Tesla Cybertruck: Everything we know

Even by Elon Musk’s standards the unveiling of the Tesla Cybertruck was shocking.

When the American electric brand pulled the covers of its would-be rival to the Ford F-150, Ram 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado it was, to put it mildly, unlike anything the world had seen before. The angular Tesla pickup truck blurs the line between a ute and a computer game concept come to life.

But that unveiling was back in November 2019, and still no Cybertruck has hit a showroom, so here’s a guide to all the details you need to know about the battery-powered pickup, including its specs, release date and when it will likely arrive in Australia.

What is a Cybertruck?

This is Tesla’s boldest model since its original Roadster. After growing its brand with the Model S sedan, Model X SUV and Model 3 small sedan, the company entered America’s biggest and most important segment - pickup trucks.

But, in keeping with the brand’s non-traditional approach, the Cybertruck has very little in common with pickups from Ford, Ram, Chevrolet and Toyota. The edgy, angular appearance makes it boldly stand out from the crowd.

Early indications are good for the company’s tactic, with Tesla reportedly holding more than one million ‘reservations’ for the new model. These reservations won’t necessarily translate into sales, with only a US$100 refundable deposit required to get you in the queue. 

Why does the Tesla Cybertruck look like it does?

It’s striking angular design is reportedly due to its unique construction. Tesla claims it has developed a new stainless steel called ‘Ultra-Hard 30X Cold-Rolled stainless steel’ which is the same used for Musk’s SpaceX spaceship.

Reports state that the steel is so hard it cannot be stamped into curved shapes, hence the straight lines used for the Cybertruck; although the SpaceX Starship does feature curved panels, so it’s also possible Tesla just wanted to have stand out looks.

There’s certainly an argument that can be made that Tesla would have been ill-advised to try and compete with Ford, Chevy and Ram with a direct rival, so by creating something so unusual it has a unique selling point that may attract non-traditional pickup buyers.

It certainly measures up to its more established rivals in terms of size; it’s 5885mm long, 2027mm wide and 1905mm tall. That compares to the F-150 Lightning at 5910mm long, 2032mm wide and 2004mm high.

Inside it will be offered as a six-seater model, with two rows of three seats. According to the initial concept the interior will continue the brand’s minimalist theme, with all controls and information coming through a 17-inch touchscreen mounted in the middle of the dashboard.

The company’s controversial steering yoke was also featured in the concept, and according to a Musk tweet earlier this year, the Cybertruck may become the first Tesla model not offered with the option of a conventional steering wheel.

As for the ‘bulletproof glass’ that infamously failed during the initial presentation, that’s still set for production. Although Musk has claimed it was a result of cracking the base of the glass when he hit the door with a sledgehammer (to show off the strength of the steel), it’s not clear if the production model will be strong enough to absorb multiple hits.

What are the specifications for the Tesla Cybertruck?

Given the unpredictable nature of both concept cars generally and Tesla specifically, it’s impossible to know exactly what to expect from the Cybertruck when it makes production. In October the company removed specifications from its website, raising the possibility that problems during development have led to major changes to what was originally expected.

But, we do know what the company announced at the 2019 reveal, and these are what it laid out then.

There will be three powertrains - a single-motor, rear-wheel drive; dual-motor, all-wheel drive and tri-motor, all-wheel drive.

Tesla claims the Cybertruck will have “better utility than a truck with more performance than a sports car”, with the flagship tri-motor theoretically capable of accelerating from 0-60mph (97km/h) in just 2.9 seconds, with a 10.8 second quarter-mile time and a top speed of 209km/h.

The on-paper claims for the dual-motor are impressive too, with a 4.5 second 0-97km/h time and a 193km/h top speed. The single-motor will run 0-97km/h in 6.5 seconds and keep going to 177km/h.

In terms of range, the company claims the tri-motor will be able to drive up to 805km, the dual-motor 483km and the single-motor 402km.

The Cybertruck will ride on air-suspension that should be able to raise or lower the height of the truck up to 10cm in either direction. Not only that, but Musk claims his company is working to improve its dynamic travel to allow it to “kick butt in Baja” - a reference to the famously difficult Baja 1000 off-road race.

It will also be equipped with four-wheel steering to enable it to ‘crab walk’ like its would-be rival, the GMC Hummer and the Rivian R1T, which would improve its off-road credentials.

Speaking of capability, the tray measures 1981mm and has a payload limit of 1588kg, while there’s also a ‘front trunk’ with storage space under the bonnet. Towing capacity is rated at 6350kg for the tri-motor, 4536kg for the dual-motor and 3402kg for the single-motor.

When will the Tesla Cybertruck go on sale?

Another impossible question to answer given Tesla's history of production delays and the problems caused by the global semiconductor shortage that has plagued the entire industry.

Officially the release date has been pushed back into 2022 - from the original target of late 2021 - but there’s nothing more specific than that.

As a result there’s no clear timeframe for when the Cybertruck will become available in Australia. However, based on the two years it took for the Model 3 to arrive in Australia after going on sale in the US, the Cybertruck may not arrive down under until 2024 at the earliest; five years after its initial unveiling.

That’s assuming the Cybertruck makes it to Australia at all. While Musk was quoted soon after its unveiling calling it a “North American ass-kicker”, all signs indicate it will be produced in right-hand drive for global sales.

However, it will need to pass the unique Australian Design Rules (ADRs) and experts have raised concerns that the ultra-high strength steel structure could have trouble meeting pedestrian safety regulations.

How much will the Tesla Cybertruck cost?

It wasn’t just specifications that Tesla removed from its website in October, it also deleted its previously announced pricing.

At the unveiling of the concept it said the Cybertruck would begin at US$39,900 for the single-motor, with the dual-motor starting at US$49,900 and the tri-motor from US$69,900.

That converts to $53,885, $67,393 and $94,404 respectively, but other charges and duties typically mean the US price doesn’t translate directly to what we’ll pay here.

Given that the Cybertruck is, at best, three years away from local Tesla ‘stores’ it’s too early to give a clear indication on what you’ll have to pay.

Is Tesla planning more pickups after the Cybertruck?

According to the twitter feed of the company’s front man it’s “highly likely” a second, smaller pickup/ute is on the way from Tesla. This would likely be similar in size to a Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger, designed to better appeal in international markets that haven’t embraced US-style trucks.