These are some Cybertruck features that didn’t make it to production
- It was four years in the making, but the Tesla Cybertruck is finally here
- During those four years, Tesla revised the Cybertruck project repeatedly, with features added and removed all the time
- The production model today is very different from the one announced in 2019
Published on Dec 11, 2023 at 3:26 PM (UTC+4)
by Adam Gray
Last updated on Dec 13, 2023 at 2:35 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Alessandro Renesis
After being unveiled in 2019, it took four years for the Cybertruck to come to fruition.
The brand’s first electric pickup truck proved a tough nut to crack for Tesla, with production delayed for two years.
It’s officially (finally!) here, but the Cybertruck in production differs from the one unveiled four year ago – here’s how.
READ MORE! This is the full list of accessories available for the Tesla Cybertruck
500 miles of range
This is probably the biggest disappointment for die-hard Cybetruck fans.
According to the initial specifications, the Cybertruck should’ve offered 402 kilometers (250 miles) of range for the RWD variant, 482 kilometers (300 miles) for the AWD version, and 804 kilometers (500 miles) for the tri-motor setup.
The dual-motor Cybertruck ended up offering 547 kilometers (340 miles) of range.
The RWD variant is likely to do better than the 402 kilometers promised in 2019, too.
As for the Cyberbeast – well, that’s a different story.
It transpires the tri-motor version can only go 515 kilometers (320 miles) on a charge.
The original plan was for the top-of-the-line Cybertruck to have a bigger battery enabling more range.
However, the Cyberbeast shares the same 123-kWh pack with the dual-motor Cybertruck, and the additional motor can only lower that range estimate.
Six seats (front middle seat)
The first renderings of the Cybertruck showed a six-seat cabin with the front row having three seats.
The front center seat was supposed to fold, turning into a table or a desk, making the cabin more functional.
In the end, though, Tesla chose to simplify things and opted for a center console instead, which features storage space and is even big enough to support a laptop or food tray.
Integrated tailgate ramp
Perhaps one of the coolest features of the Cybertruck was the integrated tailgate ramp.
The telescopic ramp, which consisted of two segments extending from the tailgate, would deploy to allow the Cyberquad to board and unload.
It must’ve proved too challenging for Tesla, though, as the production Cybertruck doesn’t have the ramp.
Instead, it’s got a rather basic tailgate, at least compared to the industry’s other smart tailgates.
Tat being said, Tesla is offering a $400 tailgate ramp as an accessory for the Cybertruck, although it looks more like a tri-fold ladder than a ramp.
Integrated air compressor
Having an integrated air compressor in the Cybertruck would’ve be a godsend for adventure lovers.
Even if you don’t need to inflate the tires that often, having an air compressor available to inflate sports and camping equipment would’ve been a massive bonus.
Despite the Cybertruck having adaptive suspension that pumps air into the suspension chambers to adjust ride height and road handling, the pickup keeps its air to itself, with no air outlet offered for external equipment.
Floating on water
Back in 2020, Tesla CEO Elon Musk claimed the Cybertruck would be “waterproof enough to serve briefly as a boat.”
Someone took him literally, and drove a Cybertruck into the ocean.
However, on the day of the Cybertruck Delivery Event, there was no word about the pickup’s ability to float.
Even if it doesn’t float, it should be more than capable of fording a river, provided the water’s not too deep.
That’s largely in part due to its impressive ground clearance of 17.4 inches (440 mm).
What’s more, the Cybertruck also comes with a ‘Wade Mode’, which apparently raises the ride height and pressurizes the battery pack when driving through water.
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Adam Gray is an experienced freelance motoring journalist and content creator based in the United Kingdom. Using his media accreditation with manufacturers’ press offices, Adam test drives the latest cars and attends new vehicle press launches, producing written reviews and news pieces for a variety of lifestyle and business publications. Here at Supercar Blondie, Adam applies his journalistic skills penning social-first content around current news and trends. When he’s not behind the wheel of the latest car or writing up another viral story, Adam can be found at his local rink playing ice hockey or at the Riverside Stadium supporting his beloved Middlesbrough FC.