All discussion of the benefits of the exoskeleton design aside, I thought I would share my personal thoughts about the Cybertruck and why it is appealing to me as a consumer.
I've reached a point in my life where I need to start spending more money on things that make me happy, and the Cybertruck fits the bill. As a big sci-fi fan, I find the aesthetics of the Cybertruck to be unbelievably cool. It also reminds me of a Lamborghini, which I always wanted as a kid. I had actually been seriously considering buying a 2020 Tesla Roadster, for more or less the same reasons that I wanted the Lamborghini. The Tesla Roadster is far superior to the Lamborghini Huracan in terms of performance, seating, software, fuel economy, and storage space. Plus it's a convertible, which is cool as fuck. Even still, I was having issues justifying the practicality of such a purchase. $250,000 is a hell of a lot of money to spend on a car--and although it would be cool to take it to the track and give people rides in it, I don't see much utility in the Roadster beyond just driving people around. There are plenty of other downsides, too. I would be super nervous about leaving it parked somewhere, as people might key it or something. Also, just driving the thing around would be stressful, as I'd be constantly worrying about it getting scratched or dented or something.
So all in all, although I'd been kicking the idea around in my head for a while, it was unclear if I would actually buy the Roadster. Then I saw the Cybertruck. I think it looks even cooler than the Roadster. To be honest, the angular shape reminds me more of a Lamborghini than a Tesla, which is appealing to me. Also, the Cybertruck is huge and spacious inside, sitting six, and with the same beautiful sunroof design that the Model 3 has. This is unlike every other truck I've ever been in, which have felt cramped and claustrophobic inside. In fact, I had never even remotely considered buying a truck before until the Cybertruck came along. Where other trucks are cramped and claustrophobic, the Cybertruck is spacious. Where other trucks get poor fuel economy, the Cybertruck is all-electric, aerodynamic, and even has its own solar panels. Plus, the Cybertruck somehow manages to have the same 0-60 time as the Lamborghini Huracan! 2.9 seconds! Sure, the bulky Cybertruck has a lower top speed and I doubt it will handle like the Huracan, but it more than makes up for it in cost and functionality. Besides, one of the primary reasons for buying something like a Roadster or a Huracan is to turn heads and make an impression, and the Cybertruck does this in spades! Honestly, if a Cybertruck drove down the street right now, it would attract a crowd of onlookers. Not even a Lamborghini can do that! Not to mention that with that paintless, armored exterior, I wouldn't need to worry as much about it getting scratched or dented!
Now, about that functionality. The Cybertruck is so wonderfully spacious that I can easily take all of my friends
and all their gear on road trips. Hiking, camping, picnics, you name it. The thing is so cool that they'll practically be begging me to take them for rides in it. I can also haul furniture and stuff with it, which is a plus. With the sports car like performance it has, I can also take it to the track and put the pedal to the metal. Fun! Not to mention the off-roading capabilities, electrical outlets, and solar panels. Truly, the Cybertruck is one of the ultimate camping vehicles. I can put a mattress in the back and camp in it, no pop-up tent attachment required. Plus, I'll have electrical outlets to power home appliances such as my laptop or an electrical grill. I could even bring a microwave with me! All the comforts of home and no setup required. Just park it somewhere and I'm done. I don't even have to worry as much about draining down the battery while camping, since I'll have solar panels.
Off-road camping in an electrical vehicle with solar panels also has unique possibilities. In theory, you could drive a Cybertruck hundreds of miles out into the wilderness until the batteries run dry, and just camp there for a few weeks, in which time the batteries would recharge from the solar panels assuming you pick an appropriate parking spot. Elon says the solar panel option for the bed cover should give you 15 miles of range per day, and there could be additional folding solar "wings" which could increase that to 30 or 40 miles a day. That's insane! With a vehicle like this, you could theoretically slow travel camp and explore all sorts of strange places.
I'm imagining myself camping off road in a Cybertruck in the middle of the wilderness, relaxing under the starry sky on my real, non-inflatable mattress, eating a microwave burrito from my mini fridge and watching Netflix on my laptop with my friends. On Starlink internet, of course. And my friends were able to set up their tent next to my truck, which had the space to haul it out there. Not to mention that if a bear comes along, the Cybertruck's armor will keep me safe. Can't say the same about my friends in the tent! Maybe the truck can make some bright lights and loud sounds to scare it off?
To summarize, the Cybertruck just does so much. It can seat six people and loads of cargo at the same time. You can commute with it or drive it on minor errands around town and still get good fuel economy. It comes with world class software and driver-assistance features. It is low maintenance. You can show it off to people and give rides in it. You can take it to the track. You can haul furniture in it. You can take it camping. You can take it off-road camping. You can take it off-road camping with your friends and their gear--and a microwave. It charges its own batteries if you park it outside. What other vehicle does all of this at the same time?
Breaking news - tesla has decided to scrap the accessories ATV in favour of a bed mounted large capacity generator.
Provides unlimited range and allows all day job-site tool use
@spartana One would hope the above is a joke
Tesla would be out of character encouraging the burning of fossil fuels as a crutch for a perceived shortcoming of EVs!
Yeah I figured that but you never know! Strap a big gas generator on the bed and you're good to go ;-). But I remember reading something about people charging (or trying to charge) Model 3 and S and other EV batteries with portable generators. Also using Teslas as portable generators if they lost electric power at home.
https://generatorgrid.com/blog/tesla/
"Teslas are not the only electric vehicles that you can charge with a portable generator in an emergency situation.
Other EVs like the Chevy Volt and the Nissan Leaf, for example, can also be charged by a gas-powered generator in a pinch."
@Spartana, perhaps Kem was referring to the solar panels on the back of the truck?
https://www.motor1.com/news/384123/solar-powered-cybertruck-added-range/