General / Off-Topic Tesla Truck features

[Zak Gordon]

As a fan of Elite and a longtime gamer, i find i have no issue with how it looks. I did wonder about it's actual utility though, but it turns out that despite the odd looks it is actually pretty functional:

At the rear, the 6.5-foot (2m) bed—called the Cybertruck Vault here—has a lockable aerodynamic cover that gives the vehicle 100 cubic feet (2,831L) of protected cargo storage. The Vault will also support loads of up to 3,500lbs (1,588kg).

There will be three versions of the Cybertruck. The single (rear) motor configuration will have a range of 250 miles (400km) with a towing capacity of 7,500lbs (3,402kg) for $39,900. For an extra $10,000, there's a dual motor (all-wheel drive) variant, which ups the towing capacity to 10,000lbs (4,536kg) and drops the 0-60mph time by two seconds. A trimotor Cybertruck—presumably with one front motor and two rear motors—will cost $69,900 and is tow-rated for 14,000lbs (6,350kg), but you get 500 miles (800km) of range.

And 0-60 in a few seconds or so. Not bad figures at all really (other than the price, but it IS a boutique pickup in truth, rather than one for the masses).

Tesla wants to reinvent the pickup with the $39,900 Cybertruck

The wedge-shaped vehicle looks like no pickup you’ve ever seen before.

arstechnica.com

Elon Musk: Tesla Cybertruck already has 200,000 pre-orders

The wedge-shaped truck is due out in late 2021, starting at $39,900.

arstechnica.com

For my part i'd consider one, maybe in a few years when it has had a few redesigns to iron out the wrinkles etc, and hopefully a cheaper version will be available by then, as it seems people want it already (from the current 200,000 that put money down for it!). My thinking is this. In a world where Big Oil is manipulating people and governments to not act fast enough on AGW, we are heading for a period of societal chaos. Having a non petrol utility vehicle (that i can charge at home (i.e a secure compound)) that is useful and fast and fairly quiet and stealthy (vs a combustion engine) is going to increase my 'families' chance of long term survival.

It looks like something out of Mad Max, and that is sadly looking like being pretty appropriate for the world we are creating over the next hundred years or so. I want one (and i'll have one, one way or another when it is all falling down around us!)

 

[Morbad]

My thinking is this. In a world where Big Oil is manipulating people and governments to not act fast enough on AGW, we are heading for a period of societal chaos. Having a non petrol utility vehicle (that i can charge at home (i.e a secure compound)) that is useful and fast and fairly quiet and stealthy (vs a combustion engine) is going to increase my 'families' chance of long term survival.

I don't buy the idea of any real survival utility advantage here. In a period of significant societal chaos, electricity is going to be a problem for anyone not already independent of the grid and finding fuel could well be easier than finding a place to charge an EV. Having to always return to the same location is going to give away that location pretty quickly. The stealth aspect is also highly dubious. An EV is nearly silent when going slow, but many conventional vehicles aren't much louder. Real stealth anywhere there are people involves not standing out; it's easy to disguise or overlook a common vehicle, but your faceted steel box is going to attract attention.

If you want one, knock yourself out, but you may want to reconsider if any part of your purchase decision is being influenced by a presumption of some special survivalist advantage.

 

[EUS]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1198751258384818176

Source: https://twitter.com/i/status/1198751258384818176

Don't Believe the Hype.

Tesla's marketing is borderline fantasy, especially their "real world" scenarios.

 

[Chris Simon]

Don't Believe the Hype.

Tesla's marketing is borderline fantasy, especially their "real world" scenarios.

Isn't marketing always? And does it matter?

Here's a nice insight into why people love Elon Musk and why they kind of love the truck while being repulsed at the same time.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_NbH4MtKBA


Elon is simply that kind of guy I or you would be if we had billions of dollars and huge R&D capacity behind us. Doing silly stuff just for the giggles and getting away with it bcause why the hell not.

 

[EUS]

Isn't marketing always? And does it matter?

No, yes.

 

[lysan]

As a fan of Elite and a longtime gamer, i find i have no issue with how it looks. I did wonder about it's actual utility though, but it turns out that despite the odd looks it is actually pretty functional:





And 0-60 in a few seconds or so. Not bad figures at all really (other than the price, but it IS a boutique pickup in truth, rather than one for the masses).

