(As Tesla smoothed out Model 3 production, it settled those issues, and Consumer Reports restored its recommendation last week.) The Model X SUV, in particular, has been plagued with problems, many stemming from its overly complex falcon wing doors. In February, Consumer Reports revoked its recommended status for the Model 3, citing problems like stuck latches and malfunctioning doors. Moreover, Tesla has struggled with reliability. “If the truck can’t deliver the functionality need, they’re not gonna buy it.” Which means that Tesla is fixing to challenge its core competency-designing vehicles that delight and surprise their drivers-as never before. “Tesla can figure it out, but they don’t already know,” Brinley says. But when it comes to meeting what those drivers really need and want from their trucks, it’s playing catch up. ![]() Musk has a knack for rethinking the customer experience, and the Cybertruck’s radical design could appeal to drivers looking for something different. The big automakers pay very careful attention to their trucks: They know their customers well and develop each new model based on decades of learnings. To paraphrase Boromir, one does not simply walk into Detroit with such a plan. Plus, compared with other drivers, they’re particularly loyal to their brands of choice.įor the Cybertruck to succeed the way the Model 3 has, Tesla must steal the customers Ford, GM, Chrysler, and other automakers most value. They care about capability and reliability. Pickup buyers, according to research by Cox Automotive, hardly consider fuel economy when shopping. Those electric vehicles, though, won’t be the Cybertruck’s real competition. GM announced just Thursday afternoon that its previously announced electric pickup will enter production in the fall of 2021. Ford is planning to build a battery-powered F-150 in the next few years in July it had a prototype version haul a 1.3 million-pound train around a Canadian railyard. Another startup, Bollinger, is developing a limited-volume, trail-bashing electric pickup. All-electric newcomer Rivian plans to start building its $69,000 R1T truck next year. No wonder, then, that Tesla isn’t the only automaker moving into this space. Pickup trucks make up roughly 15 percent of US vehicle sales, and Elon Musk hopes the Cybertruck will be Tesla’s tool for wedging itself into that market. (Single-motor setups tend to put the motor on the rear axle, dual-motor setups put one motor on each axle.) ![]() ![]() That one, according to a slide Musk showed, has a tri-motor setup, though the CEO didn’t explain how that would work. And the top-of-the-line variant, starting at $69,900, will go more than 500 miles between charges, hit 60 mph in under 3 seconds, tow up to 14,000 pounds, and start production in late 2022. A dual-motor $49,000 version can tow 10,000 pounds and reach 60 mph in 4.5 seconds, with 300 miles of range. The base version of the Cybertruck, with a single motor, will start at $39,900, good for 250 miles of range, a tow rating of 7,500 pounds, and a 0- to 60-mph time of 6.5 seconds. Truck production, according to Tesla’s website, is slated for late 2021. ![]() And just for fun, Musk showed off another new Tesla product: an (obviously) electric ATV. And while that might not be a day-to-day use case for many prospective buyers, it’s very handy if you’re showing off the prowess of your latest all-electric model for the first time at a glitzy event in Los Angeles, as Tesla (and SpaceX) CEO Elon Musk did Thursday night. The Cybertruck, Tesla’s all-new electric pickup truck, is here, looking like a triangle from the future, and it can take a sledgehammer to the door with nary a dent.
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