Musk Says There Are 146,000 Cybertruck Orders Just Two Days After Reveal
Tesla Inc. Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk said Saturday the company has amassed 146,000 orders for its Cybertruck, less than 48 hours after the polarizing vehicle was first shown amid shattered glass.
[...] Tesla's website allows customers to order the electric truck for a fully refundable $100, and says they can complete their configuration "as production nears in late 2021." Musk said in a tweet that 42% had ordered the dual-motor option, which starts at $49,900, while 41% have ordered the $69,900 triple-motor option, production of which is expected to begin in late 2022. Just 17% ordered the single-motor version, which begins at $39,900.
146k Cybertruck orders so far, with 42% choosing dual, 41% tri & 17% single motor
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 23, 2019
The $100 deposit for the Cybertruck is far cheaper than the $1,000 that was required to reserve a Model 3 sedan. Tesla's reservation lists have long been a source of intrigue for investors, analysts, journalists, fans and skeptics of the company, as it's often used as a proxy for demand. But Tesla itself stopped giving reservation figures on its quarterly earnings calls, saying the metric wasn't relevant.
Previously: Tesla Unveils "Cybertruck"
Related Stories
Tesla Cybertruck
Tesla unveiled the Cybertruck. Apparently, many people think it's ugly. I absolutely love it. It took the jellybean esthetic of modern vehicles and ran it over. Twice. There's simply no point in saying anything about this truck -- you have to look at the pictures:
In order to make this TFS less short, a few specs, but really, they don't matter until you see if it appeals to you which it either will or won't in spades. The low end 250 mile range version is supposed to be about $40k. The body is unpainted cold rolled stainless steel. Upmodels will have a towing capacity variously described as 10-14k pounds and at the top end, a 500 mile range. They'll cost a lot more.
"Bulletproof" Musk Cybertruck fail
Elon Musk bragged that his "cybertruck" was bulletproof to a 9mm round, but two separate attempts to demonstrate just how tough it is failed when ball bearings thrown by hand literally caused the windows to come crashing down in pieces. So much for safety glass; even on cyber trucks, windows sucks.
We created an exoskeleton," Musk said to rapturous whoops from those attending the Los Angeles launch. "It is literally bulletproof to a 9mm handgun."
Franz von Holzhausen, Tesla's chief designer, asked Musk if he could lob a metal ball at the window of the vehicle. "Really?" said Musk. The window smashed. "Oh my fucking God," said Musk. "Maybe that was a little hard."
Showing confidence in the vehicle, Von Holzhausen then suggested he should lob it at a second window. "Try that one? Really?" asked Musk moments before the rear window was also smashed. "It didn't go through, that's the plus side," a stunned Musk said.
Also at Ars Technica and Wccftech.
See also: Hot takes as opinion cools on Tesla Cybertruck
Tesla trademarked Cybertruck and 'Cybrtrk' ahead of its planned debut
Nikola Unveils Three Reservation Packages for the Badger Electric Pickup Truck
Nikola, the manufacturer of an electric version of the heavy-truck, experienced a phenomenal bull run last week, prompted by the news of an imminent opening of reservations for the much-anticipated Badger electric pickup truck. Today, Nikola Motors tweeted further details regarding the seminal event, currently slated for the 27th of June.
[...] The first Nikola Badger reservation package will cost $250 and will entail a $500 discount applicable to the Badger's MSRP – expected to vary between $60,000 and $90,000. The package also contains a ticket to the Nikola World 2020 in order to view the Badger in-person. Finally, the package will entail 2 entries into a ballot for the Badger giveaway.
[...] As a refresher, Nikola unveiled the Badger electric pickup truck back in February 2020 to compete with Tesla's much-anticipated Cybertruck. According to the details revealed by the company, the Badger will retail in two power configurations: an FCEV (Fuel-Cell Electric) or BEV (Battery-Electric). Though it sports a much more conventional design as opposed to the Cybertruck's sharp corners and the futuristic vibe, the Badger offers impressive specs. As an illustration, the electric truck will offer a headline range of 600 miles through either of the two power configurations. Moreover, it will offer an acceleration from 0 to 60 mph in 2.9 seconds, a torque of up to 980 pounds-feet, and a peak horsepower of 906.
Previously: Nikola Semi Startup Shines on Wall Street With $34BN Valuation
Related: Nikola Corporation to Unveil Game-Changing Battery Cell Technology at Nikola World 2020
Tesla Unveils "Cybertruck"
Budweiser Brewer Makes First Beer Delivery With Nikola Semi Truck
146,000 Preorders for Tesla's Cybertruck in 48 Hours
Tesla Beats Expectations with Strong First-Quarter Delivery Numbers
Tesla's Robotaxi Fleet Will be 'Functionally Ready' in 2020, Musk Says
(Score: 1) by RandomFactor on Sunday November 24 2019, @06:42PM (19 children)
I have a kid that's going to be needing a car. So I floated the idea of pre-ordering one and handing down the hybrid, and it actually was approved.
Unexpected, but now I have to decide if I really want to do it.
