Tesla launched its vehicles with a mission of inculcating electric-powered vehicles into nearly every domain of transportation and utility. Following this mission statement, for light utility vehicles and pickups, the vehicle that Tesla made was a cyber truck. Initially, the cyber truck is produced into three variants: Model S, Model Y, and Model Z. All these models differ in their battery life and the vehicle sustenance for miles it covers in a journey. But the main features are more or less similar.
Other than that, Elon Musk has implied that Cyber Truck outweighs other pickups in nearly every domain, and it is feasible for going off-roading as well. So to answer this question, is the Cyber Truck suitable for off-roading or not? We have compiled the complete information of the cyber truck and have attempted to understand and compare its utility in terms of off-roading. Now let’s check: Can cybertruck go off-road?
The cyber truck can go off-road since it has all the pre-requisites of off-roading, including a top-notch air suspension system, high ground clearance, etc. The Tesla cyber truck is equipped with approach and departure angles of 35 degrees and 28 degrees, respectively, and a good wheelbase.
Cyber Truck as an Off-Roader:
As listed above, the Cyber Truck can go off-roading because of some standard features it has. The next step is to understand the specifications and working mechanism of it – as an electric pick up. It is since off-roading requires an in-depth analysis of the vehicle, and on this analysis, the vehicle is challenged over terrains.
Otherwise, the vehicle will be made to bear more than it can handle. So for this, we have formulated three sections:
Cyber Truck Pros and Cons as an Off-Roader:
Perks of Tesla’s Cyber Truck:
According to Elon Musk, when he first launched Tesla’s Cyber Truck, Cyber Truck will out pass every regular off-roader truck out there. It feels like he is exaggerating, but he’s not. Tesla Cyber Truck has several cool features that will help label it among the best off-roading vehicles – even powered by electricity.
● Exoskeleton:
Among the significant features of Cyber Truck, the first and foremost feature is the exoskeletal
structure of its body. By the term, Exoskeleton means the vehicle weight is distributed over the walls instead of in the center, and this has several implications for off-road performance.
For instance, the Exoskeleton grants Cyber Truck a lot more stability and endurance than other off-roaders, including Ford Raptor.
With it, the exoskeleton structure grants extra protection for the passengers because if the vehicle faces a rollover situation, then an evenly balanced weight will give more stability and prevent the rollover.
The exterior is made up of Ultra-hard stainless steel(30X Cold Rolled) that allows the exterior to provide extensive tensile strength to eliminate regular dents, scratches, and corrosion. This will not only help in your protection but also in minimizing the cost of maintenance.
With stainless steel, the Tesla has combined a specially designed Tesla Armor Glass in the Cyber Truck. The armored glass is made for one single purpose: to absorb the shocks and redistribute the impact over the body effectively. This allows the truck to be more damage absorbing and more efficient in terms of off-roading.
● Adaptability and Utility:
Cyber Truck is being called among the most durable and most adaptable off-road trucks in the market. And it is due to its ability to lower the air pressure and re-adjust its level following any situation. Additionally, the truck can reduce or increase suspension up to four inches on either side – it helps in trekking and crossing over road obstacles.
Tesla's Cyber Truck is also marked with its utility and load-carrying capacity. Cyber Truck can take up to 3500 pounds, and it can drag around 14000 pounds. Above that, the Cyber Truck has a storage capacity of more than 100 cubic meters which will help you to bring other stuff during the journey.
And also, the toolbox and spare tires find their particular place in the design. This makes it competitive with other off-roaders, especially if compared with Ford and Jeep variants.
Coming towards the ruggedness of Cyber Truck, it already has off-roading tires and suspension installed in it. Additionally, the easy-to-use interface and technological sophistication allow every driver to customize and adjust the vehicle with a lot more ease than the manual ones.
● Agility and Performance:
Tesla’s primary focus on Cyber Truck was to develop it as competitive and as powerful as another off-roader available – with fuel-based engines. For this reason, the electric motors and power batteries are specifically designed to boost the torque and speed of the truck.
Tesla has been successful in it. For instance, the Cyber Truck has an acceleration of 0-100km/h in not more than 3 seconds. Likewise, the efficient differential locking system, the low center of gravity due to the Exoskeleton, and hyper-speedy electric motors make its performance a lot more efficient.
Adding more to this, the Cyber Truck has a range of up to more than 500 km in a single charge. That means you can cover the distance from one state to a nearby state of the U.S. in a single charge.
Another cool feature of Cyber Truck: It has Tesla’s Solar Panels attached to the roof that provides an assistive charge as the vehicle and is in a stationary position.
This makes this vehicle more off-roading friendly as you don’t need to worry about the limited charge available, and you can charge it anywhere under the sun.
Cons of Cyber truck:
Since the truck has not been launched for the general public, thus it is pretty early to list the cons Cyber Truck has. However, according to the reports and specifications detailed by the company, we have tried to find some expected flaws related to the overall design and performance of Cyber trucks and highlighted them in the given section.
