(Nov. 6, 2019) — Tesla watchers have been breathlessly hunting for clues about the company’s long-anticipated electric “Cybertruck.” The anticipation may soon be over.
Today, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced on Twitter that the long-anticipated pickup truck will be unveiled on November 21 near the SpaceX rocket factory in the port of Los Angeles. “It’s gonna be awesome, it’s gonna be amazing. This will be heart-stopping. It stops my heart. It’s going to look like it came off a movie set.” Musk said recently.
Little is known about the truck now, but Musk once described it as a massive 6-seater with an option for anywhere between 400 and 500 miles of range, packing a monstrous 300,000 pound towing capacity (that is not a misprint). For the non-mathematicians in the crowd, that’s 150 tons!
By comparison, the 2019 Ram 1500 has a towing capacity of 12,750 pounds. But that’s nothing according to Musk when compared to his new pickup.
Musk has made similar statements before. This comment in a blog about the new truck read: “Does anybody think that a Tesla truck will have the ability to take even 3,000 pounds of payload? Because it’s not just whether the thing has enough torque to get the load moving — you need enough brakes to stop it. You need enough suspension to manage the ride. You need enough weight to keep the trailer from wagging the tow vehicle.”
The Tesla Truck’s official unveiling could be scheduled for 2020 at the earliest.
Oh, in case you are interested, Musk confirmed recently that his company has a design for a “submarine car.” He said that while the vehicle won’t be for everyone, its market would be “small but enthusiastic.”
What do you think? We invite your comments.
SOURCE: Teslarati.com, Futurism.com, Engadget.com, Gearjunkie.com and thedrive.com.
Elon Musk is a great marketeer, BUT he’s so full of himself you put him on the table at thanksgiving. His pickup is not as good as Ford’s electric pickup that “pulled a train”. Like was stated at the end pulling is the easy part, controlling and stopping is the test of a tow vehicle. I’m reminded of the stunt Toyota did with the space shuttle a few years ago, I’ll bet that transmission burned up with that stunt because they’re only rated for about 10K lbs. but there are a lot of gullible people that actually believe ads like that. There will be thousands of people that believe Musk’s pickup will tow 150 tons, and put their deposit down on buying one. There is a very good video on you tube under Fast Lane Car where they took one of the Tesla cars that is rated to tow a trailer that was within the tow rating, they had to call a gas powered truck to come and get the trailer in order to make to to the next charging station. Electric vehicles are great commuter cars but until the infrastructure is fully in place to support them they are nothing but a fad.
Yes Bob, as one who spent his entire adult life in a dealership, I have to admit I never lost my amazement at the time and money that pours into transportation marketing – I mean by that exactly what you indicate – tapping the public gullibility factor -easy easy!
After the boardroom sandwich eaters complete their tasks, all they need to rocket the thing to glory is to get an Oprah, type, movie star or ultra rich sports figure endorsement, and boom. the factory will not be able to kick them out the door fast enough.
I think tesla is floating on the dollars of naive investors. Eventually books will have to be balanced. When that time comes the burst of the tesla balloon will be heard around the world. It will be a spectacular failure.
Yes Steve, when the subsidizes come off and the folks who get fueled for free now, get a jolt of reality, and Mr. Musk has to float his dreams on his own nickel,, watch the financial times, the stocks, and the dreamers who bought into the dream melt I predict as now in some cases you won’t be able to give one of these wildly expense air conditioned arc welders away.
Musk is nutty.
Just nutty????
The roads will not be able to handle 3 to 400,000 LBS. so it won’t be allowed on the roads or on bridges. You would spend more repairing things than you spent on the truck.
Dam it Bill you beat me to the comment about infrastructure capacities. This igoofy stuff I’m certain has been developed for space fiction readers, and comic com attendees
There is an SAE specification which covers how towing capacity is determined. Hint, it’s based on gross vehicle weight, hitch weight rating, tire rating, etc. Essentially, the towing capacity is limited by the structure of the vehicle and weight. No matter how powerful Tesla’s motors and how big the battery, the towing capacity will still be in line with other full sized trucks. Ford just pulled over 1M lbs of train cars with their EV prototype, but that does not have anything to do with towing capacity. Poorly researched article.
