Cybertruck Will Feel Dated By the Time it Comes Out?

[israndy]

Midgate is amazing.

I do think the silverado ev in blue is on the looks throne still imo.

I don't get the Midgate in the Chevy or the Dodge, so you can lower the rear window and fold the rear seats down allowing you to put items in that are longer than the bed normally is... OK, but then the cab will be super windy and open to the weather. With the CyberTruck if they had put in a midgate you could have put in all your 4x8 sheets and then closed the tonneau cover and driven home in comfort. You could put a mattress back there and slept in comfort using the CTs HVAC.

I understand it can be fun on a hot day to have the back open to the wind, but just an openable rear window woulda gotten you there. Not sure why these vehicles have midgates but then no way to secure the vehicle when the midgate is down. And why does auto-correct keep typing 'midget'?

 

[T3SLAROD]

I don't get the Midgate in the Chevy or the Dodge, so you can lower the rear window and fold the rear seats down allowing you to put items in that are longer than the bed normally is... OK, but then the cab will be super windy and open to the weather. With the CyberTruck if they had put in a midgate you could have put in all your 4x8 sheets and then closed the tonneau cover and driven home in comfort. You could put a mattress back there and slept in comfort using the CTs HVAC.

I understand it can be fun on a hot day to have the back open to the wind, but just an openable rear window woulda gotten you there. Not sure why these vehicles have midgates but then no way to secure the vehicle when the midgate is down. And why does auto-correct keep typing 'midget'?

Is there some reason you can’t put a Tonneau cover on a Silverado or Ram?

 

[israndy]

No midgate to hold it up? The vault cover on the CT starts at the roof unlike every other pickup truck ever where they just cover the bed that is defined by the tailgate, the two sidewalls and the back wall of the cab

 

[T3SLAROD]

No midgate to hold it up? The vault cover on the CT starts at the roof unlike every other pickup truck ever where they just cover the bed that is defined by the tailgate, the two sidewalls and the back wall of the cab

You underestimate the aftermarket.

Given the way Rivian’s OEM retractable cover is going, I would t put too much faith in Tesla coming out with a reliable cover that won’t break down after the first couple of uses.

 

[Dazureus]

Is there some reason you can’t put a Tonneau cover on a Silverado or Ram?

Tonneau cover would work for the bed, but would need a cross brace where the cab starts. Besides that, I think the glass goes down into the midgate, so when it's open, even with a tonneau cover, the window portion will be open. The purpose of the lowering midgate is for temporary transportation of long items. They showed the front passenger seat folding down flat as well so items as long as the bed + cab (kayak?) can be hauled. It's a solution to have a large transportation capacity without always having to deal with a very large truck. I haven't seen overall dimensions of the truck, but I've seen the F150 lighting on the road a few times. That thing has a beast of a hood. The CT doesn't have that problem, but many have lamented about the over all length of the stainless steel beast. If the Revolution comes in shorter in overall length, it will fill the large niche of people who use their truck as a primary driver for their family, but still use it to move more than groceries.

 

[Skotty]

Looks like another dorky short bed. Whoever has the longest bed is king. I think the king is still Cybertruck.

 

[T3SLAROD]

Looks like another dorky short bed. Whoever has the longest bed is king. I think the king is still Cybertruck.

The Cybertruck isn’t even a servant in the F-150s Kings court because…. Well…. It doesn’t exist, except in some prototype form.

Still no one has made an argument on why the Cybertruck will NOT be dated given all the tech presented in this RAM.

As far as family hauler, the CT better have a real good suspension because the trucks on the market right now are some of the most comfortable vehicles you can buy.

 

[doc5339]

CT is a moving target. Specs keep getting changed and they are not small specs; 4-motor, rear steer, is Tesla going to just keep adding "promised" specs as other manufacturers actually sell their EV trucks?

Tesla has a wealth of engineering knowledge and creativity but they are clearly not aiming at the American pickup truck buyer. Current CT design is designed for people who do not use the their trucks for work or play. F-150 Lightning and Rivian R1T hit the mark. I think Ram will likely do the same if not set a new benchmark. Ram might not be the sales leader of ICE pickups like Ford, however, they do lead in quality, options, and engineering when compared to Ford, GM, Toyota, Nissan.

Tesla seems to focused on reinventing the wheel; as they reinvented the steering wheel with the yoke. The thing is Tesla often engineers solutions for things that are not problems. CT seems to have more in common with GMC Hummer SUT than F-150 Lightning or Rivian R1T. It's design is not form follows function in terms of being a useful tool (truck); the design is more "in your face" radical than functional.

I still hold an early CT reservation and I am excited to see the CT hit the streets though I must temper my expectations. I can barely park my R1T in the garage and can't see CT fitting. If there is no steering wheel option with stalks, might be a pass or a flip for me.

Hopefully I have not offended anyone. Like many of you I have become quite wary of Tesla over-promising and under-delivering time and time again. I truly hope I am proven wrong and Tesla present an improved, highly usable EV truck sought by early adapters and American truck owners alike.

