New Tesla Cybertruck review: price and specs

January 19, 2024 by

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It’s finally here, the new Tesla Cybertruck is now road ready and the first customers are getting their cars. Carwow went along to the delivery event at Tesla’s gigafactory in Texas to get up close and personal with this new EV.

  • Carwow drives the new Tesla Cybertruck
  • Prices start from £66,000
  • Cheaper rear-wheel drive version coming in 2025
  • Tesla not taking orders for Cybertruck in UK & EU (yet)
  • Up to 845hp and 13,960Nm of torque
  • 340 miles of claimed range
  • Design stays true to concept

The Tesla Cybertruck is finally here, four years after Elon Musk revealed the first concept. A handful of lucky customers have taken delivery of their cars, including the likes of Pharrell Williams, however the majority of buyers are likely to be waiting until later this year to get the keys.

You can choose between a dual-motor version with 600hp, or the Cyberbeast with three motors and 845hp. Bad news for those of us in the UK though, you can’t order a Cybertruck on our shores – yet.

How much is the Tesla Cybertruck?

The new Tesla Cybertruck is only available to order in the USA for now, and there’s no word on when, or if it will come to the UK or Europe. The starting price for those across the pond is $79,990 (£66,000) for a dual-motor car, rising to $99,000 (£82,000) if you want the tri-motor Cyberbeast version. That’s almost $20,000 (£15,000) more than originally promised in 2019, and it’s around $30,000 (£24,000) more than a Ford F-150 Lightning.

If that seems a bit rich for you, a rear-wheel drive version will be available in 2025 costing $60,990 (£50,000). You do have a hit in terms of range though, with it managing 250 miles on a charge compared to the 340 miles the dual-motor car can do.

At least the Cybertruck comes fully-loaded as standard. There are no optional extras, the only thing you have to choose is which power output you want. All Cybertrucks get a massive 18.5-inch touchscreen, adaptive cruise control, LED lights and a full-length glass roof as standard.

Driving the new Tesla Cybertruck

Carwow was given the chance to get behind the new Cybertruck in Texas, and it’s a seriously impressive pickup truck to drive.

The first thing which strikes you from behind the wheel is the forward visibility. The Cybertruck has the largest windscreen of any production car, and it gives you a great view out.

The rear visibility is more of an issue, because the tonneau cover blocks the entire rear window. There are plenty of cameras though to make sure you can see all around the truck, including ones which show you the blind spots.

It’s also properly comfortable for cruising around. A lot of pickup trucks are quite jiggly over bumps in the road, but the Cybertruck’s air suspension irons out all the imperfections nicely. There’s very little road or wind noise disturbing things either, despite the mud tyres fitted to this test car.

The Cybertruck is around 18 feet long, so you might not be expecting the best manoeuvrability. Well it’s actually pretty easy to negotiate through tight car parks, mainly thanks to the clever steer-by-wire system.

There’s no physical connection between the steering wheel and the front wheels, it’s all done electronically. This means there;s no wheel-twirling when you’re trying to squeeze into a tight space, because lock-to-lock only takes 180 degrees of turning.

It does take some getting used to on faster roads though, because the Cybertruck is very sensitive to small steering inputs. It does get less responsive as you speed up to make it feel less twitchy, but it can feel a bit skittish until you’re familiar with it.

New Tesla Cybertruck design: what’s changed since 2019?

It’s hard to believe that it’s been four years since Elon Musk first pulled the covers off the Tesla Cybertruck concept, and now the car is finally here we can take a look at how many of the brand’s promises for this electric truck have been fulfilled.

It may come as a surprise to see that the bonkers design has made it onto the road more or less unscathed. It still looks like a piece of stainless steel origami, and those body panels are actually bulletproof. The production car has the same slim LED light bar as the concept, although the main beams are very well-hidden in the lower bumper. Speaking of the front bumper, it’s slightly larger and lower than the original design, likely to conform to crash regulations.

Things remain just as angular down the side, with this silhouette making the Cybertruck look a bit like an axe head on wheels. Speaking of the wheels they’re 20-inches in diameter, although they look smaller than this thanks to the gigantic tyres, and the aero wheel covers look exactly the same as the concept’s. All Cybertrucks will be delivered in this bare metal finish, although Tesla has just launched two wrap options which you can have fitted at a dealer for $6,500 (just over £5,000). There are just two to choose from though: matte black or white.

The rear end is just as uniqye as the rest of the truck, with just the lower bumper being tweaked over the concept. Tesla has also integrated the charging port into the black plastic wheel arch, as opposed to the one you see cut into the bodywork on the concept.

New Tesla Cybertruck motors and performance

The current entry point into the Cybertruck range is a dual-motor car with 600hp and all-wheel drive. That’s enough to launch it from 0-60mph in 4.1 seconds, almost exactly the same as a basic Porsche 911 Carrera 2.

See how the Tesla Cyberbeast gets on in a drag race against the GMC Hummer EV

That impressive power figure also means that this truck can tow a whopping five tonnes, trumping the Ford F150 Lightning’s towing capacity by almost 500kg.

