ELON’S BAKKIE

After notable delays and some concerns about whether it would ever reach production, the first deliveries of Tesla’s imposing all-electric Cybertruck have reportedly been honoured

All the hype surrounding Tesla’s take on a bakkie reached fever pitch towards the end of November 2023. The initial reviews of the Cybertruck paint a picture of awkward styling and, by all accounts, a toy-like appearance. Despite these early criticisms, it sports genuine under-the-skin innovations that could have far-reaching benefits for the automotive sector as we know it.

Boasting a brushed-stainless-steel body that Tesla claims is bulletproof, the Cybertruck will be offered in three configurations: a rear-wheel-drive version, which makes do with a single electric motor, built completely in-house; a dual-motor setup that, in turn, makes this derivative technically an all-wheel drive version; and the flagship Cyberbeast model that uses a tri-motor arrangement to produce a claimed 0–100 km/h sprint time of 2,6 seconds!

Weighing in the region of three tonnes (depending on the derivative), Tesla’s debut bakkie features a self-levelling suspension, all-wheel steering and an 800 V electrical system. A 100% steerby-wire system automatically adjusts the steering angle depending on the application – parking lot or freeway – and takes care of manoeuvrability.

Assembled at the company’s Gigafactory Texas in Austin, Texas, the Cybertruck sports Tesla’s bespoke ‘4680’ battery-cell technology that is capable of storing more energy than a conventional EV setup and costs less to produce.

Although the dual-motor derivative is capable of an operating range of up to 550 km, an optional extender housed in the load bay increases travelling ability to at least 760 km.