Years of anticipation paid off yesterday with the remaining reveal of the Tesla Cybertruck. Essentially the most anticipated new automobile launch in current reminiscence noticed the Texas-based automaker showcase a pickup truck that appears prepared for Mars.
Its brutalist strains and chrome steel bodywork will immediately command consideration in all places it goes. The truck could also be a uncommon sight for a very long time as Tesla slowly spools up its sophisticated, costly manufacturing course of. However a handful of drivers took supply yesterday, so the Cybertruck is already on American roads.
A whole bunch of hundreds watched the discharge occasion on-line, underlining the large curiosity the Cybertruck has generated. But it surely fell wanting many guarantees Tesla had made over time, lacking projections for payload capability, towing energy, worth, and vary.
That final one could also be most vital to many Tesla followers. The corporate has fallen decidedly behind within the vary wars, with rival Lucid Motors promoting sedans that journey 520 miles between fees whereas Tesla’s longest-range automobile, the Mannequin S, manages 405.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk had predicted a 500-mile vary for the Cybertruck. However remaining specs present between 250 and 340 miles relying on trim degree. That’s higher than the Ford F-150 Lightning, which maxes out at 320. But it surely falls wanting the Rivian R1T’s 410-mile most, and Chevrolet tasks that its upcoming Silverado EV will beat all of them with 450 miles between charging classes.
However Tesla has an intriguing resolution to spice up vary. The corporate has begun promoting a “vary extender” additional battery.
Piggyback Battery Might Price As A lot as a Subcompact Automotive
Some automakers use the time period “vary extender” to explain a gasoline engine that acts as a generator recharging an electrical automobile – like Ram plans for its upcoming Ramcharger plug-in hybrid truck. However that’s not what Tesla has in thoughts.
Tesla is the one automaker that doesn’t function a public relations division or reply reporters’ questions. However generally Musk solutions questions from Tesla followers on-line.
Questioned on X (the social media platform previously referred to as Twitter), Musk stated the Cybertruck’s vary extender is basically an additional battery that matches within the truck’s mattress. It takes up a few third of the mattress, he says, and is “meant for very lengthy journeys or towing heavy issues up mountains.”
The corporate hasn’t revealed some other particulars. However an eagle-eyed X consumer discovered supply knowledge within the Tesla web site that means it might add $16,000 to the price of the truck, making it some of the costly automotive equipment on the planet.
A chart on the Cybertruck gross sales web page means that it provides 130 miles to the vary of the All-Wheel Drive (AWD) mannequin and 120 to the vary of the high-end Cyberbeast mannequin.
A batch of photographs from Tesla appears to point out the additional battery taking over a part of the truck’s mattress.
Weight, Set up Course of a Thriller
Tesla hasn’t revealed, nevertheless, what could also be crucial piece of data – what does this factor weigh? EV batteries are notoriously heavy. A 3rd of 1 could also be greater than the typical particular person might raise off their storage flooring and place rigorously behind a truck.
So we’re not clear on whether or not the vary extender is one thing you may set up and uninstall at dwelling, or one thing you need to have put in semi-permanently at a Tesla service location.
It’ll push the truck’s vary nearer to the promised 500 – topping out at 470 in AWD fashions – however at the price of some mattress house and, presumably, most of the price of a Nissan Versa. We’ll deliver extra particulars as they develop into out there.