The First Tesla Cybertruck has landed in Australia for a “tour down under”, so I went to the Tesla Sydney store to have a look at Tesla’s most recent and controversial vehicle, an electric monster with an angular stainless steel exterior that splits opinions.
Love it or hate it, there is no denying the Cybertruck is unique, unlike anything else on the road today. You can’t help standing there staring at it, trying to comprehend what your eyes are seeing.
The Cybertruck’s massive size needs to be experienced in person to really understand just how big and imposing this vehicle is. The highest point of the truck is well above my head and I am 175 cm tall. It made the first generation Tesla Roadster on display nearby seem like a toy car in comparison.
From the front, I think the Cybertruck looks less imposing than other oversize American utes such as the Dodge Ram or Chevy Silverado.
This is due to the way the short bonnet on the Cybertruck slopes down parallel to the enormous windscreen, compared to the high bonnets on those other monstrous trucks.
The sharp angular lines of the Cybertruck stand out from the rear, with no curves in sight apart from the wheels and tyres. The tailgate is significantly higher than the bonnet so unless you are very tall with long arms, it would be hard to load and unload things from the bed of the Cybertruck.
At first the Cybertruck was locked, but even when Tesla staff opened it up, barriers were placed in front of the open doors to prevent people from getting inside.
What we did see was that the same minimal Tesla style interior from other vehicles has been carried over to the Cybertruck, with angular styling to match the exterior.
Tesla staff confirmed the Cybertruck on display had its suspension at the highest setting, which gives the vehicle up to 406 mm of ground clearance in Extract Mode. In the lowest suspension setting, they said it is not much higher off the ground than a Model Y SUV.
Ground clearance of the Cybertruck is also helped by a smooth flat underbody, which would be an advantage for off-roading. There are no protruding parts such as differentials found on ICE utes and 4WDs to get caught on rocks or other obstacles.
With the Cybertruck unlocked, we were also lucky enough to see the bed and tailgate open. There is plenty of space in the back of the 1.8 m long bed as well as a 97 L underfloor area, similar in size to the Model Y frunk (117 L). Unfortunately there is no dedicated space for a spare wheel though, something that people off-roading will need to think about.
The big question for the thousands of Australian order holders, and those at the HQ, is if Tesla will actually sell the vehicle in Australia, particularly given that the Model S and Model X are no longer offered.
When asked, Tesla staff in the showroom were tight lipped, unable to confirm or deny anything. For those keen to purchase a Cybertruck in Australia, Tesla seems to be keeping hopes alive with the Cybertruck still featured on the Tesla Australia website even though reservations closed back in May 2022.
If you would like to see the Cybertruck yourself, it will be on display at four different locations across Sydney until May 26th:
- Tesla Sydney: 26 April – 5 May 2024
- Tesla Chatswood: 6 – 12 May 2024
- Tesla Parramatta: 13 – 19 May 2024
- Tesla Miranda: 20 – 26 May 2024
After those dates Tesla will hopefully extend the Cybertruck tour down under to other locations throughout Australia and New Zealand, giving fans a chance to see and experience this unique vehicle in person.
Tim has 20 years experience in the IT industry including 14 years as a network engineer and site reliability engineer at Google Australia. He is an EV and renewable energy enthusiast who is most passionate about helping people understand and adopt these technologies.