Myth vs. Reality for common Cybertruck criticisms

[mbdsb]

Cybertruck myth and reality
Cut-and-paste / copypasta
Feel free to correct, revise, elaborate, and/or ridicule any of this

“It’s too big!”
The Cybertruck is actually smaller than other electric pickups. Height matters when parking in garages with low ceilings. The Cybertruck ranges between 68.5 to 73.1 inches in height in regular driving (up to 76.6 inches in extract mode). By contrast, the Ford Lightning is 78.3 inches tall. The Rivian R1T ranges between 72.1 and 78.3. As for length, the Cybertruck is 231.7 inches long. The F-150 Lightning is 233 inches long. So compared to the competition, the Cybertruck is compact.


“People buy it just to show off their money.”
It is not the cheapest truck available, but the Cybertruck is priced similar to other electric pickups, and less than many common luxury vehicles. The Cybertruck AWD is $80,000. The Rivian R1T with dual motors, regular battery, glass roof and powered tonneau cover like the Cybertruck is $80,900. Lots of common cars like the Tesla Model X, Model S, Cadillac Escalade, Land Rover Range Rover, Jeep Grand Wagoneer, BMW 7-series are all often more expensive than the Cybertruck. Lots of people splurge on vehicles, maybe because that’s what they have fun with.


“Only Elon fans buy the Cybertruck.”
Many Cybertruck owners disagree with Musk on issues. They might vote similarly to you in elections. It’s hard to know for sure unless you chat with them. VW, Ford, etc. all have their own transgressions: Dieselgate, Hitler. Antisemitism. And so on. It is unfair to judge people by the values of the CEO or founders of the companies that make the products that they buy. It’s great if someone can live their lives only buying products with ethically pure staffing up and down the supply chain. But many people buy products anyway, and we shouldn’t assume that they endorse all of the views of the corporate leadership.


“It can’t be used for real truck things.”
The payload capacity, towing, bed size, and other stats are actually as good or better than other EV pickups. Some people use them for work that cannot be done by a sedan, station wagon, or other EVs.


“It is bad for towing long range.”
Arguably all EV pickups are bad for towing long range compared to ICE trucks. Charging takes more time than filling up a big gas tank. This is not unique to the Cybertruck. Some EV trucks have very large batteries, and that can help. Note that those larger batteries take even longer to charge.


“It’s a Deplorean!”
That is objectively hilarious. Carry on.


“It rusts!”
It’s possible. Even painted metal can rust. So far, it seems like many Cybertruck are holding up okay, and time will tell. One could argue that shiny paint jobs are useless vanity features. Stainless steel is much more practical. It ages well.


“They’re terribly made.”
Your experience may vary. Many owners have not had any problems. And conversely many owners of conventional ICE vehicles have had to use Lemon Laws to deal with issues.


“They’re a hazard to pedestrians because you can’t see anyone in front of you!”
Actually there’s a camera in front, like many trucks have these days. The driver can monitor it. Moreover, the video stream is continually monitored by an AI system that can brake if needed. Many conventional ICE vehicles lack these systems.


“It’s a death trap that will catch on fire and trap you inside.”
There are multiple redundant safety measures. The vehicle, like other Tesla vehicles, detects crashes and releases doors and windows.


“There are no crumple zones!”
The truck has been designed to absorb the energy from a crash. This can be seen in test results and real world anecdotes.Telsa engineers have a great record for designing vehicles that earn good crash test ratings.


“It’s a flop! No one wants to buy it!”
The Cybertruck sales numbers are actually pretty good in its first year, outselling all other EV pickup trucks. Maybe sales will trail off, but who knows.


“Buyers are fools!”
Maybe some buyers just enjoy the product for what it is. The drive-by-wire, the software, the design, the four wheel steering, the adjustable air suspension, the minimalist interior, the easy-to-maintain stainless steel body, the powered tonneau. Maybe it brings them some joy. Maybe that is okay.

