A screenshot of the Tesla Cybertruck’s specs has been leaked ahead of the truck’s first deliveries coming at the end of this month, and now we know just about everything there is to know about the size of the truck, along with some other surprising capabilities.
The Tesla Cybertruck is finally hitting the road at the end of this month, after being pushed back several times from its original date of late 2021. But there’s still a lot we don’t know about the truck.
But today a youtube video by TFLEV purports to have been sent leaked specs by an unnamed Tesla insider, along with a couple photos photo showing that the truck will include not just standard 120v outlets in the bed, but a NEMA 14-50 240v outlet as well.
The video goes through the specs and a comparison to some other trucks on the road, concluding that the Cybertruck is “just shy” of the size of full-size trucks on the road today.
Below are the specs shown in the video. While we can’t confirm that the specs are true and we don’t know the source that TFLEV got them from, they do seem to fit pretty well with what we already knew about the truck. And it is common for specs like these to be published internally to help train service techs or prepare marketing material this close to release of the vehicle.
Overall length: 18.6 feet
Overall width (no mirrors): 79.9″
Overall height (medium setting): 70.5″
Wheelbase: 143″
Curb weights: 2 motor 6,670 Ibs, 3 motor 6,890 Ibs
Tow rating: 11,000lbs
Max tongue: 1,110lbs
Bed length: 72.8″
Bed Width: 51″
Frunk volume: 7.1 cubic feet
Weight capacity of frunk: 420lbs
Headroom: 41.6″ front, 39″ rear
Legroom: 41″ front, 40.9″ rear
Shoulder room: 63″ front, 62″ rear
Hip room front/rear: 57.2″
No outlets in front, one outlet in rear. 110v x 2, 220v x 1
First off, the length, width and bed length are all about what we’ve seen before, and none of the numbers stand out as being really impossible. And the photo included of a 14-50 outlet in the bed of the truck does match other photos we’ve seen of the bed. So it’s likely enough to be real to at least discuss these leaks.
A helpful graphic showing the exterior dimensions, compared to other trucks, was produced by forum user cvalue13 over at cybertruckownersclub, which we’ve used here with permission
At 18.6 feet, or 223 inches long, this is significantly shorter than many trucks on the road. The full-size Ram 1500 and F-150 Lightning are around 230 inches long. The mid-size Toyota Tacoma base model is shorter, but with the 6-foot bed configuration, it’s slightly longer at 225 inches. The Rivian R1T with its small bed is 217 inches long, but that’s more of an “adventure truck” and benefits from more nimbleness. This all matches with TFLEV’s analysis of the Cybertruck as being somewhere between mid and full size.
Moving down the list, width is just under 80″, which seems an intentional choice to avoid regulations that kick in at 80″. After this size, trucks are required to have additional lighting for safety reasons.
At 70.5″ in height, the Cybertrucktruck is actually quite short compared to today’s monster trucks. In videos we’ve seen of the truck next to people or other vehicles, it has seemed a little shorter at the “peak of the triangle” than other trucks. In comparison, the F-150 Lightning is 77 inches tall, making the Cybertruck a half-foot shorter. And the wheelbase is about 2 inches shorter, so the Cybertruck should be slightly more nimble.
Now we get into something quite interesting: curb weight. Despite being smaller than full-size trucks, the Cybertruck is actually a fair chunk heavier than most F-150 Lightning trims. The base trim of the Lightning is about 6k lbs, but the top trim goes up to 6,893lbs – just 3 pounds above the Cybertruck’s top trim of 6,890lbs. It is still lighter than the Rivian R1T’s 7,148lb weight, though.
There are some factors are play here other than size. The Cybertruck has a heavier steel body than the F-150 Lightning’s aluminum, and we don’t yet know the size of its battery. Battery weight is a big contributor to the weight of EVs, and if Cybertruck comes in multiple battery configurations, their weights are likely to differ. We don’t know if the numbers listed are from the “large” or “small” battery, or if there will even be battery options at all.
At Tesla’s original unveiling event, a graphic during the presentation suggested there would be at least two battery sizes, possibly three. But that graphic also included a single-motor variant, which seems not to be in the cards any longer.
