The real purpose of the tri-motor Cybertruck

[Bridor]

I do not like 5th Wheels - you cannot be in them while on the road. I am waiting for the Tesla Semi to come out - then they can make motorhomes that are all electric - that is what I am going to purchase. I have the Tri-Motor on reservation. I do not care about anything other than the range. I do not need the additional acceleration. I will have a tow hitch, but I do not know if I will actually tow anything.

Brent

 

[Zer0t]

I'll reiterate for me any of them would do just fine but Trimotor is cool and 520 mile range is cooler. That's why I pre-ordered that model. Now they just have to make some.

 

[jsight]

Please don’t tow with the MY. That’s what’s trucks are for. My is to light, too small and the range won’t tow either.
drive the Y down the street. If you need to tow, get a truck

It isn't great for distance towing, but not all towing needs that. I'm not sure that I can call it too light at 4,400 lb, and it definitely doesn't lack power or brakes.

 

[doghousePVD]

It isn't great for distance towing, but not all towing needs that. I'm not sure that I can call it too light at 4,400 lb, and it definitely doesn't lack power or brakes.

IIRC the Y is rated for only 3,500 lbs, so don't pull 4,400 with it. The X is rated for 5,000, and CT is something like 14,000 lbs.

 

[jsight]

IIRC the Y is rated for only 3,500 lbs, so don't pull 4,400 with it. The X is rated for 5,000, and CT is something like 14,000 lbs.

Sorry, didn't mean to imply that 4,400 was the load limit. I was just responding to the part calling the car itself light.

I think in general, tongue weight might be a bigger factor than the overall weight limit.

 

[israndy]

I wonder why the tow capacity is so different between the three models of cT. 7,500lbs for one motor, 10,000lbs for two, and 14,000lbs for three. The tires are the same, the brakes are the same, surely the exoskeleton is the same. Is the motor diff really that important? Surely for getting up to speed quickly, and the larger battery pack allows for sufficient range when towing more weight. But can I really not tow (the 70's P.I.) Rockford's mobile home from where it normally sits to safety, when gangsters come for him because an investigation gets too close?

 

[HellsKitchen]

I wonder why the tow capacity is so different between the three models of cT. 7,500lbs for one motor, 10,000lbs for two, and 14,000lbs for three. The tires are the same, the brakes are the same, surely the exoskeleton is the same. Is the motor diff really that important? Surely for getting up to speed quickly, and the larger battery pack allows for sufficient range when towing more weight. But can I really not tow (the 70's P.I.) Rockford's mobile home from where it normally sits to safety, when gangsters come for him because an investigation gets too close?

Remember that electric cars don't coast like ICE cars do.

 

[israndy]

So you would have to engage the brakes to stop more weight? If the battery was full NONE of the motors would generate ReGen, so if the Tri-motor can stop 14,000lbs can the single motor? Perhaps the tri-motor does have better brakes, is that what you mean?

 

[HellsKitchen]

So you would have to engage the brakes to stop more weight? If the battery was full NONE of the motors would generate ReGen, so if the Tri-motor can stop 14,000lbs can the single motor? Perhaps the tri-motor does have better brakes, is that what you mean?

I'm not sure of the physics, honestly, just that it must have been a challenge to design an electric with towing in mind.

 

[Gurule92]

So you would have to engage the brakes to stop more weight? If the battery was full NONE of the motors would generate ReGen, so if the Tri-motor can stop 14,000lbs can the single motor? Perhaps the tri-motor does have better brakes, is that what you mean?

I wouldn't be surprised if the tri motor had better brakes specifically for that purpose. The performance models usually have upgraded brakes don't they?

 

[jameshab]

If I want to even attempt to drive around the North Maine Woods, I would need 500 miles of BEV range. It's really the minimum range you'd want. And people up here driving ICE pickups frequently carry extra fuel with them for an emergency- something you can't do with an EV. I dare say the 500 mi range Cybertruck will be the first actual adventure vehicle Tesla will make.

You can carry a generator or solar panels for recharge.... just saying it can be done

 

[jsight]

You can carry a generator or solar panels for recharge.... just saying it can be done

Yeah, I feel like camping far from outlets is the main (and maybe only) practical use case for the solar panel setup on the cybertruck.

 

[TessP100D]

You can carry a generator or solar panels for recharge.... just saying it can be done

No. not really. Solar Panels on the CT are a hard no. Way to much money for way to little return. Keeping a generator in your bed of your truck to charge it? Possible but not likely.

 

[Gurule92]

No. not really. Solar Panels on the CT are a hard no. Way to much money for way to little return. Keeping a generator in your bed of your truck to charge it? Possible but not likely.

Except we don't know a cost. I wonder if you had solar on your ev, could you count the whole purchase as a solar purchase for your home? Maybe if it had v2g.

That could be an interesting way to bring back some tax incentives for Tesla

 

[Lantern]

I do wish people would lighten up about the colloquial term "bulletproof".

Yes, it (whatever "it" is) is not "bulletproof" against sufficiently fast/heavy/incendiary bullets; few products indeed will withstand a .50BMG SLAP round.
Yes, Elon used the term "bulletproof" for something not certified ballistic armor - it will stop lightweight normal-velocity 9mm under limited conditions ... unlike most vehicles for which such penetrates with ease.

If you're earnest about the "bulletproof" term, obviously you need look for something certified to an armor rating, which Cybertruck isn't (maybe because there aren't enough Cybertrucks to expend for ballistic ratings yet). Otherwise, recognize it's just a colloquial term for providing some level of resistance to common street-thug guns.

In time, someone will get a ballistic certification for Cybertruck. Let's get the pickups into production first.

Not many 50cal in my area, but 9mm seems to be the what gets shot mostly..

 

[TessP100D]

Except we don't know a cost. I wonder if you had solar on your ev, could you count the whole purchase as a solar purchase for your home? Maybe if it had v2g.

That could be an interesting way to bring back some tax incentives for Tesla

I could dream up anything but when I woke up none of it would be real too. so there’s that