Tesla’s head-turning and stainless steel-bodied Cybertruck has now had its cheapest version made available to the public, scoming in 30% cheaper than the top-spec Cyberbeast trim.
The Cybertruck’s Long Range single-motor rear-wheel drive (RWD) variant is now available to order in the US with specs that have been trimmed back to get it to $US69,990.
With this, the new Cybertruck lineup looks like this:
- Long Range RWD – $US69,990
- AWD – $US79,990
- Tri-motor Cyberbeast – $US99,990
With available subsidies in the US, the entry-level variant could be as low as $US62,490 for those eligible for the Federal Tax Credit, which, with the current exchange rate, comes in around $A100,000.
On the range front, the new entry-level variant is rated at 560 km on a single charge, with 18-inch wheels. On the dual and tri-motor variants, only 20-inch wheels are offered.
This variant is also expected to have the roughly 123 kWh battery pack, enabling it to have long range from its single-motor drivetrain.
Speaking of the drivetrain, it’s still expected to have a respectable 0-100 km/h acceleration time of under 6.5 seconds since the 0-60 mph specs have it noted as 6.2 seconds.
Towing with the single drive unit is now rated at 3.4 tonnes, down from nearly 5 tonnes on the all-wheel-drive (AWD) and Cyberbeast variants.
With a ground clearance of just over 240 mm, it’s still quite capable when taken off-road, but it can’t be adjusted as easily as the more expensive variants.
That’s because it gets adaptive coilover suspension instead of the air suspension seen in the dual and tri-motor variants, which helps them get up to 400 mm of ground clearance in “Extract Mode”.
The almost 2.8-tonne variant comes with the same large 18.5-inch touch screen in the middle for the front but loses out on the rear passenger screen.
A more entry-level 7-speaker sound system is available over the premium 15-speaker system in the upper trims.
Staying on the inside, cloth seats are now offered over the leather ventilated seats found in the higher trims, giving it more of a conventional work truck feel.
Moving to the back, the retractable tonneau cover is now replaced with a soft cover. On top of that, the power outlets have also been removed from the bed.
The payload in the bed now comes in at just over 910 kg, down from 1,130 kg in the AWD variant, which costs $US10,000 more.
This entry-level Long Range RWD variant is expected to have deliveries start in June and will be built at Tesla’s GigaTexas factory.
At the same time, the first Cybercabs and Robotaxi trial will also be starting in Texas with locally produced two-door Robotaxis.
This latest variant will help many more people get behind the wheel of one of the most unique vehicles on the market.
Here in Australia, in recent months, Tesla has showcased the Cybertrucks at the Everything Electric show in Sydney and more recently at the Melbourne Motor Show.
These events have drawn thousands of people to check this vehicle out, with huge queues for those wanting to get close to it.
This shows the level of interest in this vehicle, and an entry-level, more accessible version could attract many more buyers to the brand.
With rumours that the Cybertruck could be heading to other markets outside of the US, a right-hand-drive version might not be as unrealistic as some think.
Riz is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.