Tesla’s botched Cybertruck event is good news for Rivian, other EV truck makers
Way to not deliver on your promises:
At the
original Cybertruck unveiling, Tesla said the truck would start at $39,900, be available in late 2021, have a payload of 3,500 pounds in a 6.5-foot bed, and a tow rating of up to 14,000 pounds max range of 500+ miles for the top-end version (which was meant to start at $69,900).
As of yesterday, we know that none of those numbers are true. The truck starts at $79,990 today (and $60,990 in 2025), has a payload of 2,500 pounds in a 6-foot bed, a tow rating of up to 11,000 pounds, and a range of 340 miles, or 470 with
an additional battery that eats up a chunk of your bed space.
There is a question of whether many people were actually cross-shopping the Cybertruck versus more traditional-looking pickup trucks in the first place, but a difference in base price of more than $20,000 can make up for a lot of questionable styling.
The comparison was made directly on Reddit in a post comparing Musk’s past statements about the Lightning’s price with the actual prices of the Cybertruck – which are now much more expensive than the base and even upgraded trims of the Lightning, both of which are available now whereas the base model Cybertruck won’t come until 2025.
Now that Cybertruck has been released with disappointing specs, pricing and availability, other EV trucks look much more competitive.
electrek.co
Back in 2019 when the Cybertruck was unveiled, Tesla said that the cheapest model would be available first and cost $39,900. But after Thursday’s delivery event, we now know that the
$61k cheapest model won’t be out until 2025, and the first-available model starts at $80k.
If you're disappointed at the Cybertruck's first model costing twice as much as promised, there's a way to get one much cheaper - sort of.
electrek.co