I don’t think it is poorly researched. The article does say true capacity is based on stopping power. The 300000# claim is Tesla – who’s over priced yuppie car are questionable from a safety prospect.
I see the BS flag waving
Sounds like alight 3/4 ton that is weekender fodder only. I could see a hybrid but not total battery to use for camper
My wife and I test drove a Tesla Model S several years ago. Beautiful car, fun to drive, and in my opinion, impractical as heck here in NV, though I must say, I’m impressed by the number of Tesla Super Charge stations that have shown up. And, only once have I ever seen anyone plugged in.
No question its a cool car – for the wealthy.
We have a Tesla charging station nearby in a town of fewer than 2000 people. When the place shuts down at 5:00 the Tesla guy or gal who has plugged in has to walk a mile(must be fun when its -35C or raining cats and dogs) to get a coffee. The only other alternative is to hang out at a Shell gas station a block or so away.
Oh the price of free fuel – after the initial $80,000 is forgotten about, and one gets used to the payments. It’s the kind of excitement I’ll never experience.
The town I live in has a 4 charging station. The service tech was at the station yesterday and I stopped and asked him how the charging station was working out. He told me that in the month of October there were a total of 3 charges for the entire month. September was 4. In seven months I have not seen 1 ev on the charge.
I must say that the stations design looks really good.
Musk is just making a statement he knows will garner attention but has no relation to actual practical towing capacity. The manufacturers have started to standardize how that is calculated and this won’t remotely meet the requirements for that much actual capacity. I’ve no doubt I could get 400,000 lbs moving with my old 91 Chevy 1/2 ton in low gear on a smooth level surface very slowly. Several manufacturers (Toyota) have done it in commercials. Even Top Gear had an episode where the hosts were towing an old 727 with various jalopies.
That would not be an apples to apples towing comparison. Does anyone think the parking brake on this truck will hold 300,000 pounds on a hill? That is part of the towing testing/scoring. As is cornering, etc. I sort of doubt it could even do the incline tests.
This is just a BS number by a manufacturer wanting some press.
If you’re hauling 300,000 pounds your trailer would have the brakes for stopping and parking.
It is called Research and Development. This truck is a prototype of things they hope will come. Think about the problems they will encounter and solve, some already enumerated above by rvtravel.com’s contributing subscribers. The first prototype may haul 300,000 pounds only 1 mile. The final model, a Ram no doubt, will be a truck that hauls a 25,000 pound 5th.
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The Spruce Goose, a prototype, flew only one mile and only once. Think of the problems encountered. What did they learn about structural plywood? What did they learn about wiring and plumbing 8 engines? What more will Tesla learn about batteries?
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Perhaps someday the Tesla truck will share space with the Spruce Goose in the McMinnville, Oregon museum (a visit I highly recommended to all RVers.) Perhaps Elon Musk will be memorialized alongside of Howard ‘Spruce Goose’ Hughes.
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Dream bug Elon!
Elon never made a dime with Tesla. Mechanically the cars are off the charts junk heaps. Look up the financials. ” We the people” have been funding his projects at taxpayer expense since he first popeed on the radar. Ill respect him when he turns over the patents granted, since we paid for them, and open up that technology, to better all of mankind. Until then, he’s a P.T. Barnum no more, no less.
Once the subsidizes come off, Elon Musk and all his disciples will be parking Toyotas with gas engine at McMinniville to…………..
Visited the Spruce Goose this summer – highlight of my many summers on the road – AWESOME and then some.
Musk is a BS artist and why would a 5th wheel need to weigh 25K?
I think the RV trend will be to load a new unit up with TO MUCH TECHNOLOGY, will be built in smaller sizes and have greater maneuverability if you can keep it repaired and on the road.
RV life is going to evolve into something far different than it is now.
Unveiled near the Space X rocket factory as if to say “To boldly camp where no one has camped before”. Will it have a 30 amp or 50 amp plug in for charging?