Tesla wants to reinvent the pickup with the $39,900 Cybertruck

The wedge-shaped vehicle looks like no pickup you’ve ever seen before.

arstechnica.com

Elon Musk: Tesla Cybertruck already has 200,000 pre-orders

The wedge-shaped truck is due out in late 2021, starting at $39,900.

arstechnica.com

For my part i'd consider one, maybe in a few years when it has had a few redesigns to iron out the wrinkles etc, and hopefully a cheaper version will be available by then, as it seems people want it already (from the current 200,000 that put money down for it!). My thinking is this. In a world where Big Oil is manipulating people and governments to not act fast enough on AGW, we are heading for a period of societal chaos. Having a non petrol utility vehicle (that i can charge at home (i.e a secure compound)) that is useful and fast and fairly quiet and stealthy (vs a combustion engine) is going to increase my 'families' chance of long term survival.

It looks like something out of Mad Max, and that is sadly looking like being pretty appropriate for the world we are creating over the next hundred years or so. I want one (and i'll have one, one way or another when it is all falling down around us!)

Well I like this more.

 

[Robin of Spiritwood]

Pre-orders for Tesla's Cybertruck hit 200k in three days

While the big reveal of Tesla’s Cybertruck didn’t entirely go to plan, the pre-orders are starting to pour in for the company’s polarizing pickup. Thousands upon thousands have laid down a deposit in the three days since its introduction, according to CEO Elon Musk, who has also hinted at some…

newatlas.com

Well, regardless of appearance and shortcomings, it's selling.

^Horseless carriage.
Originally, cars were still built as if the horses had to go in front.

Now they are being built as if the gas engine does not have to be accommodated under hood/bonnet.

Things are just going to look different going forward.

 

[[VR] optimal_909]

Pre-orders for Tesla's Cybertruck hit 200k in three days

While the big reveal of Tesla’s Cybertruck didn’t entirely go to plan, the pre-orders are starting to pour in for the company’s polarizing pickup. Thousands upon thousands have laid down a deposit in the three days since its introduction, according to CEO Elon Musk, who has also hinted at some…

newatlas.com

Well, regardless of appearance and shortcomings, it's selling.

^Horseless carriage.
Originally, cars were still built as if the horses had to go in front.

Now they are being built as if the gas engine does not have to be accommodated under hood/bonnet.

Things are just going to look different going forward.

Because of the cult.
Tesla is the CIG of motoring industry, sellung promises to the cult followers faster than the actual products roll out. Model Y, Semi, now this... And whatever happened to the robotaxi that earns you money while not driving it.

 

[Zak Gordon]

I don't buy the idea of any real survival utility advantage here. In a period of significant societal chaos, electricity is going to be a problem for anyone not already independent of the grid.....

That was exactly what i had said btw. This is an off-grid AGW survival wagon, and have you been in an EV (or seen one driving around close), they are MUCH quieter than any ICE vehicle, they even have to make 'fake' sound to warn pedestrians they are coming, and at high speed it is mostly just the wind/tire resistance you hear, so an EV is about half as loud as an ICE vehicle overall is my impression from hearing them (inside and out).

A small well armed and trained group of people, a few of these and night time recons for food and resources and you should do fine in the world we are approaching over the next 50 years or so

 

[Zak Gordon]

Well I like this more.

You'll hear that miles before you see it, so not a great 'survivalists' vehicle in practice, but certainly cool for wowing the Sunday barbecue at the oval crowd!

 

[lysan]

You'll hear that miles before you see it, so not a great 'survivalists' vehicle in practice, but certainly cool for wowing the Sunday barbecue at the oval crowd!

The sound of a V8 roaring is beautiful

 

[Zak Gordon]

I prefer 'stealth' for survival

 

[Morbad]

That was exactly what i had said btw. This is an off-grid AGW survival wagon, and have you been in an EV (or seen one driving around close), they are MUCH quieter than any ICE vehicle, they even have to make 'fake' sound to warn pedestrians they are coming.

At speed much road noise is from air turbulence and tires on whatever surface is being driven across, often these dwarf engine noise. Yes, I've been around and in EVs and yes they have very little powertrain noise, but I do not feel that, in most situations this Tesla would be particularly stealthy.

In the sort of collapse scenario envisioned, something that is clearly an EV and that stands out as much as the Tesla would announce the existence of your base of operations anywhere it went, because everyone would know it's useful radius of operations would be quite limited and that you need to have a base of operations to charge the thing. It would be a rolling invitation to follow it and try to take the substantial resources you apparently had.

