Business Insider: Tesla's Cybertruck is finally coming. It's going to rattle rivals and transform the EV market as we know it.

[Cherokee180C]

That article just proves how clueless the industry insiders are. Buyer’s equivalent to Hummer buyers? Give me a break. Just goes to show how the industry will not know what hit them. An efficient vehicle, with 25% or less of the maintenance that outperforms in just about every spec imaginable. Yea, who wants that!

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[Barb]

I totally agree with what you say...but it's frustrating when you can't even find out whether the thing will have the ability to plow. I get annoyed when they haven't been able to answer such a basic question, but instead talk about its ability to float. That's great, especially with all of the flooding happening, but.... I'm sure I will not be able to manage a plow, but I'd be interested in knowing the possibilities, and I know a lot of people would consider this truck if there were a firm answer on that.

 

[Crissa]

I totally agree with what you say...but it's frustrating when you can't even find out whether the thing will have the ability to plow. I get annoyed when they haven't been able to answer such a basic question, but instead talk about its ability to float. That's great, especially with all of the flooding happening, but.... I'm sure I will not be able to manage a plow, but I'd be interested in knowing the possibilities, and I know a lot of people would consider this truck if there were a firm answer on that.

The ability to float is probably a weird off-hand thing Elon saw in a briefing about sealing the body panels from the weather. It's not an ability, per se, so much as a side-effect of having panels with no holes in them for mechanical linkages.

-Crissa

 

[Sirfun]

I agree, Elon and Tesla made the decision to try and make the electronics water tight for off road use. And they said it will float "some". But, how does Tesla guarantee them for "some" use in water?

Yesterday on a ride with our E-bikes, we went through almost 20 creek crossings, which were all less than 6" deep, but still I thought about it later. I'm not sure if I want to do that with my e-bike. Water and electronics isn't a good mix.
A kid that was with us broke his chain, and had to walk his bike through the water.

 

[Mike Menyan]

If it is true about 800+ km range, acceleration of under 3 seconds and the price then I have zero doubt that this beast will blow all the competitors away from the market. At the moment I am driving an F150 bought via abetter.bid several years ago but if Cybertruck comes out I will shift to this beast asap.

 

[Ogre]

I agree, Elon and Tesla made the decision to try and make the electronics water tight for off road use. And they said it will float "some". But, how does Tesla guarantee them for "some" use in water?

Yesterday on a ride with our E-bikes, we went through almost 20 creek crossings, which were all less than 6" deep, but still I thought about it later. I'm not sure if I want to do that with my e-bike. Water and electronics isn't a good mix.
A kid that was with us broke his chain, and had to walk his bike through the water.

Thought you were were riding your bike. Looks like pushing to me.

 

[PilotPete]

.
Creating a crazy-looking car for a new set of buyers is similar to what Hummer did for SUVs in the 90s, Drury said.

Hummer was a giant, impractical vehicle with a tank-like design that became a status symbol. It turned a previously utilitarian SUV segment into a space where car companies could still attract enthusiasts and luxury-minded buyers.

"The Cybertruck is going to be the Hummer of the 2020s," Drury said. "It's a car that's going to let people live out a new, bizarre dream of what their vehicle can be."

At the same time, he said, Tesla is likely to create entirely new truck buyers, attracting rabid Tesla fans who have never owned a pickup truck before as well as flashy buyers who want to be seen in a truck as unique as the Cybertruck, Brauer said.
.

I have a couple issues with the author.

First, the Hummer was not an SUV, or a new design for the SUV market. It was a military vehicle featured every night on the news as we watched the attack in Kuwait (Desert Storm 1, the prequel). Celebs and other got ahold of them, and those with the money found them and drove them. The H2 was an attempt to make an SUV that looked like the military Hummer, but didn’t cost $100K at the time. The H3 was the last gasp of a dying effort. But the original design was never intended to be an “SUV” or a mass produced daily driver. To draw a parallel is quite a stretch. Think of comparing a B-52 bomber, and an airliner (say a B767). Not the same goal, not the same technology, but they are both planes.

As for the “new truck buyer”, I take this a little personally. I’ve never bought a truck in my life (And I’ve bought 11 new cars over 40+ years, not one was American made). I’m not a “flashy buyer”, I don’t care if I’m seen in a truck, and I’m not a rabid Tesla fan. I currently own nothing made by Tesla. Prior to the CT, the last car I put a deposit on was the Porsche Taycan. When it came out, I changed my mind and didn’t buy one. I’m not buying a CT because I’m avoiding a “gas-guzzling” anything. Before this, I was set on buying a new Carrera. My daily driver is on the road less than 6,000 miles a year. Gas mileage is not a real concern with that mileage. I’m not worried about my footprint, carbon or otherwise.

