Cybertruck

[veeman]

The A pillar is thick but the photo makes the outside view more blocked than what it would be for a driver whose head is positioned way above the steering wheel. The photo is taken as if one is looking at the A pillar with their head at the same elevation as the steering wheel. If you Google interior shots of the Cybertruck, the view outside in the region of the A pillar is not as bad as the photo suggests.  It's not good but it's not as bad as that photo suggests it is.

The Cybertruck I think will sell very well because Tesla can afford to price it so it will sell and Elon will do that, it attracts a different clientele than the traditional half ton pickup buyer and so its market audience is not looking for pickup truck utility, it's range even with Tesla overselling is great, 4 wheel steering and smaller size than initial prototype make it multilevel indoor parking garage compatible, and all of the other positive attributes of Tesla.  It's mostly pricing I think. Recent history going on since 2017 (when the Model 3 became available) has shown that customers are willing to look past Tesla ownership shortcomings (build and material quality, long wait times for repair, overselling of range, etc).

No one expects the Cybertruck or any other full size pickup to be as easy to drive as a car or small SUV in an urban setting. People will look past that though because men like trucks and this vehicle gives a suburban residing man a reason to convince their spouse to let them get one.

[Laconian]

I want the CT to be released so we can see whose prediction wins.

[veeman]

I want the CT to be released so we can see whose prediction wins.

Haha.

I look at myself as a typical potential EV buyer.  Suburban Dad and have a house (mortgage on a house) with an enclosed garage.  We bought a Kia EV6 and I was under no illusion it would save me any money compared with a hybrid or other fuel efficient ICE car. Now that we've had it for a few months, I think it unlikely I would buy another ICE car for local driving. ICE feels prehistoric. 

If I was in the market for a new car (I'm not but if I was), if I was OK spending or taking on a 50 to 60 thousand dollar auto loan, and if the car was mostly for me to drive - I would almost certainly get the Cybertruck if it was readily available.

Why not?  Yolo.  I don't need a pickup for anything so I don't care about the ergonomics of the pickup truck bed. It looks cool, it's probably one of the safest vehicles on the road in a crash, and the interior crew cab is very roomy. Would I take a Tupperware quality interior and suboptimal outward site lines for an EV truck that looks cool with great range - yes.  Particularly if it has a surround vision camera for parking.

I'd take this over the F150 Lightning because it'll probably be cheaper and I actually don't need a pickup truck. The Ford looks like a regular pickup truck which makes it not as cool looking.  Plus I don't have to deal with dealership shenanigans. 

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. @2 million people, at least, think it looks cool based on preorders alone. 

[veeman]

Being 50 years old and with a history of a low back herniated disk (for which I've gone to the Emergency room by ambulance before) - I have a 50 to 75 lb lift rule.  Anything weighing more than that which needs to be lifted, I get it delivered and/or hire people to move it.  I'm at the age and stage in life where my physical health is worth more than my masculine ego. I literally have zero reason to need a pickup truck that my hatchback Veloster can't accommodate.

I'd still get a Cybertruck though if I was in the market for a new EV and it was available. I don't care at all about the utility of the pickup truck bed.  I'll put suitcases in it, small stuff from Home Depot/Lowes or small furniture my wife buys from other local homeowners via Facebook and the like, and I'll use it for garbage dump runs.

I've gotten remodeled two different bathrooms in my house over the last 5 years and the contractor saved me money each time by telling me to order all the stuff I needed instead of the contractor getting it. Most stuff I got from Home Depot, Lowes, or Amazon and everything large and/or heavy got delivered. I can buy 1000 plus pounds of porcelain tile from Home Depot and get it delivered to my garage for a relatively nominal fee or even free or I can pick it up from the local store.  Why would I go to the store to pick it up? If I don't like it, I can return it just the same especially from Home Depot or Lowes. They'll pick up the return for free.

Most suburban Dads who will buy a Cybertruck I suspect won't actually need a pickup truck. I don't think it's primarily marketed to a contractor themselves who needs a pickup truck.  I also don't own a motorcycle or an ATV and don't have any plans to, for which I would potentially want a pickup with a better bed than the Cybertruck has. 

[Laconian]

I don't think the preorder volume can be used as a proxy for actual demand. The tiny preorder amount and the flexible terms made their purchase a weak statement of intent from consumers. And a lot of factors have changed! The base model with the outrageously low $39.9k MSRP won't be offered. Only the dual- and tri-motor models will be offered and the tri motor price will be around a hundred grand, with the dual motor ostensibly somewhere in between ($70k?). That means the cost of getting into a CT could cost nearly _double_ what people were originally excited about.