It’s very simple how he intends to tow 300,000lbs people. One simply needs to think about the problem and do the math.
Federal law requires no more than 20,000lbs per axle on the road with a minimum spacing (varies by state). Overall, almost every state has an 80,000lbs gross weight limit. So, for starters, it will never be level without paying fees to move it on any road in the US. So, 300,000lbs may be possible but, it won’t be seen on any road other than as a gimmick. That out of the way…
Think Modular.
All he has to do is build a foundation up front from which additional axle modules can be attached to carry the load – up to 80,000lbs with 5 axles in all. So, it may come out of the factory as an overbuilt “pickup” truck but, with additional modules, it can pull, maneuver, stop up to 80,000lbs – each module bringing additional drive and stopping power. And, if it’s an electric/hybrid, additional battery power.
And then it struck me – he’s not building this for the RV market – doh!
This is targeting the commercial truck market. He intends to replace the fleets of local/long-haul trucks with modular trucks that can be adapted to any need at the moment. Intent is to eliminate the “idle” trucks waiting for a job.
We’ve been moving to container shipping for decades. Many trucks haul containers instead of fixed trailers. This is another step toward reducing the specialized trucks on the road and making them all the same with “add-on’s” to suit the job. If these same core trucks can also haul a camper around, all the more market share for him.
Brilliant!
Let’s see it stop 300,000lbs. Quickly.
Even if that’s the limit, can you imagine the abilities for “light weight” towing? And 400 to 500 miles between charges? Sign me UP!!
For Pete’s sake folks… a 300K payload “truck” unveiled next to a ROCKET facility… Obviously not going on the roads and obviously not fast… really need another hint?
https://www.nasa.gov/content/the-crawlers
Considering that a Toyota Tundra towed the space shuttle (at a walking speed, with someone inside the shuttle to pump the brakes), I can see that this could be possible, but only as a gimmick.
And with all the rolling blackouts of electricity (generated by fossil fuels), these things will be great museum attractions along with all the other electric vehicles.
Fact, the electric stored in the batteries of electric vehicles comes from…. wait for it… predominantly fossil fuels.
They already have such a beast. It’s called a locomotive. It’s electric,might make some smoke and fumes,but hey,someone somewhere has to make the electricity to make it run or charge the batteries. (Do you think there is an electric fairy that makes power without fuel?) Hydropower notwithstanding.
Just an article to demonstrate the ” Marketing Angle” until battery technology moves beyond lithium based, or some form of capacitance storage medium, where they can be charged at a home docking port. Until then it’s just your typical marketing angle to get press. You know, like here.
Can it towed 4 wheels down ?
Can I recharge it from my class A while driving ?
Can I recharge it at a 50 amp RV space ?
Can I throw my Dirt bike and gear in the back and travel around for a day ?
I bet Musk can hit those marks, never mind the click bait we all got suckered into. I might be a buyer !
I think it could be partially true but mostly sales hype. 500 miles of battery also sounds like it might be a little ahead of current battery technology.
Over half the weight of the truck MUST be batteries!
The desigh is unusual and would not fit in some of Oregon’s rugged life style. The tow weight is over kill.
Since 80,000 pounds is the maximum weight on any American roadway, so what? Just more marketing BS. My guess is it can’t pull 80,000 pounds up any grade.
Heck, I just want to see it pull my 8K travell trailer down the road. Good luck with that.
i think mr. musk is suffering from one too many short circuits.
It can only pull what it can safely and efficiently stop. 300k my ass , let’s see it pull that up to 65-70 mph and see it slow it and stop it in less than 1-2 miles .. safely and still have brakes and no damage . Competition trucks, they pull what weight they can stop . And are rated for the weight they can stop.
Can’t wait to see those coal rolling rednecks choke on this , it will make their ram, chev, ect. trucks look like tonka toys ! Yeah!