В «Правде» нет известий, в «Известиях» нет правды
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 24 2019, @07:06PM (7 children)
If you really want to piss off your high school kid that much, give him a Toyota Prius.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by jasassin on Sunday November 24 2019, @09:56PM (5 children)
My first car was a crappy Plymouth Arrow that went 0 to 45 in about 90 seconds and blew out massive amounts of blue smoke. I thought I was pimping! I had the pioneer super tuner cassette deck, and two smoke sale 12" Rockford Fosgate subwoofers driven in serial by a 120 watt bridged Alpine amp ($60 from a shady kid I can't get into details) for that neighbor infuriating random nigga bass.
Kids these days just don't know what coolness really is.
jasassin@gmail.com GPG Key ID: 0xE6462C68A9A3DB5A
(Score: 2, Touché) by McGruber on Monday November 25 2019, @04:25AM
Ok Boomers
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Monday November 25 2019, @11:12AM
Had you sorta beat. Drove a '72 Cadillac inherited from my grandfather with an 8-track player.
Sadly, the only tape was the Greatest Hits of Linda Ronstadt.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Monday November 25 2019, @02:58PM
I'll have you know that is Azure smoke!
The smoke of an engine performing up to Microsoft's highest standards.
The server will be down for replacement of vacuum tubes, belts, worn parts and lubrication of gears and bearings.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 25 2019, @04:12PM (1 child)
You want massive blue smoke? I had a Saab 9-5 that went from 0 - 60 in 6.2 seconds on the track. One day on the highway, the turbo (Garrett GT17) journal bearing assploded, dumping 5 quarts of oil through the exhaust side turbine and out the exhaust system in less thank half a minute. I saw a dark blue-grey cloud filling up my rear view mirror. It choked off 3 lanes of travel and was higher than a tractor trailer. It looked like the smoke from spy hunter. [google.com]
I replaced that toy turbo with a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries turbo and can get low 5's on the track. Surprisingly, the catalytic converter still works and the exhaust system has yet to fail.
(Score: 1) by Sulla on Tuesday November 26 2019, @06:25AM
Ceterum censeo Sinae esse delendam
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Monday November 25 2019, @01:02AM
Yugo
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. I have always been here. ---Gaaark 2.0 --
(Score: 3, Interesting) by barbara hudson on Sunday November 24 2019, @07:43PM (4 children)
SoylentNews is social media. Says so right in the slogan. Soylentnews is people, not tech.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 24 2019, @09:27PM (1 child)
My understanding is they were throwing the balls at the truck all day with the glass remaining intact and were advised not to do it during the demo since the glass had already been hammered on pretty hard. It seems plausible, I don't think the windows breaking in the demo proves there is a problem with the glass.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 24 2019, @11:16PM
Hint: You will end up with either a crack that quickly crosses the windshield, or a shattered side/rear window.
While I dislike the way the glass broke (complete visibility compromise through the affected window), the fact that it doesn't shatter inwards can be seen as a safety feature for the majority of idiots on the road. I'm not sure if it can withstand a 9mm bullet if it shatters under a ball bearing, if that was the first impact, but if it wasn't that is a pretty impressive level of abuse before failure.
That said, maybe they should offer a cryotreatment option for those windows for an added couple of grand. For the extra cost the stress relief on the glass, if it is compatible with the bonding layer, should provide panes that can take an enhanced level of abuse before shattering, or not shatter at all, and fail more akin to normal safety glass with a stress relieving crack.
(Score: 2, Touché) by Sulla on Sunday November 24 2019, @10:18PM
I have to agree. I'm fed up with Musk's bullshit. Here I was committing to a fully refundable 100 deposit and then found out that the window can't handle having a 2in steel ball thrown at it. #classaction
Ceterum censeo Sinae esse delendam
(Score: 2) by hemocyanin on Monday November 25 2019, @07:35AM
I ordered mine after. As long as the glass holds together, I don't care about whether it is bullet proof or not. Nobody is out to kill me.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by jasassin on Sunday November 24 2019, @09:39PM (2 children)
Go for it! It's a cool vehicle! Hopefully if more people show they're interested in these futurist cars, other companies will follow the lead and we can fade out these mundane sedans with bodies that haven't changed in decades. I welcome these fresh futuristic looking vehicles!
jasassin@gmail.com GPG Key ID: 0xE6462C68A9A3DB5A
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 25 2019, @03:24AM (1 child)
I welcome these fresh futuristic looking vehicles!
UGH! Dreadful future! Legos on wheels. And you'll know it when the sun reflects off that glass! Truthfully, if they made it just a bit concave, the reflection will be a little brighter, and warmer! Gimme a regular longbed!
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 25 2019, @10:15AM
And yet, I wonder if more aerodynamic than the current "pickups"
(Score: 4, Funny) by driverless on Sunday November 24 2019, @10:19PM (2 children)
Make sense, the Cybertruck is exactly the sort of thing a kid would draw if given some crayons and paper.
Still, it may be a bit irresponsible to give a five-year-old a vehicle like that, no matter how much they like it.
