking and access for a large vehicle are already part of my life.
When we took a recent 900mi road trip up the 395 and over and around the Sierra, we took the missus' Equinox, at ~30mpg. instead of the Sub at less than 13mpg.
I'd drive a Cybertruck wherever I could readily charge it. And I note their vehicle software / nav will even plot your charging stations enroute to your destination. Or plan a route which gets you from charger to charger to accomplish your declared destination.
And since I'm in CA, the charging stops are the most available. Any city to city driving I could want to do in the State is accommodated. And at a couple bucks a day for electricity, I'd damned well drive it everywhere it can reach.
So other than the large price of a (any) new car, there's little downside to a Tesla Cybertruck for me. And understanding the false economy of EVs in terms of 'saving the planet', I'd giggle while driving it.

eta most recent article I can find says 250k Cybertruck orders as of Thanksgiving weekend. So maybe three years+ before my place in line would come up. That's $60/day I'd have to sock away.

 

[Bayou Boy]

They are under the gun though with Rivian and the big three breathing down their neck and possibly being first to market. Of all the upcoming releases the cybertruck may very well be the last to market, least attractive, but probably less expensive.

This is a very good point. Truck buyers are very brand loyal and change averse. If one of the Big 3 beats Tesla to market they will get so much market share that it will be extremely hard for Tesla to even begin to catch up. A guy that has been buying Ford, Chevy, or Ram all his life will buy an Electric Ford over a Tesla almost every time no matter the specifics. It's the same way that the vast majority of Domestic truck buyers will never, ever buy a Tundra. It isn't even an option in their minds.

 

[Bayou Boy]

Good god this thing is ugly.

 

[Pilat]

Good god this thing is ugly.

Very!



And you can hide a whole truck in that blind spot behind it.

 

[AbleGuy]

All of this has happened before, and all of this will happen again.

Simple basic truth. The Oracle of Expo has spoken. Nuff said!

 

[Christian P.]

By the time this goes to production, it will look nothing like this. It's a publicity stunt.

 

[luthj]

It's amazing how every auto maker releases a prototype to build interest before the final version. No one cares, and its normal. But Telsa does it, and for some reason its a giant conspiracy to build funding for world domination, or an evil plot. Or they are incompetent and trying to cheat, or just kill everyone or something...

I think it says more about those who have rage induced than it does about the prototype in question...

 

[Todd780]

By the time this goes to production, it will look nothing like this. It's a publicity stunt.

Agreed. I found the real one.

 

[F350joe]

Agreed. I found the real one.

View attachment 556996

A other good truck ruined by stupid rims, geez.

 

[shade]

Simple basic truth. The Oracle of Expo has spoken. Nuff said!

Pretty sure a Cylon said that. Or Peter Pan. Peter is a pretty smart guy.

“Second star to the right and straight on 'til morning." - Peter Pan & James T. Kirk

 

[rayra]

Good god this thing is ugly.

Obviously this nyev kulturny barbarianksy was not raised on a diet of bad 70s & 80s sci-fi.

Battlestar Galactica Landram

or battle giant scorpions in the wastelands

or venture out of the safe havens to help fallen civilization

 

[shade]

Obviously this nyev kulturny barbarianksy was not raised on a diet of bad 70s & 80s sci-fi.

or venture out of the safe havens to help fallen civilization

The Landmaster has impressive capabilities, but alas, no crumple zones.

 

[rayra]

The other vehicles are the crumple zones.

/hell I drive my Sub around town on errands, poor fuel economy and all, just because of the other bad drivers, noses buried in their smartphones. I'm not dying for somebody else's inattention.

.... now I just need to go buy some full width light bars to tide me over for a couple years, until I can buy my Cybertruck