Cybertruck Thoughts

[COdogman]

“Easier to maneuver“, unless you need to back up with the “game changing“ tonneau cover closed. Sandy Munro hit a wall with a borrowed CT.

https://www.autoblog.com/2024/03/18...r-sandy-munro-says-and-he-hit-a-wall-with-it/

"One of the things I'm unhappy about is I don't know where the back end of this vehicle is," Munro said. "The camera says I've got about a foot, but it actually is more like an inch."

As a result of the difficulty of backing up the Cybertruck, Munro said he hit a "back wall," slightly bending the rear edges of the truck and scuffing part of the rear bumper.

The auto expert is far from the first to express frustration with backing up in the Cybertruck. Pharrell Williams appeared to have difficulty maneuvering a Cybertruck earlier this year and several auto experts have made light of the issue as well.

"You can't see a darn thing out of the back, especially when the cargo bed cover is deployed," Clint Simone, an automotive journalist for Edmunds, wrote in a review of the truck. "A camera feed constantly runs on the center screen, but I still checked the rearview mirror out of habit every few minutes."

Similarly, a reviewer from MotorTrend said the rearview camera doesn't work when the truck's turn signal is on as the video feed for the rearview camera is replaced by a video from a different blind spot camera.

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[carsly]

Something to consider, without Tesla paving a path Rivian would not exist.

I have a R1S pre-order that's been available to configure since Nov/Dec last year BUT I also have a Dec 2019 Cybertruck reservation that should come up to configure and deliver this year. No question, for a family of 5 with two small dogs the Rivian is the safer play - but I've had a lot of two-box, three-row, SUV's and after a while they are all pretty similar. Sure, some have better leather, or B&O sound systems, or better/worse road handling, better/worse off-road capabilities, better/worse snow capabilities, better/worse seat comfort. BUT they are all pretty much the same. Smart on Rivian to get a play in this space, but now the Polestar 3, Volvo EX90, Macan EV, Blazer EV, Honda Prologue, Acura ZDX (Yes, I realize the last three are basically the same vehicle) are all crowding in this year with variations on the theme.

You don't have to love the Cybertruck, or like the Cybertruck, but it's here and it has a place in driveways and parking lots across Murica. Maybe not yours, and that's ok. I'm looking forward to seeing what updates come to R1 in April and having my order available to configure on the Cybertruck while seeing some of the other options come to market and see what's best for us this year. No doubt, it's an exciting year for electric vehicles despite the pessimistic headlines as we're seeing a lot of new options reach the market as prices soften. Great for buyers and car enthusiasts who were otherwise priced out of decent EV's.

 

[Rivian Head]

LOLLOLOLOL

Here are some numbers to consider ;
2023 Q4 17,500 vehicles sold. No breakdown between R1S and R1T per report. R1T may not hit 30K this year. 2/3 of Rivian demand is R1S.
2024 CT is expected to hit 32,000 vehicles quarterly production, ramping up to 64,000 per quarter by the end of 2024. Had 1.8 million reservation. Received another 250K new orders since the unveiling of CT. It’s very clear that Tesla can’t not meet the demand any time soon. In order to appease “ loyal” customers, long time shareholders will get the first crack at delivery, which sounds crazy, but it tells you about demand issue.

 

[Rivian Head]

Something to consider, without Tesla paving a path Rivian would not exist.

I have a R1S pre-order that's been available to configure since Nov/Dec last year BUT I also have a Dec 2019 Cybertruck reservation that should come up to configure and deliver this year. No question, for a family of 5 with two small dogs the Rivian is the safer play - but I've had a lot of two-box, three-row, SUV's and after a while they are all pretty similar. Sure, some have better leather, or B&O sound systems, or better/worse road handling, better/worse off-road capabilities, better/worse snow capabilities, better/worse seat comfort. BUT they are all pretty much the same. Smart on Rivian to get a play in this space, but now the Polestar 3, Volvo EX90, Macan EV, Blazer EV, Honda Prologue, Acura ZDX (Yes, I realize the last three are basically the same vehicle) are all crowding in this year with variations on the theme.

