Time to start getting excited - because Tesla has confirmed that it will start shipping its eagerly-awaited Cybertruck to customers this year.
When the all-electric Tesla Cybertruck was first revealed back in 2019 it caused shockwaves around the world - and it’s not hard to see why!
It’s a cyberpunk pickup that Tesla chief Elon Musk has himself said looks like it has just driven off the Blade Runner movie set.
But while the clamour for the Cybertruck has grown and grown since that initial unveiling, Tesla has hit various bumps in the road on the way to the futuristic pickup’s full production.
The Delorean-style stainless steel exterior ‘exoskeleton’ has taken some perfecting, and Tesla - like the rest of the world - has been hit with supply chain issues.
In recent days, however, Tesla has laid-out its business plans and goals at a 2023 ‘Investor Day’.
And not only did company bigwigs confirm that the Cybertruck will be delivered to a few lucky punters this year, it’ll also go into full production so that even more people can get their mitts on one in 2024.
So, what do we know about the Cybertruck so far, and why is everyone getting giddy about it?
Firstly, there’s the way it looks - which is unlike any other pickup on the face of the planet.
That Back to the Future skin is actually part of the car’s structure and also ‘nearly impenetrable’, thanks to cold-rolled steel and Tesla’s armoured glass. The steel is also dent and corrosion resistant, which means it should be more than enough to take-on the school run.
The Cybertruck is a five seater, though that huge pickup load bed at the back should be more than useful, and we’ve even seen picks of that space being turned into a funky camping module.
You get a 1,500 kg payload - slightly more than a Ford Ranger pickup - and a very healthy towing capacity of 6,350 kg.
Adaptive air suspension means you can lower and raise the ride height as you wish and Tesla says the tonneau cover is sturdy enough for you to stand on - perfect for, perhaps, reaching high tree branches when setting up your hammock in the great outdoors.
Meanwhile because it’s a Tesla, the Cybertruck will have pace to worry most supercars.
There should be three main variants to begin with.
The entry-level Cybertruck has a Single Motor Rear-Wheel Drive set-up that gives a range of around 250 miles and a 0-60mph acceleration time of 6.5 seconds. Respectable, but nothing to write home about.
The mid-range model is the Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive, which increases the range to 300 miles between charges and brings the 0-60mph time down to 4.5 seconds.
Meanwhile the all-singing Tri Motor All-Wheel Drive Cybertruck hits 60mph in just 2.9 seconds and has a promised range of up to 500 miles, which is pretty astonishing.
The other mind-blowing thing about the Cybertruck is that Elon Musk has said it will be able to use Tesla’s proposed new ‘megawatt’ charging stations.
As it stands, the most powerful Tesla superchargers currently operate at 250 kW - so 1,000 kWh capacity should bring charging times down considerably.
Watch this space for further updates - and check-out Select’s range of excellent pickups that are available to lease now, including the all-electric Maxus T90EV.
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