In this world-exclusive comprehensive First Review of the Tesla Cybertruck, Jason Cammisa tests Tesla’s Cyberbeast — in acceleration, handling, maneuverability, dent-resistance, and safety — and races it down the ¼-mile against the Rivian R1T Quad-Motor AWD and GMC Hummer EV Edition 1 Pickup.
==
This episode of “Jason Cammisa on the ICONS” is presented by Valentine One Radar Locator: Find radar before it finds you https://bit.ly/Valentine1_Hagerty
Click here to join the Hagerty Driver's Club: https://bit.ly/Join-HDC-Cammisa-UDRR
=
For more info on the Cybertruck, watch Jason's "Carmudgeon Show" podcast here: https://youtu.be/NjIPEtegPt4
No episode of the multiple award-winning series “ICONS” would be complete without a full helping of comedy, two side dishes of crazy action, and a cast of supporting characters. In this case, the latter incudes a 1987 Lamborghini LM002, a 1981 DeLorean DMC-12, a Ford Lightning, Rivian R1T, and GMC Hummer EV Pickup!
Special guest appearances include Hall-of-Fame race-car driver Randy Pobst and "Engineering Explained" host Jason Fenske.
Cammisa explains the engineering behind Tesla's controversial pickup truck, including its stainless-steel ("HFS") exoskeleton construction, enormous aluminum castings and structural battery pack. He attends a live side-impact crash test in Tesla's Crash Lab that demonstrated how tough the skin is. And then, of course, tries to dent it with a sledgehammer. Or BFH, for those who know.
The similarities with the DeLorean go way beyond the stainless exterior — in fact, the Cybertruck most closely resembles the famed Lamborghini LM002 pickup — a V12-powered dogleg 5-speed off-roader, dubbed "Rambo Lambo," that was as fast as a sports car. In fact, Jason reads an excerpt from the original Car and Driver magazine review of the LM002, and everything said applies directly to the Cybertruck.
Including that the Cybertruck Cyberbeast is the quickest-accelerating pickup truck in history. Watch as it leaves the previous champion (the Rivian R1T) for dead, hitting 60 mph in just 2.6 seconds and blasting through the quarter-mile in 11.0 seconds at 119 mph. Cammisa reran the test on untreated (non-VHT) asphalt and got the same numbers — and marvels at how consistently the Cybertruck accelerated. Even with the Battery SoC in the mid-30-percent range after hours of consecutive runs, it still hit 60 in 2.6 seconds, and had only lost 0.3s at the quarter mile.
That newfound consistency is partially due to the new 4680 Gen 2 batteries, which are far larger than Tesla's previous 18650 and 2170 batteries, and are manufactured in-house.
The Cybertruck is nearly twice as efficient as the Hummer EV, thanks to a Lotus-like obsession with efficiency. With a battery pack of just 123 kWh, it's expected to receive an EPA Range of over 310 miles.
And the Cybertruck is even lighter than the Rivian R1T, Hummer, and Lightning — Cammisa weighed them all.
CURB WEIGHT:
Cybertruck Cyberbeast 6717 lb
Rivian R1T Quad-Motor AWD 6777 lb
Ford F-150 Lightning 6813 lb
GMC Hummer EV First Edition 9316 lb
Lamborghini LM002 6499 lb (with 20 gallons of fuel)
Of course, don't miss Randy Pobst in a kart chasing the Cybertruck around Sonoma Raceway's Go-Kart track — or the sight of the LM002 leaning over like it's about to roll down Sonoma's famed Carousel. Or Jason backing into a stainless steel refrigerator because the Cybertruck's rear visibility is so compromised.
Chapters:
0:00 Cybertruck Is Real!
1:18 Why The Cybertruck Looks Like It Does
2:18 Drag Race: CyberBeast vs Rivian R1T Quad-Motor
3:50 Drag Race: CyberBeast vs GMC Hummer EV
4:25 Quickest Pickup In History: 0-60 in 2.6!
5:20 Tesla's Engineering Efficiency
6:23 Refrigerator Aerodynamics
7:35 New 4860 Gen 2 Batteries
8:11 Tesla's Price Cuts — Vertical Integration
9:25 Jason Fenske on the Benefits of High Voltage
10:14 48 Volts!
11:07 How To Engineer a 48 Volt Vehicle
11:24 Steer By Wire
12:06 Turning Radius and Steering Demonstration
13:07 Cybertruck vs. Go-Kart (maneuverability demo)
16:02 One Million Pre-Orders
16:33 Similarities to Delorean DMC-12
17:44 Sledgehammer Door Ding Test
18:08 Bulletproof HFS: "Hard F-ing Steel"
18:44 Cybertruck Crash Test
19:28 Tesla's Safety Record
20:06 Pedestrian Impact Protection
20:38 I hate it. I love it.
21:09 Cybertruck Interior & Build Quality
21:40 Dynamic Review
22:10 Rearview mirror
22:31 Lamborghini Owner's Suburban Assault Daily Driver
22:50 DeLorean Time Machine // Car and Driver
23:44 Lamborghini LM002
24:54 Cybertruck vs F-150 Lightning vs Rivian R1T
25:13 Tesla's From-Scratch Vehicle
25:41 You've Made Up Your Mind: Fingerprints, Broken Glass, & Panel Gaps
26:08 Tesla Didn't Learn Its Lesson
26:59 The Future Ain't Gonna Invent Itself
27:24 Outtakes & Credits