Tesla CEO Elon Musk has stated that the Cybertruck would likely be Tesla’s best vehicle to date, and the all-electric pickup truck would be so impressive that its four-year wait would be worth it. But as the specs and price of the production Cybertruck were released on Thursday, a number of longtime EV watchers were quick to voice their disappointment.
In a way, it is unsurprising that many were disappointed by the production Cybertruck. The vehicle, after all, was smaller, had less range, and was significantly more expensive than the hulking steel beast that was unveiled in 2019. Even the production Cybertruck’s Armor Glass demonstration featured a baseball, which was far less impressive than the steel ball that was used four years ago.
This does not mean to say that the production Cybertruck is a complete miss, however. Far from it. A look at the production Cybertruck’s details would show that the vehicle, despite losing some size and range, gained a number of key features that make it a pretty stellar truck in its own right. Perhaps Elon Musk was right — maybe the Cybertruck is really destined to become Tesla’s magnum opus.
Here then are five features that we love about the production Tesla Cybertruck.
Steer-by-Wire
The production Cybertruck does not have a regular steering wheel. Instead, it has a rounded yoke that seems like a cross between the Model S and Model X Plaid’s yoke and a regular steering wheel. As it turns out, the Cybertruck is the first Tesla that is being shipped with a steer-by-wire system. This makes the vehicle very nimble and easy to maneuver. Tesla showed off some videos showcasing this feature, and they were quite impressive.
CONFIRMED: Cybertruck uses steer-by-wire. #DriveStainless @cybertruck @Tesla pic.twitter.com/znhO9y1tqG— Ryan McCaffrey (@DMC_Ryan) November 30, 2023
Critics of the original steering yoke in the Model S Plaid noted that the system would have worked if it used steer-by-wire. Well, the Cybertruck has it, and so far, reviewers of the vehicle seem to appreciate the feature.
Powergate
Despite being smaller than its original prototype, the Cybertruck is still a fairly large vehicle. It’s also made of stainless steel. With this in mind, consumers might find the Cybertruck’s frunk heavy and cumbersome if it was manually operated. Fortunately, this won’t be the case, as the production Cybertruck comes with a powered frunk system called the Powergate.
Tesla’s first powered frunk called Powergate.
It has one of the longest LES lighting elements on any passenger vehicle and reveals a hidden bench for two. pic.twitter.com/QrxS0q0JVa— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) November 30, 2023
As noted by Tesla, the Powergate features one of the longest LED lighting elements on any passenger vehicle in the world. It also reveals a hidden bench for two, plus over seven cubic feet of storage. These features, together with its powered nature, make the Cybertruck’s frunk the best in Tesla’s lineup today.
Beast Mode
The Cybertruck could be considered a flagship vehicle from Tesla. Its price certainly commands such a designation in the company’s lineup. It is then unsurprising that the electric vehicle maker gave the Cybertruck a dedicated high-performance mode called “Beast Mode.” Tesla explained Beast Mode as follows: “Cyberbeast features a rear drive unit with dual induction machines, active torque vectoring, and an electro-mechanical, front-locking differential producing a combined 845 HP.”
Beast mode Cybertruck will have 845 horsepower pic.twitter.com/TVZr097EMP— Rob Maurer (@TeslaPodcast) November 30, 2023
With Beast Mode, the Cybertruck would be able to achieve a 0-60 mph time of 2.6 seconds, a metric that actually exceeds that of the original Cybertruck prototype in 2019, which was listed with a 0-60 mph time of 2.9 seconds.
Rear-Wheel Steering
Together with its steer-by-wire system, the Cybertruck also features rear-wheel steering. Demonstrations of the Cybetruck in action show how the vehicle’s rear wheels help with maneuverability, allowing the stainless steel all-electric pickup truck to achieve a turning radius that is better than the Model S sedan. That’s pretty insane considering the physical size of the Cybertruck.
NEW VIDEO – 40 minutes of every single detail you need to know from my time driving the Tesla Cybertruck, from the stainless steel to hidden storage to the rear wheel steering to the range extender. Enjoy! Full video: https://t.co/5OaHnzpbNL pic.twitter.com/6eWstORrPr— Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) December 1, 2023
Interestingly enough, rear steering is also a feature that is an improvement over the Cybertruck’s 2019 prototype. The hulking vehicle, when it was unveiled four years ago, did not feature a rear-wheel steering system at all, despite Elon Musk seemingly confirming the feature on Twitter prior to the 2019 unveiling.
