If you wanted to buy a Cybertruck today, you’d have to pay a minimum of $100,000 for the dual-motor version or over $120,000 for the Cyberbeast. Whether or not it’s worth it is up to you. For those who got their hands on one, however, the EV was pretty awesome. They got something out of it, one way or another. But let’s see what one farmer thinks of Tesla’s first all-electric pickup.
A bulletproof battery-powered vehicle with rock-resistant glass, air suspension, massive wheels, and a sturdy bed cover seems like the perfect vehicle to sell when the world is going through a very tumultuous time. The zero-emission pickup's potential to withstand all kinds of external threats has even attracted the attention of the police. The Rosenberg Police Department (Texas) was among the first to inquire about the Cybertruck's potential to become a “good police vehicle.”
Others, like the Orange County (California) or Dubai (United Arab Emirates) police, have already added the aspirational and audacious workhorse to their fleets. Electric vehicle It may not have an impressive battery life or fast charging capabilities, but it can certainly grab the attention of its fellow citizens. After all, it boasts a sort of dystopian look.
Even though the Cybertruck is intended to “it looks like the future” And to be tough, the “triangle on wheels” doesn’t live up to the hype. It debuted with a huge price increase, there’s no exoskeleton, and the EPA-estimated maximum range isn’t even close to the 500 miles it promises. Not even the $16,000 extra battery pack (which can only be installed by company technicians) can help it go that far on a single charge, and worse, it doesn’t exist yet.
But that’s probably how a software-defined vehicle works. You pay for something that will only work as promised after a lot of software updates and recalls over the air. Plus, let’s not forget the annoying markups that include accessories that don’t exist or can’t be installed by the automaker because they’re not fully street legal.
Photo: Tesla
But alas, the Cybertruck is a big Tesla experiment. It debuted with many missing features, such as Autopilot, Fully autonomous drivinglockable differentials, a light bar, and the fastest possible charging speed. It also needed a couple of software updates to make it more suitable for everyday use. Some people hurt their fingers to prove that Tesla didn’t take the time to properly test the EV before releasing it to customers.
A different approach
But what the existence of the non-legal Cybertruck in Europe tells us is that Tesla is making good use of its enthusiastic customer base to test out the latest technologies and see if they need any upgrades. We could soon see the new Model S and Model X with high-voltage batteries built on the 800V architecture that can enable charging speeds of around 350 kWsteer-by-wire, bidirectional charging, and 48V electrical components. Add to that the now Texas-based brand has efficient drive units, good design, a fantastic sales model, and great everyday usability software (e.g., Trip Planner), and it becomes obvious that once the new stuff is truly ready for primetime, the brand will be unstoppable.
Rivian’s R2 and Lucid’s yet-to-be-revealed mass-market EV have little chance of being better than an upcoming Tesla EV that’s the product of years of testing with paying customers. We’ll see what happens, but what we do know is that automakers rarely have the guts to treat customers like employees. However, these days, perhaps we’re all just clueless beta testers. Grandpa’s philosophy of not buying a car in its first year of production may be useless now.
This may all sound like a long rant or a series of digs at the Cybertruck, but I assure you that is not what is happening here. Nothing I have said here is exaggerated or false. Tesla’s first pickup truck is a divisive vehicle, but I cannot and will not base my opinion solely on its exterior, even if those sharp stainless steel panels could be dangerous to pedestrians. This EV is about so much more than tough glass or thick panels. It can be good. It just isn’t right now. It feels like an unfinished product, one that had nearly two million pre-orders and is now failing to convert them into sales.
But let’s say you don’t want to take the opinion of some random automotive journalist you’ve never met. Maybe you’ll feel more comfortable listening to a veteran of the United States and former Fox News TV host. Tucker Carlson received a Cybertruck from Elon Musk and took it to someone who needs a pickup truck to do all sorts of work on the farm and beyond.
Photo: Tucker Carlson on YouTube
Beware city dwellers!
