As the Cybertruck rolls out, we’ll get more clarity about how this EV performs. But for now, these are the facts. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the best and worst claimed or confirmed features of the various new Tesla Cybertruck models.
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00:00 Cybertruck, arguably the most anticipated and controversial pickup truck today.
00:06 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the best and worst claimed
00:11 or confirmed features of the various new Tesla Cybertruck models.
00:16 Keep in mind that design features and flaws have potentially evolved significantly over
00:21 the years of the Cybertruck's development.
00:23 As the Cybertruck rolls out and drivers get rolling, we'll get more clarity about how
00:27 this EV actually performs.
00:30 We have a car here that experts said was impossible, that experts said would never be made.
00:38 Number 20.
00:39 It's a pickup truck.
00:41 When looking at the Tesla Cybertruck's blocky, futuristic profile, you may be surprised to
00:45 learn that it's actually a pickup.
00:46 [Music]
01:00 In addition to a small front trunk, the Cybertruck sports a 6' x 4' composite flatbed.
01:07 The durable composite design means that owners don't necessarily need a liner or rubberization.
01:12 The bed also contains a hidden locker for smaller items like a toolbox.
01:16 The Cybertruck's tonneau or bed cover is powered for easy access.
01:20 The bed is, you know, bigger by volume than any other pickup truck bed.
01:26 With the cover open, the bed can hold a volume of up to 67 cubic feet.
01:30 With the rear seats folded down, there's an extra 54 cubic feet of rear storage.
01:36 Number 19.
01:37 Technical problems.
01:39 In January of 2022, a whistleblower at Tesla shared 100 gigabytes of internal documents
01:45 to the media.
01:46 They revealed a lot of technical problems with a number of Tesla vehicles, including
01:50 the initial version of the Cybertruck.
01:52 When we're reinventing a product, sometimes we have to go through these processes just
01:57 to prove it out.
01:58 We had this idea that making an exoskeleton vehicle could work, and so we've been using
02:04 that time to make sure that that actually is working.
02:07 Vehicles undergo many tests during their development.
02:10 Some, kinematics and compliance tests, assess a vehicle's handling.
02:15 The car is fixed in place while various forces and displacements are applied to the wheels.
02:20 The results explain the quality of a car's suspension.
02:23 How do I make sure that this thing works the way it's supposed to?
02:26 You know, everything's safe and whatnot.
02:28 So these kinds of trucks, or these kinds of products, are design intent, but they're not
02:35 ready for prime time.
02:36 The leaked documents revealed that the Cybertruck's KNC tests were abysmal.
02:41 Tesla engineers reported a "significant gap" between the results and their targets.
02:47 Manufacturing in high volume, it's just going to be rocky.
02:49 And Tesla itself has basically said this.
02:51 Engineers described poor pothole performance, excessive mid-speed abruptness and chop, high
02:56 head-toss accelerations, and structural shake.
03:01 Number 18.
03:03 Cyberpunk design.
03:04 Love it or hate it, the design for the Cybertruck is revolutionary.
03:08 And that's no accident.
03:09 Tesla, at Musk's direction, has opted for a futuristic, minimalistic design for its
03:14 signature pickup, influenced significantly by cool imagery from popular culture.
03:19 The truck is pretty angular.
03:21 There's not much roundness on it, but the wheels are round.
03:25 And we wanted to just break convention and keep the overall appearance looking very futuristic.
03:31 According to Elon's biographer, Walter Isaacson, the team decided fairly early on to run with
03:36 stainless steel instead of carbon fiber.
03:38 That choice, he said, forced designers into a futuristic, edgy and jarring look.
03:44 And we had to design the steel specifically so that we wouldn't split the steel when
03:49 we bent it at the thickness that we were using.
03:52 So a lot of the design comes from the material you were sure to use.
03:56 The steel and the Cybertruck's sharp angular edges are reminiscent of the DMC DeLorean.
04:02 Just don't expect to go "back in time."
04:05 Number 17.
04:06 Fingerprints everywhere.
04:08 Anyone with stainless steel appliances at home already knows this, but Tesla's designers
04:13 missed a fundamental flaw with the Cybertruck - smudges.
04:17 Stainless steel is infamous for being a magnet for smudges and fingerprints.
04:21 And you can see the fingerprints go so hard when you open it like that.
04:28 Early reporting shows that Cybertruck is no exception.