(Score: 4, Funny) by krishnoid on Sunday November 24 2019, @10:40PM (1 child)
I did think it looked a little familiar [amazon.com].
(Score: 2) by driverless on Sunday November 24 2019, @10:52PM
Naah, that one's completely different! It has a gun turret on it, while the otherwise identical Tesla one doesn't.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 24 2019, @07:23PM (5 children)
... when Tesla goes bankrupt? Looks like some fools just gave the company $14.6 million to piss away.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 24 2019, @07:30PM
Cyberfools would gladly pay $100 to suck the musk out of Elong's dick.
(Score: 2) by RS3 on Sunday November 24 2019, @07:53PM
Seems like the money should go into escrow.
(Score: 2) by barbara hudson on Sunday November 24 2019, @08:16PM
SoylentNews is social media. Says so right in the slogan. Soylentnews is people, not tech.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Monday November 25 2019, @03:02PM (1 child)
Some of the people doing this are trying to increase their chances of a date with Elon.
The server will be down for replacement of vacuum tubes, belts, worn parts and lubrication of gears and bearings.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Monday November 25 2019, @10:14PM
This is how you get a date with Elon:
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/evkgvz/what-is-rokos-basilisk-elon-musk-grimes [vice.com]
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 24 2019, @07:53PM (36 children)
Real truck users care about a lot more than this coy ankle-flashing crap.
What's the turning radius?
Never mind towing, what's hauling capacity like? If it's ballpark one tenth of towing, that's seriously unimpressive. Even one fifth of towing is really not good.
What's the bed configuration? Does it have a full length 8x4 foot bed? Are their tie-downs? Does it fit a standard toolbox? Is there a cab-only option?
What's the seating capacity? Can you get your crew to the worksite or will you need another vehicle?
How's the all-round visibility? How well can you avoid standpipes and stumps?
How well does the traction control handle sloppy conditions? Will all that traction-from-zero result in bogging the first time you hit it on mud?
How well can the interior be hosed out? Are the controls work glove friendly?
If you're hauling hay to cattle in -30F weather, how well will the batteries hold up? The track record of Teslas isn't comforting on this front.
If you have a farm out the back of beyond, will you be able to charge this puppy if you coat the roof of your barn in solar panels? Will the panels be an optional extra, or are they subsidised by Tesla?
Real working folks want to know. Suburbanites mostly don't give a shit.
So many questions, no answers seen yet.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by MostCynical on Sunday November 24 2019, @08:15PM (1 child)
you ask all these questions, but still buy F-series and Dodge Ram-style vehicles, where the answers are not great.
There will always be one thing that one vehicle doesn't do as well as some other vehicle.
strawmen are useful for justifying purchases, though.
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 0, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 24 2019, @10:48PM
At least for them the specs are available, in detail, up front, right down to headroom and legroom. Make the compromise you dislike least, then customise the details.
Here we have guesstimates, marketing promises and irrelevances like throwing metal balls at windows.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 24 2019, @08:28PM (2 children)
...because you didn't look.
Most of these are right there to read. It seats six, turning radius might change if they have late stage alterations, the batteries are no different from other Teslas, traction control will be superb though that's not mentioned, and solar charging isn't included in any defaults. The solar panel to charge time relationship would vary by time o year, cloud cover, and latitude.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 24 2019, @10:46PM (1 child)
OK, let's get more real.
It seats six. In theory. But looking at the slope of the roof, what is the real world headroom on that? I don't care if I can fit three working dudes in the front and three midgets in the back. From the pictures on the site, those headrests are practically up against the rear window. OK for kids in rear-facing carseats, terrible for a construction crew, especially if they might actually embark with their hard hats on. Real-world usability answers very much still needed, thanks.
The batteries are no different: this is not good news. Estimates of 30% or higher range loss in cold weather from Tesla owners abound. That means your high country farmer and rancher will see a 500 mile range (if they're buying top of the line) drop to well under 400. God forbid you're actually using the on-board power in it as well. One would hope they'd fix that first ... and given the pain in the butt that charging is compared to refueling, this is worse yet.
Traction control will be "superb", you say. Is that the same as "insanely great" iPhones that people just hold wrong? I want to see real world demos, and a money back guarantee on something they're not even demonstrating. So far, it's a guess.
The other really important things like glove compatibility? Given the Tesla track record of controls I'm going to go way out on a limb and say: Haha, nope.
The payload is mentioned as being around 3500 pounds on the entry level model, which would be OK (about the same as a RAM 2500) but for that price that's just run-of-the-mill, and watching their demo there's a good chunk of squat when they run up that little four-wheeler. How well does the auto-leveling work on payload management? We don't know.
I don't like Ford's trucks for a number of reasons, but one of the things that they do right is that they give their new models to working dudes to ride hard and put away wet. They should have had in-the-dirt reports on their design. Who cares about 9mm rounds? Slap a pallet of bricks on the back and take it over a gravel road, then report back.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 25 2019, @09:46PM
You lose. You don't get to say "they don't tell us" and then, presented with the fact they did tell us, come back with "oh but what they told us might not be trustworthy." I'd say nice try, but it wasn't.