Yes yes yes… I’ll mortgage my house for this truck
You can bad mouth Elon Musk all you want, yes he’s made a LOT of BIG mistakes, but that’s how it goes when you’re out front getting the world to change it’s views. Is he full of himself yes, but so are a lot of other people in the news these days. He’s doing it. Like it or not electric and hybrid vehicles are the future. If you don’t know that, you need to read the business section more often and car magazines. Formula E racing: https://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/hybrid-electric/a25472998/formula-e-electric-car-racing-gets-real/ Yes, the charging grid needs to keep growing/evolving. The industry needs to work out charging or swapping? Will our roads one day be build so that we can charge while driving, Solar? Wither or not his truck will tow 150 ton TBD. I agree, really? Why? Have you heard Ford is building their F series as electric/hybrid and should be out in 2022? https://electrek.co/2019/01/16/ford-all-electric-f150-pickup-truck/ If Musk is so far out of his mind why are these other car/truck makers stepping up: https://www.caranddriver.com/features/g27271118/best-hybrid-electric-cars/ I hope they come up with advancements Musk hasn’t.
I’m sure back in the day the horse breeders, horse shoe and carriage makers were in a tizz and they were naysayers of the automobile. Where are the gas stations? How will you be able to drive across the country, heck there are no paved roads, what a joke. This fad won’t last long. Those who saw the change was real, well they reinvented themselves, they went into other industries, manufacturing parts and pieces, sign companies, the traffic light was invented, roads where developed and paved… There will be a lot of other industries built that don’t exist now. Yes, jobs are going way, but new ones are coming. You can sit and whine or you could become the next ‘Musk, Jobs, Gates…’ of the future with one of those ‘peripheral’ businesses. Or you can be like and I’ll just buy the product.
I’ve got the Model 3, dual engine with the extended battery (310 range when fully charged) We’ve had it a 14 months and have 17K miles on it. LOVE it!!! Our Brother-in-law who’s not a believer, drove it in September (first time ever in an EV) when he got out of it, he had to admit it’s the nicest car he’d ever driven. Seriously, if you have the opportunity to drive a Tesla take it.
I believe in the technology I want to keep my brain young. While I love my Tesla, will my next car be a Tesla? TBD I’ll want to see else the competition has going.
Every time I drive my car I feel like….
Jane Jetson
I respected your OPINION up until you stated “Like it or not” . So you love your Tesla, we get it. But, what drives the market is demand. While I understand your passion, comparing horses to cars and gas to electric is a stretch. All the time you are touting the change from ICE to EV as the biggest change in automobile history, you are ignoring the larger trend of 400 to 800 horse power engines in mainstream vehicles. For me, I don’t want to go to a NASCAR race and watch silent race cars …. I love the noise. I also love my gas guzzling truck, motorhome and SUV …. just like you love your EV. So demanding we all fall in line with your beliefs, isn’t the American way. I prefer “Freedom” as opposed to “Like it or Not”.
PS: There are ICE’s on the road today that are decades old and still running on their original million mile engines. Wonder if the same can be said for the future of the original batteries in your EV.
When did they start calling electric motors engines?
About the same time they started calling Wind Generators, Wind Mills.
Jane, I’m not going to try to change your mind, but you should have a basic understanding of one very important item. When the final pipeline is shut down, and the last drop of oil is consumed on this earth you and all other “early adopters” drinking Muskaide are going nowhere with your EV, or anything else to do with so called renewable energy. It’s only renewable if there’s oil to lubricate everything, make steel, rubber and millions of others things including your pills.
You mention “horse breeders” and carriage makers”!
I’m so thrilled you have some knowledge of the subject – because that is exactly the direction its all going post oil which gives modern humans almost everything they enjoy today.
You might like to know too there’s about 60 gallons of oil in each one of those wonderful bird killers called wind turbines needed to power life on this planet by 2050 if the Gorons succeed in turning off the taps.
Oh there’s so much more, but like I said I will not try to change your mind, the future will succeed in doing that.
Like many products used in our world oil will be replaced with a man made product. That is how innovation works. Lubrication needs won’t keep oil production for ever.
Beautifully said Jane.
Had a lot of time sitting there at the Supercharger?
What I don’t appreciate is that he’s full of OUR MONEY. Stop with the government (a.k.a OUR MONEY). If this guy wants to be a dreamer, do it on his own, or private monies nickel, not ours.
