Cybertruck Prices and Trim

[Randall Stephens]

Steering feedback is far down the list of things I care about while driving a truck. The stop-to-stop rotation of a Lightning is something like 1800° while the Cybertruck steering wheel rotation is something like 180°. That makes the main driving interface much easier to use. That's a victory to everyone not driving a Porsche or writing car reviews.

As the driver I’m ultimately responsible for where the vehicle goes, so I want that feedback. If I’m on loose snow, ice or mud and my steering effort gets much easier I know the front end has come loose and I need to fix that. If you don’t care about that, that’s fine by me, you do you, but a large wheel with linear response and feedback seems like a better idea that some magical one turn stop to stop half wheel half yoke. Feedback is important, ask the AF447 folks.

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[Txxthie]

Its funny how people said the CT isn't a real truck because it doesn't have this and that and it cant do this or that. Then the details and numbers come out about the CT, all of a sudden the tone changes to, well it should've had or could've had or it would've been better with this or that.
Come on people, life would be boring if everything was the same as what you all like.
Not everyone needs a bed that can carry Mt. Everest and not everyone needs a truck that looks like yours.
When I read peoples comments it feels like some weird sense that you all are disappointed that tesla didn't do better. Would you really have bought a tesla if they did? Really?

Most have to justify their purchase right or wrong. Disruption isn’t obvious until it is.

Jason Cammisa calls the CT “Truck 2.0”. He mentioned like many he wrote it off because of the looks. This is a very well thought out and innovative vehicle. It’s going to be very hard for competitors to make a comparable product for some time. The change to 48V was needed for the steer by wire power requirements.

 

[Henry Ford]

As the driver I’m ultimately responsible for where the vehicle goes, so I want that feedback. If I’m on loose snow, ice or mud and my steering effort gets much easier I know the front end has come loose and I need to fix that. If you don’t care about that, that’s fine by me, you do you, but a large wheel with linear response and feedback seems like a better idea that some magical one turn stop to stop half wheel half yoke. Feedback is important, ask the AF447 folks.

I'm talking more about road feel than basic feedback. I could have been more clear. Auto journalists talk about road feel in every vehicle like it's important. I don't think it is in non-sports cars. Incidentally, Marques Brownlee says the Cybertruck has the most responsive steering of any Tesla. I've never driven a Tesla.

Based on Jason Cammisa's and Brownlee's videos I'm more impressed with the Cybertruck than I initially was. It's closer to the Lightning in size than I realized, the UI looks super nice, the steering situation is a level above other large vehicles, the bed is probably good enough for my use, even the price isn't crazy.

Air France flew a perfectly functioning airplane into the ocean. The airplane was telling the pilots the airplane was stalled, at least one pilot believed the airplane was stalled, but one pilot continued to pull back on the stick (the exact wrong thing to do). It was a human factors accident, no amount of additional feedback was going to save that airplane.

 

[TheJackel2013]

To the poster that asked. Yes I would have bought a CT that was promised at launch. The features that Musk promised that I was most interested in, as a contractor:

fantastic range to price ratio
Great size
6 seats
Folding midgate
Power ramp in tailgate

now 4 years later, we get none of that and a massive price increase, and they made the truck smaller, and Musk’s daily antics get worse and worse to the point of turning me off the brand completely.

FWIW, I was equally excited about the RAM EV concept, but equally disappointed with the production version that axed all the unique features

so it looks like I’ll drive the wheels off my Lightning or until they come up with a more functional design as a work truck.

 

[Grumpy2]

When BBC provides a thought full article of Musk going bankrupt on his Twitter $40+B purchase, his "disaster" rollout of the CT, the two recent Space X failures; it makes me think he will be hesitant to go thru years of losses perfecting the CT for a relatively small market for it.

 

[F150ROD]

I'm talking more about road feel than basic feedback. I could have been more clear. Auto journalists talk about road feel in every vehicle like it's important. I don't think it is in non-sports cars. Incidentally, Marques Brownlee says the Cybertruck has the most responsive steering of any Tesla. I've never driven a Tesla.

Based on Jason Cammisa's and Brownlee's videos I'm more impressed with the Cybertruck than I initially was. It's closer to the Lightning in size than I realized, the UI looks super nice, the steering situation is a level above other large vehicles, the bed is probably good enough for my use, even the price isn't crazy.

