Poll : What would be the perfect model for you

What would be the perfect model for you

  • 1 motor rear, 2wd, 300miles (base)

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 2 motor rear, 2wd, 500 miles (sport LR)

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    90

Ogre

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Find it weird that you’ve added options and eliminated one which was on launch day. I know there are rumors it was eliminated, but it is still more far more likely than either of the 1 motor options or the dual motor 500 mile option.

The dual motor with anything over 400 miles would be my choice. But since I’m pretty sure that’s not a thing, the tri motor in my current reservation and choice. I don’t care about the trivial performance that 4th motor brings to the table and would not pay more for it.
 
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FrankMcEnnis

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I remove the tri cause I find it redondant, why put 2 motor in the rear for no reason. The tri motor in my opinion is a 2 motor a little faster.
 

HaulingAss

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Find it weird that you’ve added options and eliminated one which was on launch day. I know there are rumors it was eliminated, but it is still more far more likely than either of the 1 motor options or the dual motor 500 mile option.

The dual motor with anything over 400 miles would be my choice. But since I’m pretty sure that’s not a thing, the tri motor in my current reservation and choice. I don’t care about the trivial performance that 4th motor brings to the table and would not pay more for it.
The fourth motor is not primarily about speed and power, three motors are plenty for that. The fourth motor brings ultimate traction to the Cybertruck by eliminating the open differential in the front. It also brings full AWD torque vectoring for those who like to drive on the edge.

This poll doesn't provide the one potential configuration that would make a lot of people very happy: A 500-mile range version with two motors, both on the rear axle.

This configuration would provide the same or better off-road and slippery surface climbing performance of a traditional 4x4 truck having two open differentials. It would also provide better torque vectoring than would be possible with a 2-motor 4WD configuration and the towing performance and economics would be great too. The biggest downside would be regular front to back tire rotations (but those are a quick and easy DIY procedure).

People under-estimate the excellent driving dynamics of a RWD two-motor configuration because they can't get past the serious limitations of the driving dynamics of a traditional RWD configuration paired with a heavy engine upfront and an open differential in rear. With the battery weight forward and low, and with the traction and rear-wheel torque vectoring enabled by two motors on the rear axle, it's a whole different beast.

This configuration eliminates archaic and uneccessary differentials without needing to go to an expensive four-motor configuration.
 


pricedm

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I bet we will see two models: Dual motor and Tri motor. I don't think Tesla will introduce a quad motor, when tri motor is proven technology on both the semi and Plaid. Six months till we know...can't wait.
 

Ogre

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The fourth motor is not primarily about speed and power, three motors are plenty for that. The fourth motor brings ultimate traction to the Cybertruck by eliminating the open differential in the front. It also brings full AWD torque vectoring for those who like to drive on the edge.
This is what I was referring to when I said there would be a minor performance improvement.

Under a few very specific scenarios, 4 motors gives a small performance advantage. Most of us will never notice it one way or the other.

For example: I didn’t pay extra for a limited slip differential in the ICE truck either.
 

Crissa

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"Perfect" is different than "acceptable".

Single-motor is "acceptable" which is why I marked it in my reservation. Dual-motor is "Perfect".

The discussion about Tri-motor and Dual-rear are missing the fact that having that one forward motor allows for Tesla's range-extending cruise mode, which they also use on the Semi.

So for the same battery, a Dual-Motor AWD will have more range than a Single-Motor RWD; and a Tri-Motor will have more range than a Dual-Rear-Motor.

-Crissa
 


HaulingAss

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This is what I was referring to when I said there would be a minor performance improvement.

Under a few very specific scenarios, 4 motors gives a small performance advantage. Most of us will never notice it one way or the other.

For example: I didn’t pay extra for a limited slip differential in the ICE truck either.
A limited slip differential provides only a small gain compared to having an independent motor for each wheel. First, it can't even engage until there is more than ideal amounts of traction loss. It is very slow to engage and disengage and very crude in it's ability to proportion torque effectively. Worse, it depends upon friction discs which are wear items that also contaminate the oil in the differential. It is also very innefficient from an energy useage perspective.

