While many electric vehicle enthusiasts are excited at the impending market launch of the Tesla Cybertruck, many veteran pickup truck owners have suggested that it won’t be anywhere nearly as practical as many other trucks on the market. These photos help to show why, in part, this will be the case.
The photos in question were recently shared on Facebook by Paul Yeh after he stumbled across this Cybertruck parked on the street. A growing number of Cybertrucks have been seen out in public in recent weeks with Tesla employees putting it through its final paces before customer deliveries commence. The design of the bed has really got people talking.
On the original Cybertruck concept, Tesla managed to design a bed with vertical walls and a stainless steel base that appeared quite spacious. However, significant changes have been made to the bed to get it ready for production. Most notably, we can see that the vertical sides are gone and instead, there are sloped sides. The Drive notes that Tesla has probably been forced to change the design of the bed to accommodate the wheel wells.
We can also see that the bed of the Cybertruck appears to be lined in black plastic with a compartment that probably houses a spare tire. Other intriguing elements of the bed include the LED lights on the sides and what appears to be a lack of mounting points on the sides. All told, it looks about as practical as a bathtub.
Read: Why Rivian CEO Isn’t Worried About Tesla’s Cybertruck
The overall shape of the Cybertruck has also raised questions about its practicality. As the sides of the bed angle up to connect seamlessly to the dramatic roofline, the bed walls appear extremely high, and loading things in and out will be difficult. The Tesla is also expected to have a sliding tonneau cover but it is not visible in these photos.
Putting practicality aside, there’s little doubt that the Cybertruck will deliver in the performance stakes. Elon Musk recently said that the Performance version will “kick ass next-level” thanks to the fitment of three electric motors. Top Gear understands this model will be able to hit 60 mph (96 km/h) in 2.9 seconds, capable of towing up to 6,350 kg (14,000 lbs), and may have a payload exceeding 1,500 kg (3,306 lbs).