And "but"? Have you seen what passes for "seats six" in internal combustion? It varies. I know some Big Guys, and four of them will more than fill any six seater, period. So?
You spent precious time writing bullshit and hypothesizing. Do you think that nobody at Tesla has taken one of the prototypes through a dirt jump track with a full load of lumber, of bricks, and unloaded? Because that's priceless sensor data and you're a fool if you think they are not doing "in-the-dirt" testing. As it is I suspect you're just a bullshitter, not a fool, but tone it back man. You're rabid for your cause here (anti-Tesla) and it's stupid and obviously stupid and you're bringing the quality of conversation down.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by pe1rxq on Sunday November 24 2019, @08:32PM
Are these real truck drivers also true scottsman?
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Sunday November 24 2019, @08:42PM (13 children)
Those are all good questions careful customers ought to ask.
Many people who buy trucks don't actually use them for heavy duty, practical use. (It doesn't make any sense to me, either)
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 0, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 24 2019, @08:49PM (1 child)
People who drive trucks for their commute instead of work have small dicks, so they need the macho buffs to get laid. Rolling coal gives an extra +2.
(Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Monday November 25 2019, @12:05AM
Men with small dicks who want to get laid will definitely not get laid driving this monstrosity. They would get more pussy driving the girly Nissan Frontier than this modern art masterpiece.
(Score: 5, Interesting) by driverless on Sunday November 24 2019, @10:25PM (10 children)
I would say the vast majority of people who drive pickup trucks don't use them for heavy duty practical use. The F-150 is the best-selling car in the US, which would mean the most widely-practiced profession in the US is builder or taxi-driver for migrant workers.
That's tongue-in-cheek obviously, if you look at the stats the most common use for trucks is passenger transport, i.e. it's an incredibly expensive, fuel-inefficient family sedan.
(Score: 1) by Sulla on Sunday November 24 2019, @10:37PM (9 children)
At the same point, what options did people have when they legislated station wagons out of existance? What vehicles are out there that will transport two parents, two or three kids, a dog, and all of their stuff?
Minivans cost the same as trucks and get the same gas mileage, or at least my 2012 caravan and 2016 f150 do. Suvs get just as bad gas mileage and cost twice as much. Sedans are going to be overloaded with just two adults and two kids.
Ceterum censeo Sinae esse delendam
(Score: 2) by driverless on Sunday November 24 2019, @10:44PM (8 children)
You mention owning an F150, so I assume you're in the US... no-one ever legislated station wagons out of existence, their popularity declined after the 73 oil shock because they were gas-guzzlers, and even more so later when they were displaced by minivans. You can still buy them today, they're just... well, would you be seen driving a station wagon?
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 24 2019, @11:36PM (4 children)
>... would you be seen driving a station wagon?
Happily. My dick works just fine without any sort of vehicle-altitude-posturing. I use my 2001 Saturn LW wagon to throw bicycles and all kinds of other stuff in the back. Once a year there might be something too big to fit and I have a friend with a pickup truck. Most of the time the rear seats are folded down.
The plastic body panels still look great, although it's probably rusting to some extent underneath the skin after nearly 100K miles (Great Lakes area, salted roads). Just coming up on timing belt replacement, it doesn't owe me anything, bought at 30K miles and 3 years old for $10K (including tax).
(Score: 3, Funny) by driverless on Sunday November 24 2019, @11:55PM (3 children)
Which then leads to the followup question, are you a plumber?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 25 2019, @03:43AM (2 children)
(Saturn wagon owning AC)
No, not a plumber, but I might take on small diy plumbing repairs. Is this some kind of pop culture reference that I'm not getting (I'm a boomer...who grew up with out a TV)
Own a tiny specialist engineering company, we do custom analysis work in our little niche.
(Score: 2) by driverless on Monday November 25 2019, @03:54AM
Naah, just that a station wagon piled high with taps and fittings, or cables and connectors, seems to be the trademark of many plumbers and electricians.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 25 2019, @07:46AM
I built an art studio about 30x40'. Most of the materials got to the site on my Jetta's roof rack. I got real good at tie downs technique. Later I bought a small 4x5' trailer that's so light you can roll it around and stand it on its end without much effort at all, yet has a 1500 pound payload capacity. I've had that more than 10 years. Best 5 or 600 bucks I ever spent. Just this weekend I grabbed half a yard of gravel, a full yard of bark, and a load of firewood (three trips obviously) with that trailer (it's now towed by a Subaru wagon). I love that trailer more than anything I own.
Anyway, a lot can be done with a car and hell of a lot with a car and trailer.
(Score: 2) by stretch611 on Sunday November 24 2019, @11:41PM
Station wagons still exist.
However, they are a lot "taller" now and called SUVs.
And they are still gas guzzlers too!!!
Now with 5 covid vaccine shots/boosters altering my DNA :P
(Score: 1) by Sulla on Monday November 25 2019, @02:39AM
A few years ago? Would and did. Although the ford focus hatchback is a shadow of what a station wagon should be. Anymore I do too much hauling of gravel/dirt and plywood to want to deal with strapping it to the roof. I don't know what other people get for mpg for their trucks, but on my 16 with the v8 I get 15-16 city and 22-28 highway.