Range Extender
While it is true that the production Cybertruck’s range is disappointing compared to the announced range of the original Cybertruck prototype from 2019, one could argue that a range extender actually makes sense. Tesla, after all, is not looking to become a niche automaker. The company wants to be a mass-market carmaker, and to do that, it must be able to produce as many vehicles as it can with the resources it has.
EXTEND
YOUR ADVENTURE
BEHOLD: The Range Extender®https://t.co/cqtl5Mi2sj pic.twitter.com/IMFvOhYPU0— Jose del Corral (@J0se) November 30, 2023
Being a large vehicle, the Cybertruck would have to eat a lot of batteries to achieve its target range from 2019. Thus, it is quite reasonable for Tesla to offer a range extender that adds about 130 miles to the Cybertruck Dual Motor (around 120 extra miles for the Cyberbeast) only to those who actually need the extra battery. Tesla could then produce the Cybertruck Dual Motor and Cyberbeast with 123 kWh battery packs, which is a pretty fair size for such a large vehicle.
Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk is now a remote DOGE worker: White House Chief of Staff
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is no longer working from the West Wing.

In a conversation with the New York Post, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles stated that Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is no longer working from the West Wing.
As per the Chief of Staff, Musk is still working for DOGE—as a remote worker, at least.
Remote Musk
In her conversation with the publication, Wiles stated that she still talks with Musk. And while the CEO is now working remotely, his contributions still have the same net effect.
“Instead of meeting with him in person, I’m talking to him on the phone, but it’s the same net effect,” Wiles stated, adding that “it really doesn’t matter much” that the CEO “hasn’t been here physically.” She also noted that Musk’s team will not be leaving.
“He’s not out of it altogether. He’s just not physically present as much as he was. The people that are doing this work are here doing good things and paying attention to the details. He’ll be stepping back a little, but he’s certainly not abandoning it. And his people are definitely not,” Wiles stated.
Back to Tesla
Musk has been a frequent presence in the White House during the Trump administration’s first 100 days in office. But during the Q1 2025 Tesla earnings call, Musk stated that he would be spending substantially less time with DOGE and substantially more time with Tesla. Musk did emphasize, however, that DOGE’s work is extremely valuable and critical.
“I think I’ll continue to spend a day or two per week on government matters for as long as the President would like me to do so and as long as it is useful. But starting next month, I’ll be allocating probably more of my time to Tesla and now that the major work of establishing the Department of Government Efficiency is done,” Musk stated.
Elon Musk
Tariff reprieve might be ‘Tesla-friendly,’ but it’s also an encouragement to others
Tesla stands to benefit from the tariff reprieve, but it has some work cut out for it as well.

After Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick made adjustments to the automotive tariff program that was initially announced, many quickly pointed to the reprieve as “Tesla-friendly.”
While that may be the case right now, it was also a nudge of encouragement to other companies, Tesla included, to source parts from the U.S. in an effort to strengthen domestic manufacturing. Many companies are close, and it will only take a handful of improvements to save themselves from tariffs on their cars as well.
Yesterday, Sec. Lutnick confirmed that cars manufactured with at least 85 percent of domestic content will face zero tariffs. Additionally, U.S. automakers would receive credit up to 15 percent of the value of vehicles to offset the cost of imported parts.
Big Tesla win? Sec Lutnick says cars with 85% domestic content will face zero tariffs
“This is ‘finish your cars in America and you win’,” Lutnick said.
Many were quick to point out that only three vehicles currently qualify for this zero-tariff threshold: all three are Teslas.
However, according to Kelley Blue Book’s most recent study that revealed who makes the most American cars, there are a lot of vehicles that are extremely close to also qualifying for these tariff reductions.
Tesla has three vehicles that are within five percent, while Ford, Honda, Jeep, Chevrolet, GMC, and Volkswagen have many within just ten percent of the threshold.
