Tesla dropped the new rear-drive Cybertruck Long Range today with up to 362 miles of range and a lower price tag of $72,235 including destination, but it may not actually be a great deal.
On the upside, the Long Range model is a full $10,000 cheaper than the dual-motor All-Wheel Drive model which used to be the base model. That’s a substantial savings, full stop. Plus, losing the front motor (and purchasing an optional soft tonneau cover; see below) increases the maximum estimated range by 37 miles. In fact, even the least-efficient Long Range goes 6 miles further than the best All-Wheel Drive and 30 miles further than the best Cyberbeast. Despite the same peak charging speed as other models, the Long Range also chargers faster gaining as much as 147 miles of range in 15 minutes on a Supercharger compared to 135 miles for the All-Wheel Drive and 127 miles for the Cyberbeast. All good things, but on the other hand, getting the price down results from a serious cut in content.
Less Performance, Less Range
Right up top, you obviously give up the front motor and therefore all-wheel drive. No other EV truck on the market offers a rear-drive option (and all of them have standard AWD and meet or beat the Long Range on price), but not everyone needs all-wheel drive. Likewise, no one should be surprised relying on a single motor slows the truck down and lengthens the claimed sprint from 0–60 mph from 4.1 seconds for the All-Wheel Drive model to 6.2 seconds for the new Long Range model. (We’ve clocked a dual-motor All-Wheel Drive Cybertruck at 3.7 seconds in our testing, and the three-motor Cyberbeast at 2.5 seconds.)
Dig through the configurator, though, and it gets worse. Getting the full 362 miles of range requires buying and self-installing a new soft tonneau cover for $750 because the power tonneau cover standard on other models has been deleted. Otherwise, maximum range is estimated at 350 miles and drops to 331 if you upgrade the stock 18-inch wheels to the optional 20-inch Cyber Wheels. Keep in mind, our real-world range testing has shown the Cybertruck doesn’t come close to its advertised range.
Less Capability Across the Board
Losing a motor also means you lose towing capacity. The Long Range still comes with a standard tow hitch and trailer brake controller, but maximum towing is now limited to 7,500 pounds, down from 11,000 on all other models. Payload capacity is also reduced to 2,006 pounds from as much as 2,500 on the All-Wheel Drive model. Even that reduced payload rating is only possible if you order the $3,500 20-inch wheels, which reduce your range. Tesla doesn’t publish payload ratings on the standard wheels.
The Long Range also lacks the adaptive air suspension standard on other models, replacing it with coil springs and adaptive dampers. How ride quality changes on the new fixed suspension remains to be seen. This also means you lose ground clearance, down to 9.57 inches from a high of 16 with an All-Wheel Drive or Cyberbeast model set to Extract mode. At the very least, the Long Range still gets a locking rear differential.
The power tonneau cover isn’t the only thing you lose in the bed, either. The 120- and 240-volt outlets aren’t available on the Long Range. They’re part of the Premium Bed package standard on other models and also includes the bed locker and “premium” in-bed lighting. It appears you don’t get the bed locker, either, and the bed lighting is downgraded to “standard." You also lose the “L-Tracks” tie-down system.
Speaking of lighting, the Long Range gets additional downgrades in that department. You now get “headlamps without signature lamps” (it’s unclear what “signature lamps” are but other models have them) and “standard taillamps” instead of “premium taillamps” (which we think means the full-width rear lightbar, but it’s also unclear).
Fewer Features, Too
All that just covers the outside of the truck. Knocking $10,000 off the starting price also requires sacrifices in the interior. Cloth seats are subbed in, and there’s no faux leather option. Only the front seats are heated now, not the rears, and the front seat ventilation function is gone. The center console is downgraded from “premium” to “standard,” although it’s unclear what that means, but we think it has to do with the 9.4-inch rear touchscreen being deleted. The shiny pedal covers are also gone.
The stereo, meanwhile, has been downgraded from 15 speakers (four of them subwoofers) with active noise cancelling to seven speakers (two being subwoofers) and no noise cancelling. The HEPA cabin air filter and dual 120-volt cabin outlets are also not available on the Long Range.
“Full Self-Driving” is available for $8,000 and, despite the name, still requires you to watch the road and be ready to take over at any time.
Probably as Cheap as a Cybertruck Gets
When Tesla first revealed the Cybertruck, it promised a starting price as low as $40,000 sometime down the road. That price feels more unlikely than ever now. So many features had to be removed from the Long Range model to get the price near $70,000 there’s almost no fat left to trim in order to reduce the price further. A smaller battery, which would reduce range, is the only real possibility, and Tesla's small battery models typically haven't sold well. While the company could offer short-term discounts like it has on All-Wheel Drive and Cyberbeast models to spur flagging sales, it seems very unlikely an even less-expensive model will appear in the future.