Also,
https://www.futureofcapitalism.com/2019/07/how-regulation-killed-the-station-wagon [futureofcapitalism.com]
Ceterum censeo Sinae esse delendam
(Score: 3, Informative) by toddestan on Monday November 25 2019, @04:10AM
Actually, station wagons were sort of legislated out of existence through CAFE. A station wagon is a car, whereas minivans and SUVs are "light trucks", and therefore they are sold under different rules. This uneven playing field made it hard for station wagons to compete with minivans and SUVs, which is why they basically disappeared except for a handful of luxury models where price isn't such a big concern. Of course, as others have pointed out, they are called CUVs now, which is basically a tall station wagon that's just truck-like enough to be sold as a light truck under the rules.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 24 2019, @10:31PM (4 children)
All of these have been answered you just didn't try because you can't see past your fanboy vision of what a truck should be. Don't get me wrong, I love my F150 but this Tesla Thing has it beat in some areas.
Turning radius - look how close the wheels are to the front of the vehicle. It will be more like driving a vanagon than my f150 when it comes to turning, which means fantastic turn radius.
Bed configuration - exterior size of this vehicle is same as an f150. So same bed width, length currently listed as 6.5. This is unfortunate and hopefully gets an upgrade.
Seating - six people. If you look at pictures there is one with a very large guy in the back seat and he fits fine.
Visibility - Cant be any worse than you have in modern pickups
Traction control - can't be any worse than what you have in a modern pickup
Hosing out interior - would be interesting to know as i do this often to my truck. Keep in mind you will short out components in everything but base model modern pickups.
Glove friendly controls - you must work for ford or be a ford fanboy. I assume they dont work well because of the touchpad, but listening to music is stupid anyways so who cares.
Cold handling - one of your only legit questions, will be interesting to know.
You come off sounding like a fanboy who likes his heated buttwarmer in your kingranch, so not a real working folk.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 24 2019, @10:59PM (3 children)
Turning radius doesn't just depend on wheelbase. It also depends on steering geometry. Turning circle (wheels as well as body) should be a listed feature.
Bed configuration: damn straight it's unfortunate.
Seating: the pictures I see show very questionable headroom. Maybe the pictures are deceptive. Numbers would be good.... wait, they didn't give any. Well, shit.
Visibility: can be lots worse than modern pickups (not that it's good in modern pickups) and that goes double if they rely upon cameras that are likely to get coated in dust, mud or crud.
Traction control: Could be much worse, I'd hope it would be better.
Hosing out interior: Hell, at least make it easy to clear out with a rake and a shopvac.
Glove friendly controls: No. I'm a farmer. When it's 5 degrees at midday and I've been out since dawn, I don't want to have to take the gloves off just to operate the damn vehicle. Glove unfriendly? No sale.
I don't have a kingranch, I don't have a Ford at all, and I've probably slung more haybales than you've had hot meals so shove your preconceptions into a digester.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Sunday November 24 2019, @11:41PM (2 children)
I'm with you on most of that. But, gloves? I can't stand gloves. If forced to wear them, the first thing I do when I get in a vehicle, is to discard the gloves.
You and I can agree to disagree on gloves, but take a look at Elon. He's not the guy who wears gloves. He doesn't know, doesn't care, about such things. All he knows are suburbanites who wear gloves as a fashion statement.
“I have become friends with many school shooters” - Tampon Tim Walz
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 25 2019, @12:01AM (1 child)
Precisely. This is exactly why Musk should have found three contractors, three miners, three loggers and three farmers and told them to make those trucks cry.
Or three soccermoms and three commuterdads and ask them how their sex lives change. Whichever demographic he's trying to hit.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 25 2019, @02:42AM
As with everything else Elon designs, he designed this truck for Elon. If it happens to work for others then I guess it works for them, if it doesn't then he still gets the truck he wants.
(Score: 5, Informative) by Immerman on Sunday November 24 2019, @11:29PM (9 children)
There are indeed questions still to be answered - but many of yours were already answered in the unveil
Here's a few:
3,500lb payload capacity for all models, as compared to the 2,000-3,300 capacity of the various F-150 models. Enough to haul the yard of gravel that would crush a lower-end F-150
Bed configuration: 5'9" wide x 6.6" long, with no wheel-well intrusions. From the photos it looks like it does have tie-downs. A toolbox is likely to run into problems with the elevated sides, but it looks like there's a cargo chamber under the back half(?) of the bed, as well as more storage in the bed walls, and of course that lockable "roll-top desk" bed cover strong enough to stand on is going to make it easy to secure the entire bed contents. And of course there's also the "frunk" storage chamber at the front.
6 seats in two rows, and it sounds like the back seats are comfortable even for tall people.
