Side-by-side comparison of prototypes shows how Tesla botched the production redesign process

[CyberGus]

sure, but “manually adjusted” doesn’t mean “all height settings available at all speeds”

and setting aside the relevant sense of “SUV” for present purposes:

“The E-Tron's default ride height is 6.8 inches. At speeds above 75 mph the suspension automatically drops the car 1.0 inch to reduce drag and improve handling. Switch to Off-Road mode on the Audi Drive Select menu, and the suspension lifts the E-Tron 1.4 inches. With 8.2 inches of ground clearance. On rough terrain the driver can also activate the “Lift” function. Compared with offroad mode here the body is another 15 millimeters (0.6 in) higher”

that last “lift” mode appears speed limited to <18.6mph

So that means the eTron has a max suspension range of 3” total, with half of that range speed limited - all while sitting on ~30” tires.


The CT sits on 35” tires, it’s base right height is almost certainly higher than the eTron’s max “lift” 8.8” mode, and while we don’t yet know the actual release specs it was purported to have 16” of total suspension select range

here’s a compare of the eTron “SUV” in lift mode compared to what we’ve seen of a CT in a lifted mode (for perspective, don’t forget the CT’s tires are 5” taller):

There is no value for Tesla to allow customer-tunable values that are inefficient and/or compromise safety.

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[Prime8]

sure, but “manually adjusted” doesn’t mean “all height settings available at all speeds”

and setting aside the relevant sense of “SUV” for present purposes:

“The E-Tron's default ride height is 6.8 inches. At speeds above 75 mph the suspension automatically drops the car 1.0 inch to reduce drag and improve handling. Switch to Off-Road mode on the Audi Drive Select menu, and the suspension lifts the E-Tron 1.4 inches. With 8.2 inches of ground clearance. On rough terrain the driver can also activate the “Lift” function. Compared with offroad mode here the body is another 15 millimeters (0.6 in) higher”

that last “lift” mode appears speed limited to <18.6mph

So that means the eTron has a max suspension range of 3” total, with half of that range speed limited - all while sitting on ~30” tires.


The CT sits on 35” tires, it’s base right height is almost certainly higher than the eTron’s max “lift” 8.8” mode, and while we don’t yet know the actual release specs it was purported to have 16” of total suspension select range

here’s a compare of the eTron “SUV” in lift mode compared to what we’ve seen of a CT in a lifted mode (for perspective, don’t forget the CT’s tires are 5” taller):

I want the Cybertruck to be able to "dance" and jump like the BYD car. Pretty amazing and equally stupid!

 

[cvalue13]

 

[Rutrow]

I want the Cybertruck to be able to "dance" and jump like the BYD car. Pretty amazing and equally stupid!

I'm wondering if the CyberTruck will be able to RAISE a wheel? Independent air suspension doesn't necessarily mean that it can. Since gravity generally works in one direction there isn't much of a reason for the shocks to exert force in both directions. But it would be valuable for a truck with as much utility potential as the CyberTruck.

My first imagined use case was in the event you get stuck in the sand. Alternately raise one wheel to fill in the hole or shore up that tire, then the other until you're out of the hole.

Next case: Since cars don't carry (enough?) spare tires. With a bit of shift of cargo, one could raise one wheel for short distances to get you off a busy road for a safer tire change, or to a service station for repair? And you wouldn't need a jack to change the tire either.

 

[SolarWizard]

They also moved the main headlights from the lightbar to the bumper below it, created space to add a winch, and redesigned the frunk, so that it opens similarly to the F-150 Lightning.

the space to add a winch is tbd. Likely going to require an entirely different front bumper which means every truck “has the space to add a winch”. The bumper is the space.

 

[PilotPete]

Manually adjustable on the fly air suspensions been available in the Audi ETron since 2019…… I definitely have it in my 2021. That is an SUV.

I had it on my Land Rover, but there were certain heights that weren’t available at speeds above your neighborhood. It also squatted in the back to hook up a trailer. Just drop it to the stops, back it up and then raise it up into the receiver.

 

[cvalue13]

I'm wondering if the CyberTruck will be able to RAISE a wheel?

Here’s a thread from the LR Defender forums, that talks about some of the odd and counterintuitive effects of its 4-corner active air suspension. Given the off road bona fides, it’s got one of the more individually-adjustable OEM systems there are so far.

as you suggested in your post, to raise a single wheel actually takes a jack still, but makes the Jack work easier.

absent a jack, the system thinks it’s trying to lower the vehicle assisted by the vehicle’s weight. The shock therefore “weakens” and - absent any pressure upwards - the wheel actually drops instead of raises.

but do the same thing with a Jack under the control arm, and minimal upwards Jack pressure raises that wheel more easily

Tesla would be performing quite a trick for its system to work much differently - but we’ll see!

 

[mfg310]

sure, but “manually adjusted” doesn’t mean

and setting aside the relevant sense of “SUV” for present purposes:

“The E-Tron's default ride height is 6.8 inches. At speeds above 75 mph the suspension automatically drops the car 1.0 inch to reduce drag and improve handling. Switch to Off-Road mode on the Audi Drive Select menu, and the suspension lifts the E-Tron 1.4 inches. With 8.2 inches of ground clearance. On rough terrain the driver can also activate the “Lift” function. Compared with offroad mode here the body is another 15 millimeters (0.6 in) higher”

that last “lift” mode appears speed limited to <18.6mph

So that means the eTron has a max suspension range of 3” total, with half of that range speed limited - all while sitting on ~30” tires.


