Lots of car journalists found joy in all the build quality issues found on Tesla Cybertruck prototypes, largely because lots of car journalists secretly get a kick out of Elon Musk failing. It’s just reality — Musk is a controversial figure who says a lot of dumb things in addition to all the smart things he says, he tends to have more conservative values than many journalists, and also Tesla fans can be a bit annoying. Still, rooting against Tesla is a foolish endeavor, which is why I never do it and why I’m not at all surprised to see the production-spec Tesla Cybertruck looking so good at the southern California Tesla showroom I visited on Saturday. Here’s a look at all the up-close photos I took of a completely-finished Tesla Cybertruck.
After hearing about Cybertrucks showing up in Tesla showrooms, I called up my local Tesla store and asked if they had the EV brand’s hottest new machine — they did not. But they did tell me that I could find a Cybertruck in Buena Park, about 40 miles away from my place. Somehow I convinced my girlfriend to sit in traffic with me so we could look at a production-spec version of the Cybertruck we’d already seen on the roads (a pre-production mule) and at the Petersen Automotive Museum (just a design-buck, if I recall correctly). It was worth it (for me at least). Here’s a video of what I saw:
The showroom wasn’t packed, but parking was challenging, and it was clear there were still a lot more folks in there than would normally be — after all, this was everyone’s first glimpse of a production-spec Cybertruck (a salesperson confirmed it to be production spec). Folks were standing around taking pictures and chatting about electric cars. The vibes were great.
Let’s get straight to the parts of the Cybertruck that, on the preproduction trucks, drew the most ire from journalists: The tailgate fitment and the A-Pillar-to-cowl/hood fitment. Here’s the tailgate on the black Cybertruck that von Holzhausen drove to that Malibu Cars and Coffee:
And here’s the production-spec truck. Much better!:
It’s not perfect, as you can see in the image below, but it’s decent:
Now let’s look at that A-pillar-to-cowl trim, as well as the hood. Here’s how the Cars and Coffee Cybertruck mule looked:
And here’s the production-spec truck.
It looks mostly OK, though that gap between the fender and that front panel looks a little large and uneven on the passenger’s side:
The driver’s side appears to look better in the photos I took (note that I didn’t notice the difference in person — only when browsing my photos):
Here’s a look at the 285/65R20 (that’s about a 35-inch diameter) Goodyear all-terrain tires:
Here you can see the front steering knuckle; notice how the upper control arm (a bit hard to see, as it’s black) attaches to the knuckle via a ball joint that is located above the tire. This has become relatively common on modern automobiles for a variety of reasons that our suspension engineer Huibert Mees has pointed out here, but the short of it is that mounting the ball joint up high gives that upper control arm a larger moment arm to act against cornering loads (this can provide a number of benefits including reduction of control arm bushing deflection, which can mean less camber change, etc etc):
Here you can see the rear lower control arms, which appear to be stamped and welded steel. Also, under the rear overhang there appears to be a grille for a speaker, presumably for pedestrian protection/alerting:
Let’s have a look at that rear bumper:
Here are a few underbody shots. Things look nice and flat down there:
Here’s the front cooling opening, along with this slit-like headlights, which I quite like:
Here’s a closer look at the lights:
The windshield wiper is unbelievably huge in-person:
Let’s peek at the interior:
Here’s a close-up of the charge-port flap on the rear left fender (I don’t love this location; I think charge ports should be front-mounted, but I understand that it may not be worth the compromise):
Let’s have a close look at a camera on one of the B-pillars:
Under that camera you’ll see a small rectangular piece of glass with fingerprints all over it; I’m fairly sure that’s the door-open switch. Here’s a look at the rear door’s:
Check out the folded triangular-shaped mirror:
What’s the takeaway, here? Well, aside from the gap between the front fender and front fascia panel, the Cybertruck’s fit and finish looks decent from about six feet away (the truck was roped off). What’s more, it looks badass, and not just in the showroom, but on the street; I recently saw one driving towards me in LA, and it looks great! And I’m one of the folks who, upon seeing the truck debut around this time four years ago, nearly vomited. So I’ve fully come around to it, and am certain the Cybertruck will be a massive success.
Do I think it’s going to make for the best work-truck, with its huge sail pillars that make accessing the small bed difficult? No, I don’t. But who cares? Most people buy trucks these days to look cool, and the Cybertruck does that beautifully in my eyes. The first production trucks are to be delivered in just a few days; the floodgates are opening.