Tesla completely dominates Kogod School’s 2024 Made in America Auto Index
It is within reach for many.
Right now, it is easy to see why some people might think this is a benefit for Tesla and Tesla only.
But it’s not, because Tesla has its Cybertruck, Model S, and Model X just a few percentage points outside of that 85 percent cutoff. They, too, will feel the effects of the broader strategy that the Trump administration is using to prioritize domestic manufacturing and employment. More building in America means more jobs for Americans.

Credit: Tesla
However, other companies that are very close to the 85 percent cutoff are only a few components away from also saving themselves the hassle of the tariffs.
Ford has the following vehicles within just five percent of the 85 percent threshold:
- Ford Mustang GT automatic (80%)
- Ford Mustang GT 5.0 (80%)
- Ford Mustang GT Coupe Premium (80%)
Honda has several within ten percent:
- Honda Passport All-Wheel-Drive (76.5%)
- Honda Passport Trailsport (76.5)
Jeep has two cars:
- Jeep Wrangler Rubicon (76%)
- Jeep Wrangler Sahara (76%)
Volkswagen has one with the ID.4 AWD 82-kWh (75.5%). GMC has two at 75.5% with the Canyon AT4 Crew Cab 4WD and the Canyon Denali Crew Cab 4WD.
Chevrolet has several:
- Chevrolet Colorado 2.7-liter (75.5%)
- Chevrolet Colorado LT Crew Cab 2WD 2.7-liter (75.5%)
- Chevrolet Colorado Z71 Crew Cab 4WD 2.7-liter (75.5%)
These companies are close to reaching the 85% threshold, but adjustments need to be made to work toward that number.
Anything from seats to fabric to glass can be swapped out for American-made products, making these cars more domestically sourced and thus qualifying them for the zero-tariff boundary.
Frank DuBois of American University said that manufacturers like to see stability in their relationships with suppliers and major trade partners. He said that Trump’s tariff plan could cause “a period of real instability,” but it will only be temporary.
Now is the time to push American manufacturing forward, solidifying a future with more U.S.-made vehicles and creating more domestic jobs. Tesla will also need to scramble to make adjustments to its vehicles that are below 85%.
News
Tesla Cybertruck RWD production in full swing at Giga Texas
Videos of several freshly produced Cybertruck LR RWD units were shared on social media platform X.

It appears that Tesla is indeed ramping the production of the Cybertruck Long Range Rear Wheel Drive (LR RWD), the most affordable variant of the brutalist all-electric pickup truck.
Videos of several freshly produced Cybertruck LR RWD units were shared on social media platform X.
Giga Texas Footage
As per longtime Tesla watcher Joe Tegtmeyer, Giga, Texas, was a hotbed of activity when he conducted his recent drone flyover. Apart from what seemed to be Cybercab castings being gathered in the complex, a good number of Cybertruck LR RWD units could also be seen in the facility’s staging area. The Cybertruck LR RWD units are quite easy to spot since they are not equipped with the motorized tonneau cover that is standard on the Cybertruck AWD and Cyberbeast.
The presence of the Cybertruck LR RWD units in Giga Texas’ staging area suggests that Tesla is ramping the production of the base all-electric pickup truck. This bodes well for the vehicle, which is still premium priced despite missing a good number of features that are standard in the Cybertruck AWD and Cyberbeast.
Cybertruck Long Range RWD Specs
The Cybertruck LR RWD is priced at $69,990 before incentives, making it $10,000 more affordable than the Cybertruck AWD. For its price, the Cybertruck Long Range RWD offers a range of 350 miles per charge if equipped with its 18” standard Wheels. It can also add up to 147 miles of range in 15 minutes using a Tesla Supercharger.
Much of the cost-cutting measures taken by Tesla are evident in the cabin of the Cybertruck LR RWD. This could be seen in its textile seats, standard console, seven-speaker audio system with no active noise cancellation, and lack of a 9.4” second-row display. It is also missing the motorized tonneau cover, the 2x 120V and 1x 240V power outlets on the bed, and the 2x 120V power outlets in the cabin. It is also equipped with an adaptive coil spring suspension instead of the adaptive air suspension in the Cybertruck AWD and Cyberbeast.
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