Demo car on test: Tesla Cybertruck drives like a Porsche with a flat bed

Demonstration car on test
The Tesla Cybertruck drives like a Porsche with a flatbed

April 12, 2024, 7:07 am

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Tesla has recently started offering the Cybertruck, at least in the US. Where conventional pick-ups feel like bonanzas, the Cybertruck shines Americans straight into the air. But flatbed trucks do everything differently. But also better?

It took longer, but now the time has come: Tesla has been releasing the Cybertruck for a few weeks and since the presentation of the study five or more years ago, there has been no change in anything except the base price At $60,990. , not much has changed. And of course this basic model won’t be available until next year at the earliest. It currently starts at US$79,990 and is initially only available in the US.

While experts debate whether the flatbed truck can be registered in Europe due to its non-conforming body design, Tesla has yet to announce anything about exports. But because the American is one of the most important car manufacturers and there is no first show of horsepower that is hotly debated right now, it is better to be watched first.

Itching at first sight

And even this first glance is offensive. Because Tesla breaks all the traditions in this segment and has created a pick-up, which is short compared to the American standards of 5.7 meters, in a very futuristic way. Not only is there no radiator, but there is also no “face” because the lights are lost in the narrow LED band. And where regular trucks are as sleek as a flatbed truck, Tesla in profile looks like a big square from math class – only on wheels.

The shape is not just pure provocation, but as usual for Tesla, it is also due to production. Because to save money and time on painting, they build the car from stainless steel. It is claimed to be not only fearsome, but even bulletproof and corresponds to the advertised bulletproof glass for windows. But it’s hard to bend, which is why the Cybertruck has more corners and sharper edges than other pickup trucks.

Bare, modest and without whistle

Inside, the Cybertruck is typically a Tesla and therefore cannot be compared to any conventional options. Where they are designed to be mainly domestic, they appear bare and modest and offer relatively few shelves. Only the large screen in the center serves as the central display and control element.

And the Cybertruck is also hard to compare to a top dog like the Ford F-150. The size of the loading area, the load and the towing capacity are probably the same – but where the long-time favorites have matured over the decades into practical tools with all kinds of clever details, the Tesla has, apart from the roller blind on the platform. and that Frunk – the shelf under the front hood – doesn’t have much to offer.

Closer to a Porsche than a flatbed truck

However, the driving time is closer to a Porsche than a flatbed truck. And to get this feeling you don’t even have to order 621 kW/845 hp Cyberbeast, which accelerates from 0 to 100 km / h in 2.6 seconds. The all-wheel drive model, of which the delivery has started, makes conventional pick-ups appear rather thin-chested with 441 kW/600 hp.

Energy for the feat is provided by a battery, which Tesla does not explain in more detail, but which must have at least 100 kWh. Otherwise more than the authorized 500 km would not be possible before charging up to 250 kW. And if freedom isn’t enough, Americans are selling a range-extending series for the first time. Unlike the previous BMW i3 or the current Mazda MX-30, this is not a combination of a gasoline engine and a generator, but an additional battery for about 200 km on the platform.

Can he also ride?

In theory, the Cybertruck is also suitable for off-road use: after all, why does it have an air suspension that increases ground clearance up to 40 centimeters at the push of a button? And all-wheel drive is of course also available on a large number of models. But at least many Internet videos suggest that it is not as easy in the mud and snow as Tesla would have us believe.

And the Cybertruck also has its problems on the road. In any case, the suspension of the test car is so stubborn that you really feel like a cowboy on a rough road. And with the combination of the square steering wheel, the feel-free power-by-wire steering with no mechanical connection to the wheels and the unusually strong rear axle steering, it takes a lot of practice to get it right and corner well. But you have to make a few compromises if you want to be the center of attention everywhere and all the time.

Tesla Cybertruck AWD data sheet

Conclusion: Hero of show-offs, not for employees

Did Elon Musk screw it up with the Cybertruck? While the Tesla boss has so far been praised by many critics and adored by customers, this time he is being heavily criticized. Because even for most Tesla fans, the truck is too apocalyptic.

But what bothers some people is a big reason to buy others. Because while it may not be as faithful a worker as the F-150, as a show car it steals the show even from Ferrari.