You don't have to love the Cybertruck, or like the Cybertruck, but it's here and it has a place in driveways and parking lots across Murica. Maybe not yours, and that's ok. I'm looking forward to seeing what updates come to R1 in April and having my order available to configure on the Cybertruck while seeing some of the other options come to market and see what's best for us this year. No doubt, it's an exciting year for electric vehicles despite the pessimistic headlines as we're seeing a lot of new options reach the market as prices soften. Great for buyers and car enthusiasts who were otherwise priced out of decent EV's.

I agree with you. More competition means better days are ahead for consumers. We all should be rooting for innovations, but you will see so much hate in this forum.

 

[COdogman]

Here are some numbers to consider ;
2023 Q4 17,500 vehicles sold. No breakdown between R1S and R1T per report. R1T may not hit 30K this year. 2/3 of Rivian demand is R1S.
2024 CT is expected to hit 32,000 vehicles quarterly production, ramping up to 64,000 per quarter by the end of 2024. Had 1.8 million reservation. Received another 250K new orders since the unveiling of CT. It’s very clear that Tesla can’t not meet the demand any time soon. In order to appease “ loyal” customers, long time shareholders will get the first crack at delivery, which sounds crazy, but it tells you about demand issue.

Once again, there was never any proof of 1.8 million reservations, or the "addition" of 250k more reservations. How many cancellations were there after the reveal event and disappointing specs that underwhelmed everyone except the most brainwashed of cult members?

You saying the words "it's very clear" does not make that true.

 

[Friscorays]

“Easier to maneuver“, unless you need to back up with the “game changing“ tonneau cover closed. Sandy Munro hit a wall with a borrowed CT. .....

From what I've seen of his driving, I wouldn't let him borrow anything I cared about. Thankfully, collision damage will likely improve the appearance of the Cybertruck.

 

[Rivian Head]

Once again, there was never any proof of 1.8 million reservations, or the "addition" of 250k more reservations. How many cancellations were there after the reveal event and disappointing specs that underwhelmed everyone except the most brainwashed of cult members?

You saying the words "it's very clear" does not make that true.

Only time will tell if those reports are true, but I think most analysts are correct; Tesla will sell more than 125K CT by 2025 second quarter. R1T may not hit 30k. I think R1T sales will get hit since both Rivian and CT ‘s audience are not the traditional truck buyers. Let’s not call names, just stick to projected figures and data, then draw conclusions.

 

[jjswan33]

Something to consider, without Tesla paving a path Rivian would not exist.

People say that but I am not so sure that it's true. Rivian was founded in 2009 and Tesla's only vehicle at that point was the Roadster. While I am sure that Rivian could have taken a different path without Tesla, doesn't mean they wouldn't exist.

 

[carsly]

Once again, there was never any proof of 1.8 million reservations, or the "addition" of 250k more reservations. How many cancellations were there after the reveal event and disappointing specs that underwhelmed everyone except the most brainwashed of cult members?

You saying the words "it's very clear" does not make that true.

Sure, there were a few disappointed folks. But pragmatists, of which there are many, were not at all surprised. Why?

The Plaid+ got killed off >2 years earlier because as the Supercharger network kept growing the need to strap an even more massive battery pack under each vehicle to get 500 miles of range just....disappeared.

Meanwhile, we can thank both parties for printing cash and bringing mega-inflation to our shores raising prices on many goods and services by 25-40% since 2020.

I think the delivery event specs are spot on and solidly aligned with the rest of Tesla's lineup with ~300 miles of range and v3/v4 Supercharging capability. I wish pricing were a bit more moderated as I was anticipating a $50K dual motor but inflation-adjusted that should be about $70K today. As a shareholder I'm glad that Tesla is taking the opportunity to generate more margin per vehicle early. Prices will inevitably decline, just wait a bit.

When the Foundation series run ends, and it will, I'd posit a $80K dual-motor Cybertruck that eventually drops to $65-70K is a heck of a lot of tech for the money. Not a vehicle for everyone, but neither is a F-350, Bronco Raptor, or R1T.