At 11,000lbs, tow rating is middling. F-150 Lightning has a tow rating of 7,700 or 10,000lbs depending on trim, R1T can tow 11,000, and the newly-announced Ramcharger hybrid can tow 14,000lbs. But most interesting is that Tesla’s website still says, today, that it will have a tow capacity of 14,000lbs. This may differ between option levels (dual- vs. tri-motor), but the curb weight spec lists multiple entries, so it would be strange if the other specs do not.
One of the first pieces of marketing which Tesla released for the Cybertruck was a video of a “tug-of-war” with a gas F-150. The best F-150s have a towing capacity of up to 14k lbs, which is significantly more than the Cybertruck has. But other trims have lower capacity, and Tesla probably wasn’t using the peak-trim Ford. That said, the whole stunt was silly and doesn’t really tell much of anything, but if the Cybertruck comes in with less towing capacity than promised and less than what the model it pit itself against can do, that would be a disappointment.
Cybertruck’s bed length and width are substantial, at over six feet long, and about as wide as other trucks on the road at 51 inches. An over six foot long bed is impressive with the shorter length of the Cybertruck, though we don’t know if it still includes a mid-gate as originally planned. Also, we know from recent photos that the Cybertruck’s bed has angled sides instead of vertical ones, so if they’re measuring from the top instead of the bottom, they’re cheating each of these numbers a bit.
In terms of total capacity, 7.1 cubic feet is quite a bit smaller than other truck frunks. The Lightning has a 14.1 cubic foot frunk and the Hummer and Rivian have 11 cubic foot frunks – and the latter has additional covered storage in its “gear tunnel” between the passenger compartment and the bed.
However, Cybertruck’s frunk is quite wide, running basically the full width of the vehicle, and has a relatively small lip at the front, meaning easier potentially easier access for heavy or wide items that don’t need to be dropped in from above. It also looks like it might work as a bench, but, the hood might get in the way of that.
For interior dimensions, forum user cvalue13 over at cybertruckownersclub created a great graphic showing comparisons of various interior specs against other trucks on the road today.
Again here the Cybertruck seems to be inbetween full and mid size trucks. This may be more of a “four adult” truck than a “five adult” one, but the Cybertruck still manages to lead in headroom when compared to everything else in the field. This is interesting in relation to its relatively lower overall height, and the fact that Cybertruck’s height only peaks at one point, the peak of the triangle, rather than having a flat roof. Yet rear headroom is still quite good despite the angle in question.
This is a point where we actually have some subjective experience, as we got a short ride-along at the Cybertruck’s unveiling event. While the ride was quite a blur and just went up and down Jack Northrop Blvd. outside Tesla’s design center in Hawthorne, the interior did feel positively cavernous in that ride. The truck surely has changed some since that first event, but we would believe the high headroom number.
Finally, TFLEV showed photos they received from their internal source, of particular interest is one showing the outlets in the bed.
This photo looks real, because the rail at the top matches with others we’ve seen of the Cybertruck with the bed open. You can also see the geometric design of the side of the bed, including the aforementioned angle/slope to it.
The bed has two NEMA 5-20 outlets, a 120v plug, which is fewer than the R1T’s three outlets in the bed. The Lightning has two outlets in base trim, but can be upgraded to four outlets with the Pro Power Onboard package.
But Cybertruck also has a 240V NEMA 14-50 plug, which has become the “standard” plug for EV charging. Tesla has included NEMA 14-50 adapters with the purchase of its vehicles in the past, and has recommended that owners charge from 14-50 outlets.
Lightning’s Pro Power Onboard package also includes a 240V outlet, but it uses the locking L14-30 outlet type, rather than the 14-50. Lightning also includes outlets in the frunk and interior of the truck (as does Rivian – and also in the gear tunnel), but Cybertruck seems to only have outlets in the bed, as far as we’ve seen.
A 14-50 outlet is also interesting because this suggests that the Cybertruck will be capable of putting out 12kW worth of power, which is a lot more than either of the other electric trucks we’ve been comparing against, even with Ford’s upgraded package that brings total output from 2.4kW to 9.6kW. You can run a house on the power from an F-150 Lightning, so the Cybertruck should be able to do the same – if Tesla decides to sell the additional devices that would be necessary for that (given Tesla already sells similar units for its Powerwall, this seems like something they could do, but Tesla has waffled on bidirectional support for its vehicles).