Known for his strong opinions, Carlson is a well-known media personality in North America and other parts of the world. But his fame doesn't stop him from launching all sorts of strange attacks on electric vehicle manufacturers. The man begins his analysis with a clear exaggeration by saying that “the cult of global warming will force us all to drive electric vehicles, probably soon.” There is no EV mandate in the US, UK, or the rest of Europe. Getting more zero-emission vehicles on the road is a federally supported plan, but Uncle Sam won’t force you to buy an all-electric Tesla or Hyundai.
It’s true that there are states like California where gasoline is obscenely expensive, which in turn makes buying an EV the logical decision. But that’s not true everywhere in America, and it won’t be for a long time. Oil is still refined in large quantities, and most economies still rely on oil derivatives to keep them running. On top of that, some manufacturers are working on sustainable gasoline or eFuel. There’s a lot to be done. What you, the potential new car buyer, can be happy about is the power of choice. You decide. You can buy and drive a hooptie every day, lease a V12 Aston Martin, finance a BMW X6 M, or pay for an EV from brands like Tesla, Rivian, or Lucid.
Carlson is also subtly belittling city dwellers who might be very comfortable with an EV as a daily driver for no good reason. He thinks that people with modern job titles don’t work as hard as those who have to do actual physical exertion.
You’re wrong. Having a Kia EV6 in your driveway that can be charged overnight for a small fee isn’t a bad thing. It doesn’t make you look weird or lazy. On the contrary, it shows that you’re willing to put up with a slight lifestyle change and that you’re savvy with money. Who doesn’t like paying less for gas, right? Plus, adapting to new circumstances is a necessary trait for getting a high-paying job.
Getting to the bottom of the matter
But the man raises a very interesting question: Can the Cybertruck be a good vehicle for a farmer and entrepreneur? Can it be a reliable workhorse and also serve as a vehicle you would happily take to a meeting with the governor?
Photo: Tucker Carlson on YouTube
Well, someone who lives in rural Maine and has previously served as a mechanic in the U.S. Army and worked as a logger and long-distance truck driver has an answer for us. Patrick Feeney has been using the Cybertruck for about a week in place of his trusty Ford F-350.
Carlson asked him if he could ditch the gas-powered pickup and embrace the zero-emissions lifestyle, and Feeney he didn't hesitate a bit to say that it could very well do it. He liked that the EV had a lot of horsepower, good towing capacity and was very easy to use. It doesn't take a master's degree to get used to.
At the same time, he said he is a “one-truck guy” and The Cybertruck could be a Swiss Army knife of machinery.
He showed off the Cybertruck’s towing capacity to Carlson and praised the EV for its smoothness. However, he also noted that the range on a fully charged battery isn’t enough for a full day of serious work. He even ran the numbers and found that the Tesla pickup is on par with a similar gasoline-powered workhorse with an average fuel economy of about 15 mpg (15.7 l/100 km). The main difference? Charging at home overnight is cheaper than filling up with gas.
Growing pains?
However, he admitted that not everyone was happy to see the Cybertruck. Some even warned him to park elsewhere because they feared it would spontaneously combust. Others insulted him for not driving a “real truck” anymore. Still, he put up with it all because the EV was good at what he needed it to do.
Photo: Tucker Carlson on YouTube
The veteran admitted that the EV was a big drain on energy and said he was concerned about the ability of the nation’s power grid to adapt to an America where everyone drives a battery-powered vehicle. He believes more investment is needed to make EV ownership feasible for most Americans.
Feeney also showed Carlson that the Cybertruck could safely wade through shallow rivers by wading through a couple of puddles, but it needed about 10 minutes to warm up and could only keep Wade Mode active for 30 minutes. The Tesla CEO said at one point that the EV should be able to wade through calm seas, but doing so would at least void the warranty. The Cybertruck has a wading depth of 2.7 feet, which is about 0.3 feet shallower than the Rivian R1T.
The farmer also showed that the EV can be quite fun by drifting it on some gravel and said that the Cybertruck is cool despite its looks. Feeney even said that people who have the money and need a pickup should try the Tesla vehicle and consider buying it. He still has some doubts about the maximum range on a single charge, but the man is happy with the EV.
Finally, I wouldn’t say this was a truly unbiased review, given Carlson’s relationship with Elon Musk, but it does show one important thing: even the most conservative Americans may soon embrace zero-emission mobility. It’s just that good when it’s packaged well.
