Tesla Cybertruck

[Zorba]

I was looking forward to an electric pickup, couldn't be more disappointed. This thing is an SUV with a small bed, and it's butt ugly.
Why not just build a proper truck that has some utility? I don't work in some post apocalyptic wasteland, I need a truck for the burbs.

I think it fits the bill for the majority of people that drive a truck to get to work. Not sure much the people that need a truck for work. I knew Tesla wouldn't offer a real work truck though, just for aerodynamic reasons.

I'm looking at it is a "pratical" car to drive everyday, that can still haul a boat on the weekend.

 

[theeedude]

They are going to sell every one they can make at the price they want. Mission accomplished, IMO.
It's "ugly" because it's made differently. If the outer skin is structural, you can't just stamp it to whatever shape a designer wants like a regular car, the designer has to design the car around structural requirements, qualities of the required metal, and ease of manufacturing to hit the price point.
In any case, Tesla is going to so overwhelmingly outsell other electric trucks that it will define how an electric truck should look. If others want their trucks to clearly stand out as electric, they'll likely have to imitate that design language in some way. I am not a big fan of the design, but it doesn't matter. It will be everywhere, and people will get used to it.

 

[QueBert]

If it does a sub 3 second 0-60, weighs a shit ton, and is made from solid 3mm steel I'd like to see the crash test results before I offer an opinion on safety!

Oh it'll be safe as shit, now the vehicle you hit? might not be so lucky lol.

Elon's like an 8 year old kid who has access to almost unlimited money and told he can do whatever the F he wants. The design of this truck's proof, also he released a pretty much legit flame thrower. He's obviously living it up and just doesn't care what people think. This truck design wouldn't have gotten a thumbs up from any auto maker. But he does whatever he feels like. Someone needs to buy this truck and mount 1 of his flame throwers to either side and put controls on the steering wheel. That would be a pretty bad ass truck imho.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

I think it looks great. However, I also thought the Delorean looked great, and I absolutely detest how most normal vehicles look (aka all the same with different front grills).

Showed the GF saying simply 'Tesla released the prototype of their new truck', first thing she said was 'oh my god we have to get one'. So Musk found two more supporters. Now I just have to figure out how to afford one, lol.

 

[Greenman]

"but we’ll need to come up with new body manufacturing methods, as it can’t be made using standard methods".

That line from Musk seems to indicate that they don't have the ability to actually build the vehicle.

 

[zinfamous]

"but we’ll need to come up with new body manufacturing methods, as it can’t be made using standard methods".

That line from Musk seems to indicate that they don't have the ability to actually build the vehicle.

Hence the $100 "reserve." 😀

 

[Brainonska511]

"but we’ll need to come up with new body manufacturing methods, as it can’t be made using standard methods".

That line from Musk seems to indicate that they don't have the ability to actually build the vehicle.

Sounds like a good business model: reinvent the wheel.

 

[bigi]

All current "trucks" look like clay flower pots. Old, fragile and boring.

This cybertruck has been the change of world trends that has not happened for a loooong time, or ever.

 

[theeedude]

All current "trucks" look like clay flower pots. Old, fragile and boring.

This cybertruck has been the change of world trends that has not happened for a loooong time, or ever.

In the old days, Mercedes would not allow body panel bends to be sharper than some value, because that made the steel look thicker and communicated a tank like quality. This has it for real.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

In the old days, Mercedes would not allow body panel bends to be sharper than some value, because that made the steel look thicker and communicated a tank like quality. This has it for real.

Also the radius of the bend has to be larger than a certain amount for pedestrian safety.

 

[mindless1]

Why do they need to build a truck with "utility"? I agree that it's a butt-ugly design, but you should consider what most people are buying pickups for: https://www.thedrive.com/news/26907/you-dont-need-a-full-size-pickup-truck-you-need-a-cowboy-costume

That's the typical stance of someone with an inferiority complex, suggesting they are better than confident males because of XYZ someone else does, trying to put others down instead of lifting themselves up.

If you are (he is) that worried about what someone else is doing, and it's not against the law, he needs a life. If that life is petitioning to change the laws, so be it, have fun with that instead of being a hater.

 

[Greenman]

All current "trucks" look like clay flower pots. Old, fragile and boring.

This cybertruck has been the change of world trends that has not happened for a loooong time, or ever.

There is a reason wheels are round. Some things just don't need improving.

 

[Brainonska511]

That's the typical stance of someone with an inferiority complex, suggesting they are better than confident males because of XYZ someone else does, trying to put others down instead of lifting themselves up.

If you are (he is) that worried about what someone else is doing, and it's not against the law, he needs a life. If that life is petitioning to change the laws, so be it, have fun with that instead of being a hater.