I don't remember where I found this exactly, but I read that Tesla demand is especially strong among younger people with high income but low accumulated wealth. They rely heavily on borrowing to make the Tesla purchases work. Not only have interest rates on auto loans gone way up, but the same is true for mortgage rates as well, and all the money spent on borrowing means less money available to put into cars.

Add all that to the overall softening demand for EVs and the constant whiff of layoffs in the news. People are deferring unnecessary car purchases and driving what they own for longer.

[GoCougs]

The Young have always overspent on cars - Z-28s, Bimmers and now Teslas.

[veeman]

I don't think the preorder volume can be used as a proxy for actual demand. The tiny preorder amount and the flexible terms made their purchase a weak statement of intent from consumers. And a lot of factors have changed! The base model with the outrageously low $39.9k MSRP won't be offered. Only the dual- and tri-motor models will be offered and the tri motor price will be around a hundred grand, with the dual motor ostensibly somewhere in between ($70k?). That means the cost of getting into a CT could cost nearly _double_ what people were originally excited about.

I don't remember where I found this exactly, but I read that Tesla demand is especially strong among younger people with high income but low accumulated wealth. They rely heavily on borrowing to make the Tesla purchases work. Not only have interest rates on auto loans gone way up, but the same is true for mortgage rates as well, and all the money spent on borrowing means less money available to put into cars.

Add all that to the overall softening demand for EVs and the constant whiff of layoffs in the news. People are deferring unnecessary car purchases and driving what they own for longer.

I've read the starting price will likely be 50 to 60 grand for the dual motor model.  Musk is well aware through numerous public statements that the EV market is softening considerably and he has publicly mused that the Ford Lightning is a good EV but too expensive.

If starting price for whatever base model offered is 70 plus grand, I agree it won't be good seller.  But at 50 to 60 grand with a potential large Federal tax rebate, it'll sell very well.  That's the same price as most current non Tesla mainstreamer branded EV sedans and two row SUVs on the market right now.

[MrH]

The A pillar is thick but the photo makes the outside view more blocked than what it would be for a driver whose head is positioned way above the steering wheel. The photo is taken as if one is looking at the A pillar with their head at the same elevation as the steering wheel. If you Google interior shots of the Cybertruck, the view outside in the region of the A pillar is not as bad as the photo suggests.  It's not good but it's not as bad as that photo suggests it is.

The Cybertruck I think will sell very well because Tesla can afford to price it so it will sell and Elon will do that, it attracts a different clientele than the traditional half ton pickup buyer and so its market audience is not looking for pickup truck utility, it's range even with Tesla overselling is great, 4 wheel steering and smaller size than initial prototype make it multilevel indoor parking garage compatible, and all of the other positive attributes of Tesla.  It's mostly pricing I think. Recent history going on since 2017 (when the Model 3 became available) has shown that customers are willing to look past Tesla ownership shortcomings (build and material quality, long wait times for repair, overselling of range, etc).

No one expects the Cybertruck or any other full size pickup to be as easy to drive as a car or small SUV in an urban setting. People will look past that though because men like trucks and this vehicle gives a suburban residing man a reason to convince their spouse to let them get one.

  They haven't announced pricing, specs, range, anything.  This is all just speculation that isn't rooted in reality.

[MrH]

They will "sell" a handful of examples to employees under strict NDAs.  It's the Tesla Semi truck all over again.

[Laconian]

They sold Semis to employees?

[veeman]

The Ford Lightning Pro, XLT, Lariat, and Platinum currently start at $50, $55, $70, and $92 grand respectively. 

Do you guys really think Musk is going to price his lowest cost version of the Cybertruck available once production starts going at $70 plus grand knowing one can get an AWD dual motor Ford Lightning XLT for $55 grand?

If anything recent history has shown us that Tesla can and will put severe pricing pressure on their competitors; not the other way around. 

[giant_mtb]

Here's my question: Why would somebody that has no need for a truck buy a CT?  It's heavier, less aerodynamic, and takes more energy to move than its other Tesla counterparts.

If the goal is to be as "green" as possible, why would you get the biggest, least-efficient thing you can if you don't need it?  That's wasting energy for something you don't need. Especially considering that ~80% of our nation's electricity still comes from fossil fuels. You're burning more fossil fuels charging something you don't need.

It's a continued case of "out of sight, out of mind." Gee, idk, I just plug it in and it works, so it must be green.

[veeman]

Here's my question: Why would somebody that has no need for a truck buy a CT?  It's heavier, less aerodynamic, and takes more energy to move than its other Tesla counterparts.

If the goal is to be as "green" as possible, why would you get the biggest, least-efficient thing you can if you don't need it?  That's wasting energy for something you don't need. Especially considering that ~80% of our nation's electricity still comes from fossil fuels. You're burning more fossil fuels charging something you don't need.

