Cybertruck uses a different construction technique, one that's been around for decades yet was never adopted by any other car maker. This is probably one of the reasons why.
The issue is that the comparison is to the Rivian which only has a 4.5 ft bed. The rear 4.5 feet of the Cybertruck isn't too hard to access, its the front 2 feet that is problematic.
One issue I see with the Cybertruck is the angled sides of the bed. There are a lot of things designed to go on the back of a normal pickup truck, from simple shells to campers like this [1].
Cybertruck seems like it would require special versions of these kind of things. One of the reasons people buy pickups is versatility, and you lose some of that with Cybertruck because of its different shape.
Yep, as someone that actually uses a truck on the range, the only misgiving I have about the Cybertruck is the angled sides. Though that being said, given how apparently it's going to have a bed that can be covered and a ramp out the back, maybe that's actually not necessary. Really need to use to understand if the sides are a dealbreaker, methinks.
Agreed. In fact one of my biggest arguments against the design is that it will NOT appeal to the average truck owner, because the design gets in the way of the utility. For example, a lot of trucks have toolboxes on the front side of the bed. Due to the triangular sides that pitch at the front of the bed, you can't reach into the bed there from the side of the truck. That's already a nonstarter for a work truck. Another thing is bed rails. The triangular design again prevents the installation of horizontal rails that keep things relatively level. Same story for a roof rack. It's nearly impossible to craft a roof rack for this design that doesn't look goofy and ride extremely high.
Look we can argue about stagnation in truck design but there's something to be said about a timeless design feature, like the classic truck bed. I think Tesla misses here and so their main market for this will be competing against off-road SUVs like Jeep Grand Cherokee or Range Rover. The Cybertruck will not compete directly with say, Ford's F150 and the Silverado.
The CyberTruck's shape already precludes it from being used as a serious work vehicle. Clearly the truck can't be used to tow fifth wheels or goose neck trailers due to the triangular sloped sides. That's fine, I suppose. This is more of an SUV competitor than a truck competitor anyways.
You might be underestimating how many Cybertruck buyers are not pickup truck buyers.
Also not sure that a little added charging convenience is going to sway Cybertruck buyers to an F150. The "antialiased 3D polygon" design is a big part of the appeal.
It's more about visibility and ease of maneuvering the vehicle.
One of the first public videos of the Cybertruck showed it hitting an object as exited a parking lot. It's just way harder to drive a huge truck than it is to drive a sedan, but everyone thinks they are an above average driver so that doesn't aply to them.
It tells me that the involved driver doesn't know how to get the most out of the Cybertruck... probably. A Subaru of any size is a much lighter vehicle that's going to handle completely differently. Getting out of that and into a Cybertruck would be like getting out of a Corolla and into a Suburban. Just completely different vehicles.
That being said, Subaru is renowned for being a highly capable off-roading car. Cybertruck is highly renowned for nothing so far :D
Here's how I see it: the Cybertruck is more of a "sports lifestyle" truck and less of a daily utility work-horse.
It isn't going to be feasible to tow trailers or carry bulky payloads in the tray on a regular basis. Traditional trucks are good at those things, but have terrible aerodynamics compared to a car-like construction.
Going with unibody will make it easier for Tesla to manufacture using the techniques they already have working well, as well as take care of creating the battery storage bay at the base in one swoop.
The design might be intentional. Knowing that they would not be able to fulfill all orders of a beautiful Cybertruck, this might be a smart move. Reduces number of potential orders, proves a EV pick-up truck point, and sets an extreme price baseline, which for other manufacturers could be very hard to reach.
Trump did an interview recently where he openly admitted that the airodynamics of the Cybertruck was not very good, even if it's better than most trucks. (Trucks are generally not designed with aerodynamics as the highest priority.)
My understanding is that the design is a mix of aesthetics and to keep production costs down.
How is the Cybertruck not focused on utility? It has a larger range, larger bed, more torque + HP, a ramp, you can stand on the bed (vault) cover, it can power electric tools, etc. Sure the Lightning can do some of that too but the Cybertruck seems even more useful to me.
Is there any indication that the Cybertruck is delayed for reasons related to its unique aesthetics? Why would a new truck that is normal looking be easier to build than the cybertruck?
However I have heard why the utility of the frunk, integrated Ramp, the automatic cover, active suspension and so on would not make up for that.
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