Tesla has talked about a truck for many years but never delivered… until now. Recently, Tesla unveiled its wildly styled Cybertruck to a wide range of responses. Here’s what we know about the 2021 Cybertruck and what to expect when it arrives.
Visually, the Cybertruck arrived with an eye-popping design that looked like it was ripped straight from a movie based 30 years in the future. It boasts a triangular design that is sure to catch more than its fair share of stares, including a one-piece LED headlight and taillight bars, a bed that closes off to form what Tesla calls a vault, and rugged off-road rubber. Its cold-rolled steel body resists denting but also creates a secure shell to keep everyone safe inside.
Speaking of inside, the Cybertruck will seat up to six adults in its cabin. In initial images, this cabin looks very simple, much like other Tesla models. Its dash will be flat and clean, and the only real user input happens on its 17-inch touchscreen. Storage will be no issue inside this pickup with its compartment under the second-row seats.
Like other Tesla models, the 2021 Cybertruck will have a handful of powertrain options, ranging from relatively mild to insane. On the mild side will be the base model with a single motor and rear-wheel drive. This model will deliver a sub-6.5-second 0-to-60 time, over 250 miles of driving range, and over a 7,500-pound towing capacity, per Tesla estimates.
The next powertrain option will be the dual-motor all-wheel-drive model that Tesla estimates will deliver over a 10,000-pound towing capacity, a sub-4.5-second 0-to-60 time, and over 300 miles of driving range.
The top-of-the-line Cybertruck will be the tri-motor all-wheel-drive model that will deliver a Tesla-estimated sub-2.9-second 0-to-60 time, over 500 miles of driving range, and over a 14,000-pound towing capacity.
Tesla hasn’t announced much in terms of safety gear in the 2021 Cybertruck, but it did mention it’ll boast partial self-driving, which will convert to full self-driving in the future. The IIHS is not fond of throwing Tesla’s expensive electric vehicles into walls, but it has in the past. These past tests did not bode well for the Model S, but the Model 3 made up for it as an IIHS Top Safety Pick+. Given the level of tech going into the Cybertruck, we expect it to fall in line with the Model 3’s safety ratings when it hits showrooms.