I hardly think that was the point of the article. It was mainly to show that people's stated rationale for buying a pickup truck is often total BS (e.g., claims to need to tow or haul large objects). Buying a few long pieces of wood ≤1 time per year on average, is a stupid reason to buy a truck and I don't think society, who is bearing the external costs of these decisions, is doing enough to penalize these buyers. Some of the many costs of heavier vehicles are more road maintenance, they're more dangerous to vulnerable road users (pedestrians and bicyclists), they take up more space, necessitating larger parking areas, and they get way worse miles per gallon compared with a sedan (though, this won't be an issue with electrics).

 

[mindless1]

^ That's the odd assumption, that if you see someone in a vehicle without a load, that MUST mean they hardly ever have a load. It's also a ridiculous stance because WTF business is it of someone else whether that person uses it to haul loads?

You have it completely wrong. Society shouldn't penalize anyone, but if it gets you all upset that they aren't as fuel efficient, then they are paying more gas tax to fund the road maintenance, a disproportionate amount of they aren't hauling a load so they aren't putting more wear on the roads.

They aren't more dangerous to supposed "vulnerable road users", on the contrary they sit up higher with a better view and distraction is the usual cause of accidents, not what vehicle you're driving provided it is not in an ill state of repair. A smaller ICE or EV sedan will still squash a pedestrian like a bug but trying to regulate passenger vehicle size still won't impact commercial vehicles. Making passenger vehicles smaller has historically shown to be more dangerous to the passengers of those vehicles.

So what if they take up more space? That should delight you if you have a smaller vehicle, to make it easier for you to park, have more available parallel parking spaces too due to longer vehicles not fitting in tight spaces.

So what if they get worse mileage? It comes back to being none of your business. Nobody wants you, or anyone else to micro manage their life. Maybe I think you use too much toilet paper and it's destroying the forest, but it's none of my business as long as you're paying for it.

How about posting on Anandtech? Maybe you are doing it too much and using too much power. Surely you didn't think power generation was zero emissions even if done the greenest way possible?

Clearly, it makes no sense to be wasteful in your life but point the finger at someone else. Fortunately we have the freedom to pay for whatever we want within legal limits.

 

[Brainonska511]

^ That's the odd assumption, that if you see someone in a vehicle without a load, that MUST mean they hardly ever have a load. It's also a ridiculous stance because WTF business is it of someone else whether that person uses it to haul loads?

I don't need to assume anything about those truck drivers with empty beds. I can base my assumptions off the data I linked.

You have it completely wrong. Society shouldn't penalize anyone, but if it gets you all upset that they aren't as fuel efficient, then they are paying more gas tax to fund the road maintenance, a disproportionate amount of they aren't hauling a load so they aren't putting more wear on the roads.

Gas taxes do not cover the entirety of road maintenance, so let's not even bother going down that road. And objectively, the average empty pickup truck is going to be heavier than a sedan.

They aren't more dangerous to supposed "vulnerable road users", on the contrary they sit up higher with a better view and distraction is the usual cause of accidents, not what vehicle you're driving provided it is not in an ill state of repair. A smaller ICE or EV sedan will still squash a pedestrian like a bug but trying to regulate passenger vehicle size still won't impact commercial vehicles. Making passenger vehicles smaller has historically shown to be more dangerous to the passengers of those vehicles.

We need to talk about SUVs

Americans buy SUVs because they seem safer. But they’re more likely to kill people who aren’t in cars.

www.curbed.com

When those pickups hit pedestrians, they're more likely to die. Hence, more dangerous.

And are passenger vehicles more dangerous when they're small due to their inherent design or because people want to drive their land barges which are then dangerous to smaller vehicles? There are plenty of sedans with 5-star safety ratings, so I don't really buy the idea that small = dangerous for occupants.

So what if they take up more space? That should delight you if you have a smaller vehicle, to make it easier for you to park, have more available parallel parking spaces too due to longer vehicles not fitting in tight spaces.

We dedicate so much public space to private vehicle storage, that's why I care. Even private lots at stores - vast wastelands of asphalt for bigger and bigger vehicles.

So what if they get worse mileage? It comes back to being none of your business. Nobody wants you, or anyone else to micro manage their life. Maybe I think you use too much toilet paper and it's destroying the forest, but it's none of my business as long as you're paying for it.

Pollution and climate change are everyone's problems. These vehicles don't exist in a vacuum. I'm not looking to ban them, but they should actually bear the costs they are imposing on society.

Clearly, it makes no sense to be wasteful in your life but point the finger at someone else. Fortunately we have the freedom to pay for whatever we want within legal limits.

FYGM, right?

 

[ponyo]

Why Cybertruck glass broke and why the truck is so planar.

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/11/25/cars/elon-musk-tesla-cybertruck-window-glass-broke/index.html

 

[ponyo]

Someone on reddit made picture with Model 3 up next to Cybertruck. Really put sizes in perspective. 35” tires on the truck makes 19” Model 3 tires look small.