 

[Zak Gordon]

Not much could follow it (it is fast for an off-road vehicle) and any trip out and back is never a straight line, includes ambush setup and perimeter defences.

Again, this is an AGW apocalypse survival wagon, that was my very first thought on seeing it. It has a purpose and is designed for that.

I had edited my reply as you wrote yours it seems

...and at high speed it is mostly just the wind/tire resistance you hear, so an EV is about half as loud as an ICE vehicle overall is my impression from hearing them (inside and out).

At over a few hundred feet, either slow or at speed an EV is practicaly silent. A large 'V8' (insert ICE engine of choice) on the other hand is something you hear coming from miles (real) away.

 

[Leper Messiah]

my GOD and I thought I'd seen eveything fugly, this thing is unleashed upon my poor eyes. I'm a ful on petrol head and this sort of thing is just depressing, is there a reason we can't save the planet with good looking vehicles or is there some sort of symbiotic connection between saving the planet and smeg ugly vehicles?

That thing looks like Kryten's head!

 

[Zak Gordon]

Cost, most likely. And maybe a little bit of 80's sci-fi from Elon? I think with a decent non-reflective cam paint-job or maybe just in pure black, it could look much better?

 

[Morbad]

Not much could follow it (it is fast for an off-road vehicle) and any trip out and back is never a straight line, includes ambush setup and perimeter defences.

You don't need to trail something at close range, in person, to follow it (and even if you did, damaging it to the extent it's speed would be limited would not be hard), or to infer it's destination; taking an overly circuitous route limits it's useful radius even further (espeically if you have to be prepared to do it at high speed); and simply being in possession of a working EV would make you a target for anyone looking for food, fuel, or weapons that they'd assume you had wherever you were charging it.

The best stealth is not standing out and one of the strongest defenses is not looking like you have anything worth taking. A distinctive EV abdicates both.

Again, this is an AGW apocalypse survival wagon, that was my very first thought on seeing it. It has a purpose and is designed for that.

It's a toy and a piece of conspicuous consumption whose primary appeal is that it's a Tesla and that it looks unusual.

It will probably be a relatively functional pickup on top of that, but I'm not seeing attributes that imply any special survival utility. It stands out too much to be used from a static location, and in any sort of situation where electrical grids weren't functioning, it would be harder to recharge than it would be to salvage or barter for fuel for a conventional vehicle, so probably wouldn't be much use for long distance travel. Both electricity and petroleum fuels need a fair bit of infrastructure to produce and distribute in quantity, but when infrastructure is damaged, petroleum is both easier to store and easier to transport than electricity.

A large 'V8' (insert ICE engine of choice) on the other hand is something you hear coming from miles (real) away.

ICE doesn't imply a large. Plenty of small 4-cylinders that are essentially inaudible beyond a few dozen yards. I'll hear tires on a road or trail, even at a walking pace, way before I'll hear engine noise from a lot of small autos.

The Cybertruck is big, heavy, and not at all silent at speed.

 

[[VR] optimal_909]

ICE doesn't imply a large. Plenty of small 4-cylinders that are essentially inaudible beyond a few dozen yards. I'll hear tires on a road or trail, even at a walking pace, way before I'll hear engine noise from a lot of small autos.

The Cybertruck is big, heavy, and not at all silent at speed.

Engine coapacity doesn't imply being loud. My V8 is almost silent, hell even 70s V8s are as whispering as it gets.
Tyre noise on the other hand is very loud, especially off road tyres.

At the end, armegeddon scenarios do not favor fancy boutique vehicles.

 

[lysan]

Engine coapacity doesn't imply being loud. My V8 is almost silent, hell even 70s V8s are as whispering as it gets.
Tyre noise on the other hand is very loud, especially off road tyres.

At the end, armegeddon scenarios do not favor fancy boutique vehicles.

Well my Jeep is a bit noisy, however that’s because I removed the cat and changed the muffler just to get that sweeet sound, then again it rarely exceed more than 2000 rpm.

 

[jasonbarron]

Not much could follow it (it is fast for an off-road vehicle) and any trip out and back is never a straight line, includes ambush setup and perimeter defences.

Again, this is an AGW apocalypse survival wagon, that was my very first thought on seeing it. It has a purpose and is designed for that.

I had edited my reply as you wrote yours it seems



At over a few hundred feet, either slow or at speed an EV is practicaly silent. A large 'V8' (insert ICE engine of choice) on the other hand is something you hear coming from miles (real) away.

A post apocalypse "survival wagon" is more likely going to be a horse.