It's a continued case of "out of sight, out of mind." Gee, idk, I just plug it in and it works, so it must be green.

Because it looks cool and men like big trucks. Most people will prioritize personal consumer materialistic wants over truly being green.  I have yet to see anyone I know withhold going on a vacation flight trip because flying is very dirty for the environment.  The carbon footprint of Bill Gates is likely 1000 times greater than your average Joe given the size of his house(s), his penchant for renting super yachts, and his personal jet travel.  This goes for virtually all the wealthy who have public microphones and who espouse the virtues of EV in large part because of environmental considerations. 

I think of it, probably wrongly, as karma.  You have good karma and bad karma and most stuff is in between.  Taking an EV bus or bicycling to work will probably result in better karma than taking a brodozer diesel pickup to work. A Cybertruck will likely result in better karma than a new regular ICE pickup but where on the karmic scale it lies I don't know.  For social purposes, it'll get you a seat at the green cred table at the local country club anyways especially if combined with putting solar panels on your house's roof. 

[Laconian]

Because it looks cool and men like big trucks. Most people will prioritize personal consumer materialistic wants over truly being green.  I have yet to see anyone I know withhold going on a vacation flight trip because flying is very dirty for the environment.  The carbon footprint of Bill Gates is likely 1000 times greater than your average Joe given the size of his house(s), his penchant for renting super yachts, and his personal jet travel.  This goes for virtually all the wealthy who have public microphones and who espouse the virtues of EV in large part because of environmental considerations. 

I think of it, probably wrongly, as karma.  You have good karma and bad karma and most stuff is in between.  Taking an EV bus or bicycling to work will probably result in better karma than taking a brodozer diesel pickup to work. A Cybertruck will likely result in better karma than a new regular ICE pickup but where on the karmic scale it lies I don't know.  For social purposes, it'll get you a seat at the green cred table at the local country club anyways especially if combined with putting solar panels on your house's roof. 

I have friends who go through new electric cars like pairs of underwear, and they complain about ICE cars being dirty. It's maddening.

[Morris Minor]

We don't buy vehicles for pure utility. If we did, all Ford's truck sales would the XLs that dealers hide round the back: vinyl seats, spartan, stripped-down, sensible.

But cars are like clothes - expressions of ourselves.

[Laconian]

https://www.reddit.com/gallery/17orflp

More pics.

The rear view mirror has got to be an LCD screen. The rear glass looks as narrow as a Countach's.

[SJ_GTI]

Someone on TCL saw one in person at a C&C and took a bunch of pics. Its wrapped though.


 

 

 

 

 

[Laconian]

9.98 microns? That's cheeky

The uneven crease lines are something too.

[giant_mtb]

9.98...microns?

[SJ_GTI]

He had a lot more pics too, but yeah I liked the 9.98 microns one.

[FoMoJo]

A person could injure themselves on those "edges."

[Laconian]

So where does the windshield wiper tuck in when it's not in use? Don't tell me it's stuck in that vertical position the whole time... I have a strong urge to run over, turn on the car and give the wipers a chance to park into a normal horizontal position.

I remember when it was supposed to use frickin' lasers instead.
https://www.torquenews.com/11826/elon-musk-hints-laser-windshield-wiper-tesla-cybertruck-confirms-giant-wiper-placeholder

[MrH]

So where does the windshield wiper tuck in when it's not in use? Don't tell me it's stuck in that vertical position the whole time... I have a strong urge to run over, turn on the car and give the wipers a chance to park into a normal horizontal position.

I remember when it was supposed to use frickin' lasers instead.
https://www.torquenews.com/11826/elon-musk-hints-laser-windshield-wiper-tesla-cybertruck-confirms-giant-wiper-placeholder

That's exactly where it sits.  The wind noise alone on that is going to be awful   This whole thing is such a train wreck.

[Laconian]

Does the horn blast La Cucaracha?

How many child muzzles are there in the back?

[MrH]

The Cybertruck is very much the Canyonero meets The Homer.

[r0tor]

I've never seen the Internet so hell bent on criticizing a prop-production test mule before ... To the point of mixing up the sounds of Jeep being loaded on a trailer with drivetrain noise

[Laconian]

I've never seen the Internet so hell bent on criticizing a prop-production test mule before ... To the point of mixing up the sounds of Jeep being loaded on a trailer with drivetrain noise

The truck is being "released" in a couple weeks. It's baked.

[r0tor]

The truck is being "released" in a couple weeks. It's baked.

There however is no telling what preproduction stage the truck in any of these photos is from.

[Eye of the Tiger]

"Tesla Cybertruck on fire"

You cannot view this attachment.

[giant_mtb]

There however is no telling what preproduction stage the truck in any of these photos is from.

So they let it out knowing it looked like garbage weeks before release?