If that somehow seems a bit feeble, you’ll want the appropriately named Cyberbeast model. This gets you a third motor, upping the power to 845hp and 930Nm of torque, and it slashes the 0-60mph time to 2.6 seconds. That’s just 0.1 of a second off the V12 Lamborghini Revuelto. The Cyberbeast also has the same five-tonne towing capacity as the standard car.

There will be a cheaper rear-wheel drive version of the Cybertruck in 2025, although exact specs for this car are yet to be confirmed. Tesla has said that it’ll do 0-60mph in 6.5 seconds, suggesting it has something in the region of 450hp.

New Tesla Cybertruck interior and infotainment

The new Tesla Cybertruck has a pretty plush interior for a pickup truck, and the infotainment system is one of the best on the market.

In true Tesla style, the Cybertruck’s cabin is almost completely free of buttons. The dashboard is dominated by a massive 18.5-inch touchscreen, and everything else is clean and minimalist. Even the air vents are hidden from view.

With everything being controlled through that screen, it’s a good job that it’s very responsive and easy to use. Some features could do with having physical buttons, opening the glovebox is a faff to do through that display for example, but the menus are logically laid out and it has that typical Tesla sense of humour with a whoopee cushion feature built in to prank your friends.

The Cybertruck also has a new iteration of Tesla’s yoke steering wheel, but it’s much better than the one you get in the Model S. This is the first production car to have steer by wire, meaning you don’t have to cross your arms over when going lock-to-lock making low-speed manoeuvres much easier.

What is slightly annoying is the lack of steering column stalks. You control the wipers, lights and indicators using touch sensitive buttons on the steering wheel and, while they’re not too tricky to get used to, it’s not as easy as just flicking a stalk. At least the horn is in the centre of the wheel, unlike on the new Model 3 which has a tiny touch-sensitive button.

Interior quality is pretty decent as well, it certainly doesn’t feel like a utilitarian workhorse inside. There’s soft touch plastics almost everywhere you look, and there’s even a leather effect on the doors to elevate the posh ambience. It’s not quite as solid as a big German SUV, but it’s not far off.

Those in the back seats won’t feel left out of the tech fest either, because there’s another touchscreen back there to keep them entertained. You can do things like stream videos, control the rear climate and even move the front passenger seat forward to give yourself more legroom.

New Tesla Cybertruck space and practicality

Being a pickup, the Tesla Cybertruck is much more practical than your average family saloon. There’s acres of interior space, as well as enough carrying capacity to swallow almost anything a family, or builder could throw at it.

Getting comfortable behind the yoke is pretty easy thanks to the massive amounts of adjustment you get in the seats and steering wheel. The front seats are nice and comfortable as well, if not the most body-hugging for a vehicle offering this level of performance.

There’s an abundance of cubby holes as well to keep your bits and bobs from flying around the cabin when you plant your right foot. The space under the armrest is massive and there are good-sized door bins. You also have a couple of cupholders, as well as two wireless charging pads in the centre console.

You do have a decent-sized glove box as well, well more like a glove drawer. It’s big enough, but having to open it using the screen or voice commands is a pain. A simple button would’ve been much easier.

Space in the back seats

Space in the back seats is just as generous as the front, with acres of legroom to stretch out. The front seats are also mounted high enough to slide your feet under them, and you can even move the passenger seat forward if you want limousine levels of legroom.

Headroom is pretty decent as well, although those who are especially tall may struggle a bit. The Cybertruck has a full-length glass roof which extends back over the rear passengers which lets in plenty of light, but you’ll have to be careful not to bang your head on it over rough roads.

Another nice feature for those with large families is the three ISOFIX anchors in the back, and the rear doors open to almost 90-degrees so fitting a child seat is a piece of cake. Storage is good back here as well, with decent door bins and a couple of cupholders.

Space in the load bed

The Tesla Cybertruck is one of the best electric pickups for load carrying. Underneath that super tough tonneau cover you have a massive 2,831 litres of space. That’s 2,300 litres more than the Rivian R1T offers, and it’s over 2,000 litres more than the GMC Hummer EV.

There are plenty of clever features in the bed as well. You have some swish LED light bars, plenty of tethering points and some 230-volt sockets for powering tools and appliances. You also have a massive locker under the floor with a drain plug. So you can fill it with ice and enjoy a cold drink at the campsite.

In terms of payload, the Cybertruck can take up to 1,131kg in the bed. That’s around 300kg more than the Rivian R1T, and it’s almost 500kg more than the GMC Hummer EV.

New Tesla Cybertruck batteries and range

When the Tesla Cybertruck was first unveiled, Elon Musk promised over 500 miles of range. Four years on and this figure has fallen somewhat, although there is an option you can spec to get close.

The standard dual-motor Cybertruck has up to 340 miles of range, 20 miles more than the Ford F150 Lightning. If you want to go further than that, you can opt for something called the range extender. This is essentially another huge battery pack which lives in the bed, and it boosts range to over 470 miles.

Go for the tri-motor Cyberbeast and the standard range drops to 320 miles, or over 440 miles if you get the range extender. Both cars can be charged using Tesla’s 250kW superchargers, which can add 128 miles of range in 15 minutes.

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