What do you think about the Cybertruck spec leak? Is it legit? See anything you think is interesting that we missed? Or any specs that are missing that you’re still waiting for (kWh, horsepower, price…)? Let us know in the comments.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links.More.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the company will remove “safety monitors” from the passenger seats of Tesla’s Robotaxi vehicles in “about three weeks,” which would mean we’d see completely driverless Teslas in the Austin area potentially by the end of the year – if that timeline sticks.
Tesla has been working on a system that would allow vehicles to drive themselves, which has been in “beta” release for over a decade now. It calls this system “Full Self-Driving,” despite the fact that the system does not currently drive itself.
That has not stopped Musk from consistently promising more and more of the system, despite its stagnating capabilities. Over the course of the last decade, Musk has consistently promised driverless vehicles within the coming year, with deadlines consistently passing by without achieving that goal.
One of those promises has been the creation of a driverless taxi network, which Tesla used to call “Tesla Network” and is now calling “Robotaxi.” The idea originally came with the promise that owners could use their cars to make money by running them as taxis, but that hasn’t panned out.
Advertisement – scroll for more content
Tesla did roll out its own version of a taxi network, though, in Austin, in June of this year. While it’s done a few cool things, the cars each have a “safety monitor” in the passenger seat who can take control at any time, which means the cars aren’t truly “driverless” since there is an operator, they’ve just been moved to the passenger seat.
But now we have another bold prediction from Musk, stating that the safety monitors will be out of a job by the end of the year.
During a videoconference at a hackathon event for xAI, one of Musk’s other companies (which he is trying to get Tesla shareholders to bail out), Musk was asked a question about the barriers to unsupervised full self-driving. Musk answered:
Unsupervised is pretty much solved at this point. There will be Tesla Robotaxis operating in Austin with no one in them, not even anyone in the passenger seat, in about three weeks. I think it’s pretty much a solved problem, we’re just going through validation right now.
The “three weeks” timeline is familiar to longtime Tesla followers. Over the years, Musk has often promised fixes or software updates in “two weeks,” and they often take longer than that.
Three weeks is a lot closer than the “next year” promise that we’ve heard so many times for full autonomy, but given its proximity to the oft-inaccurate two-week timeline, we’re not sure these vehicles will actually be ready in time for New Year’s Eve celebrations.
Nevertheless, it’s a closer timeline than Musk has usually given, so there may be truly driverless Teslas operating sometime soon™.
Also, reading the statement more closely, it sounds like they won’t necessarily remove safety operators from every vehicle, but some vehicles. This could be similar to the singular driverless vehicle delivery that Tesla did – a PR stunt, rather than a full rollout. We’ll have to wait and see.
Tesla’s main competitor in the robotaxi space is Waymo, which has been operating truly driverless vehicles for several years now. The company has also been operating autonomous, driverless vehicles in Austin since March of this year.
Musk went on to talk about future improvements to Tesla’s software and hardware in his answer.
The company is currently on hardware previously deemed HW4, though to cash in on the AI stock market bubble, it now refers to that system as AI4. He said that AI5 will be 10-40 times better than HW4 and go into volume production in 2027, with AI6 coming soon after.
Musk’s mention of future hardware improvements neglects one important aspect of these improvements, which is that for every hardware improvement Tesla puts into its fleet, the more vehicles it will have to upgrade later.
Tesla long promised that its vehicles had all the hardware for self-driving, which means it’s going to have to upgrade a lot of cars – and there are court cases aroundtheworld seeking to force the company to do so. Together, these lawsuits and other potential challenges could mean billions of dollars in liabilities for the company.
Musk then closed his statements by claiming that “our” goal is to “to understand the meaning of life and… propagate consciousness out to the stars,” which is not Tesla’s goal. Tesla’s actual goal is to accelerate the transition to sustainable energy. He may have been referring to xAI’s goal, but given the answer was about Tesla, perhaps he was confused (or perhaps he doesn’t care about Tesla anymore, and isn’t a good CEO for the company as a result…)
The 30% federal solar tax credit is ending this year. If you’ve ever considered going solar, now’s the time to act. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links.More.
