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Tesla Cybertruck first ride impressions: Musk’s futuristic pickup is everything I thought it wasn’t
Tesla’s new Cybertruck is as much of an all-electric pickup truck for the adventurous early adopter and high-tech consumer, as it is an aristocratic armored battle machine for a dystopian future. At least that was my first impression after taking the first test ride in Elon Musk’s seven-year-in-the-making baby on Thursday night in Los Angeles.
Riding through the backlot of Tesla’s Design Studio and SpaceX headquarters, it didn’t immediately register in my head that this spirited test ride was taking place inside a bulletproof truck that’s the size of a Ford F-150 SuperCab. Spanning 231.7 inches long, 79.9 inches wide, and 75.0 inches tall, Tesla’s Cybertruck isn’t exactly small and certainly won’t be someone’s second Tesla sharing the average home garage. This thing is going on the driveway.
The auto-presenting door handles are reminiscent of the Tesla Model S and run flush against Cybertruck’s DeLorean-style stainless steel body. Not any regular stainless steel. Musk’s brainchild is fortified by ultra-hard 30X Cold-Rolled stainless-steel that Tesla calls the Exoskeleton.
As we climbed into the cyberpunk “Blade Runner” inspired truck, a satisfying thud from closing the door jarred my memory that Tesla’s Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen just slammed a sledgehammer against them. This thing’s a beast.
And we’re about to take off.
The ever-so familiar feeling of instant acceleration from an all-electric powertrain would follow. We blasted down Jack Northrop road in Tesla’s dual-motor prototype, reaching 60 mph from a gradual 20 mph roll in roughly 4 seconds. Tesla claims a 0-60 mph time of 4.5 seconds for the dual-motor variant, while a tri-motor configuration will be able to eclipse it in 2.9 seconds.
The sounds of Cybertruck’s big, knobby tires clawing at the road are a reminder that no noises go unnoticed in an electric vehicle.
Tesla’s DNA for interior design that’s characterized by extreme minimalism, combined with high-tech features, carried through to its electric Cybertruck. A single 17-inch center-mounted touchscreen acts as the main command center for this heavyweight. Tesla didn’t release details on Cybertruck’s weight, however judging by the similarity in size to a Ford pickup, and taking into account a battery pack that can support up to 500 miles of range, one can presume that Tesla’s “Supertruck” will top the scales at nearly three tons. The rearview “mirror” is actually a digital display that projects video captured from a rear-facing camera. This allows for greater visibility, especially when cargo’s on board such as a Tesla All-terrain Vehicle. Because the truck’s vault can also be covered and used for closed storage, having a camera that streams video to the rearview mirror is of utmost importance.
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- (Credit: Tesla)
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- Tesla Cybertruck 6.5 ft pickup bed “Vault” (Photo: Teslarati)
The dashboard and center console were very reminiscent of the Tesla Model 3. The interior was comprised of an airy glass roof, seating for five adults with the option to have a sixth seat in place of the front center armrest, and not much else.
Looking out through the narrow rear window and Cybertruck’s stainless steel finish comes into focus once again. What is traditionally referred to as the pickup bed, Tesla is calling this 6.5 feet long space a vault. A sleek set of lights runs alongside the vault and illuminates any content that’s inside.
With a starting price of $39,900 for the single motor Cybertruck and just under $50,000 for the dual-motor all-wheel drive variant, Tesla’s pickup truck is priced competitively in the top-selling automotive category in the US.
Will Cybertruck appeal to the existing Ford and Dodge pickup truck demographic as we know it? Probably not. But that’s okay. Its polarizing look that elicits feelings of both I love you and I hate you, takes some time to process before becoming a buyer.
Similar to Musk’s mission to showcase an alternative to the traditional minivan with something utterly over-engineered like the Model X, Tesla aims to do what the Falcon-winged SUV did for the soccer Mom, as it looks to do with the DIY-savvy early adopter who also happens to be a bit handy. Make no mistake, Musk’s Blade Runner truck won’t be replacing the Ford F-150 anytime soon.
Also, make no mistake, Tesla Cybertruck is as badass as they come and won’t have much competition when it becomes the official truck of Mars.
I love you. I hate you. I love you again.
Tesla has officially launched the Model Y L in the United States and Puerto Rico for $61,990. It is the longer-wheelbase version of the Model Y, and has been available in China since last year.
Tesla brings the Model Y L to the U.S. just months after it phased out the only pure SUV in its lineup, the Model X. It is slightly longer than the Model Y configurations that are already available in the U.S., and features a three-row, six-seat setup with Captain’s Chairs being among the many features that make this a truly fantastic offering.
The Model Y L is priced competitively at $61,990, and features 325 miles of range and a 0-60 MPH in just 4.4 seconds.
