Tesla’s all-electric pickup Cybertruck has just undergone one of its first independent range tests, which was conducted by Colorado-based automotive content creator Out of Spec Studios on January 4.
In a surprising turn of events, the highly awaited Cybertruck’s delivered range in the recent testing fell short of its claimed EPA range.
Cybertruck’s claimed range
For context, Tesla originally promised that the Cybertruck would have a driving range of up to more than 500 miles when it hits the market.
However, the production models only delivered a maximum driving range of 340 miles. Specifically, the all-wheel drive (AWD) claims to have that maximum driving range, while the Cyberbeast’s range declines to 320 miles. The yet-to-launch RWD variant will only have 250 miles.
For Tesla to meet its promised Cybertruck range, it introduced a technology called “Range Extender.” It is an extra battery pack that can significantly boost the electric pickup’s driving range to more than 470 miles. Refer to the table below:
| Tesla Cybertruck | Rear-Wheel Drive | All-Wheel Drive | CyberBeast |
| Range | 250 miles | 340 miles | 320 miles |
| Range with extender??? | Not mentioned | 470+ miles | 440+ miles |
Results and key considerations
Despite Tesla’s claimed EPA range for the Cybertruck, Out of Spec Studios’ test revealed that the electric pickup only delivered 254 miles (409 km) after driving it on a highway range test at 70 mph (113 km/h) from a 100% state of charge to completely depleted battery at 0%. For context, the Cybertruck features a 123 kWh battery pack.
Therefore, it fell short of the claimed 320 EPA range. However, it must be noted that the real-world range testing transpired during cold temperatures at 46 F (8 C). In addition, Out of Spec Studios mostly tested the Cybertruck on highway driving at approximately 70 mph (112 km/h).
In that sense, a different elevation, median speed, and temperature can deliver very different results.
Key specs
Presented below are the key specs of the Tesla Cybertruck:
| Tesla Cybertruck | Rear-Wheel Drive | All-Wheel Drive | CyberBeast |
| Price | $60,990 | $79,990 | $99,990 |
| Range | 250 miles | 340 miles | 320 miles |
| Range with extender??? | Not mentioned | 470+ miles | 440+ miles |
| Acceleration 0-60 mph | 6.5 sec | 3.9 sec | 2.6 sec |
| Top speed | 112 mph | 112 mph | 130 mph |
| Power | – | 600 hp | 845 hp |
| Torque | – | 7,435 pound-feet | 10,296 lb-ft |
| Towing capacity | – | Up to 11,000 lbs | Up to 11,000 lbs |
| Payload | – | Up to 2,500 lbs | Up to 2,500 lbs |
Tesla has yet to determine the official pricing of the Cybertruck. However, recent reports suggest that it may cost $16,000, as per the Page Source of the vehicle’s payment page.
Going back, the initial range test demonstrated that the Tesla Cybertruck has a slightly lower battery range than the company claims. It can cause some concerns to interested buyers in colder climates. Nonetheless, Tesla is fully aware that numerous factors can affect range loss and degradation, such as cold temperature, payload, tire size, and driving factors, among others.