Here, one thing is to be noted: these flaws or limitations may get changed as the company launches its product at the end of this year. So these can be said as the expected flaws of Cyber Truck – not more than that.
Not a Natural Design:
Among the very first flaws, not exactly flaw, but something that needs to be corrected is related to the design of the Cyber truck. Although Tesla calls it the design of the future, it is certainly not the case in reality. Cyber Truck’s unusual design is not new, and it has been replicated in another car with the name of “Karin.”
The problem with this design is that, according to renowned auto designer Stephen, it does not match nature. With nature, Stepehen means that the design must look appealing and adhere to the essentials for years and for years to come in auto manufacturing.
He further adds that whatever Tesla has perceived that the design will remain in the future for a more extended period, it will be subjected to change. The reason is the Cyber Truck looks like a mars rover with a cold temperate interior that may not seem suitable for off-roaders.
No Room for External Modification:
The next major con of the cyber truck is that the truck does not have space for external modifications. Tesla has eliminated nearly every area where you can add custom elements to increase the truck’s performance.
For instance, the steel bed and the closed design give no room to access the vehicle’s interior. Likewise, the bed rail and flat floor also impede the load-carrying capacity of Cyber trucks because there’s not much related to off-roading that can fit into this given space.
Not Enough Safety Features:
Now, this con is subjective and may not apply to all the countries. It is being said that the Cyber Truck lacks side mirrors and has cameras implanted to give side vision to the driver. In the United States, side mirrors are a must, and they are required for every vehicle moving on the road. So to abide by the law, Tesla needs to add side mirrors in the Cyber Truck.
Furthermore, inclined window panels and wide A-pillars are leaving rooms for blind spots for the driver. The driver finds it difficult to see above from the shoulder and look in an outward direction.
Also, the Cyber Truck lacks a front bumper and airbags, which are a must for off-roading.
Cyber Truck vs. Other Trucks( Both Electric and Non-Electric):
In this heading, we attempt to analyze the performance of cyber trucks on a comparative basis. Although Tesla’s cyber truck is yet to be launched for the general public, its details are already given.
Cyber Truck VS Ford F150 Lightning:
So for a case study, we have taken Ford F150 and compared its specifications with that of Cyber Truck.
Cyber Truck | Ford F150 Lightning (Electric) |
---|---|
The basic Variant is a Single motor | Dual Motor |
800hp | 563 hp |
1000lb | 775lb |
0-60mph in 2.9seconds | 0-60 in 4 seconds |
Can tow up to 14000lb max | Can tow up to 10000 max |
Payload capacity 3500 lb | Payload capacity 2000 lb max |
As seen from the specs listed above, the Cyber Truck has ousted its competitor in nearly every domain. However, to quote a performance test, Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk accepted a challenge posed By Ford CEO for a towing challenge between both of these vehicles.
This challenge came in the form of Cyber Truck being more potent than its competitor Ford Lightning. This is due to Cyber Truck’s powerful torque-producing motors, its design features, and its more excellent traction than Ford Lightning.
The prices of both of these vehicles are somewhat the same as the Cyber Truck is expected to be priced at 39,000 Dollars, while the Ford Lightning price listed by the company is around $39,995. Likewise, Cyber Truck will be launched at the end of this year, and Ford has set the launch dates of F150 in the next year- the year 2022.
Cyber Truck VS Rivian R1T:
The subsequent comparison that we are bringing with us is Cyber Truck compared to the Rivian R1T. Rivian RIT is a new contender that is coming close with Tesla’s Cyber Truck in the race of electric pickups. So we decided to list some of these vehicles’ specifications – as recorded by their respective companies and compare them based on it.
Specification | Cyber Truck | Rivian R1T |
Distance covered in One Charge | 500 miles in one charge(Top Variant) | 400 miles in one charge (Top Variant) |
Towing Capacity | 14000lb max | 11000lb max |
Ground Clearance | 16 inch | 14 inch |
Approach/ Departure Angle | 35*/ 28* | 34*/30* |
Max Payload | 3500lb | 1750lb |
As a result of the above comparison, it is evident that the off-roading capabilities of Tesla’s Cyber Truck are bringing in the market outweighs more than any of the competitors in the electric pickup vehicle range.
Cyber Truck VS Chevrolet Colorado:
As we have done two case studies to compare Tesla’s Cyber Truck with two competing electric pickups, the third time, we have brought a gas-powered engine utility pickup launched by Chevrolet compared to Tesla’s Cyber Truck. Chevrolet Colorado 2021 is modeled to establish in 2021 in the same price bracket as Tesla’s Cyber Truck.
