Today is the official launch of the Tesla Cybertruck. A number of early reservation holders will take delivery of their dream truck—one that they've been waiting four years to finally have in their driveway.
There's a lot that we expect to learn at the delivery event today, including the official specs that Tesla has kept under wraps for so long. But before that, let's run through all of what we thought we knew last week and compare that to what we've since found out ahead of today's launch.
Range and Electrical Architecture
The Cybertruck's range is expected to be somewhere between 295 and 330 miles. This number comes from a photo posted by YouTuber Marques Brownlee showing 265 miles of range with a mostly full battery icon.
In 2019, Tesla originally promised 250 miles of range from a single-motor truck, 300 miles of range from the dual-motor truck, and 500 miles of range out of the tri-motor truck. Keep in mind that the NHTSA's 2024 Model Year VIN decoder makes no mention of a single-motor truck, meaning that it may be knocked out of the running (at least for now.)
It's unclear which truck is being shown off by MKBHD up there, but we're willing to be it's likely the dual-motor given the range and tow rating.
The Cybertruck is also expected to be Tesla's first vehicle with a 1,000-volt battery architecture, and 48-volt low-voltage wiring. Tesla confirmed the Cybertruck's 1,000-volt architecture at Tesla's Semi Delivery Event around this time last year, noting that Telsa's new 1-megawatt Semi chargers will be compatible with the Cybertruck.
The Cybertruck's alleged 48-volt architecture is also a first for Tesla, allowing the automaker to save money on its low-voltage architecture by using lighter, higher gauge wiring, as well as improve electrical efficiency.
Tesla has also reportedly been working with a secret internal accessories team to provide factory accessories. One such rumored accessory allegedly uncovered in Tesla's newest app update is a factory lightbar by Hella.
Towing, Payload Ratings, and Other Specs
Speaking of tow ratings, it's believed that we know that already as well. Earlier this month, a sign at Tesla's San Diego showroom in the UTC Mall showed that the Cybertruck would have an 11,000-pound tow rating and a 2,500-pound payload.
Tesla originally promised 7,500 pounds of towing capacity for its single-motor truck, 10,000 pounds for the dual-motor truck, and 14,000 pounds for the tri-motor configuration. All models were poised to have a 3,500-pound payload capacity.
Tesla hasn't unveiled official specs around this on its website (yet), but there are a number of other specs leaked earlier this month that we anticipate will be accurate, or at least in the neighborhood of Tesla's official numbers. For example, unofficial vehicle weight estimates come in between 6,670 and 6,890 pounds for dual-motor and tri-motor configs, respectively.
The wheelbase is estimated to be 143 inches and the overall length, width, and height is expected to be 223.2 inches, 79.9 inches, and 70.5 inches (on medium air suspension settings), respectively.
Odds and Ends
First and foremost, let's talk about some cool quirks that we believe are in store for Cybertruck owners.
For those looking for a Hummer EV-esque speed thrill, the Cybertruck's so-called "Beast Mode" is said to offer a thrilling acceleration experience. Tesla originally promised a sub-3 second 0-60 MPH sprint for the tri-motor version of the truck, which Tesla may reserve as its 0-60 time for the Performance version. Tesla CEO Elon Musk said to expect the Performance Cybertruck to "kick ass next-level."
It appears that the truck will also feature some V2X power sharing. This comes in the form of two 120-volt outlets and one larger 240-volt outlet. Likely, this is meant to compare to the F-150 and other full-size EV pickups that also have this feature for powering tools on-the-go. It's not clear if Tesla will also utilize bi-directional charging.
The Cybertruck is also expected to be the first Tesla vehicle to feature steer-by-wire tech to utilize the truck's rear-steering capabilities. This has been something that Tesla was criticized for in the past when it began equipping cars with its controversial yoke—a steer-by-wire system would allow the truck, which features a second-generation yoke-style steering wheel, to variably adjust the amount of steering input required at different speeds to make low-speed turning easier.
Pricing
One big thing all potential buyers will be looking for is the Cybertruck's price. When Tesla first unveiled the Cybertruck in 2019, Tesla said to expect the single-motor Cybertruck to start at $39,900, the dual-motor at $49,900, and the tri-motor at $69,900. However, the economic landscape has changed a lot in four years, so this pricing may not be what the truck actually launches with.
In reality, analysts like Wedbush's Dan Ives expect the dual and tri-motor trucks to cost between $60,000 and $80,000.
We also expect to see the first deliveries of Cybertrucks to fetch a premium if any are resold shortly after delivery. One of the first trucks auctioned off at the Petersen Auto Museum's gala event reportedly fetched a hefty sum of $400,000.
Tesla has been fairly protective of the Cybertruck. In fact, the automaker added an anti-resale clause earlier this year, preventing potential owners from reselling the truck to anyone without Tesla's blessing during the first year of ownership. The automaker quietly removed this clause after mixed feedback earlier this month, so it's not clear if it will be upheld.
As for the number of trucks being delivered, we expect Tesla to release between 10 and 50 Cybertrucks into the world today.
Earlier this month, Tesla's global product design director Javier Verdura said that Tesla would only deliver 10 examples of the truck at today's event. This was backed up by a video showing ten trucks outside of Gigafactory Texas. However, several sources have reported a figure of 50 trucks being delivered.
Either way, Musk said to expect a slow ramp-up of production, with full output taking at least 18 months to achieve—and don't forget that Tesla has well over a million reservations in place for the truck, though how many of those will translate to real orders is just a guess at this point.
Here's How to Watch The Event
Tesla will livestream the Cybertruck delivery event, just as it has with past models. Those who can't wait to get their own can tune in at 3 p.m. EST (12 p.m. PST) to watch the event to see exactly what to expect ahead of the delivery of their own truck.
You can watch the Tesla Cybertruck debut and delivery livestream right here.