Tesla also added a handful of new features that are not available in even the Premium Model Y. Here’s a full list of its features:
- Heated/Ventilated Front Seats with Powered Thigh Cushion
- Heated/Ventilated Captain’s Seats in Second Row with Powered Armrests & One-Touch Fold
- Heated Third-Row Seats with Power Recline, One-Touch Fold & Child Seat Anchors
- Improved Airflow, Increased Efficiency, More Range
- 89 cubic feet of trunk space
- Upgraded Acoustic Glass and Suspension to Minimize Road Noise
- Adaptive Damping for a Smooth, Stable Ride
- Staggered Tires for Enhanced Grip
- Larger Tailgate for Better Rear Visibility and Bigger Windows Overall
- 16″ First Row and 8″ Second Row Touchscreens
- 19-Speaker Immersive Tesla Audio
- 50W Wireless Charging Pads with Active Cooling and Charging Ports for All Other Seats
- FSD Supervised and Integrated Grok AI
Tesla is also delivering these first units as a “Launch Series,” which comes with additional features, such as:
- Door Trim Puddle Lights
- Suede Dashboard Wing
- Exterior and Interior Badging
- Floor Mats
- Sill Plates
The launch of the Model Y L in the U.S. marks a huge offering from Tesla to U.S. consumers. People have been calling for Tesla to bring a larger car to the U.S., and it needed it more than ever now that the Model X is gone.
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- Credit: Tesla
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- Credit: Tesla
It is a huge accomplishment for Tesla to get the Model Y L to the U.S., and after reporting strong deliveries today, it will be interesting to see how this car impacts future quarterly delivery reports.
Deliveries for the Model Y L “Launch Series” are slated for September or October of this year.
Tesla just told us twice that the Model Y L is coming to the U.S., and two social media posts definitely just tipped the company’s hand, as if they wanted it to be any other way.
The two social media posts basically confirm that the slightly longer version of the Model Y will be heading to the United States soon, and many have speculated that the company could launch the vehicle as soon as this weekend.
The first post was directly from Tesla, and it showed an incredibly long Dachshund, with words above that said, “Looking forward to the long weekend.”
Looking forward to the long weekend pic.twitter.com/URzH6zOUdn
— Tesla (@Tesla) July 1, 2026
Anyone who knows Tesla knows the company loves to troll its fans and have fun, and this is a perfect example of that. While not a direct acknowledgement, Tesla is very involved on social media, especially CEO Elon Musk’s platform X, and the company is well aware of what is being discussed within the community.
With recent sightings of Model Y L test mules in California, peeks of the vehicle at Giga Texas, and a large call for the car to come to the U.S., Tesla is simply stoking conversation with this.
However, the company also made another move that was recognized on social media. Tesla has a large gallery that includes photos of its products so media and others can use them. This gallery applies to the U.S. market specifically, unless otherwise specified.
Tesla uploaded a Model Y L to the Gallery last night:
This looks like a Model Y L https://t.co/TpnBwrLmH9
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) July 2, 2026
This seems to be another indication that the Model Y L is coming to the United States.
Musk said last year that the Model Y L could make its way to the United States late this year, but it was not something that was set in stone by Tesla. The company definitely needs to establish something in the SUV market that is larger than the Model Y, and the Model Y L might be the answer.
Even still, there are consumers out there who would love Tesla to develop something even larger, like a competitor to the Tahoe or Expedition. Tesla has not really given much of an indication that it will go in that direction.
Tesla is using the vehicles’ internal microphones to improve build quality, Vice President of Engineering Lars Moravy revealed recently.
It’s no secret that Tesla is always finding ways to make its manufacturing operations more efficient, accurate, and valuable. Constantly trying to make its cars better, the company has never placed any restrictions on what it will do to improve everything from panel gaps to paint.
As Teslas have been driving autonomously on the property of the Gigafactory Texas plant for a while now, Moravy revealed to Herbert Ong in a new interview that cars rolling off production lines now autonomously navigate themselves through a bumps, squeaks, and rattles (BSR) portion of the line. This helps to identify any loose or improperly installed internal parts.
The cabin’s microphones, which are used for a variety of things in ownership, simultaneously monitor any noises inside the vehicle while it rolls through the BSR portion of the production line. Moravy actually revealed that Tesla is trying to build “Full Self-Hearing,” an AI system that will detect minor imperfections so they can be corrected before delivery.
It’s no secret that build quality is something that Tesla struggled with as it scaled to a fully massive production operation that manufactures over 1.6 million vehicles per year. However, in recent years, especially, there have not been as many complaints. Tesla has truly improved upon its build quality and paint quality over the past several years, especially in the U.S.
Tesla’s ‘megacasts’ are key to massive build quality improvements
While those improvements have been evident, there are still some complaints; no automaker is perfect with this. But this step will now ensure that every single car that rolls off the production lines at Gigafactory Texas will be void of any creaks, squeaks, or squeals when it leaves the factory.
This measure is one of the most unique we’ve seen in terms of a strategy to avoid build quality issues, but it is not exclusive to Tesla.
Ford uses acoustic analysis AI to find abnormalities in seat motors, climate control units, and other components. Suppliers and OEMs will also use microphone arrays or particle velocity sensors in end-of-line stations.
The full interview with Lars Moravy is available below:
🚨 If you’re a Tesla investor, this is one interview you don’t want to skip. The full video posted below.
Jeff Lutz @thejefflutz and I sat down with Tesla VP of Engineering Lars Moravy, and it was packed with insights!
A few of the biggest takeaways:
• Cybercab is expected to… pic.twitter.com/fhYSr2dCqP
— Herbert Ong (@herbertong) July 1, 2026
Tesla brings Model Y L ‘Launch Series’ to the U.S. at $61,990
Tesla just told us twice that Model Y L is coming to the U.S.