= 
finter 
Didn’t like it as a concept, didn’t like it as a mule, still don’t like it when it’s finished. I can’t wait to see them in a couple years with some parking lot dings, scraped rims and some sort of ugly wrap.
Honestly any wrap would make it look better.
I guess I’ll have to see it in the flesh, but it looks absolutely ridiculous to me in the pictures. I don’t like overly angular styling; I’ve hated how Cadillacs look for some time now. This looks far worse to me. When you factor in the thought of putting money in Elon’s pockets, this becomes the worst new vehicle introduced in recent memory.
Nailed it.
Elon is a horrible human, and after sitting behind as Escalade in traffic I’ve learned to HATE the tail lights on those. I’m hoping these low def trucks look better in person because I am going to see a lot of them. I can’t see getting a Tesla that isn’t a model 3 performance, but do like the idea of a 400+ HP 4 door at that total cost to own/operate.
I do like how shiny it is.
I super appreciate that an OEM is bringing what is essentially a wild, out-there concept car to the street. Very cool. I appreciate that it’s very polarizing, which almost certainly means they’re doing something right. I hope some parts catch on. I hope other parts do not. It is definitely not for me. Nearly every OEM has a car that grabs me by the feels in some way, but there are no Tesla models that do anything for me at all. I like electric cars, Teslas just aren’t pretty or interesting. I need to learn more about electric car tech to figure out what is worth developing feels over that can make up for the lack of looks.
It is nice to finally see a “for sale” example. I’m not a truck person myself, though i do appreciate a vehicle built to handle duties outside of the normal family car. This one, however, reminds me more of a space age dune buggy baja design.
I remember when I first saw this unveiled, my initial thought was the Musk was trying to make a vehicle for the mars colony he wants to setup. rugged, durrable, self contained with its own air supply, “I still think its the case, actually.” So here we are, the blending of SpaceX with Tesla. I would rather not be part of their R&D for a space rover. Hard Pass.
But, I am excited to see the first one that’s made into a “back to the future” tribute truck. I think this is a perfect starting point for that idea.
Eh, call me when its got a proper Mr Fusion powerplant.
Please, no. Don’t ruin BTTF- the perfect trilogy! The Delorean was perfect for it also
No mechanical door handles means no sale for me. One would think when building a pickup having functional door handles not reliant on electricity and software to work would go without saying…
I knew it was unlikely but I was holding out hope.
Have you heard of “ringers”?
They were specially-assembled examples of production models for car shows, the press and executive use. Generally a car was pulled off the assembly line, taken apart and rebuilt by hand in order to eliminate most, if not all, faults.
This was done to impress the motoring press – thereby earning great reviews – and to make senior executives of the company believe their products were far better than they were for paying customers like you and I.
Because i have a very hard time believing Tesla has improved it’s pressing and assembly processes this much in just two weeks.
I smell a ringer.
Something similar happens with a lot of firearms given to reviewers. The manufacturer goes through it with a fine tooth comb, makes it damn near perfect, then gets a positive review, and then with the POS initial production models come out all the idiots go out and buy them only to learn they are POS.
Luckily it’s more feasible for firearms reviewers to wait and outright buy an initial production version of the firearm without the manufacturer being aware of what individual bought it and being able to review it honestly.
I understand why a lot of auto websites don’t do the same, but honestly that’s how it should be done. I don’t trust reviews of pre-production vehicles or pre-production firearms.
You seem to be describing consumer reports.
That’s my reaction; looking forward to CR’s review of the CT. They don’t represent automobile enthusiasts, but do seem to try to evaluate things fairly.
“Something similar happens with a lot of firearms given to reviewers.”
And it has been done in automotive for decades as well. Ferrari in particular would send a team to specially prep the given press car to optimize it for the type of review being done to increase its chances of ‘winning’ any comparison test.
GM did that big time with the X-cars in 1979, they got called out for it very loudly once the real things hit the streets and everyone realized they were a total disaster
GM, Ford and Chrysler did this for decades – back into the 60’s that I’m aware of – perhaps earlier?
Yes – The X Cars were particularly notable given their incredibly crappy notoriety.
I guess you could say what Aitekx did was…
https://www.theautopian.com/they-brought-a-crappy-tesla-cybertuck-clone-to-a-major-car-show-we-interviewed-them-and-it-got-insanely-awkward/
… A dead ringer.
“Have you heard of “ringers”?”
