As new leaks show the Cybertruck only has a 267-mile range, a picture has surfaced of a person trying to pump gas into the Cybertruck’s charge port. Given its range, would you be interested in an extended-range Cybertruck with an onboard gas generator?
Follow us today...
A couple of days ago, there was a major Cybertruck leak demonstrating the vehicle’s unique door opening mechanism in action; showing the new stunning Cybertruck-specific “Cyber user interface”, and many more details.
The level of access of the person videotaping the Cybertruck had suggests that it was filmed by a Tesla engineer in charge of testing the truck.
The video shares some major new information about the Cybertruck and there were even reports that Tesla was revoking Cybertruck delivery invites of anyone who shares the video online. However, those reports were later revealed to be untrue.
Related News: Elon Musk Responds to Anti-Semitism Accusations Amid Pressure by Tesla Investors
Whether Tesla takes action over this leak or not, one undeniable fact is that we have gotten a lot of new information. Especially the part of the video showing the Cybertruck’s new user interface has revealed the Cybertruck’s range number.
Tesla’s onboard trip planner showed the Cybertruck will use a 6% charge to go 16 miles. If it takes a 6% charge to go 16 miles, then how far will a 100% charge take you in a Cybertruck? Doing some very basic math, we can extrapolate in a full charge the Cybertruck will go 267 miles.
A few things to note here is that a lot of Tesla fans including myself were disappointed to see this number and have tried to debunk it by pointing out several possible reasons for the low range number.
However, the truth is that from the video, we know that the Cybertruck was not towing anything and didn’t appear that it was going up some hilly mountainous road.
And let’s not forget, as the hype for the Cybertruck pilled on expectations for the vehicle have increased. However, Tesla when it unveiled the vehicle back in November 2019 said, that there would be 3 variants of the Cybertruck.
The 1st variant is rear-wheel-drive and will have a 250-mile EPA range, the second is dual-motor all-wheel-drive and has a 300-mile range, and the third is a tri-motor Performance and comes with a 500-mile range.
If you say this was 4 years ago and plans for the Cybertruck have changed. I agree, however, Elon Musk in his recent appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience only a couple of weeks back has reiterated that a vehicle doesn’t need any more range than 250 miles.
Musk’s reasoning was, if you are able to drive 80mph down a highway for 3 hours straight then you’re going to want to stretch your legs, maybe use a restroom, and get a bite to eat and in that time your vehicle will be charged and you’ll be able to go another 250 miles where you will want to repeat this process.
Related News: Tesla’s 1st Ever YouTube Ad Shows a Model Y Getting Run Over by a Ford F-150 Pickup Truck
This confirms it’s not outside the realm of possibilities for Tesla to produce a Cybertruck with a 267-mile range. Having said that, we know the onboard Tesla trip planner is a little bit conservative. We know that Tesla vehicles can go a few more miles after the trip planner shows zero miles left and there are other factors that force the vehicle to lowball the range estimates.
So let's be generous and putting these factors into play, let’s say the Cybertruck will have a 300-mile EPA-rated range. This gives the Cybertruck a run-of-the-mill range number in the electric pickup world.
For example, in comparison, the Rivian R1T has battery options with a range of anywhere between 289 miles and 410 miles with the Max Pack option. And the Ford F-150 Lightning gets anywhere between 230 miles and 320 miles with the optional extended-range battery.
Given the competition, an EPA-estimated range of around 300 miles is okay for the Cybertruck however, if you’re towing or carrying anything, this range quickly gets cut in half giving you a range of around 150 miles.
At this point, the Cybertruck becomes unacceptable for anyone planning to go on trips and tow anything heavy. Especially given the fact that there aren’t currently a lot of pull-through superchargers which means every 150 miles you have to hook and unhook your trailer in order to be able to charge.
This brings us neatly to new Cybertruck pictures that have hit the interwebs. As you can see above, the picture shows someone trying to pump gas into the Cybertruck’s charger port. Hope he’s using premium or the truck might not run properly!
All jokes aside, the picture appears to be taken in a spirit of fun. This is not the first time a person has been spotted confused trying to refuel a Tesla through the charger port however, given the fact that the only Cybertrucks out on the road are being driven by Tesla engineers for testing and calibration, barring the world’s most incompetent employee, the picture by all accounts appears to be meant just for gags.
Admittedly, seeing a Tesla at a gas station is an absurd proposition, however, it also raises an important question. Given the range numbers we’ve discussed above, would you be interested in an extended-range Cybertruck with an onboard gas generator?
Last week, Ram showed off a brand-new electric vehicle with an onboard gas generator that will go on sale next year. According to Ram, this is not a hybrid and doesn’t have those complicated electric and mechanical powertrains.
The new Ram is exclusively driven by the battery and electric motors and the gas generator's sole job is to recharge the onboard battery. Of course, this is not as ideal as having a pure EV with a long range however, Ram says using this approach they were able to increase the Ram 1500’s range from 145 miles to 690 miles.