Visibility may be an issue, though cameras help.
https://www.slashgear.com/tesla-cybertruck-specs-elon-musks-pickup-by-the-numbers-22601156/ [slashgear.com]
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 24 2019, @11:54PM (3 children)
As mentioned elsewhere: haulage of 3500 isn't bad in the low end (but then why the limit on towing? It can't possibly be tongue weight, what's going on there?) and it's comparable with the 2500 range of things although there are still some unanswered questions around the suspension.
Bed configuration: good on the wheel wells, good on the width, but the length is a problem and the sloping sides are a problem.
The seating needs clarification.
Visibility looks terrible, and anything that relies upon sensors apt to get covered is bad. Hope they catch a clue before the final design comes out.
If we're lucky, this was just a concept and they'll make it more suitable for the real world before it hits the street, and Detroit will shit themselves trying to get back in front.
If we're unlucky, what we've seen is all we get.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Immerman on Monday November 25 2019, @06:37AM (2 children)
At the low end? Keep in mind we're talking a truck targeting roughly the same market segment as the Ford F-150 and its contemporaries. You can't buy an F-150 capable of hauling that payload. And 14,000lbs is a pretty impressive towing capacity as well - exceeding all but the most powerful of the F150 configurations
I'm inclined to agree about the short bed - though it's only really critical to people who need to haul long loads that can't be securely tied in place... or are driving somewhere that doesn't allow you to drive with the tailgate down I suppose. Given the popularity of trucks "toolboxes" though, an awful lot of people don't actually need that full length bed.
The sloped sides do seem like they would be inconvenient, but between the "frunk", the many "hidden" cargo compartments around the bed, the built-in ramp, and "load mode", I'm not sure just how big a problem it would be in practice. You'd have to use it a bit differently than a normal truck, but it might not necessarily be worse. And I suspect that one's not going away - without an internal frame for rigidity you really need that "A" in the exoskeleton to provide strength
As for sensors apt to get covered - you think that's really a substantially bigger problem than mirrors getting covered?
As for the seats - what clarification do you need? Go take a look at a few of the many pictures and videos of several people riding in it.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 25 2019, @04:38PM (1 child)
A truck targeting the same segment as the F150 sounds plausible - up until the point where the entry level model starts at $40K. For a two wheel drive model. Ford, Ram and Chevy would like to talk to you about their three quarter ton options with that feature set, in that price range. If you really do have a high end (in power train terms) F150, then you can install an air ride kit for under $1K and actually carry more than mister cybertruck, so as an aftermarket option, the F150, Ram 1500 and various GM options can stretch beyond this thing in haulage. If towing were their big mission, why isn't it a dually?
The short bed is a deal killer for anyone carrying diffuse loads. If all you're ever carrying is a washer and dryer, or a pallet of something, rock on. The moment you want to load up on ... oh, I don't know, hay (like basically every farmer in the country) it's an absolutely terrible bed configuration. The sloped sides are part of this problem because you can't stably put things down that rest on them. If all you're doing is slapping in a few bags for your family trip to the airport, who cares? If you're doing real work the way real trucks get used, it's a royal pain.
Sensors getting covered: yes, it's a major concern if the truck is driven anywhere muddy. Mirrors are generally high enough that they'll catch a little splash of mud or something, but that's a quick cleanup. If your sensors are placed to compensate for that fold in the design that inhibits the driver's view directly around the truck, they're directly in mud range.
As for the seats - a simple number on head room would do fine. You know, that thing that hasn't been provided.
You know what? I'm being lazy. Let me crack open my google-fu and see what I can do... Chevy's work truck trim, two wheel drive, crew cab, long bed 2500HD Silverado comes in around $40K (MSRP, which is strictly an imaginary number), and will carry more, with a better bed configuration.
Yee-up. He's competing with the 2500 range on price, and the 1500 range on features. This is not my impressed face.
(Score: 1) by Sulla on Tuesday November 26 2019, @06:29AM
Well, if Musk can prove that it drives without catching fire its already better than anything Fiat can produce.
Ceterum censeo Sinae esse delendam
(Score: 2) by barbara hudson on Monday November 25 2019, @01:57PM (4 children)
The F150 is a toy truck which is why people buy them - to drive around, no to beat the piss out of.
SoylentNews is social media. Says so right in the slogan. Soylentnews is people, not tech.
(Score: 2) by Immerman on Monday November 25 2019, @02:53PM (3 children)
A toy truck? I find that hard to accept. It certainly seems to be at the low end of full-size pickups, but there's a whole world of much smaller pickups out there as well. Trucks that get put to work and even have the (much smaller quantity of) piss beaten out of them.
In fact, the size of the thing is one of the big points against it for me - I'm not really a truck person, but am tempted by the cargo capacity (volume) and flexibility of an open bed - there's a severe limit on the size of things that can be hauled in a sedan or station wagon. I'd mostly be one of those "drive around" truck owners though - which makes a full-size pickup completely impractical for my needs.
(Score: 2) by barbara hudson on Monday November 25 2019, @11:47PM (2 children)
SoylentNews is social media. Says so right in the slogan. Soylentnews is people, not tech.
