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Tesla Cybertruck Pricing and Specs

tesla.com

671–680 of 1001 posts

Re: Tesla Cybertruck Pricing and Specs

#671

Interesting that the marketing image on that page is clearly meant to suggest driving around on Mars. I think it is clear from the design and marketing that this truck is meant as a fashion statement not a work vehicle. It will be interesting to see if it catches on. I like some of the ideas used in the vehicle's construction, though I do not like how dangerous it appears to be for pedestrians. If I made a prediction…

I feel like it already has limited social value except as a sort of MAGA hat for Elon. I predict it’ll have some rabid adherents but also develop a reputation as a vehicle for assholes - already in a lot of circles the Tesla brand has a negative association due to Elon behaving like a nepo bully.

> cybertruck is the maga hat of trucks

How is this a real comment?

Re: Tesla Cybertruck Pricing and Specs

#672

Seems like there's been relatively less attention on the 48V/800V architecture and the Ethernet comms/steer by wire setup, but I think those are what make this particular vehicle quite interesting. Up until recently I think 48V power electronics have been fairly rare outside of telecom/other high cost situations, but I suppose one major difference is that at 48V, transformer-based DC-DC conversion is usually a better…

Aren’t basically all modern cars steer by wire? I guess ethernet vs CAN is notable but isn’t that a pretty minor implementation detail?

Many modern cars are throttle by wire. Orthogonally, many have electric power steering instead of hydraulic power steering, depending what is multiplying your force, but still with actual linkage from your arms / steering wheel, to the turning of the wheels.

I am not aware of many that are actually steer by wire.

Re: Tesla Cybertruck Pricing and Specs

#673
post #639
post #451

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'll wait to see some credible pedestrian safety ratings rather than random eyeballing. American trucks are already designed to easily kill pedestrians; a lower shape where a pedestrian goes over rather than being knocked flat could well be less bad.

pedestrian safety isn’t an arcane science. Here’s some info on how car shape affects pedestrian safety: https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/vehicles-with-higher-more-v...

So height and angle are what matters, and it looks like this Tesla does better on height and no worse on angle than a typical US truck. Why exactly did you think it was particularly high risk for pedestrians again?

Re: Tesla Cybertruck Pricing and Specs

#674
post #253

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wish I was just an allowed to like things, without people coming up with some BS, especially political, about why I shouldn't. I suspect the bigger problem will be people like you, being judgmental assholes, rather than the "assholes" just buying something they think is neat. I'm mostly looking forward to cars/trucks maybe not looking the same as they have for the last 50 years.

You are free to do whatever you like. And others are free to do what they like. Which for most people includes making judgements about who you are based on the clothes you wear, the car you drive, the style of haircut etc. And buying a Cybertruck does imply that you either (a) agree with or (b) are ambivalent about Musk's behaviour.

> And buying a Cybertruck does imply that you either (a) agree with or (b) are ambivalent about Musk's behaviour.

Do you do a regular check on the CEOs of all the products you buy?

Re: Tesla Cybertruck Pricing and Specs

#675
post #270

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…

Most full-sized trucks come with beds smaller than 6.5ft, that doesn't change the fact that most trades people drive full-sized trucks.

Four wheel drive is more necessary in specific climates (before the snow tire scolds come in, I run snow tires in the winter) and because an unloaded truck has a light rear end. Many trucks with 4wd can switch between 4wd and RWD. My truck has RWD, 4A (4 auto, aka AWD-ish), 4 high and 4 low as an option. I drive mostly in RWD unless I need power to all wheels for traction in snow and ice or when I am accelerating quickly off an incline (think uphill a dirt road onto blacktop where you have a blind corner) and then I drive in in 4A. I have needed 4 high and 4 low a handful of times. I have a "big v8" and get 21-22 MPG on the highway in RWD and and 18 or so around town. I drive heavy all-terain tires or my MPG would be better.

Re: Tesla Cybertruck Pricing and Specs

#676
post #559

It is extremely misleading to include gas savings as a reduction in purchase price. If anything that should be used as a comparison of overall operating costs and cost more than the purchase price but not as much more as the gas competitor.

Yes, they’re assuming electricity is free.

No, they didn't. From the details page: "We've assumed a fuel economy of 20.0 miles per gallon for a comparable gasoline powered truck. We've also assumed the national average of $0.16 per kilowatt-hour for residential electricity (assumed for 100% of charging) and $3.30 per gallon for gasoline over the next three years."

Re: Tesla Cybertruck Pricing and Specs

#678

Seems like there's been relatively less attention on the 48V/800V architecture and the Ethernet comms/steer by wire setup, but I think those are what make this particular vehicle quite interesting. Up until recently I think 48V power electronics have been fairly rare outside of telecom/other high cost situations, but I suppose one major difference is that at 48V, transformer-based DC-DC conversion is usually a better…

Would there be a “safe mode” for steering where it has basic operation if it can’t get speed data? Drive by wire kind of scares me.

A lot of controls in airliners are via software and electrical signals.

As long as the same rigour that is applied to the aviation industry is used and that they don't use an MCAS, I think I'm ok with it.

Re: Tesla Cybertruck Pricing and Specs

#679

Any resources people could share about the engineering of the cybertruck? I don’t know too much about cars in general but I want to know if there is anything interesting in this one.

Non-sarcastically one interesting Engineering aspect is the complete disregard for the last 30 years of lessons learned on Pedestrian Safety.

Do you have any engineering information to back that up?

Re: Tesla Cybertruck Pricing and Specs

#680

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Lexus is already doing steer by wire, they used it to make a vehicle with a yoke that didn't suck to operate (as much anyway): https://www.motortrend.com/reviews/2023-lexus-rz450e-steer-b...

What happens if the engine shuts off (and the alternator stops spinning)? Does the steering just run off the 12v system?

That Lexus is an EV.
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