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Tesla Cybertruck Pricing and Specs

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Re: Tesla Cybertruck Pricing and Specs

#291

Post by hedora »

dsr_ wrote: post #270
kubectl_h wrote: post #197

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah what a weird comment from GP. The refrain that no one needs a full-size truck, that they're mall crawlers or compensation for undersized you-know-what is common on this site but I've never seen it taken to the level that "trades workers largely don't drive full sized trucks, actually".

Oh. Actually, let me tell you: Most trades workers don't need full-sized pickup trucks. They do need an 8 foot bed. An amazing number of full-sized pickups come with 6.5 foot beds by default, and cost extra for the 8 foot. They won't put 2 tons of gravel in there; they will put plywood sheets and lumber and power tools; boxes of nails and air compressors; the toolbox that they always want, the toolbox for this job, a…

There are three specs that matter. (4wd matters in the hills, since it is surprisingly easy to get stuck on pavement/gravel when going uphill under load, but that is orthogonal).

The three things are bed capacity, max bed weight load, and towing capacity.

Weight in bed can matter, but once you’re above a few thousand pounds, you need to consider getting a dump trailer. Max carrying load matters more for conversions (e.g. to ambulances, adding toolboxes, etc). Towing matters for moving lots of weight.

In the cheap 150/1500 ICE class, Ford wins these days on bed capacity (3000lbs), due to having aluminum frames. Ram wins at towing capacity (10,000lbs).

As much as I like dunking the cybertruck for its impractical bed and Musk’s shenanigans, it can tow 14,000lbs, making it best in class for quarter ton trucks (assuming you count it in the same class as the ford F150 lightning).

So, I’d like one for driving to and from our local rockery, except that using it for that will beat it to hell, and a used truck + nice EV sedan will cost less, be more fun to drive, and win on total CO2 emissions. The sedan uses much less electricity than the cybertruck, and would be driven many more miles than the truck. I’d only put a few tanks of diesel into the truck per year.

Eventually, the grid will be more decarbonized, and batteries won’t be scarce. At that point, the cybertruck would probably be a better choice for me.

Source: We bought a 1500 truck that is slightly too small for our use cases.

Re: Tesla Cybertruck Pricing and Specs

#292

Post by madeofpalk »

supportengineer wrote: post #262
jasongill wrote: post #201

Funny that the cheaper model's 0-60 time is listed as "4.1 SEC. 0-60 MPH", but the more expensive model is listed as "2.6 SEC. 0-60 MPH With rollout subtracted." The whole rollout for 0-60 thing is a big fuss in the car magazine subculture - instead of counting zero to 60 from a standstill, they now count zero to 60 in a drag race style, where you have to trip the starting light by going forward a foot or two. What t…

Zero means zero. Who decided they could change the definition of zero?

I mean, if the wheels are just spinning without traction it’s still at zero.

Re: Tesla Cybertruck Pricing and Specs

#293

Post by mjamesaustin »

JumpinJack_Cash wrote: post #249
hx8 wrote: post #220

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you saying the best statement you can use to describe SpaceX is "incredible marketing"?

[flagged]

They made $1.4 billion in revenue on their Starlink internet service last year. Satellite internet was already a successful product before SpaceX entered the market, and they're providing much faster service at a lower price.

If you look at the space industry as a whole, over 60% of all rockets launched last year were by SpaceX, and their cost per kg launched is a fraction of their competitors.

It's strange to refer to this as "buzz" when they're objectively providing successful services that many people and organizations are paying for.