Air France flew a perfectly functioning airplane into the ocean. The airplane was telling the pilots the airplane was stalled, at least one pilot believed the airplane was stalled, but one pilot continued to pull back on the stick (the exact wrong thing to do). It was a human factors accident, no amount of additional feedback was going to save that airplane.

The Car is impressive. That’s said, I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say they want their Truck to feel like a Car.

Don’t get me wrong, there are people who will buy a Ridgeline over a Tacoma/Colorado/Ranger because it drives like a Car.

I ended up canceling my Reservation, as it doesn’t offer anything over the Lightning that I really want. Especially the interior.

 

[Txxthie]

Musk’s daily antics get worse and worse to the point of turning me off the brand completely.

I think this is a threat to Tesla, but at this point the brand is well established and the mainstream doesn’t care about his opinions or politics. Outside of this country Musk is a god. The guy has Asperger’s and is a human robot. I judge him on results and he delivers.

h. The features that Musk promised that I was most interested in, as a contractor:

fantastic range to price ratio
Great size
6 seats
Folding midgate
Power ramp in tailgate

The new Super Duty is an amazing truck and is designed for work.
HD truck buyers and contractors will not cross shop CT. In Middle America, the CT or any BEV truck is considered a rich man’s toy. Gas is cheap, distance towing is common, temps are low, and the charging infrastructure is poor. The King Ranch Super Duty is their CT.

 

[Henry Ford]

The Car is impressive. That’s said, I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say they want their Truck to feel like a Car.

Don’t get me wrong, there are people who will buy a Ridgeline over a Tacoma/Colorado/Ranger because it drives like a Car.

I ended up canceling my Reservation, as it doesn’t offer anything over the Lightning that I really want. Especially the interior.

I'm not sure I know what you mean by "drives like a car." One thing I like a lot about the Lightning is how it handles compared to the 2010 F150 it replaced. The body roll on the old truck was ridiculous in comparison.

I wouldn't consider a CT without driving it first. The Lightning is very comfortable. Tesla interiors are nice, but as nice as my truck? I don't know. Also, the lack of driver screen is concerning to me.

 

[Snakebitten]

Most have to justify their purchase right or wrong. Disruption isn’t obvious until it is.

Jason Cammisa calls the CT “Truck 2.0”. He mentioned like many he wrote it off because of the looks. This is a very well thought out and innovative vehicle. It’s going to be very hard for competitors to make a comparable product for some time. The change to 48V was needed for the steer by wire power requirements.

I will never forgive you for posting that video.

Or........
I hope all the predictions of Tesla fulfilling the real buyer demand in one year is true.

Cuz I WANT ONE!

(I will still have my Powerboost)

 

[Oafy44]

Its funny how people said the CT isn't a real truck because it doesn't have this and that and it cant do this or that. Then the details and numbers come out about the CT, all of a sudden the tone changes to, well it should've had or could've had or it would've been better with this or that.
Come on people, life would be boring if everything was the same as what you all like.
Not everyone needs a bed that can carry Mt. Everest and not everyone needs a truck that looks like yours.
When I read peoples comments it feels like some weird sense that you all are disappointed that tesla didn't do better. Would you really have bought a tesla if they did? Really?

yes. I think that’s the point. Many people were holding out because the expectation was considerable amount of range over the lightning / faster and cost less. ford was investing billions and racing to build batteries with Chinese companies for the fear Tesla cracked the code on range and price with the CT

was it a brilliant Trojan horse by Elon to make these OEM waist billions in development while they tighten and improve efficiencies the past two years ? Maybe so. Interesting Ford /GM all the sudden cut way back on EV spending a few weeks before Tesla came out last week with their CT configurations.

If the CT was anything remotely close to what musk was pedaling when I put in a reservation - I would switch - now it’s not worth it and as a lightning owner you now really appreciate what Ford has done and feel as an owner - the lightning is an incredibly good product.

 

[Newton]

One of the arguments that needs to be retired ASAP is that “Airbus is fly-by-wire, so it is a safe technology for cars“.

There appears to be a huge difference between the way that aerospace develops software and the way that the automotive industry does. The Airbus software took decades to develop and they certainly did not get it right during their first iteration. It went through an insane number of test cycles and a mind numbing amount of code reviews (I was not part of it, fortunately in a different industry). Software revisions, what few there are, go through a similar test and review cycle and take years to develop. That is the way that sort of software gets created.