(Score: 1) by Sulla on Tuesday November 26 2019, @06:35AM (1 child)
Not sure where you get your data but I know people who plow for a living with F150s and have never had any issues. The frame in the 2015+ f150s is 4x4 steel. When I worked at a car lot in Alaska i plowed all winter using a late 90s f150 without any issues.
If i am delivering appliances, i would choose the f150 for fuel rating over the 250/350. A fully loaded 8ft bed with appliances wont exceed my max. If delivering gravel i would take a hit on gas and take the 250 for the extra half yard i can haul, or go with a 150 and a trailer and keep the good gas mileage and do two yards.
Every truck has its niche in industry. Oil industry up in deadhorse uses propane f150s for extended range and the ability to handle trailers well and the occasional full bed depending on need.
Ceterum censeo Sinae esse delendam
(Score: 2) by barbara hudson on Wednesday November 27 2019, @03:59AM
You don't see 1/4 ton trucks like the F150 used for plowing. It's mostly heavy trucks, heavy equipment (think cat 950 and 966 loafers) 18-wheel dump trucks, 5-ton trucks with a cement weight and a front plow, and backhoes. Contractors who do only private homes use cheaper farm tractors with a loader and a pto-powered blower. Some clowns continued to try to use 1/4-ton trucks - they make the news when they can't do the job and go bankrupt, leaving hundreds of homeowners scrambling to get a properly equipped contractor mid-season.
At -30 ice is hard as rock. You can't get away with using a shitty "Western"-brand snow plow. Not enough weight in the blade, shitty light gauge metal plow and mounts, Walmart tried selling them, the returns (for selling a product not fit for it's intended use) was a disaster. Sure the specialty manufacturers here sell blades that go up to the 5 figures, but you can hit a car buried in a drift and no damage. The shitty plows would crumple and severely damage your truck. Even the cheaper Fisher plows let you ram cars out of the way with confidence that you won't have more than a scratch on the blade.
The front end of an F150 would require too much reinforcing - better to buy a half-ton or 3/4 ton (F250-350) or a real commercial truck, one you can use as a dump truck in the summer. F150 trucks are consumer products.
SoylentNews is social media. Says so right in the slogan. Soylentnews is people, not tech.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Monday November 25 2019, @03:05PM
It is very good to be thinking in advance about how difficult the vehicle will be to have towed to a charging station.
The server will be down for replacement of vacuum tubes, belts, worn parts and lubrication of gears and bearings.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Nuke on Sunday November 24 2019, @08:23PM (5 children)
A refundable $100 to reserve one sounds like a trick to push up the order numbers and also the share price. I expect there are 12 year olds ordering them, plus wannabe hipsters seeking bragging rights but who will ask for their money back when the fuss dies down. In fact I might order a couple of hundred myself as the money might be safer than with a bank these days ... on second thoughts maybe not.
(Score: 0, Disagree) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 24 2019, @09:32PM (4 children)
its non-refundable.
(Score: 2) by barbara hudson on Monday November 25 2019, @01:59PM (3 children)
SoylentNews is social media. Says so right in the slogan. Soylentnews is people, not tech.
(Score: 2) by Immerman on Monday November 25 2019, @03:02PM (2 children)
Hasn't it? You're not buying a truck for $100, you're buying a place in the waiting queue with an option to buy a truck at a later date.
(Score: 2) by barbara hudson on Monday November 25 2019, @11:41PM
SoylentNews is social media. Says so right in the slogan. Soylentnews is people, not tech.
(Score: 2) by barbara hudson on Wednesday November 27 2019, @04:10AM
also reported as refundable by The Guardian
Yes, my use of the term "lie" can be seen as rude. But not as rude as lying. Why de people even bother lying. You're going to get caught out.
SoylentNews is social media. Says so right in the slogan. Soylentnews is people, not tech.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 24 2019, @08:45PM (1 child)
Eww misogynerd truck. Only guys with real trucks get laid.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 24 2019, @11:56PM
You can fit a few girls in the back though. Their bodies, at least.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Phoenix666 on Sunday November 24 2019, @08:46PM (8 children)
BMW and Mercedes didn't take the Model S seriously until it ate their lunch. All of a sudden, they're scrambling to produce EVs.
Ford and GM rely on their pickups to keep the lights on. Is the strange design of the Cybertruck meant to lull the competitors into a false sense of security while they build market share?
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 5, Interesting) by Immerman on Sunday November 24 2019, @11:41PM (2 children)
The strange design probably has more to do with the fact that you can't easily stamp the 3mm ultra-hard steel exoskeleton panels into complex bi-directional curves like you can the thin sheet-metal mounted on a typical vehicle's internal frame. You might be able to get one-directional curves without compromising strength, but you'd get hard creases where the panels met - and it's a real challenge to make curves and sharp corners look good together.
It also sounds like the manufacturing process may be vastly more automation-friendly, with the exoskeleton made from scored-and-folded sheets rather than assembled from many stamped pieces mounted on a frame.
You're talking about a full-sized pickup with many features you'll only find in pickups costing twice as much, for only 14% more than their budget Model 3 sedan - they had to cut corners somewhere, and for a work vehicle sacrificing conventional aesthetics seems like the best place to do it
(Score: 2) by mhajicek on Monday November 25 2019, @04:48AM (1 child)
They're probably going to make cybertruck bodies out of the failed Starship skin.
