Elon Musk commenced deliveries of a limited number of Cybertrucks, bringing a two-year wait to a halt by the close of the previous year. Tesla’s Cybertruck has ignited fervour like no other electric vehicle, even though few have had the chance to test one. Our debut journey in a Cybertruck occurred in the oddest of locations—Texas.
The local high street of Austin, the ranches, or Terry Black’s hip BBQ spot—Texas is a haven for trucks. Every third vehicle on the road is either a Ford F-150, a Chevrolet Silverado or a Ram 1500, by our estimates.
However, the appearance of a Cybertruck is exceptionally striking.
Every day since November, some customers have been visiting the factory just outside the capital of Texas, where Elon Musk’s most recent model is coming off the production line. Shaheen Badiyan was one such individual, who placed an order for the Cybertruck the day the sales programme was launched half a decade ago. Even though Tesla disapproves of any test drives, Badiyan, a software expert, conceded to lend us his vehicle for several hours.
Thus, we approach the unconventional vehicle with a sense of curiosity mirrored by everyone else around.
In Texas, where people scarcely turn a head at the sight of a standard pickup truck, the Cybertruck is a sight that cannot be ignored. Pedestrians halt to tap on the supposedly bulletproof window pane at traffic signals, and fellow motorists engage in bouts to secure the best photographic angle of it on their phones. Every time you disembark the Tesla, it’s an automatic cue for conversation.
Despite its unusual look, the Cybertruck is relatively inconspicuous on the roads of Texas, measuring a modest 5.7 metres in length, placing it closer to the Amarok than the F-150. With a bulldozer-like front facade, however, it holds a commanding presence on the road. Amidst the standard pickup trucks with their impressive grills and robust sides, the smooth edges and flat panels of this stainless steel behemoth conjure up visions of a space cowboy who’s inadvertently left the Milky Way. The name Cybertruck has rarely been more fitting.
One must withhold from examining too closely, however, if the mystique is to be preserved: after one week, Badiyan’s Cybertruck remains free of those controversial rust stains currently the topic of heated discussion in Tesla forums.
Regardless of the diligent attention and polishing bestowed on it by its proud owner, the steel of the vehicle displays a variety of hues and spots. Precision in dealing with sheet metal does differ.
When it comes to interiors, the contrast between modern and traditional pick-up vehicles is particularly evident. Typical of every Tesla, the Cybertruck’s interior is as minimalistic as a monk’s cell. Conversely, brands like Ford and Chevy, with their plush seating, rich leather furnishings, and chrome accents, resemble cosy mobile lounges.
The debate over the number of screens—one large one in the Tesla, approaching six in the new Ram—is ongoing. However, the practical features that have been perfected over the past half-century in other models, the Cybertruck lacks. A sizable flatbed and a small trunk do not make this pick-up a practical commercial vehicle.
Despite these, Shaheen Badiyan isn’t fussed. He’s not an agriculturist or a cowboy, but a cybersecurity professional. His attraction to the Cybertruck comes from its distinct design, and being a pioneer e-driver also influences his choice.
The base model, which sports a single motor on its rear axle and a battery for 400 kilometres, likely won’t be available until next year at the earliest. However, the 845hp Cyberbeast—with a staggering 2.6-second sprint time—carries a steep price tag of $99,990 (€92,190) and is yet to be shipped in substantial numbers.
Consequently, Badiyan drives the AWD model, which costs $79,990 (€73,734). The vehicle’s registration lists its horsepower as 607, and its WLTP range is 547 kilometres. While Tesla has not informed him about the size of his battery, Badiyan estimates it at around 100 kWh.
So far, in his initial fortnight of ownership, he has not exhausted the battery. He also hasn’t established whether the Supercharger genuinely supplies 250kW. He confesses, “The charging box at home suffices for me, I don’t cover long distances.”
This is why he opted against the range extender, which rather than being a generator with a combustion engine, is an additional battery pack installed on the flatbed that adds roughly 200 kilometres to his car’s range.
Badiyan shares his PIN with me, which I diligently input on the screen as I typically would on a mobile device. I subsequently make a spectacle of myself by hunting for a gearshift around the steering wheel or other places.
The travel direction of the Cybertruck is controlled on the screen, similar to the method used for the past two years in the Model S and Model X, as my amused co-traveller reveals, shaking his head in merriment. Consequently, I swipe forward in the top left corner of the vehicle and am transported from what Elon Musk brands the automotive dark age to the future.
Bare moments later, I am transformed from Ben Cartwright of the Ponderosa Ranch into Star Trek’s Captain Kirk navigating his way through the cosmos.
Instead of the familiar noise of an eight-cylinder motor, you’re only met with a soft humming sound. Surprisingly, it has reached the Texas speed limit in no time. Even for this hulking metal hulk, a mere 4.3 seconds are needed to propel it from 0 to 100km/h — advancing the thrill with every massive, smoothly handled weight. Of course, it’s impressive that the Cybertruck can attain speeds upwards of 180km/h, whereas comparables like the F-150 typically max out around 160km/h.
The excitement tails off soon after, however. The air suspension, whilst handy for lowering the entry height or boosting the clearance to well over 40cm off-road, falls short when dealing with daily commute bumps.
The steering, too, is a somewhat unique and acquired taste. The intermixing of drive-by-wire tech with variable gear ratios, decent feedback, pronounced rear-axle steering, robust Goodyear tyres on 20-inch rims, and the almost-right-angled steering wheel results in somewhat awkward handling maneuvers, particularly during in-town traffic and maneuvering.
After spending half a day in Austin, it feels like an uphill task to envision this metallic maverick as a commonplace Texas car or as a potential serious contender against the F-150, Silverado or Ram 1500.
Naturally, the Cybertruck is an intriguing vehicle and especially a remarkable expression. Its revolutionary design certainly outshines any Lamborghini Urus. However, it’s more a piece of extravagance for posers and modernists, and not really an everyday occurrence on the roads, even in the homeland of pickups. This implies that its presence will likely be even scarcer on the Dublin streets or the Irish countryside.