Tesla’s Cybertruck Won’t Be Able to Tow Anywhere Near the 14,000 Pounds It Promised
Even after four years in the oven, the Tesla Cybertruck might still be coming out half-baked.
A photo posted to the Cybertruck Owners Club forum of the vehicle’s dealership spec sheet shows that the eagerly anticipated electric truck will have a towing capacity of up to 11,000 pounds. That number comes in much lower than what company CEO Elon Musk promised when he unveiled the EV in November 2019.
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It should be noted that an 11,000-pound towing capacity for a battery-powered pickup is more than respectable. If the spec sheet is accurate, the Cybertruck will be able to tow as much as one of its main rivals, the Rivian R1T, and 1,000 pounds more than another, the Ford F-150 Lightning (the upcoming Chevrolet Silverado EV will tow 10,000 pounds as well), according to Car and Driver. But that number is a fair bit off of the 14,000 pounds that Musk quoted for the most powerful, tri-motor version of the EV when it made its public debut. It also looks like the Cybertruck’s towing capacity will soon be beat by that of the Ram REV 1500 too. The Detroit automaker claims that its pickup will be able to tow 14,000 pounds.
Towing capacity isn’t the only spec that came in lower than promised on the spec sheet. The same photo shows that the Cybertruck will be able to carry a maximum payload of 2,500 pounds. That figure is better than the competition—the R1T’s payload capacity is 1,760 pounds and the F-150 Lightning 2,235 pounds—but is 1,000 pounds less than the mark that was first mentioned by Musk. It’s also less than the REV 1500’s claimed 2,700-pound payload capacity.
Tesla did not respond to a request for comment from Robb Report on Tuesday morning.
Towing and payload capacities aren’t the only promises that Tesla has struggled to keep with the Cybertruck. The EV will feature an angular stainless-steel body as promised, but the feature has led to major difficulties, according to the Wall Street Journal. The material is particularly difficult to shape, which has led to numerous fit and finish issues. It also remains to be seen if the Cybertruck will be able to “serve briefly as a boat,” though, a video posted to Reddit suggests it can at least drive through a few inches of water.
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