Article Image

IPFS News Link • Transportation

Tesla Cybertruck: Everything we know

• CNET.com

Tesla's Cybertruck is one of the most polarizing automobile designs to debut in decades. In fact, you could say it's driving a wedge between the various factions of the automotive community. Some people think it looks brutal, aggressive and rugged like some kind of electric dystopian Matrix bro-dozer. Others think it looks like something that Ikea might offer as its first flat-pack vehicle. But what do we actually know about it?

Design

Well, to start, we know that it's got a thick, unfinished stainless steel body. Stainless steel looks cool, but could present several problems, based on other companies' attempts at making it work on a production vehicle -- namely DeLorean with the DMC-12. The material is tough and resistant to corrosion, but it's also difficult to repair and almost impossible to paint. Tesla CEO Elon Musk claims that the body of the Cybertruck is capable of withstanding sledgehammers and certain types of small-arms fire. The vehicle's glass, though? Not so much.

The truck's dimensions put it in line with other full-size trucks on sale today such as the F-150, Ram 1500 and Silverado 1500. Specifically, the Cybertruck is 231.7 inches long, 79.8 inches wide and 75 inches tall, with seating for six adults. Off-road performance looks decent too, with a 35-degree approach angle, a 28-degree departure angle and up to 16 inches of ground clearance.

Also interesting is that while the Cybertruck's body may look like it would slice through the air with all the efficiency of a piece of farm equipment, it may not be that aerodynamically inefficient, according to some computer modeling done by an independent aerospace engineer. 


AzureStandard