How come the government has to subsidize these cars in order for people to buy them? Or at least they USED to subsidize them. Not sure now. Just like subsidizing solar panels on homes. All this “green” stuff is too expensive for Joe America to afford, and to top it off, is generally less dependable than what we have now. I’m not against progress, but I don’t need the gov’s version of progress shoved down my throat. I mentioned elsewhere in the string that wifey and I test drove a Tesla Model S. Nice car, fun to drive, and, I’m not interested.
As where sitting her today Nov 8th and the temperature is going to be 69 degree’s in Ontario Canada. Global warming is a fact and renewable energy is basically a live or eventually die situation. And so you know many companies like Ford get more money from the government than Tesla.
You mention why are the other manufacturers getting into evs, that’s easy states like californicate have passed laws that require manufacturers to build Zev’s if they want to sell cars there. As a matter of californicate just passed a law this week that forbids the sale of a new car that isn’t zev. Now if that isn’t communist I don’t know what is. They no longer have a choice on the left coast, if you want a new car it has to be zero emission compliant. That’s why manufacturers are building ev’s. No one is making a profitable ev, that’s why GM killed the Volt. Musk is breaking even on everything except the most expensive model that only the wealthiest can afford. If it were not for the tax credit very few people would be buying ev’s. My wife and I are senior citizens who don’t make enough on our pension to pay taxes so that tax credit is useless to us, that would mean we pay full price for a car that doesn’t have enough range to go see our grandchildren. So as long as we can buy an ICE powered car for less than half the price of an EV and have enough range to go visit or grandchildren and spend 5 minutes refueling to get back home EVs ain’t in my future.
Have you ever noticed in California the sky above is full of smog? Maybe just maybe the left’s as you refer to them want to maybe breath which I believe is required by left’s and rights as you put it.
Your absolutely right, Elon is brilliant and anybody who calls him otherwise is short sighted. Many of the other car manufactures are paying Tesla hundreds of millions a year now to avoid EV quota fines. And speaking of liars now that the worst liar on the planet is being replaced by President Joe Biden the US government will be stepping up the requirements for car companies to make EV’s. Yes Elon is a showman but he has leaped over obstacles like few inventors before him. ICE manufacturers require a large amount of their income from service so them competing with EV manufacturers like Tesla are slim to none at this point. There are many experts in the automotive field predicting the demise of many companies like Ford and GM as they waited far to long to get their EV act together.
If musk is right and the towing ability is massive he will force the big three to upgrade their 1500 series to your a frickin rv trailer without spending 80k. It’s about time with the price of trucks that something reasonable in price can your RV .
BS! It would have to have 2 dozen sets of wheels and tires to support 300,000 lbs. and then they’ll immediately throw you in jail for overloading the highway by 220,000 lbs.
Support 300,000 lbs????????
10 people and Al Smith do not understand the difference between towing capacity and hauling capacity (as in weight supported by the tow vehicles axles) – 300,00 lbs in the box. This is the kind of stuff leading to really bad information spread like a prairie wildfire.
I’m reminded of the plant nursery in St. Louis County that used to display a sign reading, “Parking for 10,000 cars — 12 at a time.” Musk’s vehicles might not blow smoke, but he often does. Tesla’s space exploits have been successful, his automotive attempt far less so.
The Tesla pickup truck is not going to appeal to any traditional pickup truck owners. 1) It’s ugly. 2) It’s the size of a big rig. 3) It’s electric,the only way to charge it in most States is from coal powered electric plants. 4) The new DEF powered diesel engine have near zero emissions. 5) There’s no real advantage owning a Tesla pickup over a Ford, GMC, Chevy or Dodge. Because most pickup truck owners aren’t hauling or pulling anything, don’t believe me, watch the highways! Most pickup owners just want to own and drive a pickup truck and the Tesla is just too big to be practical. There isn’t a carport or garage made that will accommodate it for parking. 6) FUBAR!!!
That must be some GOOD weed ol’ Elon’s smoking.