Volkswagen is offering $7,500 in Retail Customer Bonus cash this month – up from the $2,500 the company offered its Black Friday customers – that, along with an additional $2,500 unadvertised dealer cash incentive that CarsDirect is reporting absolutely, definitely exists, adds up to a stout $10,000 total discount on the all-electric VW ID.Buzz … and that’s before you start haggling with your dealer over the MSRP.
It’s a lot
Photo: Volkswagen of America.
As much as I like the the Volkswagen ID.Buzz, its starting MSRP around $61,545 (incl. destination) puts it at nearly twice what you’d probably expect a minivan to cost if the last time you shopped for one was at a Dodge store. Still, that hefty price tag is some $20,000 higher than the baseline Toyota Sienna hybrid or Honda Odyssey.
That 50% higher price is a lot to swallow even if you do buy into the nostalgia. Still, the ID.Buzz is capable enough, and with ~230 miles of range and 282 hp on offer from its battery/electric motor combo – plus Supercharger access – it’s at least able to keep up with the minivan competition.
Advertisement – scroll for more content
So, while that $10,000 discount isn’t going to turn the ID.Buzz into the second coming of the affordable, family-hauling Caravan, it does bring VW’s electric people-mover a little closer to earth. In fact, with a $50K price tag, it’s right in line with the average transaction price of a new vehicles. So, if nothing else, that reduced price could finally gives electric minivan buyers something to buzz about (I tried so hard to work that in, you guys).
If you’ve been shopping for a family-hauler and dig the retro vibe over something like the (excellent) Kia EV9, click through the link below and set up a test drive at your local VW dealer.
SOURCE: CarsDirect; images via VW.
If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links.More.
Peterbilt has jumped into the MD truck ring with the launch three new medium-duty electric trucks that deliver zero-emissions power, ultra-fast 350 kW charging, and proven, versatile platforms for delivery, utility service, and vocational upfitting.
The new Peterbilt 536EV, 537EV, and 548EV medium-duty trucks slot into the same versatile medium-duty segments the company’s fleets already know, but swap diesel power for latest PACCAR ePowertrain, with up to 605 hp and 1,850 lb-ft of torque available at 0 rpm. That big motor draws power from a variety of LFP battery packs and be fitted with ePTO options rated for either 25 kW (two-battery option) or 150 kW (three-battery option), making them suitable for that can be sized for daily delivery routes, urban utility work, and municipal fleets looking to cut both emissions and maintenance costs.
What’s more, the new Peterbilt’s flexible architecture allows for integration with existing PACCAR suspension bits to make 4×2 and 6×4 configurations, and any wheelbase of 163 inches or longer, and up to 82,000 lbs. gross combined weight ratings possible.
“[The new trucks are] optimized for the demands of the medium duty segment, the next generation of Peterbilt electric vehicles deliver excellent efficiency, rapid charging and versatile configurations elevating customer productivity across a wide range of applications,” said Erik Johnson, Peterbilt assistant general manager, Sales & Marketing.
Advertisement – scroll for more content
In addition to all those goodies, the PACCAR EV tech continues to be top-notch, with the previously-mentioned 350 kW charging, regenerative braking, and industry-leading ergonomics.
Peterbilt’s new MDEVs ship with a blue accented crown and grille for a distinctive exterior look, as well as EV-exclusive panels on the side of the hood. The interior design features laser-etched trim panels on the EV-exclusive Magneto Gray interior, just in case the driver in the quiet, smooth, and stink-free cabin forgets they’re in an electric truck.
Electrek’s Take
Peterbilt 536EV; via PACCAR.
Ignore the headlines. The death of the commercial EV market simply hasn’t happened, and won’t happen any time soon.
If you believe the engineers and analysts at MAN Trucks and Orange EV (and, you should), an EV like this can pay for itself in reduced fuel and maintenance costs even without incentives, then you should already know what I’m about to say: the future of trucking is 100% electric.
If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links.More.