The Tesla Cybertruck has been actually struggling these days, with hundreds of vans sitting in stock, recollects and stop-sales for points like physique panels flying off, and the cancelation of promised options like the non-compulsory bed-mounted vary extender. Gross sales for the truck have additionally been far decrease than Tesla hoped, with round 50,000 delivered because it went on sale on the finish of 2023, a far cry from the million-plus reservations Tesla had touted. To hopefully enhance gross sales (and fight sliding used values), Tesla has lastly launched an entry-level rear-wheel-drive model of the Cybertruck, one thing it had initially introduced method again when the Cybertruck was revealed in 2019.
This new model is not practically as low-cost as Tesla initially deliberate, although. Whereas the RWD Cybertruck was stated to have a beginning worth of underneath $40,000 again then (after which round $61,000 final 12 months when it was accessible to order however by no means truly entered manufacturing), you may now need to pony up $71,985 for it, together with $1,995 vacation spot. Meaning this new Cybertruck variant is simply ten grand cheaper than the dual-motor all-wheel-drive mannequin, and it looks as if a serious downgrade in principally each method.
Longer vary, however that is it
Tesla does not say how a lot energy the rear-drive Cybertruck makes, however it’ll hit 60 mph in a claimed 6.2 seconds, which is 2.1 seconds slower than the dual-motor truck and three.6 seconds slower than the top-end tri-motor Cyberbeast that begins at over $100,000. It does nonetheless have a mechanical locking rear differential, and vary is as much as 350 miles, versus a max vary of 325 miles within the AWD model or 320 miles within the Cyberbeast. That is partially due to the even smaller and uglier wheels. The place the dual-motor Cybertruck comes commonplace with 20-inch wheels, the single-motor mannequin comes with 18s that, whereas admittedly a cool design for the wheel itself, look goofy as hell on the truck with these big sidewalls. The identical 20-inchers with all-terrains and people problematic wheel covers are a $3,500 choice, bringing the vary all the way down to 331 miles.
The rear-wheel-drive Cybertruck can solely tow 7,500 kilos, down from 11,000 kilos within the dual-motor variations, and its max payload is 2,006 kilos (in case you get the larger wheels), in comparison with 2,500 kilos for the mid-range truck and a couple of,271 kilos with the Cyberbeast. The bottom Cybertruck does cost the quickest, including as much as 147 miles in quarter-hour when plugged right into a Tesla Supercharger versus 137 miles for the dual-motor, although its 325-kW max charging energy is identical as different Cybertrucks.
Decontented to the purpose of bleakness
It isn’t simply in specs the place the bottom Cybertruck is an enormous downgrade. One of many greater losses is the adaptive air suspension with adjustable experience top that the higher fashions get, with the rear-drive Cybertruck simply making do with an adaptive coil-spring suspension. Gone is the powered tonneau cowl, which is not even an choice on the rear-drive truck, although for $750 a smooth tonneau is out there that Tesla says will increase vary by 12 miles — however it ships individually and you need to set up it your self. Within the mattress itself the bottom truck does not have the underfloor storage compartment, it has “commonplace” mattress lamps as an alternative of “premium” ones, there aren’t any L-tracks within the mattress, and it additionally does not have the 240v outlet and two 120v retailers that the opposite Cybertrucks do.
Tesla says the headlights haven’t got the “signature lamps” of the opposite Cybertrucks, which I imagine is the sunshine bar on the high of the nostril, however all of Tesla’s photos nonetheless present it — possibly it has much less performance or one thing. The sunshine bar on the rear can be eliminated for the rear-drive truck, and it loses its tinted home windows, too. Inside, the bottom Cybertruck has fabric upholstery as an alternative of the nicer leather-like materials within the different fashions, and a “commonplace” middle console as an alternative of a “premium” one. It loses the air flow for the entrance seats and heating for the rear seats, although the fronts are nonetheless heated. The 9.4-inch show for rear passengers is taken out, the sound system is introduced all the way down to 7 audio system as an alternative of 15 (a Honda Civic Sport has 8), and the lively noise cancelation is taken out — all the higher to listen to to listen to folks yelling obscenities at you as you drive by. Additionally eliminated for the bottom Cybertruck are the 2 120v retailers within the cabin and the HEPA air filter.
It is a dangerous deal
The Cybertruck is already an austere car, and this excessive decontenting makes it method worse, even earlier than you see the way it’s not that less expensive than the mid-range mannequin. It actually looks as if Tesla eliminated greater than $10,000 price of stuff. It isn’t even an incredible deal when put up in opposition to different electrical vans, both. Entry-level variations of the Ford F-150 Lightning, Rivian R1T and Chevrolet Silverado EV all have dual-motor powertrains and begin at $65,090, $71,900 and $75,195, respectively.
Possibly if this base-spec Cybertruck was truly $40,000 like Tesla initially stated, it could truly be interesting. Wait, no, it would not be, as a result of it could nonetheless be ugly and badly constructed. I do not anticipate this trim to final very lengthy anyway — Tesla has a behavior of quietly canceling its cheaper choices when nobody buys them.
