It's worth watching Sandy Munro's youtube channel to see what the justification for the Cybertruck body shape is. I changed my mind on them after watching it.
One question I never see answered is how Teslas will deal with collision repair expense once the bugs are shaken out of the insurance and bodyshop system.
Our local Tesla dealer just got a Cybertruck on display last week and I went and took a look at it last weekend. My impression is the front end is actually pretty good looking, they rounded it off quite a bit from the original prototype and it has a similar shape as other Tesla models like the Y. The headlight bar is actually really cool and the frunk is probably pretty big. The back half of the Cybertruck is a travesty, in addition to just being really angular and ugly they lost some of the most useful aspects of being a truck, like being able to throw gear over the side of the bed, or being able to put a custom cap on the back. The Cybertruck is excessively long for all the more cargo capacity it gives you, all because of that ugly angular back end. A lot of people are probably going to shy away from buying one because it's not going to fit in their garage. The custom tires are probably going to cost a fortune to replace as well, for no real good reason other than looks. In short Tesla designed 50% of a pretty cool truck, it really could have changed the segment.
There was a lot of talk about that several years ago, but I couldn't find the specific article I was thinking of, which went into a lot of detail. But there were a lot of articles referencing analysis by Sandy Munro, which apparently is mostly on video. Here's one: https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/tesla-cybertruck-engineer...
> there is no need for Tesla to invest in casting machines for the vehicle. Its steel exoskeleton also means that Tesla will not be setting up expensive paint machinery for the all-electric pickup...even the Cybertruck’s glass, which are flat as opposed to the curved ones used in other Teslas like the Model 3, will likely give Tesla some savings as well.
The front of the Cybertruck is actually fairly rounded and has a fairly normal bumper (and I would assume crumple zone) just like any other Tesla. I don't think the front of the Cybertruck is any worse than any other truck or SUV as far as a collisions go. The ride height is a non-issue, the Cybertruck has air suspension, so while it can have as much as 14" of clearance for off-road for day to day driving it is much lower than that, which is, I assume, how Tesla is going to eke out decent range numbers with it. That leaves the back of the Cybertruck, which is indeed full of sharp angles, but mostly up high. It does have a rear bumper that looks functional but it is hard not to think that the sharp angles on the back wouldn't do some serious damage if rear-ended or someone where to back into a pedestrian. It's a case where hopefully the NHTSA did their due diligence.
I think there's a chance the Cybertruck design influences other companies vehicle designs. Not quite the same level but similar sharp angles. At that point it's weirdness will reduce.
This is quite the "take". But it's also directly contradicted by how Tesla designed the Cybertruck: with thick stainless steel body panels that weigh a ton compared to typical body panels used in cars. This was justified/marketed with the claim that these are bullet-proof - something that is far less relevant to the average driver than hitting a pothole or a curb.
So is the Cybertruck the exception to Tesla's design philosophy for some reason?
For most part the lack of a crumple zone because the body is made of 'unbendable' steel.
Airbags become useless when they handle all the impact of a crash. And how will they cut you out of your truck in case of an emergency?
But I think Elon is not stupid. Current Tesla's are extremely safe so he knows what he is doing.
That's why I think there is more to the launch of the cybertruck. I think they sold an idea instead of a truck. The production cybertruck might look the same but will not be wat is promised.
So I made an argument and then you sent an unrelated article as counter evidence?
I suggest you read my top level post, to get my overall position.
To make statement about CyberTruck before we have ever seen the internally design and a detailed tear-down talking about its repair-ability is mostly nonsense speculation that I will not take seriously.
I simply can't connect with Cybertruck for some reason. It feels like everything a truck should not be.
Take the wonderful off-road footage they showed. How did they handle charging? Did they tow a bunch of Cybertrucks to the site, get them town to where they just had enough power to get back on the flatbed an then tow them back?
Having driven trucks in the middle of nowhere, well, charging is very important. You can carry a couple of ten or twenty gallon cans in the back and get hundreds of miles of additional range.
There are thousands of products designed to "interface" with standard trucks. Not sure how that ecosystem applies to Cybertruck.
Beyond this, the stainless body is interesting. However, repairs of any kind are going to be massively expensive. My guess is full panels will have to be replaced. In general terms, a quick look at reports of repairs for these types of vehicles can be seriously expensive.
Finally, unlike a conventional truck, if you own one of these you will, at some point in time, experience the decidedly non-trivial cost of having to replace the battery. The terminal cost of conventional trucks approaches an asymptote in the low thousands of dollars. With Cybertruck that number will be in the mid tens of thousands. Today, replacing a batter on a Tesla car can cost as much as $25K.
