Video Summary
Here is the summary:The review addresses that the rear-wheel drive Cybertruck model has been discontinued. This model had too many features cut for not enough of a price drop. The rear-wheel drive model was not only rear-wheel drive, but also lacked air suspension, a powered tonneau cover, and powered outlets in the bed. Inside, it did not have a rear-mounted display, nor ventilated seats, which were now textile, and it lacked a tail light bar and had reduced towing capacity. A manual tonneau cover is available as an add-on.
A downside to discontinuing the rear-wheel drive Cybertruck is that it was the most efficient Cybertruck model, with 360 miles of EPA-rated range from a 123 kilowatt-hour battery pack. This efficiency is close to 3 miles per kilowatt-hour, which is considered efficient for a vehicle of that size.
Since only all-wheel drive and Cyberbeast trimotor versions are offered, the Cybertruck's efficiency and total range are officially down now. The all-wheel drive maxes out around 325 miles. The rear-wheel drive Cybertruck might have served as a decoy model, making the all-wheel drive model look more appealing. However, it does not seem to have significantly moved the inventory. Tesla has stopped offering the rear-wheel drive Cybertruck not just as an option for weak demand. Low rear-wheel drive deliveries were being made, some places only delivering single digits within a month.
It’s possible that Tesla was unable to lower the price, so it got rid of that model due to low popularity. They did this just before the federal tax credit was to end in September. So for $70,000 a rear-wheel drive Cybertruck is not worth it. If the Cybertrucks were priced at $50-60,000 then Tesla would likely sell more rear-wheel drive models, given that people might be okay with textile seats, coil suspension, and the lack of a powered tonneau cover.
Tesla needs to switch to a coil suspension for the all-wheel drive, ditch ventilated seats and the rear-mounted display, and keep the powered outlets in the back. There needs to be a tier in-between the rear-wheel drive and an all-wheel drive Cybertruck model. For 2024, Tesla's best course of action is to convert the Cybertruck to a large and practical three-row SUV, similar to the electric Cadillac, to save Tesla's assembly line.
