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Tesla Cybertruck production has arrived: Here’s how it compares to its 2019 prototype
The Tesla Cybertruck production specs are here, and they are quite a bit different from the figures that were announced for the vehicle back in late 2019. From the size of the Cybertruck’s bed to its dimensions and range, the changes that were implemented on the pickup truck over the years are quite notable.
Whether or not these changes are ultimately for the better would be up for consumers to decide, of course. But for reference, here is a quick comparison of how the production Tesla Cybertruck compares to its hulking original prototype from 2019 — the prototype which, in a lot of ways, caused the auto industry to take a second look at Tesla’s sanity.
Dimensions
The original Cybertruck prototype from 2019 was a hulking steel beast that was announced with a length of 231.7 inches, a width of 79.8 inches, and a height of 75 inches. The production Cybertruck, as per Tesla’s official page for the vehicle, now has an overall length of 223.7 inches, a width of 86.6 inches with the mirrors folded, and an overall height of 70.5 inches.
Payload
Being a pickup truck, it is pertinent for the Cybertruck to have a decent payload capacity. The original prototype from 2019 was listed with a payload capacity of 3,500 pounds. During the Cybertruck delivery event, Elon Musk noted that the vehicle now features a payload capacity of 2,500 pounds. Musk did not, however, clarify if the 2,500-pound payload capacity was standard for all the Cybertruck’s variants.
Range
Range is among the production Cybertruck’s most notable areas of complaints from the EV community. During its 2019 debut, Tesla announced that the Cybertruck will have a range of 250+ miles for the RWD version, 300+ miles for the Dual Motor AWD version, and 500+ miles for the Tri-Motor variant. The production Cybertruck listed in Tesla’s updated website with a range of 250 miles for the RWD variant, 340 miles for the Dual Motor version, and 320 miles for the top-tier “Cyberbeast.”
Tesla did list a range extender option for the Cybertruck Dual Motor and the Cyberbeast. With the range extender, the Dual Motor could have a range of 470+ miles, and the Cyberbeast will have a range of 440+ miles. Overall, Tesla definitely missed its target with the Cyberbeast’s range, but the company did hit its target for the Dual Motor and RWD variants.
Towing
Back in 2019, the original Cybertruck’s RWD variant was listed with a towing capacity of 7,500 pounds, the Dual Motor was listed with a towing capacity of 10,000 pounds, and the Tri-Motor was listed with a towing capacity of 14,000 pounds. The production Cybertruck is currently listed with a towing capacity of 7,500 for its RWD version, and 11,000 pounds for both the Dual Motor and Cyberbeast trims.
Price
Tesla shocked attendees of the Cybertruck’s 2019 unveiling event when it announced that the base RWD version of the all-electric pickup truck will start at $39,990. At the time, the Dual Motor was listed at $49,990, and the Tri-Motor variant was listed with a price of 69,990. The production Cybertruck, as per Tesla’s configurator today, costs $60,990 for its RWD version, $79,990 for its Dual Motor variant, and $99,990 for its top-tier Cyberbeast trim.
Performance
During its 2019 unveiling, the original Cybertruck prototype was announced with a 0-60 mph time of 6.5 seconds for its RWD version, 4.5 seconds for its Dual Motor variant, and 2.9 seconds for its Tri-Motor trim. Top speed was also listed at 110 mph for the Cybertruck RWD, 120 mph for the Cybertruck Dual Motor, and 130 mph for the Cybertruck Tri-Motor.
Today, the production Cybertruck is listed with a 0-60 mph time of 6.5 seconds for its RWD version, 4.1 seconds for the Dual Motor variant, and 2.6 seconds for the Cyberbeast. The top speed for the production Cybertruck Dual Motor is now listed at 112 mph, and the Cyberbeast is listed with a 130 mph top speed.
Storage
Back in 2019, the original Tesla Cybertruck was announced with 100 cubic feet of exterior storage. Its bed was also 6.5 feet in length. During the recently-held Cybertruck delivery event, Elon Musk noted that the all-electric pickup truck now features a bed that’s 6 feet long and 4 feet wide. Tesla’s official page for the Cybertruck also mentions that the vehicle features “67 cubic feet of lockable storage.”
Tesla has noted that the Cybertruck experienced changes as it headed towards production. The vehicle’s size has definitely been affected, and so has the pickup truck’s storage capacity. It would now be quite interesting to see how the Tesla Cybertruck fares in the market as it competes against popular combustion-powered trucks and electric pickups like the Rivian R1T and the Ford F-150 Lightning.
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A new Tesla patent that has been granted to the company this week has revealed a potential strategy for solving a major issue that could impact both the Full Self-Driving suite and Optimus.
The patent, which is No. 12,636,684, describes a “Lens Cleaning System,” and was submitted by Tesla in May 2025.
The language in the patent details a lens cleaning system that can dispense fluid and wipe it away with a wiper assembly.
Optimus can see you now… 🤖👁️
The patent for @Tesla_Optimus‘s eye structure just dropped. $TSLA pic.twitter.com/Jac4VhDmKH
— SETI Park (@seti_park) May 26, 2026
This would effectively clean any debris that would potentially impact the visibility of the cameras on Tesla automobiles or Optimus’s camera eyes. Perhaps the most pertinent example is through the Full Self-Driving suite, as debris that can accumulate on the vehicle’s exterior cameras can impact the suite’s ability to operate effectively.
This requires a remedy through manual cleaning, but this patent hints that Tesla could be planning to implement this new technology on its upcoming vehicles.