You mean what large and small legacy automakers have done for decades… Ferrari in particular?
https://www.reddit.com/r/Autos/comments/ru7h2/ferrari_insists_on_sending_teams_to_optimize/
Charge port looks perfectly designed to collect dirt and grime (or is it Grimes?). Square steering wheels are stupid. Worse still are ones with two sharper corners. And f’n finger prints are disgusting enough on the inside, now they have to be displayed on the outside because door handles eat into profit … I mean challenge the paradigm, which absolutely needs to happen as we have been enslaved by the tyranny of proper function and good ergonomics for far too long! Can’t wait until they try hexagonal wheels.
Just to dive into one of those things–door handles eating profit, yes, but more importantly, aren’t they flat because that helps with aerodynamics?
It’s one of those things where, yeah, I don’t want electric-operation-only car doors, but if you’re searching for every single place to help with the aerodynamics (not just on this but I know some(all?) other Tesla models have flush door handles too, right?
I don’t know what the “ideal” solution would be. But the fact that flush handles might happen to be cheaper to manufacture, well, that’s goal alignment, not necessarily just “cheapening out”.
> aren’t they flat because that helps with aerodynamics
I submit there are other things they could have done to make this… Thing aerodynamic while keeping real handles.
Subaru had a solution almost 40 years ago (see XT), sports cars about 70 (see 300 SL and various other makes with similar handles). They also happen to be fun to use. Other ideas or adaptations could also work. Also, while we haven’t seen wind tunnel data that can sometimes be surprising, there’s little evidence this truck was designed with excellent aerodynamics as a primary design goal. The poor panel fit around the front alone probably generates more drag than normal door handles would.
Thank you. I had an 87 XT for a few years. Initially I was quite careful with the handles, but it wasn’t really needed. They did freeze up once during a freezing rain event ( about 1/10” hit us ), and were slightly narrow/shallow if I had big mittens on, but otherwise functioned unremarkably
Looks like a giant pile of shit made by a giant pile of shit.
Uh, Username checks out?
Kinda hard to argue that Musk isn’t a giant, steaming pile of shit.
Metaphorically, at least for now.
[Removed. No personal insults allowed]
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Implied or implode?
Crude but accurate. Take your smily face!
You’re entitled to your WRONG opinion.
Whatever. You’re so far up Elon’s ass your opinion is even more worthless than mine.
And another WRONG opinion…
Opinions cant’t be wrong, asshole. Facts can be wrong. If you’re too fucking stupid to know that I feel sorry for you. Here’s an example for you. Fact: you commented on my post. Opinion: your comments were pointless and idiotic. See the difference simpleton?
“Opinion: your comments were pointless and idiotic.”
And yet ANOTHER wrong opinion.
Can you get ANYTHING right?
LOL
Yes, 2+2 = 4. But I’m sure you’ll have a great comeback about some other numeric system where that is wrong. You are clearly the smartest motherfucker on this site and I should be honored that you were a big enough asshole to comment on my post. Thanks for that shithead.
“Thanks for that shithead.”
No prob! Any time!
:-p
Are those unhemmed sheet metal edges at the front and back? Dangerous and shitty looking.
I’m strongly fiscally conservative. Musk has gotten and continues to get massive corporate welfare and subsidies. His increasingly deranged philosophy appears to be approaching the The Handmaid’s Tale.
He rails against work from home, even though it is good for quality of life and better for the environment than electric cars. Work from home means him selling less mid commuter cars.
I’m not a fan of the UAW but I wish them luck with Elon.
Works from home, but… checks notes… is somehow CEO of two companies. I bet he’s not in the office of both companies every day. I wonder how that works….. oh, probably fine because CEOs and upper execs don’t fucking do anything.
He’s busy “saving the planet” by flying in his massive private jet constantly.
For better or worse, Elon is quite active at SpaceX and is extremely far from doing nothing there. Not sure about the other companies
So that’s why SpaceX had two failed launches in a row?
If not a troll account, I can explain why this take is wrong
well I’m fashionably late as usual. A roped off single model in a showroom is not a ‘production’ truck. Production models are the ones that end up in the hands of paying customers. This (and other examples roped off in public) could well be specially prepared examples – this isn’t Tesla specific as all OEMs have a facility where cars for the press and motor shows are fettled by hand – to make sure they are as good as they can be.
“Production-spec” according to the Tesla salesperson. I think this one will be sold, but in any case, one truck doesn’t matter. What matters is the volume-production trucks that make it into the driveways of hundreds of thousands of customers.
I eagerly await to see how those look.
Foresee production stop, and major redesign needed as it fails crash testing.
I just want to know how it passes pedestrian impact stuff….
the horror, the horror
Bribes.
