Consumer Reports reviews the Cybertruck

anionic1

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Who reads consumer report anymore?? I haven't trusted a word they say since the 90s Suzuki samurai lies. They were proven guilty of intentionally defaming the samurai to boost Wrangler sales.
Don't even get me started on their garbage software reviews.

Their misquoting of Elon and the Tesla website is just more of their tedious nonsense. Where did all the good reporters go? You know, the ones that report the truth and check their facts?

I do like the IIHS for safety reviews, at least they stick to a scientific rigor and simply report the data. For user reviews, it's best to just go drive it yourself or talk to someone you know that owns it.
The Ford Foundation is not the Ford Automotive company. They are different companies with different sources of money. The Ford Foundation gets its money from the original members of the Ford family, ones that no longer work at Ford.

That's like saying the business Grandpa founded when he retired is paying for ads for the business that the Grandchild is took over. That's ridiculous. And it would be highly corrupt and a violation of federal law for non-profits to act on behalf of a for-profit company.

-Crissa
i am still smelling a lot of conflicts of interest here. I don’t believe there is such a thing as getting large sums of money from an entity and not “owing” them or their affiliates.
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Crissa

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i am still smelling a lot of conflicts of interest here. I don’t believe there is such a thing as getting large sums of money from an entity and not “owing” them or their affiliates.
That's not how conflict of interest works.

-Crissa
 

anionic1

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That's not how conflict of interest works.

-Crissa
Oh I know big companies and despite how distant the family is there is still money flowing to non active family for sure. In a huge company like Ford there are certainly kids and relatives with fancy titles that don’t actually do much. And what better way to make it not look like a conflict of interest than have some distant “non affiliated” non profit do your bidding. Didn’t the Ford foundation recently hire one of Henry Fords great grandsons to the board. Consumer reports getting money from a “non affiliated” company and happening to write favorable articles about the company’s “non affiliates” is exactly how you try to hide a conflict of interest. Now I am not saying the foundation is bad or that they don’t accomplish a lot of good. But giving over $100k a year to CR. I doubt the true motive is to make sure people make wise choices on which blender to buy.
 

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Those are Rockwell axles under the rear.
I cut up a lot of military trucks and parted them out to the rock crawler crowd.
Those are either 2 1/2 or 5 ton military axles.
The may have just put that body on a military chassis. There was a lot of that going on in the military vehicle collector hobby.
We still have an 04 Dodge dually for the farm but it has never been lifted or equipped with other than stock sized tires. The stupid thing is 2wd and will get stuck in it's own shadow.
Cool. This vehicle was at Mecum Car Auction Orlando last month. I drive for them and I think they said that it was a 5 ton chassis.
 


Eedeen4

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My Ford 2003 F150 has been a great truck. But it’s rusting away. Another huge advantage of Tesla’s CT it won’t rust. Will not produce N oxides, no co2, no co. The large battery, can act as a backup generator for your house. And no more oil drips in Retail parking lots from leaking ICE engines. We’ll not only clean the air but the creeks and water ways. The sharp angle lines look like a stealth jet fighter.
 

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My Ford 2003 F150 has been a great truck. But it’s rusting away. Another huge advantage of Tesla’s CT it won’t rust. Will not produce N oxides, no co2, no co. The large battery, can act as a backup generator for your house. And no more oil drips in Retail parking lots from leaking ICE engines. We’ll not only clean the air but the creeks and water ways. The sharp angle lines look like a stealth jet fighter.
The Cybertruck will have some structural steel that is not Stainless. I don't think much of it will be exposed to the elements directly though. Seems like some parts of the suspension would be steel though. It'll definitely be 99% less rust, but might need to watch those few parts or end up with a shiny truck that falls apart.
 

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The Cybertruck will have some structural steel that is not Stainless. I don't think much of it will be exposed to the elements directly though. Seems like some parts of the suspension would be steel though. It'll definitely be 99% less rust, but might need to watch those few parts or end up with a shiny truck that falls apart.
Source?
 

