Close-ups of the Cybertruck frame and seats reveal several bits of information
Tesla
Tesla's Cybertruck transitions from concept to reality, and a buzz of excitement and speculation surrounds this revolutionary vehicle. The Cybertruck, with its audacious design and promises of unrivaled performance, is steadily approaching its first deliveries.
With the recent roll-off of the first production unit at the Gigafactory in Texas, many are left wondering about the remaining unknowns, particularly its pricing and features. As we inch closer to the release date, every tweet from Elon Musk or leak from the Tesla factory adds another piece to the puzzle. This article seeks to piece together all the recent clues we've garnered about the Tesla Cybertruck, from potential price points to exclusive design features.
Anticipated Pricing for the Cybertruck
Tesla's anticipated beast, the Cybertruck, has been under a shroud of mystery since its unveiling in late 2019, especially regarding its pricing. However, CEO Elon Musk's recent comment on the Ford F-150 Lightning could be a hint towards the Cybertruck's price point. Yesterday he tweeted:
The Ford Lightning is a good vehicle, just somewhat expensive, especially given the high interest rates these days for any kind of loan.
This comment came after Ford dropped the price of the truck by $10,000; it now starts at $49,995.
Cybertruck Ventilated Seats
A recent video from Tesla showcases its rigorous seat testing procedures (video below). But it didn't take long for viewers to spot the seats from the Cybertruck. With their distinctive angular control buttons and design, these seats were designed to match the truck's futuristic look. The seats appear to be ventilated, a feature currently exclusive to the Model S and Model X, although it's rumored to be available on the refreshed Model 3 as well. As Tesla prepares for the Cybertruck's initial deliveries, this video hints at the comfort and luxury potential owners can expect.
Our seat testing robot performs 50k ingress/egress cycles, equivalent to a lifetime of use ? pic.twitter.com/qnW3AEjaGA
The Cybertruck has been the subject of much speculation due to its unique exoskeleton design. Photos from the Gigafactory in Texas reveal the inner structure of the pickup and confirm it is not an exoskeleton. Sandy Munro, who goes by teardown titan on Twitter, confirmed as much in a video he posted. He believes the exoskeleton attempt may have been why the truck was so delayed and also speculated that the company likely went with a different design for safety reasons.
A Notable Omission - The Missing Midgate
The Cybertruck production line images reveal another unexpected detail - the absence of a midgate or cargo tunnel. This eliminates the potential for extended hauling lengths and may disappoint those looking to use the pickup as an overlander for camping.
No Right-Hand Drive Variant in Sight
Detailed photos of the Cybertruck's frame seem to confirm a key detail - the all-electric pickup truck's firewall is asymmetrical, indicating that it might only be available in Left Hand Drive variants, at least initially. This would mean reservation holders in RHD countries will have to wait a bit longer to get their hands on this game-changing pickup.
As the Tesla Cybertruck inches closer to its final reveal and first deliveries, these emerging details hint at what potential owners can expect from this highly anticipated electric pickup. With the official reveal expected this quarter, we're eagerly waiting to see one with our own eyes!
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Tesla has begun to reach out to customers in the United States and is offering demo drives of the Cybertruck on an invite-only basis. @brandonhd on X shared the first invite image, and it looks like it's going out quite quickly to multiple locations that have Cybertrucks on display.
Up until now, display vehicles have been for just that – looking, but no touching. Some Tesla delivery centers and showrooms have also allowed viewers to take a seat inside and open it up, but most are still locked away behind the velvet rope.
It’s exciting to see that Tesla has begun to demo them – and it can only be so long until demo drives open up to everyone.
Advisor-led Demo
This Demo Drive is led by a Tesla Advisor – while you’re driving, the advisor will be in the passenger seat, walking you through the experience. They’ll explain steer-by-wire, off-road controls, and will introduce new-to-Tesla buyers to all the features that are currently available.
The list of locations so far for demo drives appears to be fairly limited, but we will hopefully see demo drives roll out throughout the United States, and eventually Canada too. Here is the current list of city/state locations that have seen demo drive invites.
Actually Smart Summon, the successor to Tesla’s Smart Summon feature, has been confirmed to be coming as soon as next month as per Elon Musk. Colloquially known as “ASS”, Actually Smart Summon is supposed to improve on the regular Smart Summon capabilities, which have historically used ultrasonic sensors (USS) to navigate parking lots.
We’re looking forward to Actually Smart Summon, and we’re quite excited about what other features will be unlocked once it finally shows up at our doorstep.
Vision-based Improvements
ASS is supposed to bring Smart Summon to vehicles that don’t have USS – using Tesla Vision. Most recently, Tesla has brought Autopark to vehicles without USS, and Vision-based Autopark has been a huge success. It is faster, more reliable, and smoother than the older USS-based solution. It can also park and maneuver in tighter locations.
Today, Smart Summon is sometimes useful at best, usually a party trick, or downright dangerous at worst. It’s excellent and best used in straight lines, where you have a clear line of sight of the vehicle, and can stop it if doesn’t see an obstacle.
I used Smart Summon today, just before writing this article – my 2022 Model Y (with USS) – did manage to show up just fine – in a straight-line location from where I was parked, after exiting the parking spot fairly cleanly. However, I’ve previously used Smart Summon and have had the vehicle turn towards obstacles, such as cart returns or curbs. Overall, it’s a sometimes-useful feature that has a lot of drawbacks right now.
Smart Summon is also restricted to a certain distance – and it's pretty small. The max distance is shorter than most parking lots, being only about 215 ft (65m). If you’re lucky enough to park close, it's very useful to bring your car right to you.
Actually Smart Summon
ASS will bring FSD V12-like capabilities to Smart Summon – the vehicle will primarily use Vision to drive toward you (or the location you’ve indicated). ASS has been supposed to be coming since about September 2022 and has seen many delays – we’re almost at the 2-year point today.
We’re looking forward to Actually Smart Summon being able to bring the vehicle – safely – right to you. ASS is also one of the key steps towards bringing some other cool features that Elon Musk has previously mentioned – Park Seek and Banish Autopark.
We’re also hopeful that Actually Smart Summon will increase the maximum range a vehicle can be summoned, because the current range is fairly small. Alongside Park Seek and Banish Autopark, we’re closing in on a Robotaxi-based future.
Park Seek and Banish Autopark
When the FSD v12.4 showed up, Elon also mentioned that going forward, vehicles would automatically park themselves when arriving in a parking lot – Park Seek – and that if you got out of the car at the entrance to a business, you could get it to automatically park itself in the parking lot – Banish Autopark. These are two features that are needed for Robotaxi to work – which itself is delayed to October 10th of this year. We’re looking quite forward to them – as in combination with Actually Smart Summon, Tesla has reached the cusp of vehicle autonomy.
A vehicle that arrives, driverless, at the location you’re at, then drives somewhere, parks itself there, and waits for you – is the definition of a Robotaxi.
While we’re likely to have to wait for Banish Autopark and Park Seek just a bit longer, Actually Smart Summon being around the corner is exciting! Gone will be the days of having to run out to your car when you forgot your umbrella – your car will just come right to you instead.
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