2024 Tesla Cybertruck

We’ve all heard about it, you may have even seen one or two on the road by now, but how much do you really know about Tesla’s outrageous looking Cybertruck? Well, you’ve come to the right place for all the stainless-steel lowdown, as we’re about to blast into cyberspace for some high-tech truckin’!

Over at Tesla, they’re used to taking on big tasks. Not only did they make EVs mainstream, they also turned them into status symbols, built a nationwide charging infrastructure to support them; plus, they’ve even blasted into outer space. Their latest challenge, getting truck buyers to buy into this stainless-steel origami project in mass, might be their toughest undertaking yet.

But we’re not betting against them, as this 2024 Tesla Cybertruck is unlike anything else on the road, and attracts the kind of attention usually reserved for mega-buck Italian exotics.

We’re all living in the Cyber Age of course, but just to get even more “cyber-y” we made sure to get our hands on a local owner’s Cyberbeast version of the Cybertruck. It uses a trio of electric motors, one in front, two in back, to crank out 845 horsepower and 864 lb-ft of torque. Energy comes from a 123-kWh battery, with 250 kW max charging for recouping 128 miles in 15 minutes. The Beast is rated at 301 miles, though a soon to be available range extender could push that to more than 440. The standard two-motor all-wheel drive Cybertruck has a range of 340 miles.

Our tester came wrapped in black, hiding the sheen of those stainless-steel body panels. But, we were much more interested in what it was like to be behind its oddly shaped steering wheel anyway. So, we swiped up for Drive and got down to business.

The first thing we noticed was how much space there was between us and the base of the windshield. Combine that with small windows and a sloping bed cover that makes it impossible to see anything with the flimsy rearview mirror. Visibility is compromised from every angle. Sure, there are cameras everywhere to help, but it’s a less-than-ideal situation.

The Cybertruck is controlled with a steer-by-wire system which means strictly electronic signals between the steering wheel and the motors on the steering rack. And the rear wheels get in on the act too, making for one of the most hyper-reactive vehicles we’ve experienced. It definitely feels out of place in a big, tough truck like this, but it also didn’t take long to get used to, which could also be said about the brakes and their very natural feel.

There’s 12 inches of travel in the suspension with the adjustable ride height maxing out at 16 inches of ground clearance. Ride quality is smoother than most of its EV pickup competition, but we wouldn’t exactly call it car-like. Coming in at just under 6,900 lbs., the Cybertruck undercuts the GMC Hummer EV Pickup by more than a ton, it’s rated to tow up to 11,000 lbs., and yes, it’s very quick.

At our Mason Dixon test track, the big 285-series tires on 20-inch wheels easily transferred all of the Beast’s power to pavement for consistent blasts to 60 in just 2.6 seconds. Same as we recently got in a Chevrolet Corvette Z06, and more than a half second quicker than both the Hummer EV Pickup and the Rivian R1T. Launch control is easy to activate, and the Beast stayed plenty stable at speed, but there was a lot of wind noise and a significant amount of electric whining noises too, though those actually sounded kind of cool. Power delivery did plateau towards the end of the track, but we still cleared the quarter in 11.6 seconds at 114 mph.

It’s not all about acceleration, however. There are lots of cool features here in the Cybertruck: Power tailgate and tonneau cover for the 6-foot bed; Honda Ridgeline-like underfloor bed storage; multiple outlets in the bed for powering and charging; front storage space under the hood; a giant windshield wiper; and Sentry Mode which allows you to access the car’s many cameras to monitor all the gawkers while you’re away from it.

Tesla-style minimalism inside means using the 18.5-inch touchscreen for almost everything, and of course you can monitor and control many features from your small screen too. Rear seat passengers get their own 9.4-inch display, along with plenty of room and flip up seat bottoms for storage. Fit-and-finish has improved at Tesla, but there are still some squeaks, and cheaper than expected materials inside, plus a fair amount of panel misalignments outside considering the Cybertruck’s Foundation Series base price of $93,990; Cyberbeast pricing starts at $113,990.

While sales so far have barely put a dent into its 2 million reservations, it is off to a decent start. After all, the 2024 Tesla Cybertruck, besides being a unique beast, does truck-like things surprisingly well. Plus, it’s faster than most hyper sports cars. Still, what the Cybertruck does best is attract a crowd, and we see nothing wrong with that.