….serious question, I thought there weren’t really any pedestrian safety requirements for cars?
I know any cars with electric-only modes in the U.S. are mandated to have a passive sound when traveling at low speeds since 2012(?) but I wasn’t aware there were actual “your car must be this safe in crashes against people outside the car to be allowed to be sold” standards.
Currently the only requirement is .8″-20mm. clearance from underside of hood to highest point of engine to allow for deflection. The past three years have seen a serious push to bring the U.S. up to Europe’s NCAP standard. Most new cars already comply, and all should since it will likely pass within a year.
https://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/nhtsa-proposes-new-crashworthiness-pedestrian-protection-testing-program
I was under the impression that Dagmars (the big chrome ‘bullets’ on bumpers decades ago) went out of production due to concerns over pedestrian safety. Was this voluntary as opposed to an actual law?
I think they were likely a fad that looked dated quickly but then justified by ‘my corporation cares for your safety’ responding to people who missed them.
It’ll pass, with 100% fatalities!
AFAIK trucks are exempt.
Crash testing is done and passed. That has to be completed several months before selling any cars.
““Production-spec” according to the Tesla salesperson”
Ah, because salespeople never just make up whatever answer they think you want to hear. And they’re always so knowledgeable about their product too!
Yeah, that’s my assumption here. The production vehicles are likely to fall somewhere between this and the mules. Maybe (hopefully) closer to this than the mules, but this is still the top of the quality spectrum.
Adrian – any chance of an article about pedestrian impact regulations influencing/restricting car design? The CT fender has a vertical leading edge like a cheese slicer for cyclists.
I would also really like to see more reporting on this! The CT looks like it was specifically designed to kill pedestrians.
I’m reluctant to get into the Cybertruck too much without actually seeing one in person. And I mean seeing, touching and experiencing it properly – not six foot back behind a rope. And seeing as I’m in the UK, I’m not sure I’ll get the opportunity anytime soon.
Thanks for the response, and I agree with the sentiment.
Cybertruck: For when your military occupation of the local Macys will be LEED certified platinum. Could you imagine telling a possible sexual partner you drive this? So hostile looking, that it loops back around to looking just sad and desperate. It’s like an Andrew Tate video on wheels. The thing is trying wayyy to hard to come across as tough. My dudes, there is nothing hard about 100k truck thats pretending your commute is the invasion of Fallujah. Tesla really made the physical manifestation of undersized phallic energy.
In the Cars universe, Andrew Tate is a Cybertruck
Or maybe an Aitekx Robotruck.
Really whichever one fits best in a Romanian prison cell.
Those are metaphors for Tate and Musk’s hairlines.
I get SDE from Musk too.
Straight up: Talk to someone, not in a comment’s section.
I got my own issues with this thing, but your above comment sounds like you have issues, and you’re just putting them on the pickup.
Turns out I was actually in a large graveyard filled with Elon’s enemies, and I’m not happy about! So I’m saying provocative things about his beloved absurdist art piece moonlighting as a truck.
Dude seriously: it’s just a truck. If you don’t like it, don’t buy one.
You a Musk stan? Does it hurt your feels when people point out the SDE this eyesore of a truck exudes? Wanna buy some Dogecoin?
Etc.
You can’t stand progress? Elon has more talent in his toenail than your whole family will ever have. Do electric trucks threaten your manhood? Going to miss scratching paint on the truck stuff you never do anyway?
Etc.
I love progress – when it isn’t profiting childlike far-right demagogues.
You never answered my previous question about who the Dems are in Congress you claimed cheered on Hamas for attacking Israel. Generally speaking, I find your comments irritating and useless.
Etc.
Lovely to see that you missed the censure of Tlaib for this and generally appear to live with your head in a hole. Candidly speaking, if I need your take on something I can find it in the NYT and the latest “Musk will fail again, v11.” I’m sure you can train yourself to not react to my posts because it’s the Internet and your approval of my comments is… unnecessary.
Etc.
Tlaib said after the 100% partisan (and therefore meaningless) Congressional censure:
“I have repeatedly denounced the horrific targeting and killing of civilians by Hamas and the Israeli government and have mourned the Israeli and Palestinian lives lost.”
But there you were spouting repeatedly that “Congressional Dems cheered on the murder of Israelis” – to which I asked for the receipts – that never came.
Dems are horrified by what happened – and is still happening in Gaza. I don’t know any who approve, but guys like you want to stoke the fires of anger by shitposting nonsense. I’m just calling you out on it. Wouldn’t you be happier posting over at InfoWars?