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

CT is a moving target. Specs keep getting changed and they are not small specs; 4-motor, rear steer, is Tesla going to just keep adding "promised" specs as other manufacturers actually sell their EV trucks?

Tesla has a wealth of engineering knowledge and creativity but they are clearly not aiming at the American pickup truck buyer. Current CT design is designed for people who do not use the their trucks for work or play. F-150 Lightning and Rivian R1T hit the mark. I think Ram will likely do the same if not set a new benchmark. Ram might not be the sales leader of ICE pickups like Ford, however, they do lead in quality, options, and engineering when compared to Ford, GM, Toyota, Nissan.

Tesla seems to focused on reinventing the wheel; as they reinvented the steering wheel with the yoke. The thing is Tesla often engineers solutions for things that are not problems.

I still hold an early CT reservation and I am excited to see the CT hit the streets though I must temper my expectations. I can barely park my R1T in the garage and can't see CT fitting. If there is no steering wheel option with stalks, might be a pass or a flip for me.

Hopefully I have not offended anyone. Like many of you I have become quite wary of Tesla over-promising and under-delivering time and time again. I truly hope I am proven wrong and Tesla present an improved, highly usable EV truck sought by early adapters and American truck owners alike.

The Lightning can't plow and Ford made sure that people couldn't try. There's a whole bunch of owners in showy climates for whom it definitely doesn't hit the mark.

I think the Cybertruck spec shift has probably come because they had time due to being way behind on the 4680s.

 

[doc5339]

I don't get the Midgate in the Chevy or the Dodge, so you can lower the rear window and fold the rear seats down allowing you to put items in that are longer than the bed normally is... OK, but then the cab will be super windy and open to the weather. With the CyberTruck if they had put in a midgate you could have put in all your 4x8 sheets and then closed the tonneau cover and driven home in comfort. You could put a mattress back there and slept in comfort using the CTs HVAC.

I understand it can be fun on a hot day to have the back open to the wind, but just an openable rear window woulda gotten you there. Not sure why these vehicles have midgates but then no way to secure the vehicle when the midgate is down. And why does auto-correct keep typing 'midget'?

Ask any Chevrolet Avalanche owner/former owner, the cab is not windy with the mid-gate folded. The Avalanche has an integrated tonneau and I think the Ram REVolution pre-production probably will as well. The guys I knew using Avalanches and the 2500 versions only folded the mid-gatet for hauling sheetrock or long dimensional lumber which made those trucks very useful as they had more bed space the standard 6' bed pickups, closer to a locked 8' bed. If you chose to leave the tonneau open it would generally be for a short trip from the lumber yard or supply house to the job site (not too far or too long).

The mid-gate is a really great feature transforming a shorter wheelbase short bed crew cab into a long (lockable) bed regular cab in a matter of minutes. Glad to see Chevrolet Silverado EV, GMC Sierra EV, and apparently Ram REVolution utilizing it. The Ram REV is even more unique in that it proposes to use a full-length pass-through for very long dimensional lumber, or whatever you might normally need a bed rack to transport; Bollinger Motors design might have inspired this or possibly great minds think alike.

Not sure how many REV owners will use all of these features, however, it's great to see Ram getting creativity with payload options and features. Time and the pre-production Ram REVolution will tell. I would not count Ram out; if you have ridden in a modern Ram pickup, you might notice their build quality, options, and comfort are very good.

Meanwhile, the CT does not appear to have a frunk, has a standard bed length and is inaccessible from the sides due to the vault. The CT is striking and fascinating though people who actual use their trucks for work and hard play certainly were not consulted. I look forward to seeing what the CT can do if/when we receive it.

 

[doc5339]

The Lightning can't plow and Ford made sure that people couldn't try. There's a whole bunch of owners in showy climates for whom it definitely doesn't hit the mark.

I think the Cybertruck spec shift has probably come because they had time due to being way behind on the 4680s.

Excellent point regarding plowing. Given some time I think we may well see these capabilities from Ford, GM, Ram, etc. This is the first iteration of F-150 Lightning and it has been a sales success. Sure there are issues, missed opportunities, and Ford value-engineering. The F-150 Lightning is still the only EV designed with a V2H option, actually 2 options if you count Ford Pro Power Onboard (also available with F-150 PowerBoost Hybrid).

I'm not a "Ford Guy" though I have to give Ford props for checking so many boxes for pickup truck buyers/users. Regardless of why the CT has been delayed, it's late and if you're not first you need to be better. I think maybe the Ram REVolution will be a better EV pickup, not so sure about the CT. The CT will be an engineering feat as well as a museum piece (already is). I wonder if the CT will be able to plow? I do not expect much from a company that still refuses to offer a 360-degree top-view for tight maneuvering; I don't need to hear about camera angles, Tesla just won't do it yet.

 

[Unclepaul]

While concept vehicles are usually "WOW" production version more like "MEH".

