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Tesla deserves credit; the company has done something amazing. Elon Musk has created an all-new automotive company from the ground up. Now, Tesla vehicles are the best-selling electric cars in the country and the top luxury brand in the U.S.
Still, the Cybertruck is not a threat to traditional pickups from Chevrolet, Ford, and Ram. The Cybertruck’s specs make sense. The 11,000-pound towing capacity is credible. The 17-inch ground clearance is excellent, thanks to its design, which has no drive differential hanging below at either axle. The range is good, too — Tesla
TSLA,
says the minimum estimated driving range is 340 miles, with the maximum being just under 500 miles — all worthwhile specs.
But there’s one thing the Cybertruck doesn’t have: variety. The Cybertruck is, essentially, one spec but with a few variations impacting range and performance: rear-wheel drive, all-wheel drive, and different battery capacities.
Variety is the spice of life
By comparison, the Ford
F,
F-Series has 10 engine choices with output ranging from a 3.3-liter V6 to a 700-hp supercharged 5.2-liter V8. Throw a hybrid V6 and Powerstroke turbodiesel in the mix as well. On top of engine choices, Ford has three cab configurations, three bed configurations, and the option of rear-wheel, 4-wheel, or all-wheel drive, as well as 4L low-gear 4-wheel drive.
The story is similar with Chevrolet and Ram. All three brands offer (or will soon offer) an electric pickup, too, if that’s what you want. The Cybertruck can’t compete on these grounds. The Toyota
TM,
Tundra has two engine choices, two cabs, and three bed lengths.
See: Survey: This is the most popular electric truck—except that it doesn’t exist
Range anxiety
The Cybertruck does have a range-extending feature that gives the retro-futurist truck a nearly 500-mile range. However, Tesla owners frequently complain their real-world range is often below the numbers stated by Tesla, so maybe 450 miles would be a more reasonable estimate. Also, if the range is essential, perhaps look at Ford Super Duty with the 6.7-liter turbo diesel engine. Other publications have recorded a driving range of 700 miles or more. A Ford F-150 XL Super Duty Crew Cab with 4-wheel drive and that optional diesel engine will set you back about $65,000, a little more if you opt for the XLT. In fairness, that diesel engine is a $12,000 option, but the benefits are way beyond just an extended driving range.
Of course, the F-150 Lightning doesn’t have all those body styles and engine choices. However, a Ford (and eventually Chevy and Ram) customer can go to a dealership and look at and test drive a Lightning and still end up with a Ford pickup even if the electric version won’t work for them. A potential Cybertruck buyer can’t do that. It’s one size fits all, similar to a Honda
HMC,
Ridgeline. There’s nothing wrong with that, but the Cybertruck is not going to chip into the sales of Chevrolet, Ford, or Ram pickups.
Check out: The 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV vs. the Ford F-150 Lightning: How these two electric trucks compare
A truck that isn’t for truck buyers
The Cybertruck, and maybe every electric pickup, is for those buyers who want a pickup but will use it the way the rest of us use a Toyota Camry to commute to work, pick up the kids, and just have daily transportation — but, you know, wrapped in a “totally killer” package.
The Cybertruck isn’t going to replace any full-size pickup except when a buyer has already decided they want an electric truck but doesn’t want it to appear conventional.
By the way, Ford, can your factory install one of those cool slide-open and-close bed covers like on the Cybertruck and offer it on every Ford pickup you make? That would be awesome.
This story originally ran on Autotrader.com.
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