Tesla Fanboys are so disappointed, and they are locked in the price being too high and range too low based on "promises" made by Tesla over 5 years ago before a global pandemic which has been followed by a global increase in inflation. But I think there is so much more that they are missing here, so let's get into it.
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Costs too Much they say.
I have two thoughts on it. All models are about $20k more than Tesla targets set 5 years ago. There is no way Tesla could have seen a pandemic and inflation coming. They should have never made promises 5 years ago.
My second thought is that most people who haven't shopped for a new vehicle recently, don't realize how expensive vehicles have gotten. It is difficult to find a Hond Civic on a dealership lot for less than $30k as automakers have produced way fewer of their bargain models and are only making the top of the line models. The average cost of a pickup in October 2023 was over $66k. The Dual Motor Cybertruck is only $13,000 more than the average. Based on my Model Y savings to date, savings on gas and maintenance for the Cybertruck will easily cover that cost differential. This is before the $7,500 federal tax credit. The Ford Lightening is definitely slightly lower in cost. The Rivians are generally more expensive when well equipped.
Not enough Range
340 miles of range is what is advertised on the Dual motor. My Model Y had 326 miles of range new and at nearly 50,000 miles, it still has just over 300 miles of range which is honestly plenty. It is honestly not an efficient use of resources to add more batteries to an EV to get 400+ miles in my opinion as long as the charging rates on the vehicle are acceptable. Rivians and the Ford Lightening extended. Range both have slightly more range.
Charging Rates are Too Low
Tesla targeted 350kw+ rates but are only delivering 250kw rates. I don't know if they aren't claiming more because their network of chargers won't deliver more than 250kw, or if that is the true limit of the vehicle. I have seen one report that indicates it can do 350kw on the newest V4 Superchargers, although there are very few of them. Also, I want to reserve judgement here until we see the charging curve. If it holds 250kw well past 23% SOC like my Model Y, then the 250kw rate might be just fine. Too early to say for sure just yet until we see some real world charging events.
Truck Designs have remain unchanged forever
Literally since the first trucks, the designs are basically the same. A thick underbody frame with front engine and cab and bed pieces bolted on. Rivian was the first new pickup that actually had a different design than the traditional truck because of the battery "skateboard" design, and Tesla is taking that one step further with its exoskeleton design. With an exoskeleton, the interior frame can not only be lightweight aluminum, but it isn't designed like a typical truck frame. And, it s the stiffest frame/body combination of any vehicle in history (reportedly).
HFS exterior- Hard Fucking Steel
No joke, that is what HFS stands for. Space X invented its own formulation for this stainless steel for its aerospace applications and are extending it to Tesla's auto production. No Official NHTS findings, but the sample crash tests we have seen videos of so far has experts predicting the Cybertruck will likely replace Model Y as the safest vehicle on the planet, which replaced the Model 3, which replaced the Model X, which replaced the Model S as the first vehicle To exceed a 5.0 safety rating.
48V Accessory Architecture
First 48V electrical system in a production vehicle. This is a big deal! The auto industry has been stuck on a 12V architecture for over 70 years. The last change in the 50's moved from 6V to 12V. This is important because 4x voltage for things like the lights, windows, turn signals, locks, etc means that the same amount of power can be sent with a wire that has 25% of the cross section of a 12V system. Copper is expensive and adds a lot of weight to a vehicle. This change saves money on materials and makes the vehicle more efficient due to lower weights.
Turning Radius is crazy small due to drive by wire steering. Did I mention the 48V architecture? Well, the drive by wire steering used for the first time in a production vehicle is possible in the Cybertruck due to the 48V architecture. There is no physical connection from the steering wheel to the front and rear wheels (4 wheel steering). The steering wheel only dose about a half rotation right or left from center. At slow speeds, this means a full turn of the wheels, at highway speeds, the amount of tire turn is reduced. People seem to love it who have driven it.
My "too early" take on the Cybertruck. The price is about what everyone should have expected. Those that were dreaming of $20k less were not basing that on reality, and for what you are getting, I think the Dual Motor option is the one to get and it is a reasonable price. I think some people will cancel their place in line and I will move up, but I won't have a chance to order one for at least 4-5 years if I had to guess. I think many Cubertrucks will be sold to first time truck buyers. It won't be the best off road vehicle you can buy, it won't be the best EV truck to tow with, but it will probably be the nicest driving EV truck, that actually handles like a car, accelerates faster than most sports cars, and can tow up to 11,000 lbs if needed (I'd recommend local trips only), with the best charging network, hands down. Until Ford and Rivian can actually use the Tesla network (most of it, not just a spot here or there), I still would only buy a Tesla. For the price, the F-150 Lightening comes in a close second for me, but the network it has to use for charging is so unreliable that I would never go on a long trip in it.