 

[COdogman]

Only time will tell if those reports are true, but I think most analysts are correct; Tesla will sell more than 125K CT by 2025 second quarter. R1T may not hit 30k. I think R1T sales will get hit since both Rivian and CT ‘s audience are not the traditional truck buyers. Let’s not call names, just stick to projected figures and data, then draw conclusions.

The sales numbers may eventually be accurate, but let's stop pretending those reservation numbers you keep throwing around are real. The "2 million" reservation number was exposed to be crowdsourced. Then Elon ran with it, acting like that was accurate even though he was the one person who would know what the real numbers were.

And it's because of his wild statements since 2019 that everyone was underwhelmed by the reveal.

I agree that traditional truck buyers aren't going electric yet and if they do, they are likely to go with a Lightning if they are used to a full size truck. But the CT is not likely to meet those lofty sales expectations either. It's proving to be even more of a niche product than the R1T.

 

[COdogman]

Sure, there were a few disappointed folks. But pragmatists, of which there are many, were not at all surprised. Why?

The Plaid+ got killed off >2 years earlier because as the Supercharger network kept growing the need to strap an even more massive battery pack under each vehicle to get 500 miles of range just....disappeared.

Meanwhile, we can thank both parties for printing cash and bringing mega-inflation to our shores raising prices on many goods and services by 25-40% since 2020.

I think the delivery event specs are spot on and solidly aligned with the rest of Tesla's lineup with ~300 miles of range and v3/v4 Supercharging capability. I wish pricing were a bit more moderated as I was anticipating a $50K dual motor but inflation-adjusted that should be about $70K today. As a shareholder I'm glad that Tesla is taking the opportunity to generate more margin per vehicle early. Prices will inevitably decline, just wait a bit.

When the Foundation series run ends, and it will, I'd posit a $80K dual-motor Cybertruck that eventually drops to $65-70K is a heck of a lot of tech for the money. Not a vehicle for everyone, but neither is a F-350, Bronco Raptor, or R1T.

I agree the specs were expected for those who live on planet earth. The problem is Elon and the CT's most ardent fans spent years making all sorts of claims about capabilities that went far beyond what was announced in the end.

The few days after that reveal were like a funeral on the Tesla forums. Or like 3/1/22 in these forums...

 

[Dark-Fx]

I think the delivery event specs are spot on and solidly aligned with the rest of Tesla's lineup with ~300 miles

This is totally ignoring the market of people that wanted to use the CT to tow longer distances. RAM is probably going to get those folks as customers now.

 

[jjswan33]

This is totally ignoring the market of people that wanted to use the CT to tow longer distances. RAM is probably going to get those folks as customers now.

I wouldn't discount the Chevy/GM offerings with their 200+ kWh battery packs. They also have a lot of loyal customers who are going to see that 450 mile range and take the plunge. You would know better than I do what the charging curve looks like but at least the top line charging speeds are impressive.

 

[carsly]

This is totally ignoring the market of people that wanted to use the CT to tow longer distances. RAM is probably going to get those folks as customers now.

I'm not ignoring them, just asserting that there are likely far more people who could care less about long-distance towing. For those towing enthusiasts Tesla didn't neglect them, there is the upcoming range extender that slaps and mounts into the bed.

For a truck though, it should have a spare tire. That's just useful for everybody.

 

[Dark-Fx]

I wouldn't discount the Chevy/GM offerings with their 200+ kWh battery packs. They also have a lot of loyal customers who are going to see that 450 mile range and take the plunge. You would know better than I do what the charging curve looks like but at least the top line charging speeds are impressive.

They need to really push out the Pilot/Flying J stations, since EA doesn't have any pull-through stations to speak of, and Tesla seems to be dragging their feet on 800V stations. You're still talking about 30+ minute stops every 2 hours. We were struggling to even get 1 kWh/mi in our R1S in the winter pulling our 5k lbs travel trailer at 65 mph.

With the Ramcharger, you likely won't need to drive slower and stops off the freeway will be convenient and quick.

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