Re: Tesla Cybertruck Pricing and Specs

#294

Post by mcv »

JumpCrisscross wrote: post #240
al_borland wrote: post #169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From what I’ve heard, trucks are huge now due to various fuel efficiency regulations. A big truck is easier to make with fewer regulations. It seems like all the electric trucks want to prove they are bigger and tougher than the ICE trucks, but it seems like the perfect platform for small trucks, as the the efficiency standards would become a moot point. I’m looking for trucks like the old Ford Ranger from the late 9…

> trucks are huge now due to various fuel efficiency regulations Correct. It's because of "...the fine print of Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards adopted in 1975, Gerald Ford’s reluctant response to a crippling Middle East oil embargo that sent gas prices soaring. To protect American commerce, work trucks and light trucks were subject to less-strict CAFE standards than family sedans. Trucks are also exe…

It's bizarre that this has been allowed, and that lawmakers didn't immediately fix this hole in the regulations as soon as they noticed car manufacturers taking advantage of it.

Re: Tesla Cybertruck Pricing and Specs

#295

Post by grpt »

frumper wrote: post #239
microtherion wrote: post #230

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do people making less than 150k buy 100k cars? I don't have a good sense for how Americans budget their vehicle purchases.

[flagged]

> American's often don't budget.

Just random drive-by comment hating a particular nationality...

Re: Tesla Cybertruck Pricing and Specs

#296

Post by m463 »

lttlrck wrote: post #261
m463 wrote: post #205

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hmmm.. I would guess decoupling would allow variable ratio steering based on speed or preferences.

Electric power assist already allows that. It's probably cheaper, lighter and maybe safer to have no steering column.

I meant decoupled variable ratio, not mechanical variable ratio[1], not power assist.

sort of like turning mouse acceleration on and off.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steering_ratio#Variable-ratio_...

Re: Tesla Cybertruck Pricing and Specs

#297

Post by LTL_FTC »

dsr_ wrote: post #270
kubectl_h wrote: post #197

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah what a weird comment from GP. The refrain that no one needs a full-size truck, that they're mall crawlers or compensation for undersized you-know-what is common on this site but I've never seen it taken to the level that "trades workers largely don't drive full sized trucks, actually".

Oh. Actually, let me tell you: Most trades workers don't need full-sized pickup trucks. They do need an 8 foot bed. An amazing number of full-sized pickups come with 6.5 foot beds by default, and cost extra for the 8 foot. They won't put 2 tons of gravel in there; they will put plywood sheets and lumber and power tools; boxes of nails and air compressors; the toolbox that they always want, the toolbox for this job, a…

I think most trades would be better served by a van rather than a pickup truck. Ingress and egress is much easier. It is also easier to load and drive due to lower center of gravity. Expensive tools are out of the elements and generally safer (and so less risk of tools and material making their way onto the highway). Plus, better drag coefficient and so better efficiency. Finally, a roof rack allows for those items you mentioned like sheetrock and plywood, ladders and pipes. The biggest problem I see is most of these men have an ego that would never allow them to buy and drive a van.

Re: Tesla Cybertruck Pricing and Specs

#299

Post by nullc »

jasongill wrote: post #201

Funny that the cheaper model's 0-60 time is listed as "4.1 SEC. 0-60 MPH", but the more expensive model is listed as "2.6 SEC. 0-60 MPH With rollout subtracted." The whole rollout for 0-60 thing is a big fuss in the car magazine subculture - instead of counting zero to 60 from a standstill, they now count zero to 60 in a drag race style, where you have to trip the starting light by going forward a foot or two. What t…

perhaps the cheaper model doesn't break traction at all, so the difference between with and without rollout is insubstantial?

Re: Tesla Cybertruck Pricing and Specs

#300

Post by brk »

thechao wrote: post #266
al_borland wrote: post #169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From what I’ve heard, trucks are huge now due to various fuel efficiency regulations. A big truck is easier to make with fewer regulations. It seems like all the electric trucks want to prove they are bigger and tougher than the ICE trucks, but it seems like the perfect platform for small trucks, as the the efficiency standards would become a moot point. I’m looking for trucks like the old Ford Ranger from the late 9…

A guy at work has a Ford Ranger EV (I think it's the '97?); he's upgraded the battery & the charger. It'd be my ideal vehicle if they were produced, again.

At the time those were referred to internally as the Ranger Glider, which was a name I always kind of liked. I recall many of them going to Mexico at the time, I think as part of a government program.
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