Interestingly, we have started to see it on some Robotaxi vehicles, and it will likely be included in the Cybercab, especially as that vehicle will enable full autonomy.
Back in January, the first Model Y Robotaxi units were spotted with camera washers on the side repeaters, as the video below shows fluid squirting and rinsing off any debris that is limiting visibility.
🚨 Tesla looks to have installed Camera Washers on the side repeater cameras on Robotaxis in Austin
pic.twitter.com/xemRtDtlRR— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) January 23, 2026
This hardware patent does bring up an interesting question for those of us who own Teslas with AI4 and have been told that our cars will one day be capable of full autonomy: Will this washer be available as a retrofit on already-built cars?
Perhaps the “Lens Cleaning System” patent is a good look at one way Tesla plans to combat one of the most obvious issues of autonomy that utilizes a camera-based system. For Optimus, it could be less needed as it could be manually cleaned by owners. For cars, it seems like a bigger necessity, especially as autonomy nears and Tesla gets close to launching a feature-complete FSD suite.
SpaceX’s Starlink product has just gotten its latest airline adoptee, and the move marks the successful partnership of three of the “Big Four” U.S. airlines.
American Airlines announced on Tuesday that it would utilize Starlink in more than 500 narrowbody aircraft beginning in the first quarter of 2027. These include the Airbus aircraft in its fleet, including the new A321XLR and A321neo.
With the new partnership with American Airlines, Starlink is now present on three of the largest airlines in the country: American, United, and Southwest.
Starlink gets its latest airline adoptee for stable and reliable internet access
Starlink’s VP of Enterprise Sales, Jason Fritch, said:
“We are proud to bring Starlink on board American Airlines, delivering fast and reliable internet to passengers and crew. Whether traveling for leisure or business, Starlink enables a fully connected experience gate to gate, making every flight smoother and more enjoyable.”
Additionally, American Airlines Chief Customer Officer, Heather Garboden, said:
“As a premium global airline, we are continuously seeking out world-class partners like Starlink to deliver what our customers need and want. The addition of Starlink solidifies American as a leading airline in keeping passengers connected in flight.”
Starlink has been on a tear over the past year, as it has continued to be adopted by a wide variety of airlines as a more consistent and reliable way to provide WiFi to its passengers. It has already gained a great reputation among residential users, but its biggest commercial application appears to be how it is being used in the air.
American Airlines will adopt Starlink on more than 500 of its narrowbody aircraft beginning in Q1 2027
“As a premium global airline, we are continuously seeking out world-class partners like Starlink to deliver what our customers need and want,” said American Airlines Chief… pic.twitter.com/XY2wflycc0
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) May 26, 2026
The only airline of the Big Four not to adopt Starlink thus far is Delta, which chose to opt for the alternative, which is Amazon Leo. CEO Ed Bastian said to Bloomberg that Delta chose Amazon’s product over Starlink’s because “the opportunities, in terms of the improved bandwidth with a much lower price point than what we’ve ever seen from Starlink, will make a big difference.”
Delta will not start installing Amazon Leo until 2028.
“Of course, we expect Starlink will be warning people that we’re going to go with an inferior product,” Bastian said. “But I’m not too worried about partnering with Amazon.”
Tesla Cybertruck’s newest trim level is nearing its first deliveries just a few months after being offered for an incredible deal.
Back in February, Tesla officially launched a new trim of the Cybertruck, the All-Wheel-Drive, starting at just $59,990. It was a lot of truck for the money, especially considering what it offered the Rear-Wheel-Drive variant for last year, which was a total flop.
The $59,990 price that was offered initially was a deal due to its 325-mile range rating, powered tonneau, three bed outlets, Powershare capability, coil springs with adaptive damping for a refined suspension feel, Steer-by-Wire and four-wheel steering, a 6′ x 4′ composite bed, towing capacity of 7,500 pounds, and a powered frunk.
Tesla is now nearing deliveries of this trim, according to watcher Sawyer Merritt, as Tesla has officially started assigning VINs to people who ordered the vehicle initially:
I can confirm that Tesla has officially started assigning VINs to people who initially ordered the $59,990 Cybertruck Dual-Motor AWD, which means first deliveries should start in the coming weeks!
• 325 mile range
• 7,500 lb towing capacity
• 0-60mph: 4.1s
• Bed with… pic.twitter.com/PQwVYbZf6j— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) May 24, 2026
Earlier this month, we reported on units of the trim being spotted outside Gigafactory Texas by Joe Tegtmeyer.
Tesla Giga Texas buzzing as new Cybertruck appears to enter production
This Cybertruck trim was interesting because it was released basically out of nowhere, priced incredibly well, and gathered many orders in a small amount of time. However, CEO Elon Musk noted just days afterward that the vehicle would only be priced at this bargain level for ten days.
Tesla fans were not happy.
Awful way to treat customers – particularly when they already sent out a marketing email announcing the $59,990 truck…with zero mention of it being a limited-time offer.
— Ryan McCaffrey (@DMC_Ryan) February 24, 2026
However, the issues with the pricing strategy have blown over since the February unveiling event, and now that deliveries are near, Tesla fans are anticipating the truck making its way to their driveways soon.
The truck is currently priced at $69,990, and deliveries for new orders are slated for between August and September 2026.
Tesla patent reveals strategy for solving major Full Self-Driving, Optimus issue
SpaceX Starlink gets its latest airline adoptee, grabbing three of the ‘Big Four’