04:31 There is a reason that there hasn't been another stainless steel car in many years.
04:35 As of late 2023, Tesla has not specifically addressed the smudging issue.
04:39 To avoid smudges, Cybertruck owners may just need to be vigilant with cleaning.
04:44 There's going to be a lot of Cybertrucks floating around with lots of fingerprints
04:47 around the place that people's hands go to open the doors.
04:51 Smudge experts recommend using weekly cleanings and olive oil applications for stainless steel
04:55 appliances.
04:57 That may not be entirely practical with a car.
05:00 Number 16.
05:01 It's meant to be waterproof.
05:04 In September of 2022, Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted about his upcoming pickup.
05:10 As a response to the destruction of Hurricane Ian, Musk claimed that the Cybertruck would
05:14 be mostly waterproof.
05:16 During a future Ian-like squall, owners could briefly use the Cybertruck as a boat.
05:22 It would have the ability to "cross rivers, lakes, and even seas that aren't too choppy."
05:27 While that may ultimately prove to be even more hyperbole, the Cybertruck has been tested
05:32 for water resistance.
05:34 It has a special "wade mode" that pressurizes the battery when forced to drive through water.
05:39 Number 15.
05:40 Noise leaks.
05:41 The leaked report in 2022 also raised questions about how well sealed the Cybertruck may be.
05:47 The engineers struggled mightily with figuring out how to make the truck watertight, and
05:52 other Teslas had previously dealt with leaking issues.
05:55 When you lift the trunk, it starts leaking water.
05:58 You know, this is the water leak, you know, it's leaking and mostly leaking from right
06:02 there, the door handle and the trunk button.
06:06 And in terms of a different kind of leak, complaints about excessive noise have run
06:10 rampant for years, and it appears that the Cybertruck is no different.
06:15 The whistleblower documents revealed 21 noise leaks with the prototype vehicle.
06:20 There were a "number of areas that we do not have a clear path to sealing," according
06:24 to the documents.
06:25 A little more road noise, too.
06:26 You're noticing a little more all-terrain tread coming through the cabin.
06:33 These bespoke tires, I'm told, do have foam in them, but you can still hear it and feel
06:38 it.
06:39 That reporting paints a portrait of a vehicle with an excessively loud cabin.
06:42 Unless that's been addressed, good luck to any passengers trying to take a nap.
06:47 Number 14.
06:49 Accessories galore.
06:51 Potential Cybertruck buyers will be very excited by the tremendous range of available accessories.
06:56 Its bright headlights are great for low-light situations in the wilderness.
07:00 This is a big signature lamp.
07:02 It's DRL.
07:03 It's one of the brightest on the market.
07:04 But the headlights are actually hidden down here in the signature area.
07:07 They're only about 15 millimeters tall, 15, 20 millimeters tall.
07:11 And all of the light that you would need for driving on the road comes from here.
07:15 Campers and off-roading fans will appreciate the optional Base Camp extension.
07:19 A spare tire and range extender battery can both be mounted in the bed, and the tailgate
07:24 can be converted into a ramp.
07:26 The interior, too, is accessorized to the max.
07:29 The touchscreen is over 18 inches, with an additional display in the rear.
07:34 The cab sports a 15-speaker sound system.
07:37 There are multiple USB-C ports and outlets for easy charging.
07:41 It also includes a hospital-grade HEPA filter for pristine, clean air in the cab.
07:46 Combine that with a bioweapon defense mode, the HEPA filter that we have inside, you're
07:51 pretty safe in the apocalypse.
07:53 Number 13.
07:55 Steering systems.
07:56 Steering problems were counted among the many performance issues detailed by whistleblower
08:00 documents.
08:01 The Cybertruck has both steer-by-wire and four-wheel-steer systems.
08:06 There's also something very clever going on with the steering.
08:07 So it's entirely steer-by-wire, and we've got four-wheel steering for the first time
08:13 on a Tesla.
08:14 When testing steering systems, delays of five milliseconds after input are considered acceptable.
08:19 The leaked documents revealed a delay that was 10 times worse for the steer-by-wire system.
08:24 At lower speeds, the rear wheels turn anti-phase, as in, in the opposite direction to the front
08:30 wheels.
08:31 And what that does is tighten up your turning radius.
08:33 So this car, despite its size, actually has the same turning radius as a Model S.
