Tesla Cybertruck, 2023 - present
This is a car that does not leave anyone indifferent. We will not delve into the (im)subtleties of the Cybertruck design made of stainless steel, we can see them very clearly. Let's just say, as controversial as it sounds, Elon Musk took the safe route with this car project. Given that the best-selling car in the U.S. for decades has been the Ford F-150 pickup truck, which has a deep tradition of design, engine and suspension setup, and this truly great pickup truck has plenty of equally great competitors, for Tesla to enter this most emotionally sensitive part of the U.S. car market would be extremely difficult. The safest way is to present something that no one else offers and win at least a small share of the market, and later it will be possible to offer something more traditional. That's what Tesla did, and it did it with ambition, selling hundreds of thousands of Cybertrucks without any advertising, long before the car went into production. After the car's presentation, the press about hammers, broken glass and blushing E. Musk did not stop for months. In all this hype, the technical parameters of the car have been pushed to the background, which should be the most important thing when it comes to pickups. There are 3 versions of the Tesla Cybertruck with different numbers of electric motors and batteries: the single electric motor version will be able to travel a distance of 400 km and up to 100 km/h. will accelerate in less than 7 seconds. The version with two electric motors will be able to travel 547 km and accelerate in 4.3 seconds. The three-engine pickup truck will travel 515 km on a single charge (with an additional battery pack - a hard-to-imagine 750 km) and accelerate to 100 km in just 2.7 seconds - faster than many sports cars. The price of the base Cybertruck starts at $49,900, which is very little indeed. The version with two electric motors will cost 79,900 dollars, and the version with three electric motors will cost 99,900 dollars. Depending on the version you choose, the Tesla pickup truck can tow a trailer weighing almost 5 tons, which is similar to the Rivian R1T electric car and more than the Ford F-150 Lightning and Hummer EV electric cars. Its 2-meter-long cargo compartment can accommodate cargo weighing 1134 kg - these are excellent indicators, since the competitors are much weaker: Rivian R1T - 800 kg, Hummer EV - 590 kg, Ford F-150 Lightning - 1014 kg. True, the gasoline Ford F-150 is better than any of the listed electric cars in all these indicators. The Cybertruck's flat roof, flat cargo top, flat front and rear were all designed for functionality. Large, strong and easily replaceable bumpers, front trunk, opening rear cab glass - all this was created by observing how these pickups are used by people according to their true purpose. It's true that while most pickups can access the cargo from 3 sides, the Cybertruck's cargo body will only be accessible straight from the back - this is due to the sloped sides of the body. The sloping sides of the car will certainly not help to transport large loads exceeding the dimensions of the trunk. On the road, thanks to the pneumatic suspension, the car is surprisingly comfortable, the steering mechanism is sensitive, the acceleration is excellent, all-wheel drive will help control large dimensions in the parking lot, and turning the wheels from one side position to another takes only one turn of the steering wheel. So, the Cybertruck might not be the most practical of all pickups, but it can be a pretty decent everyday car. It is possible that the audience will accept it not so much as a pick-up truck, but as a car with a distinctively shaped image. We all know that "image is everything", especially in America, so success is guaranteed for this exceptional car. The car will be sold not so much by its technical characteristics, but by E. Musk's divine image and the opportunity for Americans to contribute to the beautification of the US auto industry to the ranks of the leaders. The Americans need it, and everyone else needs it too - sharp competition for the big car concerns sleeping on their laurels.