The spacelike surfaces of time foliations can have a cusp at the surface of discontinuity. - P. Hajicek
(Score: 2) by Immerman on Monday November 25 2019, @06:57AM
Only for the limited edition model available exclusively to SpaceX employees.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 24 2019, @11:52PM (4 children)
> All of a sudden, they're scrambling to produce EVs.
Yes, the German luxury car companies are scrambling.
What I'm wondering is if the Model S stole German luxury car sales because (a) the electric car + Supercharger network was really better, or (b) if Tesla customers were buying Elon's Kool-Aid and/or virtue signaling as early adopters. If it's mostly the latter, then German BEVs aren't going to sell any better than German ICE, because the Germans don't have anyone like Elon to wave the flag. The next few years are going to be interesting in that market segment, in particular because Tesla is building a factory in Germany!
At lower price points for BEVs like Nissan Leaf (etc), the huge depreciation in the used market ($30K+ --> $10K in ~3 years) tells me that the new buyers were buying more than just a car, they were also virtue signaling or something along those lines.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Phoenix666 on Monday November 25 2019, @02:50AM (2 children)
I don't know if you need virtue signaling or eco-religion to sell EVs. I think they drive so much better than ICEs. The acceleration is excellent; merging, lane changes, etc are never a problem amid ICE sluggards. You can very precisely and instantly increment your speed, which I appreciate in the high traffic corridors of the Northeast. They're silent, so I can talk to people in the car with me without shouting, can listen to music without blaring it, and can almost forget I'm in a car. The drive becomes serene. Not having to deal with gas stations or mechanics, again, gets the car out of the way of your drive. With the center of gravity so low, they handle great.
Those are the basic features. Teslas also have a lot of autonomous features that are pretty awesome.
It's a different reason to drive, I think, than say muscle cars or high-end ICE sports cars are. It's the visceral sensation of riding a wild beast. That is, when you drive a Porsche it's all about the Porsche, so every drive is the same. You could be in the middle of Zion and it wouldn't matter because you're driving a Porsche.
EVs abstract the car out of the driving experience, such that you're almost floating above the Earth. I love it.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 25 2019, @03:56AM (1 child)
> such that you're almost floating above the Earth. I love it.
c.1975 I drove a Rolls-Royce* at night on smooth roads, with a light snow fall. The car was nearly silent and the snow seemed to damp out the tire noise. My comment was that it felt like flying over the road.
*The Rolls was on loan to a safety research organization--I knew one of the researchers who let me drive it for an hour or so.
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Monday November 25 2019, @11:17AM
Yeah, that's it. Imagine all that without the maintenance and at a fraction of the cost and bother.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by hemocyanin on Monday November 25 2019, @08:00AM
I have a Leaf. I bought it for practical reasons, not virtue signalling.
A) They are incredibly cheap used but come with a lot of nicities.
B) I travel as far on 75c of electricity, as my gas car does on a gallon of gas. In my area, gas is in the mid $3 range all the time.
C) It's actually fun to drive. No vibration and super zippy.
D) It's way bigger inside than you might think -- that thing can haul a lot of shit.
Certainly there are electric car virtue signalers out there, but if you got in one and stomped on the "gas" -- you'd realize there are a lot more reasons to own one than that. And then take a ride in a Tesla Model S and hit the gas -- go speed racer! Electric motors kick gas' ass on a pure fun basis.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 25 2019, @12:11AM (4 children)
Tesla Cybertruck (pressurised edition) will be the official truck of Mars
Read more at: https://yourstory.com/2019/11/tesla-cybertruck-mars-elon-musk-pickup-truck-spacex?utm_pageloadtype=scroll [yourstory.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 25 2019, @06:17AM
Wew, that's some real synregy. We'll see about that actually happening.
That's the tow rating in pounds...
We've heard of it.
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Monday November 25 2019, @09:34AM (2 children)
Apart from driving to and from the space port on Mars.
So now we know what the target market is - people who have absolutely no grasp on reality.
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Monday November 25 2019, @11:20AM (1 child)
Yea, FatPhil, or people who have different taste from you. I think Lambos are ugly, and so are Hummers. Other people think they're the bee's knees.
So far it seems the only thing that can truly be said about this design is you either love it, or you hate it. Predictably, as a contrarian I can take it or leave it.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by Immerman on Tuesday November 26 2019, @12:29AM
I think Oscar Wilde said it best: "Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months"
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 25 2019, @02:20AM (2 children)
what is the human height limit of the knuckle heads sitting in the back seat? in my opinion, it looks like it might be uncomfortable to be a tall friend of a triangle truck owner; back seat roof bumps?
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Monday November 25 2019, @11:21AM
I wondered about that, too. I sat in the back of a Model S, and had to crick my neck to the side.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 25 2019, @06:38PM
Yup, that's a major concern, especially the way that it slopes down to where the seats stop.
Hope all your work crew is 5'6" or less.