If this is progress, then the Amish were right. And my problem is it’s a bloated piece of 80’s futurism nostalgia that is entirely compromised due to need to look like Blade Runner. It’s a grift, like tunnel, and the flamethrower.
I mean yes, but I also love the idea of using a material that will NEVER RUST. Given the reliability of Tesla drivetrains, I could see you purchasing this once… and driving it basically forever. I bet the in car tech ages faster than anything else on this vehicle.
It would be the car to buy if you wanted something to last forever, so there is that. Unfortunately, they made it very fashionable to a specific time period, it will age well physically while going the opposite direction visually. I could see these deprecating like a beach house next to an active volcano, so if you’re willing to replace a battery, buyers market!
So buy a Trabant. Or a Saturn.
Or a BMW i3. I know a guy who knows this one free trick to get unlimited Bimmer batteries.
Or a Reliant Rialto
Corvette enters the chat…
Battery tech quickly ages. Hopefully (or not) there’s a path for future pack upgrades.
The downside is people will see you driving this truck, and that’s a hard pill to swallow.
“I mean yes, but I also love the idea of using a material that will NEVER RUST”
Eh just spring for the Trucoat and you’ll be fine.
The body panels will never rust. The important bits, like the suspension? Good luck, my friend! Is the unibody made of stainless steel? (I do not know this.)
Unibody is likely stainless or perhaps aluminum. Tesla has never made a steel car.
Suspension parts are also likely all aluminum.
I’d guess bolts are pretty much the only steel parts on the whole car.
“Never made a steel car” are you sure about that? https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-model-3-body-structure-steel-aluminium-composition/
So that would be mostly structurally steel, but the body is almost all aluminum. I stand corrected that it is not mostly aluminum, but it’s about as aluminum as an aluminum f150.
“Could you imagine telling a possible sexual partner you drive this? So hostile looking, that it loops back around to looking just sad and desperate.”
That’s OK, hookers don’t care as long as they get paid.
Best send-up ever! Has to be one of the high school metal shops students parents that own the dealership to go along. How many hours did they spend sanding the no return edges? Await Munro & Associates dissection, and the horror of crash testing! Sensing 11 micron deviations.
I trust the Sandy Munro videos about as far as I can comfortably throw a grand piano.
https://collaborativepiano.blogspot.com/2008/03/piano-flinging-trebuchet-at-burning-man.html
I want to know more about the actual construction. Musk has been hawking it as an exoskeleton, which would not accommodate crumple zones, and therefore don’t buy it. If this 3mm. thick stainless is just a facade like the DMC, what a waste!
Blade Runner is gonna look so cool driving this in “Blade Runner 3: Weyland-Yutani Drift”
This has actually grown on me a bit to be honest. I’d never thought I’d say that, but I really appreciate the attempt to be different. That said, this will be a disaster if Tesla can’t keep the build quality on point. If they all look as decent as this one does, I think it’ll do decently as a novelty truck.
“he tends to have more conservative values than many journalists”
is certainly an unusual way to say “homophobic, transphobic, misogynistic, chucklefuck who platforms and promotes white-power bellends and irrationally hates a lot of people that I love”.
But hey, you do you.
And he’s admired by noted committer of atrocities Vladimir Putin. I’m also quite bothered by David Tracy’s softball toss regarding what a gnarly despicable person Musk is.
https://www.reuters.com/world/putin-hails-elon-musk-an-outstanding-person-businessman-2023-09-12/
Thank you Piston.
This stuck in my head all night so I want to come back to it in a serious way.
Musk is the tech equivalent of a problematic artist. The basic question of which is, is it OK to like and/or support the work of an artist who has holds problematic beliefs and takes problematic actions.
Really take a moment to think about what what kinds of actions and views you are OK with supporting both directly and indirectly. Is it OK to like the creative output (or cars in this case) of someone who holds views and take actions that you disapprove of.
It’s OK that people come down on different sides of these kind of issues. People weight issues differently.
You can choose different responses.
It’s all good, and reasonable people can come to a different conclusion. Just make sure you’ve actually thought about it. This is a moral issue so make sure you’ve given it proper and serious consideration.
It’s OK if you’ve come to a different opinion than I have. What isn’t OK is minimizing just how bad Musk is with the cute phrase “he tends to have more conservative values than many journalists”. Not OK at all. He’s already got a huge platform, he doesn’t need you sand the rough edges off.
