Cybertruck orders open as range surpasses rumours, Tesla confirms US$79,990 AWD starting price alongside 250-mile RWD and 845 hp Cyberbeast

As the Cybertruck's delivery day loomed, it seemed as though if you shook a tree, a dozen Cybertruck rumours fell out. Of course, some were less correct than others. However, at the Cybertruck's delivery event, which was streamed on social media platform X (fka Twitter), Tesla shot down rumours of a US$60,000 Cybertruck with an unimpressive 270 miles of range­ — at least kind of.

Before getting into the details, Musk emphasised the Cybertruck's tough stainless steel body panelling and showed video clips of the bulletproofing testing we saw the result of in late October.

Musk also invited the designer of the Cybertruck on-stage to redo the infamous steel-ball-meets-window demonstration, except that this time, the ball wasn't steel at all. Instead, Tesla's own press imagery confirms it to be a baseball.

Interestingly enough, Tesla says it tested the steel panelling against both a Tommy gun and an MP5 SD, citing muzzle velocity of 950 ft/s (289 m/s). These figures are accurate, but they pale in comparison to something like an AK-47, which has a muzzle velocity of 2,350 ft/s (715 m/s). That's not to say the AK47 would have superior penetration, but it's worth noting that using a suppressed rifle to test bulletproofing is stacking the deck in your favour.

Musk also confirmed 48 V low-voltage circuitry, which should make things like the infotainment and accessory systems more efficient. 

The Tesla Cybertruck is launching today in two different versions. The regular AWD trim comes in at US$79,990 and features 340 miles of range, 600 hp, and a claimed 11,000-lbs towing capacity. The US$99,990 Cyberbeast variant steps things up to 845 hp, although range still misses the 500-mile promise, at just 320 miles.

While these range figures are more or less competitive with some of the entry-level Ford F-150 Lightning and Rivian R1T trims, comparing them to the 500-mile figure promised by Musk when the Cybertruck was first unveiled leaves a lot to be desired. Tesla also makes mention of a range extender, which is supposed to add up to 120 miles to the Cybertruck's range, although it's unclear exactly what this is.

Tesla demonstrated the Cybertruck's performance by comparing it to a Porsche 911 on a drag strip, reporting a 1/4-mile time of under 11 seconds, while 0-60 mph was achieved in 2.6 seconds. It bears mentioning that the 2.6-second 0–60 time was only achieved in the Cyberbeast trim, and with roll-out subtracted.

This could indicate that the Cyberbeast is powered by a tri-motor setup, as was previously rumoured. The standard AWD Cybertruck achieves a 0–60 time of 4.1 seconds, while the lowest trim, the US$60,990 RWD version, clocks 6.5 seconds for the same sprint.

Alongside confirming the Cybertruck's range and power specifications, Tesla also gave us a better look at some of the electric pickup truck's features and cargo space, including a Powergate frunk with 7 ft³ (199 litres) of storage space.

Tesla will start delivering both AWD models of the Cybertruck in 2024, while buyers of the RWD variant will have to wait until 2025. There is a US$250 refundable deposit payable on placing an order.

Buy a Cybertruck 1/24 die-cast metal toy car on Amazon or read about the Cybertruck's development in Walter Isaacson's biography of Elon Musk.