Purpose of a Concept vehicle is to warm you up for an upcoming model, and encourage you to wait for it to come out, and prevent you from buying a competing model.

Huge benefits of Cybertruck will be far superior aerodynamics for greater range, lower costs of production, bulletproof construction, no paint to scratch, resistance to impacts, large bed with integrated cover, better towing and the convenient Supercharger network.

Styling will continue to be polarizing. Will certainly stand out in a sea of Ford/Chevy/Ram traditional trucks.

Believe there will be a steady market for Cybertruck, with demand picking up as production ramps, and the benefits becoming better known.

 

[Gurule92]

I don't get the Midgate in the Chevy or the Dodge, so you can lower the rear window and fold the rear seats down allowing you to put items in that are longer than the bed normally is... OK, but then the cab will be super windy and open to the weather. With the CyberTruck if they had put in a midgate you could have put in all your 4x8 sheets and then closed the tonneau cover and driven home in comfort. You could put a mattress back there and slept in comfort using the CTs HVAC.

I understand it can be fun on a hot day to have the back open to the wind, but just an openable rear window woulda gotten you there. Not sure why these vehicles have midgates but then no way to secure the vehicle when the midgate is down. And why does auto-correct keep typing 'midget'?

My silverado has a topper. which would give much more height then the CT tonneau. A little bit of air leak still but if you were sleeping you could put up a blanket or something

 

[strider]

The Lightning can't plow and Ford made sure that people couldn't try. There's a whole bunch of owners in showy climates for whom it definitely doesn't hit the mark.

I think the Cybertruck spec shift has probably come because they had time due to being way behind on the 4680s.

What makes you think the CT will be able to plow? I feel confident in saying that there is not a single person in Tesla's employment that has ever mounted and then operated a snowplow on a pickup truck. I'm talking about people that design or build the vehicles or have input into same - Gallery employees in snowy climates exempted.

The CT doesn't have a frame on which to mount a plow. The skin (exoskeleton) provides the structure for the body. It will be non-trivial to mount an existing plow to the CT. Further, plows run on 12V. Tesla has switched to 16V. Tons of people are having issues with accessories like air pumps in the 16V vehicles. Will the plow run with a 16V supply?

It's all of these things that NO ONE at Tesla thinks about. Li-Ion standby battery sounds great until they built it and it's 16V. Instead of taking a moment and trying to figure out a solution, they just shipped it.

The CT will not do "truck things" because no one in Tesla's design group or leadership has ever done a single "truck thing."

Don't get me wrong. Most trucks don't do "truck things." They haul the family around, commute to work, haul a boat on the weekends, plus the odd Home Depot run. The CT will work fine for this. But no 5th wheel, bed-mounted tool chest, snow plow, slinging hay bales, etc.

 

[Barklikeadog]

That seat track system looks pretty interesting, but I can’t imagine dealing with that in real life. What happens when the tracks get spilled coffee inside them? Or mud from boots? Will the tracks bind up when encased in a slurry of old milk and cheddar goldfish? How do you get down there to clean them out thoroughly? You could use floor mats to protect the tracks but then you can’t use the tracks. That’s one of those concepts that looks really cool in a demo vehicle but will be a nightmare in practical use.

Heh, I was going to jump on this as well. More often than not, the back floor is a kids' nuclear waste dump of food and artwork. Rest assured weathertech and every other design company has this on their radar and is figuring it out. Maybe the liners have flexible rubber that presses together, or bristles.

 

[Zer0t]

l'll believe it's soon to be in production when it's in production. Moreover, I give it 0% chance of looking like the concept.

 

[israndy]

Wow! Shooting for Worst Prediction of the year? It's only when you post stuff like that that people can later point to your prediction

 

[ThomasD]

Is it just me or are the throttle and brake pedal way too close together? With the truck being open like this and the bed extending what will Ram's solution be to keep the inside of the cab protected from the weather if carrying long and wide items.

 

[andy.connor.e]

I do not believe that cybertruck will be dated. Not sure what you would be looking for that would make you feel like its not, but expect it to look like the Model S inside.

Air compressor on board, 120/240V outlets, no paint and dent proof, air suspension adjustability, bed ramp

dont think it'll be that much different from unveiling, but far from dated as nothing like this exists.

 

[T3SLAROD]

I do not believe that cybertruck will be dated. Not sure what you would be looking for that would make you feel like its not, but expect it to look like the Model S inside.

Air compressor on board, 120/240V outlets, no paint and dent proof, air suspension adjustability, bed ramp

dont think it'll be that much different from unveiling, but far from dated as nothing like this exists.

Nothing exist as far as what? The outside design that has already been done by DIY?

Check Out this Wacky DIY Cybertruck

You don't need to get a Cybertruck, you have a Cybertruck at home.

www.autoweek.com

Everything else you mentioned has been done. Dent proof? Yeah we will see about that one, just like the bulletproof glass lol