DT, you’ve written a lot good stories. You’ve written a lot of very personal details into these stories. You’ve invited us in to like you as a person. I’ll be honest this is going to cause me to reconsider my opinion, and it’s going to be in the back of my mind as I read you in future.
It’s easy to conflate this kind of discussion with an argument about about free speach über alles; that’s a different thing. This is about personal actions, who do I give money too, who do I listen to, whose opinions do I consider. Who and what am I filling my life with. This is not a threat to leave the community of cancel my membership or anything like that. It’s not, it’s a more general point.
That’s indeed a thoughtful polemic on what constitutes ‘legacy’ for artists or even captains of industry. For context, I was a Musk stan, always defending and admiring him … right up until the “pedo-guy” Twitter shitposting. At that point my enthusiasm morphed into a wait & see attitude. I didn’t have to wait long. Unlike republicans and other cultists, I’ve no issues with admitting when I’m wrong or need to reassess my beliefs.
I know a smart guy, by any metric a progressive liberal Dem who will NOT reassess Musk: he’s ardently a fanatic and makes excuses for anything Musk does, no matter how blatantly fascistic. He wrote to me “Musk only wants to make mankind better” and thinks that mainstreaming electric vehicles and cheap space flight makes up for the Nazi enabling antisemitism. Ho – kay. How do you argue against that? His Chubbachuck reservation went in three years ago and nothing will stand in the way of him getting one.
Regarding David Tracy’s wildly diplomatic description of a man who’d more accurately be called a fascist-adjacent manchild demagogue, I attribute that to him being out of the world news loop and spending all of his CPU cycles on automotive pursuits. A man so focused on one pursuit that he’d get trenchfoot is likely not paying attention to subjective things like knowing who’s actively tearing our democracy apart or enabling fascism in our republic.
I hope DT replies to your query. I’d like to know if he’s willing to evolve on that topic.
Just because this is a “production spec” truck does not mean that it rolled right off the assembly line and into the dealership just like this. Plus they don’t seem to be running the line at speed yet so each station can take the time needed to get everything aligned right.
As someone who believes that EVs (in some form or another) are the future, I’m incredibly annoyed that Elon didn’t actually learn from the Model X fiasco. Just make a damn good EV truck. Prove the haters wrong. The haters are simpletons. You don’t have to die on a hubris hill to keep moving EVs forward.
He also could have hired a Star Wars concept artist to consult on the design to come up with something more appealing.
Or listened to the actual car designers Tesla has on staff.
I still don’t see it being a big seller. One unfortunate possible side effect would be to convince other automakers that risky EV truck designs aren’t worth it and they need to appear traditional. While the Cybertruck still doesn’t do it for me, I do appreciate an effort to make something different though, whether intelligently or not.
I expect it will sell in considerably larger quantities than the GMC HUMMER EV (why does it need “EV” in the name, when it’s only sold as an EV and there are no other versions?), but I’m not going any further than that as far as predictions
Do they actually produce the GMC’s, or are they all “shills”? That thing is Schrodingers truck.
They’ve delivered like 1,800 of them or so in total
It appears that Tesla has made almost that many trucks as test and prototype units. The backlog for the GMC’s is enormous and they can’t seem to build them?
Virtue signaling.
If it sells even moderately well, I eagerly await the Korean response “Truck”. What would a good looking futuristic electric truck look like? One that wasn’t trying to look 8 bit?
What would a good looking futuristic electric truck look like?
Small, useful and pedestrian friendly with gauges, knobs, buttons, sliders and stalks.
This looks better executed, but I’d guess they made their best examples the display cars. What gets delivered to customers is likely going to land between this and the mules we’ve seen. The question is how close to this they end up being.
That said, there’s no way I’d buy even this one. Between Musk, the design, and the reputation Tesla has gained for repairs and the like…there’s just no way.
Nice looking fridge!
All you need to do the body is a sheet metal brake, how hard could it be?
Now that I have some good close up pictures I can confirm that the Cybertruck is like a show quality donk, a well executed bad idea. The sharp edges around the tailgate look actively hostile and will never survive the NHTSA. The interior is an ergonomic disaster area with all the charm of an LAPD interrogation room.
As a one off concept the Cybertruck is interesting, but only “the heir to throne of the kingdom of idiots” would try to mass produce them
Tesla isn’t the only company guilty of this (that new Volvo comes to mind), but HOW HARD IS IT ACTUALLY TO PUT A SPEEDOMETER IN FRONT OF MY FACE??? Not having one is a total non-starter for me. Having a real instrument panel would make me a lot more interested in a model 3 or the Volvo [insert alphanumeric soup here, can’t remember it] and would go a long way towards improving the LAPD interrogation room aesthetic.
