Tesla Cybertruck’s failed promises: Up to 60% more expensive, 36% lesser range, and more

Originally unveiled in 2019, the Tesla Cybertruck was finally launched four years later, with CEO Elon Musk delivering the first batch of the vehicle to customers at the company’s factory in Austin, Texas. However, the delivery date (initially set for 2021) was just one of the many promises that Tesla and Musk failed to deliver on.
Let’s take a look at all of these claims made at the official unveiling back in 2019 –

Back in 2019, it was announced that the Tesla Cybertruckwould carry a sticker price of $39,900 (INR 33.25 lakh) for the entry-level rear-wheel drive variant.However, the base price has now gone up by 53%, with the Cybertruck range starting from $60,990 or about Rs 50.83 lakh in Indian currency. That’s not all, the mid variant has seen the highest increase in price than what was promised.
It was originally touted to carry a price tag of $49,900 (INR 41.59 lakh), however, is now being offered at $79,990 (INR 66.66 lakh), i.e. a whopping 60% hike! The range-topping ‘Cyberbeast’ variant was said to be available at $69,900 (INR 58.26 lakh), but will now set you back by $99,990 – 43% higher than what was initially claimed.

It was said that the Tesla Cybertruck RWD (entry-level model) would offer a 402 km (250 miles) range, and thankfully, the electric pickup truck has delivered onto this claim. The mid-level all-wheel drive variant was promised a 483 km (300 miles) range, but Tesla has actually exceeded that by 13% with a range of 547 km or 340 miles.
Where the promises fail short in the range department is with the range-topping Cyberbeast, which offers a 515 km (320 miles) range. If you would remember, Musk had originally said that the top-end variant of the Cybertruck will offer a range of over 500 miles (805 km). The actual range is actually 36% lesser than that.

At the unveiling of the Tesla Cybertruck back in 2019, it was announced that the EV will boast a 14,000 lbs (6,350 kg) tow capacity. Now, the tow capacity is down by 21% to 11,000 lb or about 4,990 kg, which is still an impressive figure. On that note, Elon Musk recently shared a video of the Tesla Cybertruck beating a Porsche 911 in a drag race, with a trailer hooked onto it carrying another 911! You can read more about it and watch the video here. That said, the payload capacity has also gone down from 3,500 lb (1,588 kg) to 2,500 lb (1,134 kg) – a reduction of 29%.
Not all promises are broken though! The Tesla Cybertruck was initially claimed to have a blitzing acceleration, going from 0 to 60 mph (96 kmph) in just 2.9 seconds. Thanks to its 845 hp and almost 14,000 Nm tri-motor electric powertrain, the top-end Cyberbeast can actually sprint from 0 to 60 mph (96 kmph) in 2.6 second (with rollout subtracted)!
With all due respect, the Tesla Cybertruck is an unconventional yet commendable vehicle. Some of its noteworthy features include an ultra-hard stainless steel exoskeleton that reduces dents, damage and corrosion, shatter-resistant armor glass, a massive 18.5-inch touchscreen, adaptive air suspension, an all-glass roof, 15 speakers with two dedicated subwoofers & distributed amplifiers, a hospital grade HEPA filter and so on.