The CT sits on 35” tires, it’s base right height is almost certainly higher than the eTron’s max “lift” 8.8” mode, and while we don’t yet know the actual release specs it was purported to have 16” of total suspension select range

here’s a compare of the eTron “SUV” in lift mode compared to what we’ve seen of a CT in a lifted mode (for perspective, don’t forget the CT’s tires are 5” taller):

The poster you responded to never asked for “all height settings available at all speeds”......he simply wanted a user-adjustable ride height. YOU said no OEM has so far allowed for an at-will user-adjusted ride height in an SUV.

The Audi eTRON, an SUV, allows you to user-select 6 of the 7 driving modes on the fly, each one adjusting the ride height, the lone exception being the Offroad mode. Your briefing googling of how the Etron air suspension works aside, Allroad mode lifts it to the second-highest setting. Comfort mode drops it down, and Efficiency mode drops it even further.

Now you're saying it doesn't count because it doesn't move up and down enough for you, or that it drops by itself at 75mph, or that it might not even be an SUV??

We call this "moving the goalpost."

 

[mfg310]

I had it on my Land Rover, but there were certain heights that weren’t available at speeds above your neighborhood. It also squatted in the back to hook up a trailer. Just drop it to the stops, back it up and then raise it up into the receiver.

Audi's allows you to have the second highest ride height in Allroad mode....only Offroad is speed restricted.

 

[John K]

Here’s a thread from the LR Defender forums, that talks about some of the odd and counterintuitive effects of its 4-corner active air suspension. Given the off road bona fides, it’s got one of the more individually-adjustable OEM systems there are so far.

as you suggested in your post, to raise a single wheel actually takes a jack still, but makes the Jack work easier.

absent a jack, the system thinks it’s trying to lower the vehicle assisted by the vehicle’s weight. The shock therefore “weakens” and - absent any pressure upwards - the wheel actually drops instead of raises.

but do the same thing with a Jack under the control arm, and minimal upwards Jack pressure raises that wheel more easily

Tesla would be performing quite a trick for its system to work much differently - but we’ll see!

1 raise to full height
2 block frame to height (Careful with battery)
3 reverse airflow from blow to suck
4 Spaceballs

 

[CYBRSMTH]

the space to add a winch is tbd. Likely going to require an entirely different front bumper which means every truck “has the space to add a winch”. The bumper is the space.

There was that test mule with an alternative front spoiler or something in New Zealand.

 

[cvalue13]

The poster you responded to never asked for “all height settings available at all speeds”......he simply wanted a user-adjustable ride height.

Maybe you’re not reading far enough back in the thread to understand the center of the discussion?

I’d *strongly* expect the “squatted” position will be the ride height in all but limited “offroad” settings that are speed limited

To which someone quoted Me to reply:

You’ll be able to lift it at will with the air suspension, but as you said it won’t hit the range numbers on the highway.

the suggestion being there *wont* be speed limited height settings, to which suggestion

if that’s true, it would be the first adaptable air suspension from an OEM that would allow that sort of behavior

to which basically you responded: “Audi eTron’s ‘SUV’ is a counter example”

to which I pointed out that even the “offroad” capabilities of the eTron “SUV” have an active air suspension wherein fully one-half of it’s ‘adaptive’ range is speed/conditions restricted and inaccessible to ‘manual adjustment’

if anything, your eTron example actually makes and emphasizes my point: even OEM’s with a paltry 3” of max adaptive range (only 1.5” of which is UPWARDS) don’t allow their users to access all heights “at will”

far from moving the goalposts, you:

 

[cvalue13]

1 raise to full height
2 block frame to height (Careful with battery)
3 reverse airflow from blow to suck
4 Spaceballs

I mean, maybe

but the point about the Land/Range Rover system is the above is not how it would work if the system is like the Land/Range Rover’s

mainly, because there is no “suck”

there is “high pressure” (lift the truck) and “low pressure” (let the weight of the truck press the air out)

Without the weight of the truck, the “low pressure” setting actually lets the suspension relax and it even hangs down

but since the pressure is low, light jacking at the control arm will raise the corner

will Tesla’s system be different, and have the equivalent of a “suck”? I mean…

Range Rover’s had such a system since 1993, and is arguably the world heavy weight champion of OEM offroad adjustable suspension capabilities, and they’ve not done it

 

[Crissa]

I can’t be the only one who thinks Tesla has nearly ruined the design by making the body shorter, narrower, and more boxy, while the bumper is much thicker. Thoughts?

So you want a truck that's larger but doesn't carry any more?

Like, why?

Also, what exact dimentions where do you think are changed, and what measurements do you have to prove it?

Why are all the threads either about pricing the truck 20-100% more or guesses that the truck is now minuscule?

-Crissa

 

[BayouCityBob]

So you want a truck that's larger but doesn't carry any more?

Like, why?

Also, what exact dimentions where do you think are changed, and what measurements do you have to prove it?

Why are all the threads either about pricing the truck 20-100% more or guesses that the truck is now minuscule?

-Crissa

I agree with @CHC that the rear end is flatter, wider and generally less elegant in the production model. OTOH I think most of us have experienced a similar transformation (to varying degrees) since 2019. Does not mean I like it though!

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