“HOW HARD IS IT ACTUALLY TO PUT A SPEEDOMETER IN FRONT OF MY FACE??”
Not very.
The real question is whether American drivers will bother using it.
> will never survive the NHTSA
It’s pretty clear NHTSA is either utterly toothless or in Musk’s pocket like Pai’s FCC was in Verizon’s pocket. They should have shut down the “autopilot” and “full self-driving” names years ago.
More like dangerously incompetent, lazy, and uncaring.
I’ve been calling them semi-autopilot and partial self driving, I wish the Feds would too.
I want to like this thing, but the more I look at it, the more I feel like they are just based in Cali and don’t know what actual snow and ice does.
The recessed headlights in that little slit? I can see those getting caked with ice and snow easily, and being difficult to scrape off.
The soft silicone button membrane facing straight up that controls the rear bed cover? That is not going to age well.
There’s just a lot of details on this thing that seem not really well thought out, and more appropriate to personal electronics than automotive use. It’s provocative and bold, and I appreciate ANY company who makes vehicles out of materials besides steel.
I live in the rust belt, and it’s COMMON for trucks only 10 years old to have gaping holes of rust in them, which ruins resale value and makes repairs obnoxious. My winter daily is a 00 Honda Insight because aluminum tub, and if I were to get a new truck, the F150 would win purely because it’s aluminum. So stainless, bent like origami into a car shape? Bold moves.
But a lot of the details seem real half baked.
Aluminium body yes… AFAIK the frame is still steel for a truck that’s the important bit.. The repair cost will probably be astronomical if they do aluminum frame and that cracks.
So F150 will still be a pain to repair because things still get attached to the steel frame.
https://www.lightmetalage.com/news/industry-news/automotive/2021-ford-f-150-sticks-with-all-aluminum-body/
Yes, technically, but also no, not at all.
You can keep a frame reasonable functional pretty easy, but if the body gets gaping rust holes it’s still worth jack shit.
Dissimilar metal corrosion is a concern, but considering how much Aluminum the Cybertruck already uses in its construction I really don’t see what negative difference an aluminum “exoskeleton” would make for the Cybertruck.
See my reply to the ADDvanced in this thread.
Please tell my your Insight has a manual!
Honestly I think Tesla could have saved a ton of money and time if they just made the Cybertruck out of aluminum.
I really don’t see how a stainless steel Cybertruck would be better than an aluminum one, Tesla already uses a ton of aluminum in Cybertruck and other Teslas, they already do tons of large aluminum castings, and in an decent accident the Cybertruck is getting totaled because who can fix that for any reasonable amount of money? Also From corrosion resistance alone I think that aluminum would be the way to go, though a Cybertruck with patina would probably look pretty cool.
There are APCs made of aluminum, I’m certain Tesla could build a Cybertruck out of it.
Of course!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6dPFjRLz80
Damn man, I’m Jealous. Good on you!
Honda Shill!! I’m surprised they’re still paying you considering production has ended
/s (wry-face emoji)
I appreciate your frankness. Any car can get squirrelly hitting a band of snow. I know; almost lost it myself hitting a 6ish-inch drift across the Blue Ridge Parkway in an old 4wd Subaru-and that was around 40 mph. Previous comments of yours put the Insight on my radar. Will watch a few of your videos and see if you can sell me on them.
Keep cruisin’!
lol. Well, the rear narrow track is something that people should be aware of before driving it in snow. As for selling it to you…. 52mpg with snow tires. 60-70mpg with summer LRRs. My record is 84mpg.
The car has paid for itself so many times over, it’s far beyond a ‘free car’ at this point.
Unpainted aluminum body panels would have corrosion issues and scratch extremely easily. And I think being unpainted is a big part of the design here, this would look awful painted silver and I think will only look good with a couple paint colors.
“the more I look at it, the more I feel like they are just based in Cali and don’t know what actual snow and ice does.”
As a user of the term “Cali” I understand you may not realize California – even SoCal – DOES get actual snow and ice, at least above 5000′ or so.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/03/12/52-feet-and-counting-lake-tahoe-grapples-with-ginormous-snowpack/
https://www.onthesnow.com/big-bear-lake/skireport
Doesn’t count. Not real winter.
52’+ of snow isn’t “winter”?! Where are you benchmarking, Siberia?
It’s not real winter because it get so much sun, so frequently, and they don’t use about 5lbs of road salt for every 10′ of road.
