Real Truck People Might Struggle With the Tesla Cybertruck Bed
The Tesla Cybertruck is slowly oozing its once-theoretical presence into our real world. The Prototypes that we saw previously now look a bit different in the pre-production units sleuthing around the country. One of the biggest changes is the Tesla Cybertruck truck bed. By the looks of these production candidate units, the Tesla Cybertruck bed doesn’t seem super useable for real truck folks.
How big is the Tesla Cybertruck bed?
At 6.5 feet long, the Cybertruck is expected to have a longer bed than any electric pickup on the market. To better understand where the Cybertruck fits in the electric truck world, the Rivian R1T’s bed is just 4.5 feet, the Hummer’s measures 5 feet, and the Ford F-150 Lightning’s is 5.5 feet long.
The length of the Cybertruck bed isn’t the part truck folks might fuss about. Thanks to photos taken by Facebook user Paul Yeh, who found the Tesla pickup parked in a neighborhood, the sides of the inside of the bed are slopped. This is a strange way to build a truck bed. This might cause problems for folks using the bed to do real work. Basically, the shape of the bed is wider at the top than it is at the bottom. This runs the risk of making wider loads less stable in the corners.
It’s important to note that these slopped walls weren’t on the concept version. That could mean that this is a pre-production model that has since been changed. Who knows? We aren’t even positive that Elon Musk knows. All we know is that the old-head truck drivers are gonna be pleased with a bed this limiting.
Tesla Cybertruck bed features
The Yeh’s photos of the Tesla Cybertruck bed show some other funny little details. The slanted sides are obviously one of the more shocking, but there also appears to be some hidden stuff. The photo shows the floor of the bed with bolts sticking out. These likely cover some sort of hatch. Maybe the spare tire compartment? There is another spot just below the light strips that could be a hinge of some kind. It’s hard to say. Although it looks too small to be an accessory mount, that would leave the Cybertruck without any gear mounts or a bed cover. This is strange because the Cybertruck is supposed to come with a powered tonneau cover.
Lastly, the height of the bed is concerning. Even if Mr. Yeh is on the shorter side, the tailgate reaches his armpit. Bed walls this high will undoubtedly make loading and unloading the Cybretruck twice as hard. Tesla says the suspension will be able to be lowered to make loading easier. Leave it to Tesla to turn something simple into something needlessly complicated.
As if we haven’t come to expect this, Tesla hasn’t been clear on what we can expect on payload figures from the Cybertruck. Back in a 2019 shareholders meeting, Musk said that while he didn’t know what the Cybertruck’s payload limit would be, he somehow knew it would be as much as the Ford F-150 or more. Aside from this vague statement from nearly five years ago, it is unclear whether Musk means to compare it to the Ford F-150 Lighting, which can hold 2,235 lbs in the bed, or the regular F-150, which tops out at 3,325 lbs.
Why is information about the Tesla Cybertruck so confusing?
Tesla doesn’t use traditional marketing methods. Tesla’s marketing and PR are all handled in-house by Tesla employees or just Elon Musk himself. This is what leads to inconsistent messaging, vague announcements, and general confusion. That said, Tesla could be on to something. While annoying at times, Tesla hasn’t struggled to remain in the zeitgeist culturally, politically, and financially. The haphazard nature in which Tesla releases information forces speculation, excitement, and often, even panic.
The Cybertruck is stepping into an interesting space. Sure, truck people often use their vehicles to do hard work that requires utility to be a primary focus of design. However, whether or not Tesla is, we have to be honest about what the Tesla Cybertruck is and who it’s for. It is abundantly clear that Tesla designed the Cybertruck with form in mind over function. It’s a reasonable decision, especially considering when it debuted. Some of the model’s confusing messaging could come from Tesla trying to pivot the Cybertruck from a lifestyle vehicle to a proper truck. Again, until we see and can test the official specs, this is all speculation. I reckon the Tesla marketing model is working.