08:39 After Hummer revealed its own EV, Tesla engineers added a four-wheel steering system to the
08:44 Cybertruck.
08:45 That system didn't fare any better in testing.
08:48 Tesla added a strafe mode to compete with GMC's prep mode.
08:52 The leaked documents revealed that strafe mode was barely functional.
08:56 And then when you're at high speeds, so somewhere between 40 and 50 miles an hour is the transition
09:01 point, then the rear wheels actually turn in phase with the front tires to give you
09:06 added stability when you're doing quick lane changes and stuff like that.
09:10 Number 12.
09:11 It's claimed to tow 11,000 pounds.
09:15 If Tesla's claims about the Cybertruck's towing capacity are accurate, it'll be one of the
09:18 best towing EVs out on the market.
09:21 The Cybertruck has three basic trends.
09:23 The Cyberbeast and all-wheel drive versions, according to Tesla, have an astounding 11,000
09:29 pound towing capacity.
09:30 It also has an impressive 2,500 pound payload.
09:34 For reference, that means that the Cybertruck could tow more than the Ford F-150 Lightning
09:40 or the Chevy Silverado EV.
09:42 The more standard rear-wheel drive model could still tow up to 7,500 pounds on a hitch.
09:48 What we've designed the truck to be is really comfortable, really stable, really powerful
09:51 at high payloads.
09:52 And that gives you the ability to be confident on road.
09:55 As of the end of 2023, there is no reporting yet as to how towing affects the electric
10:00 vehicle's range.
10:02 Number 11.
10:03 Poor visibility.
10:04 In the days and weeks following the release of the Cybertruck, complaints about visibility
10:08 have run rampant.
10:09 And then I'm thinking about visibility over the nose of the car.
10:13 Man, it's not great.
10:16 I feel like the more I drive this car, the more I get accustomed to the size of it.
10:19 But I really don't feel like I'm looking right down over the nose.
10:23 I'm looking out at the end of the windshield and then sort of guessing where the nose is.
10:28 Its futuristic design leads to a very deep dashboard.
10:32 Bad news to pedestrians and bicyclists.
10:34 The rear window isn't much better.
10:36 It gets partially obstructed by the tonneau cover when it's lowered.
10:40 It's not just the Cybertruck, however.
10:42 This is a growing and pervasive problem.
10:44 Trucks and SUVs have become the most popular vehicles in the United States.
10:48 Their height, weight, and long front ends have led to an increase in pedestrian deaths.
10:53 Do I really think this is going to pass those European pedestrian impact safety standards
10:57 that make everything look like a blob?
11:01 No.
11:02 But I don't think that's any better.
11:05 I don't want to get hit by either of these.
11:08 According to the IIHS, hood height is a major indicator of a vehicle's likelihood to injure
11:13 a pedestrian.
11:15 Number 10.
11:16 0 to 60 miles per hour in 2.6 seconds.
11:20 As of 2023, the fastest pickup truck in terms of acceleration is the Rivian R1T quad motor
11:26 AWD.
11:27 Rivian estimates an acceleration of 0 to 60 in 3 seconds flat.
11:32 If Tesla is to be believed, they have Rivian beat.
11:36 Should a pickup truck be this fast?
11:38 Does a pickup truck need to be this fast?
11:40 No, of course it doesn't.
11:42 Obviously it doesn't, but Tesla has made its calling card fast drag times, fast straight
11:48 line acceleration.
11:49 As of the end of 2023, much of the official Cybertruck's specifications are still under
11:54 wraps.
11:55 But the EV manufacturer claims that their Cyberbeast model Cybertruck can accelerate
12:00 to 60 miles per hour in just 2.6 seconds.
12:03 For reference, the Cyberbeast is over a ton heavier than the Ford F-150 base model, but
12:20 would ostensibly reach 60 miles per hour in about half the time.
12:25 Number 9.
12:26 No door handles.
12:28 In an effort to maintain the Cybertruck's sleek futuristic look, it was built without
12:32 door handles.
12:33 Instead, the door opens utilizing a button on the window column.
12:37 And there are no door handles, just these.
12:39 Yeah, just push a button.
12:41 The button pops the door open around 2 inches, allowing the driver to fully open the vehicle
12:45 manually.
12:46 In addition to being incredibly confusing, it's likely to add to the truck's fingerprint
12:51 and smudge problem.
12:52 Muscle memory alone will have new owners pawing at the door.
