Remember when the Tesla Cybertruck was first revealed four years ago? Yes, it’s been that long, but the wait is sort of, kind of finally over because the first production-spec units of the heavily anticipated electric pickup truck have been delivered during a special event held at the company's headquarters in Austin, Texas, right next to the factory that is building Tesla's latest passenger EV.
And I say that the wait is sort of over because just 10 to 50 units were reportedly delivered at today’s event, depending on who you ask, so the bulk of reservation holders–all two million of them, according to an unofficial tracker–will have to wait a little longer to get their hands on what is arguably one of the most controversial cars in recent history.
So, after years of speculation, spy shots, rumors, and a fair share of confusing messages from none other than Tesla CEO Elon Musk, the cat is out of the bag, at least in terms of official specs.
Gallery: Tesla Cybertruck Delivery Event (2023)
The Cybertruck, in all its production-spec glory, has a maximum combined power output of 845 horsepower in the so-called Beast Mode. According to Tesla, the Cybertruck is capable of accelerating faster than a Porsche 911 while towing a Porsche 911.
The front drive unit itself makes over 300 hp and features an electro-mechanical differential lock that should come in handy when going off-road. There's no word on a rear locker, but Tesla said that the Cybertruck has active torque vectoring. Additionally, in a first for Tesla, there's a steer-by-wire system instead of a traditional mechanical steering column.
As per the company's website, there are three versions on offer: Rear-Wheel Drive with an estimated 250 miles of range and a 0-60 miles per hour time of 6.5 seconds, All-Wheel Drive with an estimated 340 miles of range and a 0-60 mph time of 4.1 seconds, and Cyberbeast, which can drive up to 320 miles on a full charge (estimated) and can reach 60 mph in 2.6 seconds.
A peculiar Range Extender option also appears on the specs portion of the website. With it, the AWD variant has over 470 miles of range, while the Cyberbeast can go for over 440 miles. According to Elon Musk, there will be an additional battery pack that fits in about one-third of the bed. This can be added or removed depending on the owner's needs.
The front trunk is called the Powergate on the Cybertruck and it's Tesla's first-ever powered frunk. It incorporates one of the longest LED lighting elements on any passenger vehicle in the world, according to the company, and when opened reveals a hidden bench that can seat two, as well as more than seven cubic feet of space.
Compared to the Ford F-150 Lightning's 14.1-cu ft front trunk, the Cybertruck's frunk is about half the size.
In the back of the truck, there's the so-called Vault, which is a fancy way of saying it has an under-bed storage compartment. This doesn't seem big enough for a spare wheel but it's weather-sealed and has a drain hole on the bottom, so it could be used to keep some food and drinks cold in ice, and then when you're done and the ice has melted, you just need to pop off the plug. Speaking of a spare wheel, the Cybertruck doesn't have one.
The bed, which is covered by a powered tonneau cover that retracts behind the rear seats, measures 6 feet long and 4 feet wide. It's made out of sheet-molded composite (SMC) and, according to Tesla, it eliminates the need to install an aftermarket bed liner because it's plenty durable.
Adaptive air suspension comes as standard and offers multiple height settings, similar to the Rivian R1T. At its maximum suspension level, the Cybertruck has a ride height of 17 inches. Rear-wheel steering is also part of the mix.
Pricing starts at an estimated $60,990 for the base RWD model that will be available in 2025. The All-Wheel Drive model will cost an estimated $79,990 when it gets delivered next year, and the Cyberbeast has an estimated MSRP of $99,990 with deliveries expected to begin next year.
The Cybertruck weighs about 6,700 pounds, depending on the version, which is more than the Ford F-150 Lightning which tips the scales at roughly 6,300 lbs but less than the GMC Hummer EV which weighs over 9,000 lbs.
There's still no word on the size of the battery pack.
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The truck is covered in a Tesla-designed stainless steel alloy, which didn't exist before, according to Elon Musk. It is immune to corrosion, it doesn't need paint, and it gives the Cybertruck more torsional stiffness than a McLaren P1, Musk added.
The company also recreated the failed steel ball experiment from four years ago but this time around Franz von Holzhausen, Tesla's chief designer, didn't seem to use a steel ball but rather a softball that simply bounced off the side of the truck.
According to Tesla's CEO, the Cybertruck's center of gravity is so low that it won't flip over in case of a crash.
Here's a list of all the specs that have been announced today:
- Three versions: Rear-Wheel Drive, All-Wheel Drive, and Cyberbeast
- Towing capacity: Up to 11,000 lbs
- Payload: Up to 2,500 lbs
- Length: 223.7 in
- Width: 86.6 in (side mirrors folded), 95 inches (extended mirrors)
- Height: 70.5 in
- Weight: 6,603 lbs (AWD), 6,843 lbs (Cyberbeast)
- Bed length: 6 ft
- Bed width: 4 ft
- Cargo: 120.9 cubic feet
- Suspension: Adaptive air suspension with 12 in of travel
- Ground clearance: 17.44 in in Extract Mode
- Charging: NACS connector, up to 250 kW
- Storage: 67 cubic feet of lockable storage
- Range: 250 miles (estimated) for the RWD, 340 miles (estimated) for the AWD, 320 miles (estimated) for the Cyberbeast
- Power: 600 hp for the AWD, 845 hp for the Cyberbeast
- Torque: 7,435 pound-feet for the AWD, 10,296 lb-ft for the Cyberbeast
- 0-60 mph: 6.5 seconds for the RWD, 4.1 seconds for the AWD, 2.6 seconds for the Cyberbeast
- Top speed: 112 mph for the AWD, 130 mph for the Cyberbeast
- Power outlets: four 120V (two in the cabin and two in the bed, up to 20 amps) and one 240V in the bed (up to 40A). Maximum continuous power: 9.6 kilowatts
- Vehicle-to-home capability with up to 11.5 kW exportable power
- Seating: up to 5 people
- 48-volt electrical system
- 800-volt traction battery
- 18.5 in central touchscreen, 9.4 in rear touchscreen
Compared to the initial specs that were displayed during the truck’s debut in 2019, the final numbers are slightly worse: lower towing capability, shorter range, and a smaller bed. Four years ago, Tesla’s pickup was advertised with the following specifications:
- Cybertruck will come in three variants: Single Motor Rear-Wheel Drive, Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive, and Tri-Motor All-Wheel Drive.
- Range: 500+ miles
- 0-60 mph acceleration: <2.9 seconds
- Towing capacity: More than 14,000 lbs
- Payload: Up to 3,500 lbs
- Bed length: 6.5 feet
- Storage capacity: 100 cubic feet of exterior, lockable storage including the vault, frunk, and sail pillars.
- Suspension: 4 in in either direction
- Touchscreen size: 17 in
- Body: Ultra-Hard 30X Cold-Rolled stainless steel. If there was something better, we’d use it.
- Seating capacity: Up to six adults
- Charging: It can be charged at home, at Destination Charging locations, and with our network of more than 14,000 Superchargers, including on the V3 technology, which is helpful for long hauls and towing.
- Approach angle: 35 degrees
- Departure angle: 28 degrees
- Ground clearance: up to 16 in
- Price: $39,900 for the Single Motor RWD, $49,900 for the Dual Motor AWD, and $69,900 for the Tri Motor AWD.
As you can see, the final version of the truck can't tow or carry quite as much weight as it was originally envisioned. The prices are also higher than what was initially promised, but that's not really a surprise considering everything that happened in the world in the past five years.
It's arguably a controversial car, but now that we know more specs, do you think it lives up to all the hype? Let us know in the comments below.
This article has been updated with several technical details and specifications.
Gallery: Tesla Cybertruck