Tesla Cybertruck: here's everything you need to know

“Better utility than a truck with more performance than a sports car”, says the front page of Tesla’s Cybertruck page. But we can bet that’s not what everyone was thinking both during and after Elon Musk’s presentation during the vehicle’s launch.

Before we get into the opinions and the comments and the stories, let’s look at the specs of this pointy, metallic beast.

Exoskeleton

• The Cybertruck is built with an exterior shell made for ultimate durability and passenger protection. Starting with a nearly impenetrable exoskeleton, every component is designed for superior strength and endurance, from Ultra-Hard 30X Cold-Rolled stainless-steel structural skin to Tesla armour glass.

• Ultra-strong glass and polymer-layered composite can absorb and redirect impact force for improved performance and damage tolerance.

Versatile Utility

• Tesla claims that Cybertruck is the most powerful tool it has ever built. It has up to 3,500 pounds of payload capacity and adjustable air suspension and has been engineered with 100 cubic feet of the exterior, lockable storage — including a tonneau cover that is strong enough to stand on.

• The 100 cubic feet of the exterior, lockable storage make enough space for your toolbox, tire and Cyberquad, with room to spare. The under-bed, frunk, and sail pillars also contribute to the available space.

• With the ability to pull a lot of mass and a towing capability of over 14,000 pounds, Cybertruck can perform in almost any extreme situation with ease.

• You can raise and lower suspension four inches in either direction for easy access to Cybertruck or the vault, while self-levelling capabilities adapt to any occasion and assist with every job.

• Cybertruck can seat six people comfortably with additional storage under the second-row seats. The truck also comes with an advanced 17” touchscreen with an all-new customized user interface.

• Cybertruck can easily adapt to both rugged and refined needs. Its versatile utilitarian design includes on-board power and compressed air.

Performance and Efficiency

• The powerful drivetrain and low centre of gravity provide extraordinary traction control and torque—enabling acceleration from 0-60 mph in as little as 2.9 seconds and up to 500 miles of range. This brings Tesla’s Cybertruck into its own class of strength, speed, and versatility.

As of now, Cybertruck comes in three models: Single Motor AWD, Dual Motor AWD, and Tri-Motor AWD. While most of the stats are different in the three models, including the design, there are some key differences that are worth mentioning.

The three versions go from 0-60 MPH in less than 6.5 seconds, 4.5 seconds, and 2.9 seconds respectively. Their range also varies from 250+ miles to 300+ miles and finally the Tri-Motor model taking you all the way to 500+ models. Finally, the towing capacity of the Single Motor version is 7,500+ LBS while the Dual Motor boasts 10,000+ LBS. However, the Tri-Motor clearly stands out here with an impressive towing capacity of more than 14,000 LBS.

Of course, all the statistics go out the window when you take one look at the Cybertruck. And it’s safe to say that it looks nothing like any pickup truck you’ve ever seen. Hell, it looks nothing like ANY vehicle you’ve ever seen. If anything, it looks like a large metal trapezoid on wheels.

So it was only understandable when the audience couldn’t believe that this is what they had come to see at the Cybertruck’s launch event on November 21. It seemed as if Elon handed over the design department to a school-going kid.

But the Cybertruck has indeed been designed by Franz von Holzhausen, the guy responsible for all other models of Tesla till date. Speaking of other models, the Cybertruck has the same screen for all dashboard controls, including playing music, singing Karaoke, watching movies and web series, and playing games like Super Breakout, Cuphead, and hopefully casino games from all Payforit casinos in the future.

Instead of a separate cab and bed as in traditional trucks, Tesla’s truck body has a single form. It’s also made from the same material as that used in SpaceX rockets. The material makes the car “literally bulletproof,” especially against small firearms.

To demonstrate its strength, a man hit the sides of the truck with a sledgehammer but didn’t leave a dent. The audience was awed. However, the same couldn’t be said of the window-strength demonstration that followed. Not one, but two metal balls thrown at the truck’s supposedly unbreakable metal glass windows shattered them.

“But it didn’t go through,” Musk pointed out during the presentation. Later, he also tweeted a slow-motion video of the same test in which the metal ball didn’t break the car’s glass. It’s okay Elon, we love your car (though maybe not everyone).