12:56 Because we can use BTLE, we can have the door actually greet you instead of the handle.
13:01 So the door will open like that when you come in and you just grab it and open it.
13:06 Super cool.
13:07 Worse, the design feature may prove to be more of a design flaw in colder climates.
13:12 When iced over the morning after a snowstorm, for example, the button may not pop the door
13:16 open at all.
13:18 Tesla's telling me, and this is a California company that tells me these things, but they're
13:22 telling me up to an inch of ice, if you can break through that ice and press this button,
13:26 it'll push with enough force to open it and break the ice off.
13:30 I hope that's true.
13:31 Number 8.
13:32 800-volt architecture.
13:35 Critics or at least skeptics of electric vehicles and their advantages will often point to charging
13:40 speed and battery capacity as major problems to consider.
13:44 And as somebody probably said once, the best voltage is high voltage.
13:47 And the Cybertruck is Tesla's first car to run on 800 volts.
13:52 There are indeed multiple levels of charging for different electric cars, depending on
13:56 different charger systems and other factors.
13:59 But the next wave of EVs, led by the Cybertruck, feature 800-volt architecture.
14:04 800 volts is nothing new in terms of electric cars.
14:08 Porsche did it in 2019 with the Tiguan.
14:12 But there is something no one has ever done before.
14:14 Tesla quadrupled the low voltage side of this car.
14:18 A vehicle with 800-volt architecture, not exactly the same as 800-volt charging, uses
14:23 less copper, helping to reduce its weight somewhat.
14:27 Better yet, 800-volt architecture makes EVs more efficient.
14:32 That could significantly cut down the time you'd wait for your Cybertruck to charge
14:36 and how long it can run for.
14:38 Number 7.
14:40 Braking problems.
14:41 When you're driving a truck that weighs over 3 tons at high speeds, you need a very solid
14:46 braking system.
14:47 Phantom braking has been documented in videos shared by Tesla owners.
14:51 Their vehicles suddenly slam the brakes, often on open roadways.
14:54 "Oh, there we are.
14:59 That was ridiculous."
15:01 Quickly slowing in response to imagined hazards.
15:04 Unfortunately, that may not be possible for prospective Cybertruck owners.
15:09 More Tesla-leaked development documents doesn't inspire confidence.
15:13 The Society of Automotive Engineers rates a vehicle's brakes on a scale of 1 to 10.
15:18 Tesla was hoping for a fair rating at 7.
15:21 They instead received a poor rating of 4.
15:25 Brakes are usually one of the first systems engineers design.
15:28 As of January 2022, Tesla engineers were still using prototype parts for the Cybertruck's
15:34 brakes.
15:35 "Re-gen braking, you can use one pedal driving, look, it'll bring you to a complete stop."
15:40 Number 6.
15:41 340 miles per charge.
15:44 Without a national charging infrastructure, range will be one of the most significant
15:48 aspects of EVs.
15:50 In 2023, the Lucid Air Grand Touring XR-AWD is the reigning champion.
15:57 In ideal conditions, it has an estimated range of 516 miles.
16:11 The Fisker Ocean Extreme is the best-performing SUV or truck with a range of 360 miles.
16:18 Tesla has announced that the Cybertruck base model can reach 250 miles on a single charge.
16:24 The all-wheel drive model, however, can theoretically hit 340.
16:34 With a range extender battery, the Cybertruck could travel from New York to Cleveland on
16:38 a single charge.
16:40 And thanks to the Supercharger system, it could reclaim 136 of those miles in just 15
16:46 minutes of charging.
16:48 Number 5.
16:50 Potential structural issues.
16:51 The Tesla whistleblower reporting revealed significant problems with the Cybertruck's
16:56 initial structural design.
16:57 "You're building a stainless steel vehicle, which has really been done hardly ever in
17:02 the history of the auto industry, and that alone was going to make it challenging."
17:07 The various prototype models of the vehicles were not encouraging in this regard, and questions
17:11 remain about the Cybertruck's resistance to body damage.
17:15 A vehicle's torsional stiffness is a measure of the torque required to disfigure a component.
17:21 Those initial tests suggest that towing and off-roading could damage a Cybertruck over
17:26 time.
17:27 There have also been reports of doors installed askew, as well as craggy surfaces.
17:32 The flat and angular design is another issue, especially with regard to mass production.
17:38 That's not what potential Cybertruck buyers would be looking for.
