Tesla Cybertruck has a 120 Mile external range extender battery. It is like a large 140 kilogram superbattery with about 40 KWh of power. This would be like three powerwalls.
As a modular external battery, people could either own one for those who are towing and moving heavy loads all the time or people could rent them for road trips.
The Tesla Cybertruck ordering pages are working and have all of the pricing and specs
Yep, a toolbox-sized battery against the back of the cab in the bed
— Drew Baglino (@baglino) November 30, 2023
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In 1982 Blade Runner they portraited one vision of future. But things and tech can turn out differently. Car design that looks interesting in 1982 is perhaps not the best choice in 2023. Designs change.
It doesn’t look so bad otherwise. Finally they started producing it so congrats.
Range failure.
Shocked how poor the range is, they are actually going to offer a truck option with LESS than 300 mile range!!
Pass on Cybertruck 1.0, will wait for Cybertruck 2.0
First thing I would do, if I were running Tesla, is figure out how to reduce the weight, by at least 500 lb. I would go titanium on the doors, and titanium on some of the unsprung stuff. The back bumper is impressive, but probably too heavy. Next, I would improve aerodynamics, and rolling resistance. Improve that kW/mile to get the range.
Then I would get started on 2 other trucks, 1 that can actually hit the price point. The other that can use the same equipment, the Cybertruck is made with, with minimal retooling. Say an ambulance and/or an armored car, or even a true amphibious vehicle as a hedge against a possible decline in Cybertruck demand in 4 years. At the very least, a dedicated police cruiser version of the Cybertruck, with everything police/security want. Even a limo version might be a hit. Remember all the stretch Hummers? Maybe shorten the bed a foot or two for those.
This is a lousy solution. Chances are, if you want to go on a vacation, you want that space in the back to sleep, or to put your toys.
They just seem to have come up short. Too expensive, and not enough range.
It would have been better to skip the 4-wheel steering, if this was the cost.
Or modify that iconic roofline, making it go level after the peak, raising the passengers in the back, so there is more room for more battery under them.
I really did not think Tesla would disappoint like this. Don’t get me wrong, they will sell just fine for at least 3 years, but this is not what it was supposed to be.
A 5-10kW Genset would be smaller, cheaper and lighter than the battery, and would allow operation away from grid for extended periods.
Tesla is electric, they would never have a small engine attached to their vehicles, they don’t make plug-in hybrids for a reason.
Not only would they get endlessly mocked for their “electric” truck needing gas, but it goes against the obvious path forward of every vehicle going electric.
The only people who will buy this are the rich who want it to tow their boat & camper to the lake on the weekends.
Indeed, EV is something of a cult, and using gensets to extend range or provide emergency recharges, however practical, is heresy.
And, yeah: If I won the lottery, I likely would buy one of these, specifically to tow the boat I’d be buying. Relatively short regular towing jobs is probably the best use case for it.
The infrastructure to support an external battery module will be useful for third party genset style range extenders that fit in the same space.