It’s the best selling EV pickup on the market, what’s it like to drive in the real world?
HARTFORD, Conn β Regular viewers of Car-Pinionated will know that weβve had some strong opinions about Tesla and the Cybertruck in specific.
Recently, I was presented with the opportunity to spend some time with one of the most popular electric trucks. A friend who took delivery of the $100,000 Cybertruck in May offered to let me drive it for a day. So, I took him up on his generous offer.
I picked up the truck on a Thursday evening and took it home with white knuckles, mostly because itβs the most expensive vehicle Iβve ever driven.
I kept it for about 24 hours, so my experience was limited.
I did not try the so called Full Self Driving, I did not take it off road. I drove it on highways, parking lots and city streets. I did not use the summon feature. I cannot speak to the durability of the truck, but others have talked about all those things, so I will leave it to them.
I canβt talk about the range, since I drove it about 100 miles. However, most EV charging takes place at home, provided you have a charging station.
This is not an extensive review, but here are some thoughts that I had over the course of the day.
My impressions fall into several categories.
Things I liked or could get used toStuff Iβll never likeGreat technologyThings that are way to complex
The regenerative breaking made it feel like it was dragging a boat anchor at first. Press the accelerator a little harder and it will go. I was a little hesitant to really push it since I didnβt want to end up crashing through the wall of a bakery in a sudden burst of speed. I got used to it quickly. After that, it was really easy to drive without stepping on the brakes. Β Once the driver lifts off the accelerator, the truck instantly starts to slow down.
The ride was good. Not choppy, and it handled with ease and stability. Nearly 1,600 lbs. of battery will do that for you.
The steering is different. Itβs got about one rotation of the roughly oval shaped wheel, where most cars have about three rotations. It had a really tight turning radius. The system is all electronic, thereβs no mechanical connection between the wheels to the steering wheel. These days, most cars have electric power steering but are still connected to the steering rack, so the days of communicative steering are over. I really couldnβt tell the difference.
I might get used to the steering wheel. Why is it oval shaped? Itβs not to see gauges on the dash, because there arenβt any.
I think I could get used to many aspects of controlling the truckβs functions with the touch screen.
Stuff Iβll never like:
In my opinion, The design is ugly. The Cybertruck is form over function. Opinions may vary, but I could never get used to this hulk of stainless steel. Teslaβs Cybertruck design language was effectively used on their proposed RoboTaxi. But it remains to be seen when that project will be on the road.
Youβve got roughly three feet of dashboard. Have fun cleaning the inside of the windshield or getting rid of any dead bugs on the dash. As far as pickup trucks go, itβs aerodynamic, with a coefficient of drag reported to be 0.34 by Inside EVs. The CD measures how efficiently a vehicle moves through the air. The lower the number, the less aerodynamic drag. The more traditionally designed Rivian R1T has a CD of 0.3, and a Ford F-150 Lightning has a CD of 0.44. The GMC Hummer is over 0.5.
The interior is β¦. plain and dull. Shades of black, off white and gray abound. I found the only thing of style is a strip of LED lights. It is without charm, warmth, or texture. Some may like it, so, to each their own. Also, some of the switchgear is not at the quality level you would expect in a vehicle at this price point.
Much has been written about the turn signals. Since the 1940βs, many drivers have used the stalk on the wheel to indicate turns. (Insert jokes about BMW and Massachusetts drivers here.) Tesla has decided (for β¦ umβ¦reasons) that the turn signal should be integrated into the steering wheel itself. What is accomplished with almost no distraction in most cars, now requires taking your eyes off the road, finding the switches, (which could be turning with the wheel) and pressing the right one.
There are no handles on the outside of the door. Drivers must push a button next to the door and it pops out about an inch and you pull it open. This is one of the reasons for the low coefficient of drag. Another button is on the inside that is far forward on the armrest that does the same task. There is an emergency mechanical latch on the inside, and frankly it was a lot easier to use. (Also, the window controls are too far back.)
There is no similar mechanism on the rear door that is easy to use. According to Tesla, βTo open a rear door manually, perform the following steps: Remove the rubber mat on the bottom of the rear door’s map pocket. Pull back the flap of plastic trim (if equipped), then pull the mechanical release cable forward and push the rear door open.β
YOU CANβT SEE OUT OF THE BACK. And the cameras donβt cut it.
Using the bed of the pickup from the sides with the flying buttress C-pillars, is challenging.
A range extender battery that will add an indeterminant number of miles will be available for $16,000 and take up a large portion of the pickupβs smallish bed.
When you get under the skin of the CyberTruck, it is remarkable. The internal design and packaging of the vehicle is ahead of other Teslas, which are ahead of most other EVs or internal combustion engine cars. The degree to which it relies solely on its 48 volt power system is up for debate in some quarters, however.
The operating system is quick to respond. It shows pedestrians and traffic in close proximity in detail and is largely intuitive, but attention must be paid when it comes to operating the functions.
Tesla has been a leader in over the air software updates. So many functions of their cars can be adjusted in this manner. The traditional recall has often been supplanted by a transmitted line of code.
The app works well to control the vehicleβs non driving functions, like opening the frunk, the rear etc.
Stuff that is way too complicated
Sliding an icon on the touch screen to go forward, back or park. (There is a PRNDL selector out of the way and above the rear-view mirror.)
The aforementioned door opening mechanism and again with the turn signals.
It shouldnβt be as challenging as it is to adjust the mirrors.
Although the truck I drove has a wrap, the stainless-steel exterior is a problem. It does the truck no favors in looks, maintenance, manufacturing and more. It limits the design, it looks unfinished, and there are reports of injuries from the edges of the body panels. As Iβve said many times, there is a reason that few cars have been made of the material. And it you are using it to protect yourself from bullets, remember, the glass still breaks.
The CyberTruck is polarizing. People will love it or hate it, and for reasons beyond the truck itself. Vehicles are complex, like the people that make them. In this case, the Cybertruck is largely the vision of Elon Musk, brought to life by his team.
Last week, a sixth recall for the truck was announced to fix defective drive inverters.
Customerβs preferences for design, sales/service ease and availability, practicality and more are part of every purchase decision.
More battery powered pickup trucks have come on the market, thereβs the Chevrolet Silverado EV, Ford F150 Lightning, GMC Hummer, GMC Sierra EV, and the Rivian R1T. The Ram 1500 REV is not far off. All are more traditional in design and operation.
Of all of these, the Cybertruck is one of the bestselling. Is it the best of them all? In my opinion, the answer is no, but your mileage may vary
Doug Stewart is a Digital Executive Producer at FOX61 News. He also producesΒ Car-Pinionated, a weekly show about cars, the car industry and driving in general on FOX61+ and YouTube. He can be reached atΒ dstewart@fox61.com.
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