Specification | Chevrolet Colorado 2021 | Cyber Truck |
Distance Covered in one full capacity | 378 miles (27 gallon Gas Tank) | 500 miles in one charge(Top Variant) |
Towing Capacity | 7000lb | 14000lb max |
Ground Clearance | 8.1 inch | 16 inch |
Approach/ Departure Angle | 35*/27* | 35*/ 28* |
Payload Capacity | 1638lb | 3500lb |
As you can see, Tesla’s Cyber Truck has ousted Colorado in every measurable metric and with the same price bracket. This shows that whether in the domain of electric pickups or standard petrol engine trucks, Cyber Trucks specifications are way more than other vehicles in the same price bracket.
Cyber Truck Maintenance and Annual Cost:
Other than the performance of Cyber Truck, another area that must be addressed afterward is How much money will the Cyber Truck take to remain functional for a year?
We do not have all the details regarding this, but CEO Elon Musk covered some of the maintenance costs during the inaugural ceremony of Cyber Truck. He also compared the prices with that of other gasoline engine trucks.
He listed the facts as the Cyber Truck will take $500 for the lease with an addition of $40 taken in energy. Also, he recorded a sum of $30 that the truck will cost in maintenance. Now a million-dollar question is why Cyber Truck being an electric vehicle is requiring a maintenance cost. Likewise, Tesla has launched service programs for its other electric vehicles as well.
So we develop our understanding from the maintenance cost and annual service program Tesla has listed for its other vehicles. The Model S of Tesla has a yearly maintenance cost of around $600. In the given table, we have listed all the services that Model S requires in its annual maintenance.
Annual Service Program for Tesla’s Model S (Price $600) |
---|
1-Change of Wiper Blade |
2-Replacement of Key Battery |
3-Brake Fluid Flush |
4-Wheels alignment |
5- Change of AC descent bag |
So from the above information, we can conclude that Tesla’s Cyber Truck will have a maintenance plan that may range up to 600 dollars or more. Cyber Truck is an off-road vehicle, and it may require components more expensive than Model S. Yet, it all depends upon the launch of Cyber Truck.
Choosing the Cyber Truck:
Cyber Truck, after its launch, has created an impression that electric vehicles are the future and that the notion of electric vehicles being inferior to diesel automobiles is also not true – as Cyber Truck performed exceptionally well in all domains.
Therefore, Cyber trucks can prove an excellent choice for those off-roaders who intend to challenge the conventions of off-roading, including the vehicle requirements and standards that drivers have to meet.
Other than this, Cyber Truck is also proving more advanced in terms of other EV pickups in the market – based on the specifications listed by the company. Although it depends on the performance of Cyber Truck, the impression it has created is enough to rate it as a potential vehicle of choice for people.
Conclusion:
Tesla’s Cyber Truck, after its first introduction, has tended to revolutionize the market of off-roading vehicles. Moreover, Elon’s new approach can be seen in the design of Cyber Truck like the exoskeleton framework, the polygonal body design, and the extensive payload capacity is unique in this domain.
This implies that the Cyber Truck can prove to be a potential vehicle for several off-roaders in the coming years. Yet, it is also true that it has some flaws as listed by some experts off-roaders and auto-mobile engineers, like the design flaws, the lack of safety features, and no room for custom modifications. But still, the vehicle is showing some optimism that it can change the way people think of off-roading.
Also Read:
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Can 2WD Go Off-Road? Understand the Dynamicity
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs):
Can you take a Tesla offroad?
Tesla’s Cyber Truck is an off-roader because it has an enhanced air-suspension system, all-terrain tires, and good ground clearance. Above that, Tesla has designed Cyber Truck to be competitive – superior to many diesel and electric off-roaders in the market.
Will the Cybertruck be 4×4?
Cyber Truck is expected to launch three variants. The basic variant is not a 4*4, but the rest are offered as 4*4.
Is Cybertruck good?
However, Cyber Truck is still to be launched. But the specification listed by Elon Musk gives an impression that Cyber Truck is going to be good. For instance, its speed to reach 60mph in less than 3 seconds is a massive accomplishment for electric utility vehicles. So Tesla’s Cyber Truck can prove a good choice.
How many miles can the Cybertruck go?
Tesla has listed the range of the most advanced variant of Cyber Truck as 500 miles in a single charge. However, Tesla has introduced the concept of the solar roof in the Cyber Truck as well. The solar roof can charge the vehicle remotely, and it can further increase the range of the truck.
Will Tesla redesign Cybertruck?
There are rumors that Tesla has attempted to change the design of the Cyber Truck. But, it is not confirmed by any official sources that there will be some significant changes in the structure.
This is Surya. I am an experienced off-roader. I have been off-roading for many years across several terrains. I am passionate about 4×4 driving and want to share my knowledge and experience with others.
My goal is to provide you with the most comprehensive and unbiased information about off-roading.
I curated this article through my personal experience and expertise, and I hope it helps you with what you are looking for.
Are Electric Cars Good for Off-Roading? Market Toppers’ Analysis – Offroadhandbook
Saturday 14th of August 2021
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