I’m buying an EV because of the performance/$$$ ratio. ICE vehicles can’t match it. I watched an S Plaid (~$100k) take on a Bugatti Chiron SS (~$4M) in a quarter mile. I can’t afford a car at the $4M price. But I can match or beat the performance at a price i CAN afford. (And off the line for the first 1/8th, the S CREAMED it!) I want to drive something that makes me smile on every drive (even if it’s just the turn signal farting). Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, teenage humor, but it still makes me smile. You will never get fart sounds in a Porsche (not from the car at least). Can you imagine??? You know what else makes me smile? Dog mode, the light show, romance mode, knowing my interior won’t exceed 90 degrees in the summer. That’s why I’m buying the CT.

Now Tesla goes and BEATS the Taycan Turbo S at the Nurburgring! For ~$89K less???




I think the writer missed the whole point. But then again, I think the media, investors, and the rest of the industry are missing the point. Just like they did in the 80’s when America made such great cars as the Mustang II, and the Chrysler K-body. They are completely out of touch.

 

[cvalue13]

Might not like it, but the Hummer comparison is not entirely unfair: on this forum I’ve seen a half dozen PFPs of militarized CTs

by many, this will be how you are perceived in your CT - esp by many whose first impressions were the 2019 prototype, which was over the top in masculine, pseudo militaristic design, seeped in marketing of “bulletproof,” “armor,” etc

aesthetically, attitudinally, the CT buyer does overlap with the Hummer buyer

 

[Sirfun]

Thought you were were riding your bike. Looks like pushing to me.

Nice photo!
I did ride. The guy in my photo, broke his chain. I towed him 4 miles out with my bike. But, not through the water! He had to push (like you said). Actually most of the 4 miles was downhill and he coasted most of the time.
Here's a photo of my favorite single track.

 

[cbrtrckrsrvd112219]

It will all depend on the price point.

A $60,000 CyberTruck would really get everyone's attention.

A $89,900 CyberTruck at launch will have a sales spurt at first.....yet probably many will be NON current pickup truck owners....thus it won't cut into the pickup market as much IMO.

Let's see how Tesla is price it.

I doubt CT will start at $60K. there is no reason, the only truck CT will be competing with is F150 lighting which at dealership in $75k - 99K. So yeah, we are screwed for now.. I think $89k starting price at delivery event in the end of September will be a miracle.

 

[Ogre]

I doubt CT will start at $60K. there is no reason, the only truck CT will be competing with is F150 lighting which at dealership in $75k - 99K. So yeah, we are screwed for now.. I think $89k starting price at delivery event in the end of September will be a miracle.

There is a very simple reason.

Tesla wants to sell 250k per year for the next 10 years.

That doesn’t happen with a $79k truck. All this chatter about $80k trucks makes sense as an interesting strategy when production is low and they are making 500/ week. Once production tops 5,000/ Week, it all falls apart.

 

[cbrtrckrsrvd112219]

There is a very simple reason.

Tesla wants to sell 250k per year for the next 10 years.

That doesn’t happen with a $79k truck. All this chatter about $80k trucks makes sense as an interesting strategy when production is low and they are making 500/ week. Once production tops 5,000/ Week, it all falls apart.

your words into god's ears!
I hope you are right! Im just setting expectations for myself and given the fact that Tesla has direct control over price and doing real-time pricing real-time based on demand and inventory I dont see it is going to start with unreasonably low price. I hope they will go with price below Model X but even if they match Model X price the first 10-20k will still scream "take my money!"
Again, I hope you are right and I am wrong

 

[Ogre]

your words into god's ears!
I hope you are right! Im just setting expectations for myself and given the fact that Tesla has direct control over price and doing real-time pricing real-time based on demand and inventory I dont see it is going to start with unreasonably low price. I hope they will go with price below Model X but even if they match Model X price the first 10-20k will still scream "take my money!"
Again, I hope you are right and I am wrong

This is a bit dated, but it was a quick search and likely still very close to current.

These are the most commonly sold vehicles in the US.

None of them have a base price of anywhere near $90k. Some of them have configurations that get up that high, but most have a base price in the $30k-$40k range.

 

[Greshnab]

Average car price is 47,000 per year.. total car sales for luxury cars is about 23k per month <these numbers are in the US> source for Luxury cars is https://www.goodcarbadcar.net/2022-us-midsize-luxury-car-sales-figures/

I think it would be disingenuous for Elon to say he expects to sale 250k a year if his expected starting sale price is 80k

So I am revising my price down.

 

[rudedawg78]

I doubt CT will start at $60K. there is no reason, the only truck CT will be competing with is F150 lighting which at dealership in $75k - 99K. So yeah, we are screwed for now.. I think $89k starting price at delivery event in the end of September will be a miracle.

Once again, one of the main reasons they designed the Cybertruck the way it is...is to make it affordable. The delivery event is going to be much hyped and projected to the world. I doubt that Elon will be like, "Here is the Cybertruck! We are happy to finally deliver it at the low low price of $89K. Yeah, we know it is $20K more than the highest trim we initially announced (sorry reservation holders) but trust me...it is worth it!"

That scenario would be absurd. The Cybertruck will be affordable, and they are not wanting to "compete" with the similar price of the F150 lightning.

So... be prepared for a miracle!

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