Meanwhile, Rivian pushed an ”oops” that bricked some of their customer’s cars because it wasn’t apparently tested on anything but engineering cars. (“It works on my machine” is a statement that my testers quickly cured me of). It is not uncommon for Ford and Tesla to pull over the air updates because of bugs. Developers think it is ’cute’ to add “christmas mode” or “fart sounds” to updates - where I come from every unnecessary line of code adds to the probability of disaster.

There is nothing intrinsically wrong with Tesla’s stated goal of ”go fast and break things“ unless you happen to be on the ”break things” side of the equation. I applaud them for trying to push the industry forward with 48V and drive by wire, but I certainly would not want to be their beta tester. Yes, they have three sensors and a voting protocol — congratulations you passed CS 201 which Boeing failed. Now you can start to understand the real complexities of software controlled hardware.

 

[Wsl346]

Has anyone seen this? According to Tesla’s website, the CyberTruck’s consumption is 42.9kWh/100mi (429Wh/mi). In non-Tesla that is 2.33mi/kWh.

What I’m not clear on is if this consumption metric is with charging losses similar to how the EPA calculates consumption. The Lightning’s with charging losses EPA consumption is 48kWh/100mi or 2.08mi/kWh. Assuming Tesla includes charging losses, this would make the CyberTruck 12% more efficient. If charging losses are not included then that increases the CyberTruck’s consumption to 47kWh/100 miles or 2.12mi/kWh, which is only 2% more efficient. (Assuming 10% charging loss)

 

[Henry Ford]

One of the arguments that needs to be retired ASAP is that “Airbus is fly-by-wire, so it is a safe technology for cars“.

There appears to be a huge difference between the way that aerospace develops software and the way that the automotive industry does. The Airbus software took decades to develop and they certainly did not get it right during their first iteration. It went through an insane number of test cycles and a mind numbing amount of code reviews (I was not part of it, fortunately in a different industry). Software revisions, what few there are, go through a similar test and review cycle and take years to develop. That is the way that sort of software gets created.

Meanwhile, Rivian pushed an ”oops” that bricked some of their customer’s cars because it wasn’t apparently tested on anything but engineering cars. (“It works on my machine” is a statement that my testers quickly cured me of). It is not uncommon for Ford and Tesla to pull over the air updates because of bugs. Developers think it is ’cute’ to add “christmas mode” or “fart sounds” to updates - where I come from every unnecessary line of code adds to the probability of disaster.

There is nothing intrinsically wrong with Tesla’s stated goal of ”go fast and break things“ unless you happen to be on the ”break things” side of the equation. I applaud them for trying to push the industry forward with 48V and drive by wire, but I certainly would not want to be their beta tester. Yes, they have three sensors and a voting protocol — congratulations you passed CS 201 which Boeing failed. Now you can start to understand the real complexities of software controlled hardware.

Airbus's system didn't take decades to develop. The first A320 was delivered in 1988, four years after it was launched. Throttle by wire and shift by wire are common and reliable. Best practices have been figured out for a while. I'd have no problem driving a Cybertruck.

 

[GoodSam]

-Is Tesla including Full Self Driving? That would help to make the price a better deal.
-But not being able to reach over the bed side up front is not for my camping load needs. I would think Tesla could make those wings go down into the bed sides. The bed sides seem like there is a lot of wasted space in there? I was told that Transformers were the future.
-No spare tire? Maybe tire repair kits and a can of air is fine nowadays.
-And as for some other tech, are "heads-up" displays not worth having?
The rear wheel steering is the best feature, I think. Stainless steel sides are practical, maybe Ford could put out some unpainted aluminum units to compete? Wrapping for another $6K seems acceptable to a lot of folks.
I wish the Lightning could have started as a plug-in hybrid, 40 miles around town on electric would have been a great compromise...hold it, what do you mean I would have lost the frunk?

 

[Randall Stephens]

I’m struggling here. What does a CT do that a Ramrev, Silverado EV, or a lightning don’t or won’t? It’s certainly not a full-size passenger compartment and the bed sides being angled make any number of “truck 1.0” accessories incompatible. The front trunk is oddly shaped and small and you seemingly have to load and unload from the back of the bed, over the tailgate or even farther from the bed behind the tailgate. There aren’t any running boards to help reach over the sides…this feels like a step backwards in terms of usability, not a step forward. Why anybody would buy this over a Tacoma or Colorado or Ranger really confuses me, but then again I think TikTok is dumb and onlyfans is a concert ticket site.

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