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[AlmostHuman]

Good points and I agree however I am simply over trying to talk to anyone about any of this shit at this point. I don't care what anyone thinks and if they want to judge me for things when they don't even know me that fine, they are not invited over for the next game night.

 

[SentinelOne]

Cybertruck myth and reality
Cut-and-paste / copypasta
Feel free to correct, revise, elaborate, and/or ridicule any of this

“It’s too big!”
smaller than my 2500


“People buy it just to show off their money.”
IDGAF what other's think, my vehicle is for me to drive / enjoy and use as I my cases demand. I have bad ass vehicles and motorcycle's - it's my thing, not for others but for me. I live in a moderate house but could afford much more if I so choose to impress others...again IDGAF about others.


“Only Elon fans buy the Cybertruck.”
I think Musk is brilliant, DGAF about his politics any more than Ford's (or any other) CEO's political viewpoint - the product is what matters to me 99% of the time


“It can’t be used for real truck things.”
Camping, 4x4, dirtbike hauling, Home Depot/dump runs, towing (not long range for me)


“It is bad for towing long range.”
Yeah, all EV trucks are unless your retired and can stop and smell the roses, if this is your #1 use case get a diesel


“It’s a Deplorean!”
It's about 10000 times better and more useful


“It rusts!”
Everything rusts, no worse than a typical car (undercarriage), etc


“They’re terribly made.”
Minimal proplems for me, better than most revolutionary designs


“They’re a hazard to pedestrians because you can’t see anyone in front of you!”
Then dont walk in front of me, bs as we all know!


“It’s a death trap that will catch on fire and trap you inside.”
Lifeline Rescue Tool


“There are no crumple zones!”
says the arm chair engineer vs. tesla's track record, regulations, etc


“It’s a flop! No one wants to buy it!”
I bought it and if it got totaled tomorrow I'd go buy another one that day! Best truck I've ever owned!


“Buyers are fools!”
ok, my wife agree's there, cant argue reality! But if we're talking about the truck, what do they drive? If it was better I'd own it!

 

[Lincabe]

My wife was a bit concerned about third party judgement before I purchased the CT, and that may have been an issue in the first couple of months after the CT’s release with so many people looking for social media “clicks” - but in my limited experience so far, we are past that. In the Bay Area at least, CTs are becoming common place, and as the shock of the “different” look wears off, the fact that it’s the best vehicle many of us have ever driven will catch on over time - just like it did for all the other Tesla models. It’s an incredible vehicle and it makes me smile every time I head out for a ride, irrespective of whether it’s on a dump run or a ski trip. Can’t ask for much more than that.

 

[tingmo13]

Reality itself is relative: most of the people don't care or want 6 foot bed. I reserved when I saw it live but in real at the show room it's too big. I'm not a car or truck person but definitely want a Cybertruck-gonna wait for a smaller trim. I'm not critical or opinionated-meanwhile, my T$LA will keep ?

 

[mkstohler]

Perhaps, because I'm Gen X, I don't chase likes. I buy what I want and like and don't think about or care if people like it. I don't have to defend anything and I won't. People flip me off and I laugh at them. People tell me it's ugly and I say " It sure is!" and laugh at them. I don't justify the CT or let them get to me by arguing back. I just don't care what people say.

 

[DAE1]

I haven’t seen recent follow up stories on the kids that died trapped in that burning CT, but it is concerning to me as it sounded as though the “numerous safety features” all failed.

 

[ABILISK]

I haven’t seen recent follow up stories on the kids that died trapped in that burning CT, but it is concerning to me as it sounded as though the “numerous safety features” all failed.

I haven’t either, so this is pure speculation, but IIRC, one person got out. The rest might have been knocked unconscious or not known how to get to the manual releases. You still have to actually exit the vehicle - it won’t eject you.

 

[tymiller]

Great post. Saving this one.

 

[CTInProcess]

Agreed! I’ve always wanted a bare bones interior. Elon has done it right.