Most of the time, for most people at least, you don’t need to drive more than 145 miles a day however, when you’re going on that 800-mile trip towing a trailer a few times a year, you’ll fire up your generator and have a hassle-free trip.
According to Ram, this is a necessary middle stop in our transition to all-electric vehicles. Ram says this is especially true for trucks which, unlike cars and SUVs, are meant to frequently carry heavy loads.
So asking the question again, would you be interested in an extended-range Cybertruck with let’s say an 800-mile range? For now, there appears to be no sign that Tesla is considering offering such type of option however, we’ll be sure to keep you posted if Tesla’s plans change.
Until then, make sure to visit our site torquenews.com/Tesla regularly for the latest updates.
So what do you think? Did seeing someone trying to pump gas into a Tesla Cybertruck give you a chuckle? Also, what pros and cons do you see in offering an extended-range Cybertruck with an onboard gas generator? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Image: Courtesy of Garrett S
For more information check out: A Tesla Cybertruck is Seen Hauling a Massive 10-Foot-Long Christmas Tree – Is it Too Early for Christmas?
Tinsae Aregay has been following Tesla and The evolution of the EV space on a daily basis for several years. He covers everything about Tesla from the cars to Elon Musk, the energy business, and autonomy. Follow Tinsae on Twitter at @TinsaeAregay for daily Tesla news.
Follow us today...
I wouldn't be interested but…
I wouldn't be interested but the idea makes a lot more sense to me than a hybrid. And it's aimed at people with no EV experience. I had been wondering why nobody came up with it before, given that the alternative is to have an engine that can move the car, and to duplicate all ICEV components.
This means generating electricity using gasoline instead of getting it off the grid where it's much cheaper. But people are already willing to pay far more for gasoline, so a person dead set on using gasoline and not having to wait for a charge could use this, not because they are likely to really need this (except for people who can't charge at home) but because it's what they are used to. Then when they learn that by keeping it plugged in at home, they end up never using the generator, and when they learn that it's cheaper to plug into a charger on the road when stopped for lunch than to spend $75 on a tank of gasoline, and no less convenient, they may decide that they don't need it for their next vehicle.
But there's going to be a significant segment of the population for a while who lives where infrastructure isn't suitable. There must be folks who need a pickup truck to tow their boat or trailer but live in apartments or condos where they have no regular place to charge.
It's been thought of for…
It's been thought of for quite some time: it's called the Chevrolet Volt, and it came out in 2010 (sold as what GM called an EREV - Extended Range Electric Vehicle).
It was replicated in the BMW i3 REx in 2013.
Both cars have discontinued, mostly due to low sales compared to EVs in their lineup.
The person who regularly…
The person who regularly needs 250 miles or more range for a trip is certainly not stopping to stretch their legs for an hour every three.
Also, if an average American with a family is paying near $100,000 for a dad truck, certainly part of that price tag is allowed to include peace of mind knowing that in a worst case get-out-of-town scenario they can drive it somewhere safe without range anxiety, particularly when you can add considerable range simply by filling a couple gas cans.
Articles and discussions about this stuff really doesn't put much thought into motivations.
And computers don't need…
And computers don't need more than 64mb of ram either...right steve Jobs!!!
"Did seeing someone trying…
"Did seeing someone trying to pump gas into a Tesla Cybertruck give you a chuckle?"
no, i assumed (rightly) it was click bait
You cannot extrapolate EV…
You cannot extrapolate EV range like that, you need to know total distance, climbing distance, conditions, and so on. I can look at the last 20 miles of my Tesla and if I was going down a slope a good amount of time it will show I have a range of 600 miles.
Just divide total kWh of the battery by average efficiency to get the range. Because the variants of the cybertruck will have different battery sizes there will be different ranges. Probably 250 miles for the single motor, 450+ for the tri-motor, and somewhere in the middle for the dual. It's like making fuel cars with different size tanks.
Yes. Of course. If I were…
Yes. Of course. If I were in the market for an impractical, overpriced avatar.
This simple idea is the obvious solution to the transportation needs of the day. GM had it with the Volt. But they squandered it with poor design, and and craven short-term thinking by replacing it with the Bolt.
So we have Elon Musk with Tesla on producing overpriced "green" vehicles while spewing tons of carbon dioxide with his SpaceX rockets. Meanwhile, Mary Barra at GM is producing overpriced Bolts which few will buy, and which she keeps threatening to discontinue, while cashing in on her jacked-up, gas-guzzling pickup trucks.
The reason why gas pickups…
The reason why gas pickups are more popular than electric ones is that their range does not drop to 100 miles when towing a travel trailer. Everyone you keep ignoring the needs of the people who love travel trailers when you keep pushing your all electric agenda.