Cali people love to pretend they have winter. They don’t. Please come visit Northern Wisconsin in January and then you can tell me how it’s the same thing. It’s not at all.
You really have no idea what you are talking about. Northern Wisconsin gets an average annual snowfall of 43″-75″ of snow over 19-47 days whereas Lake Tahoe gets an average annual snowfall of 407″ over 67 days EVERY MONTH OF THE YEAR. An average January in Tahoe gets more snow than an entire average winter in Northern Wisconsin.
https://www.currentresults.com/Weather/Wisconsin/annual-snowfall.php
https://www.currentresults.com/Weather/California/Places/south-lake-tahoe-snowfall-totals-snowstorm-averages.php
Even the Lake Superior shore gets less snow than Tahoe.
And yes, Caltrans uses salt. They use so much salt it harms the trees:
https://californialocal.com/localnews/el-dorado/ca/article/show/898-deicing-highway-50-alternatives-to-salt-tahoe-basin/
California winters have been so long and heavy out of state people like you caught unprepared have had to resort to cannibalism to survive.
You really have trouble understanding. It is NOT the amount of snow. That is not the point. Try rereading what I wrote, maybe a few times. It’s not the amount of snow. It’s the temperatures, lack of sun, corrosion, and darkness.
The fact you’re even trying to justify your position tells me you don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.
You really have trouble understanding. It is NOT the amount of snow. That is not the point. Try rereading what I wrote, maybe a few times. It’s not the amount of snow
Here is EXACTLY what you wrote:
“I want to like this thing, but the more I look at it, the more I feel like they are just based in Cali and don’t know what actual snow and ice does.
The recessed headlights in that little slit? I can see those getting caked with ice and snow easily, and being difficult to scrape off.
The soft silicone button membrane facing straight up that controls the rear bed cover? That is not going to age well.
There’s just a lot of details on this thing that seem not really well thought out, and more appropriate to personal electronics than automotive use. It’s provocative and bold, and I appreciate ANY company who makes vehicles out of materials besides steel.
I live in the rust belt, and it’s COMMON for trucks only 10 years old to have gaping holes of rust in them, which ruins resale value and makes repairs obnoxious. My winter daily is a 00 Honda Insight because aluminum tub, and if I were to get a new truck, the F150 would win purely because it’s aluminum. So stainless, bent like origami into a car shape? Bold moves.
But a lot of the details seem real half baked.”
The point by your own words were “ice and snow”, not “temperatures, lack of sun, corrosion, and darkness” none of which were mentioned until you moved the goalposts.
I have shown that California (NOT ugh “Cali”) can get far more snow over more of the year than anywhere in Wisconsin. So yes, we understand the effects of snow.
I personally have had to replace a popped engine block freeze plug. I’ve watched my car, handbrake fully engaged go sliding down an icy incline into a ditch AND we have Death Valley, the hottest place in the US so yes, we in California do know the effects of temperatures, both hot and cold.
Corrosion? We salt the mountain roads enough to murder foliage AND we have hundreds of miles of salt water coastline.
I’ve lived on the coast myself and seen plenty of rusted out beaters there so yes, we understand corrosion too including its effects on infrastructure and buildings.
California is a big state with many terrains and climates, a fact you have trouble understanding.
And none of them have real winter. Keep arguing all you want, I honestly don’t give a shit. Come visit Wisconsin in January, and then you can tell me it’s the same thing. It’s not.
You are honestly pretending people in california get as much corrosion as people who live in something called the rust belt? Give me a break.
Whatever. I’ve shown the data, you keep cowering behind your scarecrows.
https://i.imgflip.com/87j5vq.jpg
Sometimes it is:
https://blog.bestride.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Rust.png
> The recessed headlights in that little slit? I can see those getting caked with ice and snow easily, and being difficult to scrape off.
Throwback to Jason’s piece about Mercedes Benz’s 1971-1990+ crenellated taillight design to fend off mud.
I expect to see ED-209 climb out, ready to gun down whoever gets in his way.
Sorry, David, but I don’t find anything attractive about it, even if the panel gaps are better than those on prototypes. In fact, it almost makes the Toyota Busy Forks look graceful, finished and harmonious. And that takes a LOT of doing.
Don’t apologize; your opinion is as valid as mine!
I was deeply disappointed to discover that this is not the name of a kei truck with a tiny forklift feature.
Hell of a lot better than what the actual name of that thing is, though.
Hey, show some respect, those are sub-micron tolerances.