The long-awaited Tesla Cybertruck market launch is tomorrow and as it turns out, some guests are already testing the vehicle—under embargo, of course. But one early dispatch from those tests may have just given us a clue about its range.
Gadget expert and YouTuber Marques Brownlee teased a photo from behind the wheel of a Tesla Cybertruck, promising that he will provide all the important numbers and precious details in his upcoming video. But when we take a closer look, it turns out that the photo includes part of the display showing a driving range of 265 miles.
The state-of-charge appears to be presented in the form of 10 bars, out of which nine are lit up; the last bar seems to be one or two pixels only. Assuming one bar is 10% and one to two pixels are something like 1%, we guess that the 265 displayed miles of estimated range equates to a 91% charge.
If true, then a quick calculation reveals that for a 100% fully charged battery, the driving range should be 291 miles or so. Of course, we don’t know the driving scenario and energy consumption, which is a base to estimate the remaining range, but it seems that we should expect around 300 miles of EPA Combined range when fully charged
Potentially, this is the range of the top-of-the-line version of the Tesla Cybertruck, because those are the versions that Tesla usually offers at the beginning.
If Tesla also introduces a lower-trim version with a less powerful powertrain and smaller wheels, they might have a noticeably higher range, just like in the case of most other EVs and even gasoline-powered cars. My guess is that achieving 300+ miles of range will be very important to Tesla from a marketing and even psychological perspective. In general, the company is trying to offer at least 250 miles of EPA range in its cars.
Additionally, Tesla initially hinted that there will be a large battery pack option with a range of up to 500 miles, though it’s not clear when such a version will enter the market. In mid-2023 there was a rumor that Tesla would skip the 500-mile trim to focus on a 350-mile version.
Tesla Cybertruck deliveries will begin with an event tomorrow, Nov. 30, and until it happens we will probably not get any details or specs. The Cybertruck’s website currently displays only a clock, without the option to reserve or order the vehicle.