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No, but they have shown the occasional editorial lapse in the recent past.

Maybe one of their automotive writers -- always used to scrupulous cooperation from makers -- ran into Tesla's practice of ignoring journalists' questions and became peeved.
I cancelled my CR subscription 2 yrs ago because they went from un-biased reviews to paid critiques and reviews......they are just like all the rest now
 


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Without production vehicles, we're all operating on guesswork. But Munro talks about some of the suspension components being stamped steel in this video. There are clearly no bits of the suspension made of stainless. I suspect there are other components which will be made of stamped steel as well because it doesn't make a ton of sense to fold every component on the truck.
 

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Preview: Edgy Electric Tesla Cybertruck Boasts Rapid Acceleration, Long Range

Tesla storms into an electric pickup segment as a futuristic, high-performance vehicle that can tow up to 14,000 pounds

By Jeff S. Bartlett
Last updated: August 11, 2021

CR-Cars-InlineHero-Tesla-Cybertruck-f-driving-8-21.jpg

PHOTO: TESLA

The Tesla Cybertruck rocked the automotive world when the prototype was unveiled in November 2019. Its brash, edgy design is unlike any vehicle that has been produced, seeming to draw inspiration from children’s building blocks and the DeLorean DMC-12. It boasts big numbers, with sports car–like acceleration, heavy-duty-truck-grade tow capacity, massive 500-mile range, and the overpromising Full Self-Driving driver-assistance features.

The company said the truck would begin production by the end of 2021, but as Tesla CEO Elon Musk shared on a recent earnings call, production will be pushed back into 2022. Tesla.com indicates 2022, without pointing to a season or portion of the year. Our guess is late 2022 at the earliest because the company has several major barriers to overcome first.

Musk repeated a now-familiar saying during the earnings call: “It is easy to make prototypes, hard to do mass production.” He did state that engineering is complete, and the Cybertruck is moving into a beta phase this year. It will be built at a new facility in Texas that is still under construction, and the Cybertruck assembly line will start after the updated Model Y begins production there.

Among the challenges Tesla faces is solving its chip shortage. Company officials stated that this hurdle affects when the Cybertruck and Semi tractor-trailer truck will begin production. Another roadblock is getting its next-generation 4680 batteries built at a sufficient volume. Tesla’s own descriptions of the challenges in doing so point to these promising batteries being a real factor with timing.

Musk has indicated that the production Cybertruck will be a hint smaller than the prototype, whose key dimensions were a near-match for the Ford F-150 crew cab, making it more compatible with the subterranean tunnels created by the related Boring Company to help vehicles move under busy cities.
It is still hard to believe that the company truly intends to produce such an angular product, but the U.S. Design Patents filed this July show a design that very much resembles the Cybertruck prototype. Clearly the styling and specifications have garnered a large following, with reports pointing to more than a million refundable deposits made on the Cybertruck. Even a fraction of that would be stunning, given the radical design and how little is known about the final product.

More details will emerge as the countdown to production continues. Here is what we know so far.
What it competes with: Chevrolet Silverado Electric, GMC Hummer EV, Ford F-150 Lightning, Rivian R1T
What it looks like: A sci-fi movie extra, designed as a cross between a DeLorean and a door stop.
Powertrains: Single-motor, rear-wheel drive; dual- and tri-motor with all-wheel drive.
Price: $39,900-$69,900
On sale: Available for preorder now. Delivery estimated to be late 2022 at the earliest.

CR's Take
It’s hard to believe this is a production-intent vehicle, given its unconventional design. The shape and structure raise all kinds of questions that will eventually be answered, including outward visibility, pedestrian compatibility, and most important, whether it is just a prank.

The performance claims are shocking. About 18 months after the 500-mile range and 2.9-second 0-to-60-mph time were announced, we learned about the production challenges, including getting the crucial, next-generation batteries built. Living up to those promises will be difficult, and the engineering challenge to fulfill the headline-grabbing boasts will ultimately play a role in the rollout timing. Tesla does have a history of making stunning claims, then taking the time necessary to fulfill them. To its credit, the company does make good on its power and range targets.