Independent electric drive of each wheel opens an entirely new realm of possibilities, with incomparable advantages and none of the disadvantages of a limited slip differential. It can perform far superior to a full locking differential in the nastiest off-road traction situation, while providing far more grip accelerating on icy surfaces due to its ability to respond nearly instantaneously to changing traction conditions. And it doesn't increase mechanical complexity at all, it simplifies it by removing the expensive differental gears that are required whenever two wheel are driven from one motor, ICE or electric. It also gets rid of the oil the differential gears must be partially submerged in, increasing efficiency further.

The traction advantages in snow and ice of having independent motors vs. a differential of any type should not be underestimated. With skilled programming of the drive electronics, the difference is night/day. I suppose you could call this a "performance advantage" but many will find it misleading because they think of "performance" as relating to racing or performance driving. However the advantage is one of being able to get there, of getting stuck (or not) and of losing traction in a corner and sliding into the ravine (or not). The safety benefits of being able to maintain optimum traction on icy roads is why I think calling it a "minor performance advantage" is not representative of the very significant benefits individual motors bring to the automotive world.

Boat ramps can be very slippery and I've personally witnessed many four-wheel drive trucks need a tow to get their boat out of the water in situations where a truck with only RWD could have had success if both rear wheels had an electric motor dedicated to each wheel. That's because steep ramps transfer most of the weight to the rear wheels anyway and, between the ramp steepness and the trailer tongue weight, the front tires have minimal traction to assist with. Further, even a limited slip differential is very inefficient at maximizing traction relative to electronic control of each wheel. A four motor Cybertruck would obviously be even better.

I would say independent wheel control has huge safety and convenience advantages, in addition to higher performce on and off road. That's in addition to the benefits of efficiency, mechanical simplicity and reduced count of wear parts.
 
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HaulingAss

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I've added 2 more, you can change your vote
Thanks. I left my vote on the 4 motor version because it's the most capable and without knowing the cost of the increasing capability, I simply chose the most capable. But I can see the two motor RWD as being appealing depending upon how low of a price it might be able to be offered for.

In not many more than a few weeks I expect this will be more clear, when Tesla announces the final specs and availability of various configurations. I expect them to keep it relatively simple until they start putting a significant dent in the unmet demand.
 

TBONO

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The fourth motor is not primarily about speed and power, three motors are plenty for that. The fourth motor brings ultimate traction to the Cybertruck by eliminating the open differential in the front. It also brings full AWD torque vectoring for those who like to drive on the edge.

This poll doesn't provide the one potential configuration that would make a lot of people very happy: A 500-mile range version with two motors, both on the rear axle.

This configuration would provide the same or better off-road and slippery surface climbing performance of a traditional 4x4 truck having two open differentials. It would also provide better torque vectoring than would be possible with a 2-motor 4WD configuration and the towing performance and economics would be great too. The biggest downside would be regular front to back tire rotations (but those are a quick and easy DIY procedure).

People under-estimate the excellent driving dynamics of a RWD two-motor configuration because they can't get past the serious limitations of the driving dynamics of a traditional RWD configuration paired with a heavy engine upfront and an open differential in rear. With the battery weight forward and low, and with the traction and rear-wheel torque vectoring enabled by two motors on the rear axle, it's a whole different beast.

This configuration eliminates archaic and uneccessary differentials without needing to go to an expensive four-motor configuration.
I respectfully disagree as those of us that need to drive in snow conditions know that there are no 35 inch snow tires on the market.

so, until that is available, I guess that is what you classify as driving on the edge. However, those of us in Northern climates is just driving in the winter
 

Sirfun

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Before I could make a decision on how many motors and how much range I want, I need to know how quickly the cybertruck will accept of charge for roughly 250 mi of range. That's all I need between stops, so if say for example the cybertruck could charge that much range in 15 minutes all I would ever want is a 300 mi truck for less money and less weight while on driving. With that scenario, my choice would be a AWD dual motor with 300mi. Of range. Plenty quick and lighter is better off-road.
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