This is pure hype. There are no public roads in the US that allow a vehicle to tow that much weight. Most are limited to a gross vehicle weight of 72,000 pounds. Even with over weight permits bridges have weight restrictions that would not allow weights anywhere close to that.
This vehicle is rated to pull that much. does not mean it is intended to.
Large coal trucks at mines can haul 200 tons of material plus its own massive vehicle rate at 50mph. they have electric brakes that stop them. Some recharge the brake batteries off of the wheels.
Thir looks are aerodynamic and will set a new design standard.
It may be that Elon’s brain has tapped into another dimension. He puts his money where his mouth is.
Can anyone say ” TAIL WAGGIN’ THE DOG”
Where do I get on the list of interested parties?
He is all mouth and no show. Take your money up front, then runs.
This is a publicity stunt number. Towing that much weight on an actual road would require a massive frame, and brakes and weight.
Well, I don’t plan on being able to purchase a pickup and start pulling 150 tons anytime soon. That being said, I think we are seeing an approximation of what the future of towing is going to look like. It’s going to be interesting.
What commercial, street-legal tire produced ANYWHERE in the world would have specs to haul anywhere even close to that weight?? It’s ridiculous!
What about the roads and bridges. Wait until DOT gets hold of this!!!
Why not. 300,000 is ridiculous but the research into design and possible production may open up opportunities to benefit so many.
Hmm, most of you are missing what he said; “300,000 towing capacity”! NOT cargo capacity.
And yes, the truck will be able to stop that weight as well, did anyone hear about the NEW invention, trailer axles equipped with brakes!
There are already trucks on highways moving this much weight, here is an example of 200,000#s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlNVNA9xM5M
Check out the show called “Massive Moves”.
Please don’t get me wrong, I am not for electric vehicles yet, they have a long way to go in development plus the generating infrastructure needs to be upgraded too.
At the resort I work at as a property/maintenance manager, we installed two 30 amp charging stations at a cost of $7200Cdn, everybody staying here will have to pay a portion of that cost to benefit maybe 20 to 25 guests per year! 50% of the electric car owners whine about the kilowatt charge quite often saying they can charge for free at Tesla stations, that’s fine and dandy, guess what, Tesla didn’t pay for our charging stations and doesn’t pay for the hydro; I get the idea they think the hydro is free for their cars.
Geoff
No question Geoff, when the subsidies come off and the “FREE” stuff ends, the whining will spool up exponentially. When I see the word FREE I run like hell the opposite direction.
I hate to pop your bubble but the video does not use electric brakes, those are air brakes two on each axel. The towing capacity of 300,000 lbs means a hitch weight of 60,000 lbs using the calculation of minimum 20% GVW on the hitch, no pickup is going to have that capability. I’ll stand by my statement Elon Musk is a bold faced liar and can’t possibly build a pickup with that capability. The maximum weight of a semi tractor with tandem axels is 34000 lbs. oversized permits are very expensive and the average person is not going to get oversized permits and have to drive designated routes with escorts to their camping resort. He’s strictly a LIAR!
With the problems they have with the productions cars, vs the cost, I can’t see any justification for buying a pickup regardless of towing capacity.
About a week ago more or less Elon Musk was bragging about how his truck could pull 300,000 lbs. when I questioned that I was chastised by a fanboy for doubting his word, now after the introduction we find that the most powerful 3 motor truck is actually rated to tow 14,000 lbs. Where is the fanboy to defend his lying hero now? Musk is a bragger, braggers are liars unless what they say can be backed by fact. I hate liars almost as much as a thief because in a way they are stealing your beliefs. I would never buy one of his products if I could afford it based on his character. I have never been a repeat buyer at a car dealership simply because the sales staff lied to me about the vehicle I bought, it doesn’t matter if it was a “white” lie or not, as my late father would say, “a lie is a lie”.
I ordered a Cybertruck but will probably cancel it. The towing weights worse than some current trucks. No data available on mileage while towing and the way chargers are designed you may have to drop the trailer to charge just like we should drop this entire design.!
A truck should look something like a truck to make use of all the options now available for trucks. The 500 thousand orders will diminish rapidly when production starts. This is a boondooghle.