Tesla's first pickup truck did not perform very well on the market, but it is still in demand. Cybertruck appeared later than promised by Elon Musk and has not yet received some features that made a huge impression during its preliminary presentation. In addition, Cybertruck has changed a lot since Elon Musk first introduced it in 2019.
The design of the pickup truck - futuristic and bold - remains a key factor in sales. But for those who believed in the story of a truly revolutionary pickup truck, which will have not only a unique appearance, but also unique functionality, the period of disappointment came very quickly.
Tesla's first pickup truck finally started sales in November 2023. It went through a difficult path, which was accompanied by numerous reviews and problems with scaling production.
After the start of sales, buyers began to complain about various defects and problems. And despite quite strong sales, many call the Cybertruck a disappointment. And Musk promised too many "benefits". But expectations did not come true.
The Cybertrucks sold now have a lower mileage and a much higher price than Musk had originally planned. Here are some of the Cybertruck features that Musk has been promising for years but never materialized.
Price $39,900
When Musk introduced the Cybertruck in 2019, he said the cheapest version would cost $39,900, with more advanced and refined variants priced at $49,900 and $69,900. In 2023, just before its launch, Tesla said the cheapest model would cost $60,990.
Fans were furious. The "Cybertruck" lost its chance at popularity and immediately became something of a status car. This certainly appealed to some of the audience, but many fans were furious.
But so what, last year Tesla suddenly removed the option to order the cheapest rear-wheel drive version. Now the Cybertruck can only be ordered in the all-wheel drive version with two motors for $ 99,990. And this is clearly not the end, because it is not clear what will happen to the prices.
Ranging 800 km
Musk said back in 2019 that the most advanced three-motor version of the Cybertruck would have a range of 800 km. More than an impressive figure. At that time, there were no models on the market with such a range, and even five years later there were only a few of them, with a number of caveats (such a range is only achievable in the city cycle, etc.).
A version of the Cybertruck with such a range would make it one of the electric cars with the highest range on the market. But as in many other cases, Musk failed to fulfill his promise. The range of the models released for sale does not even reach 500 km.
The Cyberquad ATV
Elon Musk's haters claim that he is often under the influence of various substances. There is no evidence for this, but sometimes Musk really says strange things. At the end of the Cybertruck 2019 event, he unexpectedly introduced the Cyberquad, Tesla's electric quadricycle.
He mentioned it several more times in his posts on social networks. The billionaire assured that the Cyberquad is a two-seater electric quadricycle, which will be released simultaneously with the Cybertruck pickup truck. As often happens with Musk's idea, the ATV immediately gathered fans. But as often happens, Musk got it a little wrong. Tesla has never released a full-size ATV.
Floating Cybertruck
For many fans, the decisive factor was Musk's mention that the Cybertruck will be able to float and function as a boat or, as it is also called, an amphibian. Musk's post that the pickup truck will be waterproof enough to “cross rivers, lakes and even not too rough seas“ has become something of a classic. But in practice, everything turned out differently.
The Cybertruck has a driving mode for crossing water obstacles. But the maximum depth is 750 mm, which, in principle, is within the capabilities of many modern SUVs. Musk refuses to give up. At the end of 2023, he wrote a post in which he promised that the Cybertruck would soon be able to "cross at least 100 meters of water like a boat". But he did not specify when this would happen.
Crab mode
Musk also claimed that his electric pickup truck would have a mode known as "crab walking". This allows the SUV to move sideways, which can sometimes be a lifesaver in difficult off-road situations. With the advent of electric crossovers, the technical possibility of implementing this function has become very attractive. After all, you can put one electric motor on each wheel.
In 2021, Musk assured that the Cybertruck would receive four motors and a "crab walking" function. Each wheel can rotate 360 degrees. The Cybertruck currently on sale has only two motors, regular wheels, and there is no indication that "crab mode" will be implemented in the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, "crab mode" was recently introduced in the new GMC Hammer EV and Mercedes-Benz G-class electric crossovers.