Takeaways from Camping and Traveling in a Van Versus a Trailer New perk: Easily find new routes and hidden gems, upcoming running events, and more near you. Your weekly Local Running Newsletter has everything you need to lace up! Subscribe today. Four years after it was first unveiled, the Tesla Cybertruck has reached its first dozen-or-so customers. Rather than focusing on Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s recent problems with antisemitic hate speech, all the production and design issues that led to years-long delays, or even all the broken promises about price and performance, we’ll focus instead on nothing but the raw specs revealed at this week’s launch event: how do they compare to all the other electric pickup trucks already on the road—and with trucks that will be by the time the cheapest Cybertruck will allegedly reach production in 2025. Throughout this piece you’re going to note words like “estimated,” or “should.” It’s important to note a few things that make writing a story about Tesla a little different than writing a story about other car companies. Not only does Musk have a history of exaggerating when he talks about Tesla products, but the company employs no public relations people, does not produce press materials, and many of the numbers being released this week are couched in the company’s own disclaimers. Without the ability to call a Tesla representative and check facts, media outlets are left reporting only on what scarce information Tesla makes public. How Much Will The Tesla Cybertruck Cost? The Cybertruck will eventually be available in three trim levels. Tesla says the most basic rear-wheel drive, single-motor version will cost $60,990 and have an estimated unladen range of 250 miles, while accelerating from zero to 60 miles per hour in and estimated 6.5 seconds. Tesla quotes a maximum payload for the Cybertruck of 2,500 pounds, which is presumably for this most basic version, with the smallest, lightest battery pack. There is no word what that number is for other trim levels. A $70,990 two-motor all-wheel drive version will come with a larger battery (there’s no details on actual kilowatt-hours) that extends unladen range to 340 miles and drops 0-60 miles-per-hour time to 4.1 seconds. Again, those numbers are estimates. Then there’s the top-spec Cyberbeast, which will cost $99,900, feature a 320-mile unladen range, and do 0-60 in 2.6 seconds. Cyberbeast’s acceleration figure deserves its own caveat though, because it’s been calculated using a one-foot rollout, a method which knocks a third of a second or so off the stopwatch. It appears as if Cyberbeast will come equipped with 35-inch tires (which likely explains its range reduction). It is not clear what size tire lesser trims will come with. According to an analysis on The Autopian, it is unlikely that it will be possible to fit the Cybertruck with larger tires than what it ships with. How Does The Cybertruck Compare To Other EVs? A basic Ford F-150 Lightning, which you can find sitting on dealer lots right now, available for immediate purchase, starts at $49,995. That price includes two motors and AWD, along with a 240-mile unladen range and a 4.2-second 0-60 time. Payload capacity is 2,235 pounds. An extended range F-150 Lightning starts at $69,995, has a 320-mile unladen range, and does 0-60 in 3.8 seconds. The larger, heavier battery pack drops payload capacity to 1,657 pounds. The $87,000 Rivian R1T Quad Motor has a 328-mile unladen range, can carry 1,764 pounds, and does the 0-60 MPH sprint in 3.0 seconds, as verified by Car and Driver. The Cyberbeast accelerates quicker, but only by the slimmest of margins. What about towing? All the current EV pickups feature about the same 11,000 pound max trailer capacity as the Cybertruck, but none of them has anything like the range necessary to function as a practical choice in that role, even for short trips, and none can use most charging stations while a trailer is attached. That’s a problem the upcoming 2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger solves, albeit with the aid of an internal combustion range extender. That vehicle will feature a 2,625 pound payload and 14,000 pound tow capacity. When Will I Get My Cybertruck? During Thursday’s unveiling, Musk made a big show of a handful of customers taking deliveries of their Cybertrucks on stage. He’s previously stated that almost one million people have placed refundable $100 deposits for the vehicle. When will they be given the option to complete a purchase? That remains unclear. On Tesla’s website, availability for Cyberbeast and standard AWD model are listed for 2024. The basic RWD version claims it will be “available in 2025.” It is murky when series production is scheduled to begin, what volumes Tesla is targeting, what the order process will be for customers, or what priority will be given to existing refundable deposit holders. Tesla is now taking another $250 deposit on its website. A Cybertruck loaded with a fishing kayak and climbing gear. Sounds like my kind of multisport adventure! Note the cross bars mounted parallel with the bed’s slope. That’s going to make loading stuff a challenge—what’s going to hold that boat in place while you get it strapped down? And carrying long objects at this angle will also cause them to catch a ton of wind. That could make loads less secure, create a lot of noise, and massively impact range. How Big Is The Cybertruck? Motor Authority reports that the Cybertruck is 95 inches wide, 223.7 inches long, and 70.5 inches tall. It’s not yet certain if that height is measured with 35 inches tires. The AWD model is said to weigh 6,603 pounds. Those numbers put it at about the same size size as a crew cab Ford F-150 (albeit a few inches lower), but it weighs more than some trim levels of the Ford Super Duty. Tesla says the Cybertruck’s bed is six feet long and four-feet wide. That’s the same length as long bed Toyota Tacoma, but about a foot narrower. During his presentation, Musk claimed the Cybertruck can haul 4×8-foot “construction materials,” with the tailgate lowered. Pictures show a tonneau cover unrolling from the cab to secure the bed. The black box at the front of the bed is the “range extender.” Will you be able to take this thing in and out yourself, or is it a permanent addition? (Photo: Tesla) There are two important caveats on bed dimensions. Musk claims the Cybertruck will be available with a “range extender” which appears to be an auxiliary battery pack. While there are no details on that device’s weight, capacity, or if customers will be able to move it in and out of the truck themselves, there is a picture showing that it will take up approximately one-third of the bed space. The Cybertruck does not appear to come equipped with a spare tire. Instead, owners who opt to purchase one will need to carry that in the bed. A 35-inch spare will also take up about half the available bed space. Equipped with both the “range extender” and a spare tire, how much of the bed will remain available for cargo is rather opaque. And here’s the spare tire. (Photo: Tesla)