We are very interested to see how it performs in crash tests. Other Teslas have done extremely well, but the boasts about the solid steel body, tough glass, and the sharp angles and planar surfaces have us curious about its ability to absorb crash energy.

Whatever happens with the production Cybertruck, it will be interesting, and we will test it.

Outside
CR-Cars-Inline-Tesla-Cybertruck-r-bed-open-8-21.jpg

PHOTO: TESLA

The head-turning styling uses a hard stainless steel “exoskeleton,” similar to airplane design. Musk showed off the strength of the truck’s body panels at the unveiling, with an onstage demonstration of a sledgehammer swung hard at the door panels. Each time, the sledgehammer bounced off of the panels without leaving a mark. The glass is likewise said to be much tougher than what is commonly used in the industry.

The 6.5-foot bed has a large, hidden storage compartment. The tailgate on the prototype folds down like on most trucks; we hope the production model will have a gate that is also side-hinged, like on the Honda Ridgeline, to allow access to that underfloor bin. The tailgate, at least on the prototype, does have a neat trick: It can tilt down and extend to become a ramp for loading a motorcycle, an all-terrain vehicle, a lawn mower, a grill, or other wheeled items.

The prototype has a retractable tonneau cover that seals the bed with a smooth top that makes for a single, angled surface that extends over the roof, contributing to the defining wedge shape. Tesla has shown a potential cap design for the bed that could be used for camping.

The Cybertruck has been shown only with bare metal, reminiscent of the DeLorean. It is unknown whether the futuristic pickup will be offered in colors.

Inside
CR-Cars-Inline-Tesla-Cybertruck-int-8-21.jpg

ILLUSTRATION: TESLA

The interior has a minimalist design, with a large, dominant center screen—like current production models. The illustrations from Tesla show a yoke in place of a round steering wheel, as is now available on the Model S.

There are two seating configurations: Five seats, with two front seats flanking a large center armrest with storage and two cupholders, and six seats with a front bench.
The illustrations reveal a glass top, giving the cabin an open feeling akin to the Model X.

What Drives It
The Tesla truck will come in three variations, with one, two, or three motors. Specific output hasn’t been released yet, but Tesla has published key performance figures as outlined in the chart below.

Tesla Cybertruck Versions
SINGLE-MOTOR RWDDUAL-MOTOR AWDTRI-MOTOR AWD
Price$39,900$49,900$69,900
Range (miles)250+300+500+
0-60 mph (seconds)<6.5<4.5<2.9
Tow capacity (lb.)7,500+10,00014,000+
Payload (lb.)3,5003,5003,500

Safety and Driver Assistance Systems
No details on safety systems have been released, but it is reasonable to assume the Cybertruck will include at least the features that are found on the Model 3, Model S, and Model X.
Those Tesla models come standard with forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, and lane keeping assist. However, they do not include blind spot warning or rear cross traffic warning.

Full Self-Driving Capability is offered for $10,000. The website says that “selecting Full Self-Driving today will secure your price as it increases in the future.” Last month, Tesla introduced a new subscription plan for the driver assistance package at $199 per month. The automaker describes FSD as a “suite of more advanced driver assistance features” that are designed to work under a driver’s active supervision, including automatic lane changes, active parking assistance, and traffic light and stop sign recognition. To be clear: Despite the feature’s name, no commercially available self-driving cars currently exist.
CR-Cars-Inline-Tesla-Cybertruck-r-driving-8-21.jpg

PHOTO: TESLA

Electric Cars 101
Electric cars are bringing some of the biggest changes the auto industry has seen in years. On the “Consumer 101” TV show, Consumer Reports expert Jake Fisher explains to host Jack Rico why these vehicles might not be as newfangled as you think.


https://www.consumerreports.org/hybrids-evs/tesla-cybertruck-electric-pickup-review/
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