Electrically Speaking: December 2023

Tesla recently (finally!) had a Delivery Event for the Cybertruck, 4 years after announcing it.... Although the specs seemingly have dropped a bit, and the price has certainly increased, it's still a very different type of vehicle, very much in the mold of the original Tesla Roadster announced in 2008 and the Model S of 2012. Both of those vehicles were initially very polarizing but in the case of the Model S especially, became almost mainstream and segment leaders. Will the Cybertruck do the same?

I have had a CT on order since early 2021, right around the time I bought my Model Y. It was $100 to get a reservation, which seemed like a no brainer at the time. Tesla reportedly has over 2 million reservations, although perhaps that number has declined a bit since the event last week.

To me, the Cybertruck isn't a competitor for a gas-powered 'working' truck. People that use their trucks in support of their businesses aren't going to buy the CT (or a Rivian, for that matter). These are 'lifestyle' vehicles, used for off-roading, camping, trips to Home Depot for DIY projects, etc. I think a LOT of people that drive pick-ups, frankly, use their trucks for this purpose. That's the context to think about these trucks. They aren't really suited for long-distance towing or constantly carrying heavy loads. Being an EV, you don't really pay a penalty for around-town use of a truck - no horrible gas mileage, for example.

I did have the chance to check one out in person in Boston last weekend. There are about 20 CT's on display in Tesla stores around the country - the closest to me is NYC, but since I was in Boston for a family holiday party, I took the opportunity to see it there - much easier to access Boston from where I was staying, then getting to NYC from home. I thought it was awesome! It looks so much better in person than in pics (although I am posting my pics below). It IS big, but the styling actually minimizes the bulk to a great extent. So without further ado, here are my pics (and video)!

Walk-Around Video