If the purchase of a Cybertruck is because it looks good, different, unique, etc. Then, sure, why not, it isn't different from buying an expensive Italian sports car. As a practical working truck, not sure.
I see a lot of complaining by armchair experts regarding the cybertruck.
I will admit that I know nothing about it but I know this isn't the first car that Tesla has built. They are a very successful company with plenty of cars on the road and they are setting quite a few of the standards that others follow. I also know that there are federal regulations that all cars must follow regarding safety.
Given all of that, is it still possible that this is a car designed by a lunatic to win the robot wars? it could well be true but you can buy it with the ease of mind that when you are stomping everyone else in these wars, you will be perfectly free from liability since its government aproved.
I must admit I enjoy seeing Cybertrucks in the wild. They are fugly, but not as fugly in-person as I expected. Putting the development resources into a cheaper Model 2 would almost certainly been a better investment for the company though. Cybertrucks will never sell in enough volume to affect Tesla's bottom line positively.
Interesting that the marketing image on that page is clearly meant to suggest driving around on Mars. I think it is clear from the design and marketing that this truck is meant as a fashion statement not a work vehicle. It will be interesting to see if it catches on. I like some of the ideas used in the vehicle's construction, though I do not like how dangerous it appears to be for pedestrians.
If I made a prediction, it would be that lessons learned from the cybertruck will influence a new generation of vehicle designs. It seems to be a design that takes a lot of risks and tries new things, and I would expect some of that to stick. Tesla certainly has experience making vehicles and a desire to simplify and innovate, so I would expect at least something of this design to inspire new vehicle designs.
A lot of people are saying its ugly. I feel that way too though I am unsure if it will grow on me. But as much as people say that, I think it will catch on anyway. It's a very flashy fashion statement and I think that will appeal to people with money and those aspiring to look like they have more money than they do.
Hah it’s funny that you say that because Tesla is about to release their stainless bodied Cybertruck. I was just watching a video by Sandy Munro about how this is not exactly a terrible idea:
https://youtu.be/YQSQYQ44Qco
A big part of protecting pedestrians is visibility and automatic braking. I know Cybertruck has a bumper-height forward-facing camera, and I would expect the Tesla software to be very good.
As for direct visibility, while I'm sure it's worse in a Cybertruck than with a small car, I'm interested to know how it compares to other trucks. With a shorter front (in both height and depth) you would think it would be better, and I'm guessing it probably is.
I've seen rumours here and there (albeit nothing particularly reliable) that the Cybertruck might be a platform used to learn about this design/manufacturing approach. It's hard because it's hard, but the Cybertruck is how they learn how to make it easier.
The thinking being, of course, that if/when they get it nailed, they've potentially got an advantage to leverage over other manufacturers for future cars such as the Model 2.
Only time will tell whether this is the case, and whether it worked.
One distinct difference is Bollinger trucks currently exist as more than rolling prototypes. They have already started production and let people outside the company drive them.
Bollinger trucks are also Class 3 vehicles, which means they don't have to pass the same crash tests a more mass market truck like an F-150 does. I've actually seen speculation Tesla may be planning the same trick with Cybertruck, which is fine, but that means you can't expect cyber truck to be built in Model 3 or Y volumes.
Tesla has clearly built in a pretty steep decline in battery costs, otherwise the pricing they announced simply isn't possible. Tesla is in a pretty good position to make predictions about future battery costs, but it's likely their lower costs will mean lower costs for everyone. Since there is no real date for cybertruck yet, the costs for other EV trucks may be quite a bit lower by the time cybertruck actually arrives.
There is a reason cars and trucks have body panels and bumpers that are not structural. With the structure exposed I'd be worried about minor damage activating the crumple zones and writing off the vehicle. Even the best body shops are not equipped to work on stainless steel. If Tesla is pulling the Class 3 trick cybertruck may not have crumple zones or other safety features to worry about, but that's a whole other problem if people are planning on making it their daily, family vehicle.
I really like the vehicles that Tesla actually builds and sells. They are getting better and better at running a production line and the Model Y teardown looks great. I'm less keen on the Tesla hype machine on unreleased things like roadster and cybertruck. Announcing pricing years in advance on unreleased cars results in needing to employ underhanded tricks like selling a $35,000 off-book model 3 you need to know a special process to order. All that to satisfy a commitment you made long before engineering was done, bill of materials complete, and a production line existed.
One question I never see answered is how Teslas will deal with collision repair expense once the bugs are shaken out of the insurance and bodyshop system.
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