The Tesla Cybertuck has undergone its first highway driving range test, and the results are disappointing as it was only able to drive 254 miles (408km) from a full charge.
When Tesla held the Cybertruck delivery event in November, one spec that was conspicuously absent from Elon Musk’s presentation was something that is usually the first thing mentioned when it comes to an electric vehicle (EV) – the range. That number was revealed when Tesla updated their website after the event, and the figures were quite different than what was originally expected back when it was first revealed in 2019. Instead of 500 miles (804km) on the tri-motor, the Cyberbeast had 320 miles (515 km) when it made it into production. The dual-motor All-Wheel Drive (AWD) on the other hand actually fared better, getting 340 miles (547 km) instead of the originally promised 300 miles (483 km).
However as we all know tires impact range, and those figures were with the all-season tires that won’t be coming until later this year. That meant the 340 mile range dropped to 318 miles (512km) with the 35″ all-terrain tires that currently come with the Cybertruck.
With all that in mind, Kyle Conner from Out of Spec conducted a range test to see how far a Cybertruck AWD could drive at 70mph (113km/h) from a 100% fully charged battery (123kWh) to completely dead. The test was conducted in Texas, with temperatures around 45°F (7°C), and after it was all said and done the Cybertruck died in a parking lot 254 miles (408km) later.
This was well below Conner’s estimate from before the test began of 300 miles (482km), and some 20% lower than the specified range. It should be pointed out that the 254 miles was with a fully charged battery. On a road trip you typically only use the 20%-80% range of the battery, which would mean being able to travel about 150 to 160 miles (240 to 260km) between charges.
UPDATE 10:15am PT: Here are some other 70mph range test results for other electric trucks as a comparison.
- Rivian R1T Large Pack (135kWh) with 20″ AT tires: 289 miles (465km) (video link)
- Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum (131kWh) with 22″ tires: 258 miles (415km) (video link)
This is a worrying low number for what is currently a US$100,000+ truck, especially for perspective owners in Canada, where temperatures will obviously dip well below freezing in winter, reducing the range even further. Add in towing, which can reduce the range by 50% depending on the weight of the load, and the Cybertruck might only be able to drive around 100 miles (160km) before needing to be recharged, or less in cold weather when towing.
You can of course add the Range Extender, which adds 130 miles (209km) to the AWD Cybertruck, but it costs an extra US$16,000, and takes up 1/3 of the truck’s bed, and won’t be available until late 2024.
If you have 5 hours to spare, you can watch the full range test that was livestreamed on YouTube below.