 

[Kaido]

Cybertruck aerodynamics:

https://ww.electrek.co/2019/11/25/tesla-cybertruck-aerodynamics-cfd-rendering/

 

[Ichinisan]

... Maybe you are doing it too much and using too much power. Surely you didn't think power generation was zero emissions even if done the greenest way possible?
...

There are lots of power generation methods that are zero-emission.

 

[Kaido]

Neil deGrasse Tyson: (scroll up)

https://twitter.com/x/status/1199158300257865729

Ford vs. Tesla smackdown coming up!

https://twitter.com/x/status/1199090292177006592

 

[Kaido]

Update, Ford already retracted lol:

UPDATE: Ford Accepts Tesla Towing Challenge: Asks For Cybertruck For Real Demo

Ford has reached out to Tesla asking for a Cybertruck so that it can perform a real towing challenge using one of its F-Series trucks. Will Musk bite?

insideevs.com

***UPDATE: Ford has commented on this matter. We've paraphrased the comment below:

“A senior Ford spokesperson told InsideEVs.com that Madra’s tweet ‘was tongue-in-cheek’ and meant to point out the absurdity of Tesla’s tow video.”

 

[IronWing]

Searching for images of the truck's bed leads me to conclude that the bed is missing/unfinished in the prototype.

I also think that a production model would lose the high tapering side walls on the bed portion. The slanting walls aren't practical if one is interested in using the bed to carry stuff. Loading and unloading would suck.

 

[zinfamous]

They aren't more dangerous to supposed "vulnerable road users", on the contrary they sit up higher with a better view and distraction is the usual cause of accidents, not what vehicle you're driving provided it is not in an ill state of repair. A smaller ICE or EV sedan will still squash a pedestrian like a bug but trying to regulate passenger vehicle size still won't impact commercial vehicles. Making passenger vehicles smaller has historically shown to be more dangerous to the passengers of those vehicles.

about this: escalation. The only reason that sitting higher is a benefit now is because everyone else is now driving uselessly stupid giant vehicles. You can't see around them because everyone is putting walls on the road. There isn't anything inherently safer about that driving position, when considered on its own. In fact--it's less safe, because it creates detachment from the road. I'm one of those that definitely does enjoy the increased ride comfort that we are getting in nicer and nicer cars, but without that physical response that you historically get from driving, humans are becoming less aware of what they are actually doing. This is putting people to sleep faster, as they feel that now their cars are doing all the work for them, removing all those pesky "annoyances" that driving used to require. ...I guess that's two separate issues: stupid humans that prefer tanks to actual vehicles, and better suspension across all platforms.

 

[herm0016]

I don't need to assume anything about those truck drivers with empty beds. I can base my assumptions off the data I linked.
<SNIP>


FYGM, right?

ok smarter than everyone else guy.....

what do you propose we do? ban all trucks? fine people that don't have a load in their truck when the cop sees them?

my use case.

fits 3 dogs ( total about 230 lbs) 4 pairs of skis, stuff for a week in the mountains and 2 people.
tow my tractor ~ 3500 lbs + implements somewhere on my flat bed trailer.
camp in our slide in camper
if we have to go somewhere on a winter day, we have about 15 inches of snow this morning, expecting another 5-10 today.

but most of the time its just me on my way to and from work getting about 18 mpg.
our other car is a volt and we fill up its 9 gallon tank about once a month on avg, just to keep it full.

whats your plan to make people with this kind of use case give up the things they do in life?

make it so expensive that only rich people can have a vehicle that will travel in 20 inches of snow or tow a trailer over a few thousand lbs?

 

[Kaido]

ok smarter than everyone else guy.....

what do you propose we do? ban all trucks? fine people that don't have a load in their truck when the cop sees them?

my use case.

fits 3 dogs ( total about 230 lbs) 4 pairs of skis, stuff for a week in the mountains and 2 people.
tow my tractor ~ 3500 lbs + implements somewhere on my flat bed trailer.
camp in our slide in camper
if we have to go somewhere on a winter day, we have about 15 inches of snow this morning, expecting another 5-10 today.

but most of the time its just me on my way to and from work getting about 18 mpg.
our other car is a volt and we fill up its 9 gallon tank about once a month on avg, just to keep it full.

whats your plan to make people with this kind of use case give up the things they do in life?

make it so expensive that only rich people can have a vehicle that will travel in 20 inches of snow or tow a trailer over a few thousand lbs?

See, that's why I was hoping the Elio would take off...you could have a commuter car for daily use, and then keep your truck or whatever for snowy days or towing or what have you.

But with the Cybertruck, I mean...you can order one with a 500-mile battery & it won't eat your wallet every week in fuel charges. Cheaper than a new RV, too!

I have to say, it's really grown on me. I'm super excited to get one. Even my wife is on the fence about her Y now...she may swap that out for a truck instead, and she doesn't even like trucks (and also thinks the Cybertruck is super ugly, lol)...but we both hate minivans, but would love to have the extra space!

All I need now is for a huge pile of money to magically appear lol.