17:43 Number 4.
17:45 Autopilot is standard.
17:46 Every version of the Tesla Cybertruck comes with Tesla's base Autopilot system as a
17:50 standard feature.
17:52 Tesla has included additional safety features for Autopilot mode.
17:55 Tesla's Autopilot is a system that partially automates many driving tasks on highways,
18:01 including steering, braking, and lane changes.
18:06 The Cybertruck will include automatic emergency braking, collision warnings, and blind spot
18:11 monitoring.
18:12 The Autopilot is supposed to be seamlessly integrated with the truck's navigational
18:16 system and has been tested for things like lane changing and taking exits on the highway.
18:21 It slowly speeds up 60 miles an hour max and it's comfortable.
18:26 There's the blinker.
18:28 It checked my shoulder.
18:30 It changed lanes.
18:31 The system can adjust the Cybertruck's speed to match traffic conditions.
18:36 What's more, the system on some models can be upgraded to full self-driving as well.
18:41 Number 3.
18:43 Autopilot problems.
18:45 Did someone say Autopilot?
18:47 Unfortunately, Tesla's Autopilot, particularly the full self-driving version, has more than
18:52 a few kinks.
18:53 It's hugely controversial.
18:55 Musk, in particular, painted things like Autopilot as something that would be able to drive your
19:01 car anywhere by 2018, by 2019, by 2020.
19:08 None of that happened, obviously.
19:10 The 2022 document leak detailed numerous problems with the Autopilot system.
19:15 There were at least 270 documented crashes with Tesla's Autopilot between 2021 and 2022.
19:22 Since then, experts around the world have expressed worry.
19:26 A 2023 recall to fix the Autopilot hasn't allayed those fears one bit.
19:31 This recall comes after a two-year investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
19:36 into crashes that happened while Autopilot was in use.
19:40 The Autopilot, when coupled with Cybertruck's other issues, have caused major concerns for
19:45 the executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, Michael Brooks.
19:49 Tesla's inclusion of the Autopilot mode led Brooks to call the Cybertruck a "guideless
19:55 missile."
19:56 Number 2.
19:57 Designed to be indestructible.
19:59 Auto manufacturers have marketed trucks on their toughness since Ford coined "Built
20:04 Ford Tough" in 1977.
20:06 In this regard, Elon and Tesla are no different.
20:10 Since first revealing the Cybertruck prototype in 2019, Elon Musk has touted the vehicle's
20:15 indestructible frame.
20:16 The outside of the Cybertruck is so strong that it becomes the structure.
20:21 In fact, Tesla says the skin is so tough that it doesn't even need side-impact door beams.
20:27 Utilizing technology pioneered in Elon's other venture, SpaceX, Tesla followed his lead.
20:33 The Cybertruck is built with a 30 times cold-rolled steel exoskeleton.
20:38 It's meant to be dent and corrosion resistant and exceptionally durable.
20:42 Hammers, bullets, crashes, the Cybertruck can seemingly endure much.
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21:18 Number 1.
21:19 Safety Concerns Here is the big problem with being indestructible.
21:24 That can actually be a bad thing.
21:26 Car design has evolved beyond the rigid steel frames of cars.
21:31 Engineers realized that if a car absorbs the force of an accident, it reduces damage to
21:36 the passengers.
21:37 The front and rear, for example, are known as crumple zones.
21:39 The sorts of areas designed to absorb the massive amounts of energy in a crash rather
21:43 than sending that energy onto the people inside.
21:46 So the materials and design are all about crumpling in a controlled manner.
21:49 That's why cars use crumple zones, so the vehicle takes the damage instead of the driver.
21:55 The videos of Cybertruck crash tests have left some experts and consumers worried.
22:00 The indestructible frame of the truck seemingly doesn't provide much cushion in a crash.
22:05 As of the end of 2023, official government crash tests still haven't been conducted.
22:10 As a result, we are left to wonder, is the Cybertruck the next bold step into a greener
22:15 future or more dangerous?
22:19 And if you're ever in an argument with another car, you will win.
22:24 What do you think of the Tesla Cybertruck?
22:26 Let us know in the comments below.
22:28 I think they really got themselves something solid here.
22:30 We're going to have to see about fit and finish.
22:33 A lot of let's see, a lot of wait and see.
22:37 But I'm impressed with this.
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22:45 [Music]