The Stainless Steel just makes it that much better, no downsides. Not exactly sure why people wrap it.

 

[BrickBungalow]

The folks who actually drive and stress test the cybertruck personally and decide they don't like it are all good. It's a peculiar one off at present and won't fit every driver. Most criticism is just internet tough guys repeating memes with no frame of reference. Not even worth engaging with.

 

[mbdsb]

Great post. Saving this one.

Maybe it's too long. I guess it can be summarized:

The cybertruck is similar in size, weight, and price as other EV trucks. It's actually a bit more compact, and has a bit larger bed than the others. It has a ton of safety features. The electronics and software are excellent. It looks different. The stainless steel is actually pretty easy to maintain.

Note: Some commenters think this is for arguing. I doubt it's worth arguing over. I'm not trying to change minds. It's just for chit chat with friendly people who have only heard the nonsense.

 

[mbdsb]

I haven’t either, so this is pure speculation, but IIRC, one person got out. The rest might have been knocked unconscious or not known how to get to the manual releases. You still have to actually exit the vehicle - it won’t eject you.

Yeah, it was high speed into a big tree. I hope they study the crash and share the data they find. If there might be ways they can further improve the safety, that's great. But there's only so much a vehicle can do. Colliding with a big tree at high speed or running off the road down an embankment (like in this fatal Rivian R1T crash https://riviantrackr.com/news/2023-rivian-r1t-involved-in-fatal-mt-lemmon-accident/ ) is always going to be potentially fatal.

As for this Piedmont crash, I have wondered about the fire. Apparently it wasn't the battery:
"Did the electric vehicle’s battery explode or catch fire, causing the deaths? Piedmont Fire Chief Dave Brannigan said on Wednesday that he doubted that theory, given how quickly the fire went out — burning batteries often need to be suppressed with special chemicals, sprayed with vast amounts of water or allowed to burn out for hours." - https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/cybertruck-crash-piedmont-college-students-19957865.php

Vehicle fires are common in accidents, in both ICE and EVs. I wonder if the higher voltage (in the low voltage lines) increases that risk in the Cybertruck. It probably depends on a lot of factors including the way lines are run and the materials used around them.

All of this is speculation, and it's hard to compare apples-to-apples with other vehicles.

 

[YDR37]

“It’s a flop! No one wants to buy it!”
The Cybertruck sales numbers are actually pretty good in its first year, outselling all other EV pickup trucks.

It's probably true that the CT is outselling all other EV pickup trucks. The issue, though, is that the EV pickup market is not very large, especially compared to the size of the US pickup market as a whole.

In 3Q 2024, all EV pickup sales in the US combined (CT, R1T, Lightning, Silverado/Sierra EV, Hummer pickup) were slightly less than sales of the Ford Maverick.

In 2023, the Model Y was the best-selling car in the world. It's not necessary to say "the best-selllng EV car", because it was #1 even including ICE cars. At this time, there is no EV pickup that is even remotely close to matching the best-selling ICE pickups.

 

[mbdsb]

It's probably true that the CT is outselling all other EV pickup trucks. The issue, though, is that the EV pickup market is not very large, especially compared to the size of the US pickup market as a whole.

In 3Q 2024, all EV pickup sales in the US combined (CT, R1T, Lightning, Silverado/Sierra EV, Hummer pickup) were slightly less than sales of the Ford Maverick.

In 2023, the Model Y was the best-selling car in the world. It's not necessary to say "the best-selllng EV car", because it was #1 even including ICE cars. At this time, there is no EV pickup that is even remotely close to matching the best-selling ICE pickups.

Yup, it's a different scale. Maybe EV trucks will take off, or maybe not.

Most of those companies making EV trucks will be fine regardless. They'll keep supporting their vehicles for years to come. They won't go like Fisker. At least not soon. It seems like Rivian is in a bit of a dicy spot, but I hope they make it because I think they make a nice product.

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