Promises, Promises — Tesla Cybertruck Edition

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Does anyone else in the world believe what Elon Musk says? If so, answer this question: Would you let him implant a computer chip in your brain? One example is the Cybertruck, which, to hear Musk say at its 2019 debut event, would have a starting price of $39,900, a three-motor version with a 500-mile range, an accompanying two-person Cyberquad electric ATV, the ability to float like a boat, and an astonishing, “never-before-seen” ability to crab walk and tank corner when equipped with four motors. None of those promises have been fulfilled.

This week, Company Insider has looked into those claims. In his analysis, Musk has been weighed and found wanting. The Cybertruck for sale now has less range and a much higher price tag than Musk initially predicted, with the cheapest model currently available costing nearly $100,000. Here's what it found when it looked into some of Musk's claims about the Cybertruck.

Price tag $39,900

When Musk first unveiled the Cybertruck in 2019, he said the cheapest version would cost $39,900, with higher-end variants costing $49,900 and $69,900. Then, in 2023, Tesla said the cheapest model would actually cost $60,990 and would arrive in 2025. This month, Tesla quietly raised the price of the dual-motor, all-wheel-drive version of the Cybertruck to just under $100,000 and removed the option to pre-order the cheaper, single-motor, rear-wheel-drive version. It's now unclear what Tesla's plans are for the single-motor model.

500 mile range

Musk also said in 2019 that the most advanced tri-motor version of the Cybertruck would have a range of 500 miles, making it one of the longest-range electric vehicles on the market. But again, it was a promise Tesla failed to deliver on. Tesla advertises the $100,000 all-wheel-drive Cybertruck as having an estimated range of 318 miles, while the $120,000 “Cyberbeast” gets a paltry 301 miles.

Tesla said it plans to offer a range extender — an additional battery pack that sits in the cargo bed of the vehicle, which the company says will increase the Cybertruck’s range to more than 470 miles. Production of the range extender is expected to begin in early 2025 and will cost an additional $16,000. But isn’t that cheating? I once had a friend who said his three-speed Raleigh bicycle could do 60 mph — which was true if you were going down a steep hill. But his claim was a gross overstatement, even if it was theoretically possible. When Musk first claimed the Cybertruck would have a range of 500 miles, he conveniently forgot to mention that customers would have to shell out an additional $16,000 to make that a reality.

Cyberquad

Musk closed out the 2019 Cybertruck event with a surprise reveal of the “Cyberquad,” a Tesla quad bike. At the time, he wrote on Twitter that the Cyberquad would be a two-seater ATV that would launch alongside the truck. Tesla even released a $1,900 kids’ version of the Cyberquad, which now retails for $1,650. The full-size quad bike has yet to be released.

Cybertruck as a boat

One of the most notable promises Musk made about the Cybertruck is that it would be able to float and serve as a boat for short periods of time. He wrote on X that the pickup would be waterproof enough to “cross rivers, lakes, and even seas that aren't too rough.” While the Cybertruck has a “wading mode” that allows drivers to drive through 30 inches of water for a limited time, it's not seaworthy enough to serve as a boat. Musk hasn't given up on that capability, however, posting on X last December that Tesla would release another upgrade that would allow the Cybertruck to “cross at least 100 meters of water as a boat.” The Cybertruck is no AmphiCar.

Crab walking

In 2021, Musk wrote on Twitter that the first production run of the Cybertruck would have four motors, one for each wheel, allowing it to rotate 360 ​​degrees like a tank and move diagonally like a crab. But the feature never made it beyond Tesla’s drawing board. Cybertruck chief engineer Wes Morrill said in April of this year that Tesla experimented with the feature but couldn’t find a practical use for it. “We experimented with this during development, but no matter what we tried it was a clunky/awkward experience with no real use case,” he wrote in a post on X.

Cybertruck and that range extender battery

Write on AutoblogJonathan Ramsey has more about the Cybertruck range extender battery. The longer the Tesla Cybertruck is on the market, the more confusing the stainless steel pickup truck becomes, he says. “Last November, the dual-motor AWD Cybertruck launched with an MSRP of $79,990, the tri-motor Cyberbeast started at $99,990, meaning both have gone up $20,000 in less than nine months. Not only is that fact mind-boggling, it should also come with a ventilator. The range estimates, on the other hand, have swung the other way. The dual-motor AWD is supposed to be able to go 350 miles on a charge, but is now advertised as 318 miles, while several owners have reported real-world driving of less than 300 miles.”

To address the range shortage and perhaps get closer to the 500-mile mark touted at launch, Tesla has shown off a range-extending battery pack that would fit in the bed of the pickup. For a $500 nonrefundable deposit, Cybertruck owners can reserve one of these auxiliary battery packs for themselves now, paying an estimated $16,000 when it becomes available. Ramsey points out that in the arcane world of Tesla, customers should think about “estimated.” The price of the company’s Full Self Driving software suite has varied widely over time, with people who paid more for it not so happy that others paid significantly less. And be sure to ask Model Y owners who paid $66,000 for their cars how they feel now that the starting price is $20,000 lower.

Tesla also isn’t being upfront about battery capacity, Ramsey says. One description says the package offers “470+ Total Mi. Range (Est.).” Another says, “Enable 450+ miles of range without impacting accessory capacity.” The 470 miles applies to the dual-motor truck, 450 miles means the Cyberbeast; however, those distances were back when the dual-motor truck was rated at an estimated 350 miles on a charge and the Cyberbeast at 320 miles, so who knows where the final numbers will end up?

InsideEVs tried to do the math on the efficiency of the Cybertruck’s traction battery, and calculated that the bed-mounted pack would be good for 130 miles on about 47 kWh. Oh, and it takes up a third of the 6-foot by 4-foot bed and weighs about 660 pounds, meaning it never comes out. What truck owner is going to pay for removal and reinstallation, and more importantly, where are they going to store more than a quarter ton of battery once it’s out of the truck, Ramsey wonders?

Production of the package won’t start until early next year. Potential buyers are paying $500 now for the chance to find out how much the package will cost later and how much range it will actually provide. “So when Tesla says the package costs $20,000 and only adds 110 miles, well, thanks for your down payment, good day, sir. We rarely come across circumstances that define the word mind-boggling so perfectly, but we think we’ve hit the nail on the head here. Stay tuned,” Ramsey writes.

The takeaway meal

When media sources start using words like “flabbergasting” in connection with Musk and Tesla’s claims, you might want to check to make sure you still have all 10 fingers and your wallet. Why people continue to tolerate these deceptive, sly statements that amount to little more than 100% Grade A horse-puckering from Musk over and over again is a great mystery. PT Barnum may have said it best when he said, “There’s a sucker born every minute.”