What’s up with Tesla’s Cybertruck? Everything to know about the much-hyped electric pickup

After four years, the long-awaited launch of the Tesla Cybertruck electric pickup has come and gone.

The boxy vehicle is Tesla’s first new model since 2020, when it started delivering the Model Y. Yet, Cybertruck’s initial debut predates that moment; Tesla CEO Elon Musk showed off an early version of the pickup at a memorable 2019 event, when it accidentally smashed two windows while attempting to demonstrate Cybertruck’s durability.

Here we’ll answer some questions we figured a brave explorer such as yourself might ask (err… type in a search bar) about Tesla’s Cybertruck, including details on the vehicle’s specs, availability and design of the vehicle. The first deliveries, in which about 10 high-profile customers like Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian took possession of the truck, occurred November 30 at the Tesla Gigafactory in Austin.

While we have lots of details it’s still unclear if the Cybertruck will kick off the vehicle’s journey toward success, or failure.

What is the Cybertruck?

The Cybertruck is a steel-clad electric pickup truck made by Tesla. According to Musk, the vehicle measures fewer than 19 feet long and features a bed longer than six feet. It has four doors and room for six adults.

Tesla shared Cybertruck specs in 2019, promising three variants of the vehicle. That included a $39,900 single-motor version with rear-wheel drive and a 250-mile range. But this was eons ago, figuratively speaking. At least one variant is reported to weigh about as much as a Hummer.

Tesla is planning to offer three variants of the Cybertruck, but the prices, range and other specs have changed since 2019.

The cheapest Cybertruck, a single-motor rear-wheel version with 250 miles of range, a 6.9-second zero to 60 miles per hour acceleration rate, won’t be available until 2025. The all-wheel drive variant has an estimated 340-mile range and top speed of 112 mph.

The third variant, called the Cyberbeast, has three motors that delivers 845 horsepower, a 2.6-second 0 to 60 mph acceleration rate and a top speed of 130 mph. The Cyberbeast has an estimated 320-mile range and $99,990 price tag. Both of the all-wheel drive and Cyberbeast versions have a claimed towing capacity of 11,000 pounds.

The company is also going to offer a range extender that will push the all-wheel drive version to an estimated 470 miles and the Cyberbeast to more than 440 miles of range. After the event, Musk took to X, formerly Twitter, to give a few more details about this add on. He said the range extender will be an “optional pack that fits in about 1/3 of the truck bed. Still room for plenty of cargo. It’s meant for very long trips or towing heavy things up mountains.”

Why does the Cybertruck look like that?

Also referred to as Cybrtrk in an early trademark, the Cybertruck’s name, neon logo and exterior evoke a sort of cyberpunk, post-apocalyptic aesthetic. Why? Because Musk wants it to.

The electric pickup is made of steel, a tough material that resists rust but is hard to shape. The material’s rigidity influenced the EV’s starkly geometric design; it also led to launch delays and panel gaps on Cybertruck test vehicles.

Musk has described the tank-like vehicle as “an armored personnel carrier from the future — what Bladerunner would have driven.” Crucially, while Bladerunner is a stunning film, it depicts a horrific dystopia.

Is the Cybertruck for sale yet?

Tesla expects to mass produce Cybertrucks starting in 2024, but unless you’re a wealthy early adopter with special Tesla connections, securing a Cybertruck won’t be easy early on. You’ll need to get in line behind the folks who reserved the truck as far back as 2019.

That said, you may be able to jump ahead for a price: Apparently, Cybertruck reservations have appeared on eBay for $10,000. Proceed with caution. I’m not sure how easy it’d be to verify if the offers are legit, and Musk has threatened to punish resellers in the past.

The Cybertruck price tags varies depending on the variant and add ons. The tl;dr is that all of the considerably prices are higher than advertised back in 2019. The rear-wheel version — which, reminder isn’t available until 2025 — starts at $60,990. The all-wheel drive version has a $79,990 starting price and the Cyberbeast comes in just shy of $100,000.

The federal tax credit for EVs has a number of eligibility requirements including price. Under current rules, the trucks and SUVs priced above $80,000 don’t qualify for the $7,500 credit.

Can I resell my Cybertruck?

Tesla indeed threatened to punish early Cybertruck resellers, but it seemed to walk back its previously published rules in a November 2023 update to its U.S. order agreement page. The rules once stated that Cybertruck customers couldn’t sell their vehicles during their first year of ownership without permission from Tesla. The rules also said the company would seek $50,000 in damages from early resellers. But such language is gone from that particular page, at least for now.

Can I fit a bike in a Cybertruck’s bed?

That depends on the size of the bike and how you store it. From what we can tell, you’ll probably need one wheel hanging over the tailgate.

Elon Musk has promised that Cybertrucks will feature beds longer than six feet. The truck bed in the production version is six-feet and slightly longer with the tailgate down. From the end of one wheel to the opposite end of the other, adult bicycles are typically longer than six feet. (On a related note, the city of Los Angeles recommends bicycle parking spaces be a minimum of six feet long, as does South Carolina’s Palmetto Cycling Coalition. Regardless, it’s a tight fit.)

A motorcycle would probably be trickier. This isn’t a Silverado.

Is the Cybertruck good for the climate?

Generally speaking, electric vehicles are better for the climate than their gas-guzzling counterparts, because they don’t have tailpipe emissions. Still, all cars are pollutive. That includes consumer EVs, since they require lithium, release tire particles into the air and demand more energy than more efficient means of getting around, such as public transit, cycling and walking. Battery material mining is also linked to worker exploitation. 

What about the Cybertruck’s size? Experts have raised red flags over the ballooning size and weight of vehicles in the U.S. Extra-large vehicles typically require more energy, and thus more battery materials, which drives up their environmental cost. As far as collisions go, bigger and heavier vehicles are less safe for everyone around them, especially pedestrians.

Among EVs, vehicles with smaller batteries are generally better for the environment.

Stay tuned

We have a lot more questions and we expect Tesla to share more details during its November 30 delivery event. How does the Cybertruck compare to other Teslas? What about electric pickups from the competition, including Ford or GMC? When will Tesla release the cheaper, single-motor Cybertruck variant it promised back in 2019? Check back for updates as we learn more.

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