The Tesla Cybertruck
So, the Cybertruck's been out for several months now and it looks like the "I told you so" crowd has already seen themselves vindicated, if the initial reports are anything to go by.
Biggest concern since its announcement was the solid "exoskeleton" exterior and bullet-resistant glass, which raised the question of what would happen to its occupants in the event of a crash or a need to extract them. Well, the first part's been answered: the Cybertruck seems to shrug off collisions while its passengers take the brunt of the crash. A few news stories have already reported on intact Cybertrucks breaking its driver's bones while the other car gets totally wrecked- the driver walking out relatively unscathed. Apparently several decades of research into crumple zones weren't enough to convince Elon of their need. As for the other half, there hasn't been an incident where a Cybertruck driver needs to be pried out of their tank by fire fighters but it's only a matter of time for it to happen.
Another aspect of the Cybertruck that's showing its faults has been the wiring system. Did you know the Cybertruck uses gigabit ethernet cabling with a 48v power + data CAN bus to every component, all on the SAME cable? This reduced total wiring by 77% and used 1/2 the copper it originally did! It uh… also means that if one component fails, multiple other components that were strung to it also fail. In a catastrophic case, the whole car could shut down if the "right" component burnt out. Think about old Christmas lights and how the string would turn off if a single bulb failed. There is ZERO redundancy in its wiring system, and there's at least one report out there of a crash that happened because the steering wheel and brakes failed to respond to controls.
I sincerely doubt we have any Elon fans here, but I haven't been lurking enough to know. That's just an assumption based on the general "vibe" I've been getting off these boards.
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NeoBlackdog: 29938804277147/comments/29938815492763
Not real good at readin' the room…
Can't do it to save my life, it looks like. Lot more Musk fans than anticipated on this board, honestly a kind of culture shock for me. I do not like the man but to save everyone's breath I won't indulge as to the why nor challenge those that do like him.
At least we can agree on disliking the Cybertruck.
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If it's so great send 20-30 to the Middle East and see how long they last. I hear the towel heads are still blowing stuff up over there.
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I'm also a Musk fan - smart guy that does what he wants to and makes $ at it. The left hates him so much so that Tesla was excluded for Federal Contracts for EV cars.
I would rather have a Hybrid or plug in Hybrid Pickup than a full EV.
I like the concept the of the plug in hybrid Jeep Wrangler 4xe. With that you can choose your drive mode. You can choose to go full battery only mode. You can't do that with a Toyota Prius.
I finally saw a Tesla Truck on the road - it is ugly!
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allen griggs: 29938804277147/comments/29938859977627
It is true that the Tesla is hard on tires. I'll have to ask my brother how many miles he is getting.
I would guess they have designed a special compound tire for EV's. Heavier vehicles require heavier brakes.
While EV's incorporate dynamic braking, it doesn't work if a panic stop is needed. Maybe they've engineered a reverse current feature for braking.
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jimdeere: 29938804277147/comments/29938877230235
https://forums.gunbroker.com/discussion/comment/11436135#Comment_11436135
I would guess they have designed a special compound tire for EV's. Heavier vehicles require heavier brakes.
While EV's incorporate dynamic braking, it doesn't work if a panic stop is needed. Maybe they've engineered a reverse current feature for braking.
Reversing current will definitely bring you to a stop. I experienced a couple of times when engine light, or we just had a few cars behind us on the railroad where we through the reverser lever in revers. Definitely hard on the traction motors. But it will get you stopped in emergency. Lol.
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drobs: 29938804277147/comments/29938845562139
I'm also a Musk fan - smart guy that does what he wants to and makes $ at it. The left hates him so much so that Tesla was excluded for Federal Contracts for EV cars.
I would rather have a Hybrid or plug in Hybrid Pickup than a full EV.
I like the concept the of the plug in hybrid Jeep Wrangler 4xe. With that you can choose your drive mode. You can choose to go full battery only mode. You can't do that with a Toyota Prius.
I finally saw a Tesla Truck on the road - it is ugly!
so far I have been happy with my hybrid F150. 430 HP and 19 plus mpg in city driving
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I checked with my brother. He only gets 30,00 miles on a set of tires.
The Tesla is no good for long trips, and is rough on tires. Other than that is is a great car, smooth and quiet. Unbelievable acceleration and handling. Fun to drive. I built brother's charging station in his garage, we bought the wire, and breaker, and a 240 clothes dryer receptacle at Lowes, cost him about $200. Takes about 10 hours to get a full charge at home.
No oil changes, no spark plugs to change, no air filter. Cost per mile to drive, about half that of a gasoline vehicle.
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allen griggs: 29938804277147/comments/29938870995995
I checked with my brother. He only gets 30,00 miles on a set of tires.
The Tesla is no good for long trips, and is rough on tires. Other than that is is a great car, smooth and quiet. Unbelievable acceleration and handling. Fun to drive. I built brother's charging station in his garage, we bought the wire, and breaker, and a 240 clothes dryer receptacle at Lowes, cost him about $200. Takes about 10 hours to get a full charge at home.
No oil changes, no spark plugs to change, no air filter. Cost per mile to drive, about half that of a gasoline vehicle.
I hear they work well on flooded roads too. No air intake to suck in water.
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Yes, with that huge battery taking up the entire floor of the car, and setting six
inches above the ground, if you drove your Tesla into a flood, it would be, as James Bond said, "Shocking."
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Speaking of changing spark plugs on an internal combustion car in the 21st century.
At 125,000 miles on my KIA, it just may be time. Still running great, so maybe not yet!
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I love Elon but the cybertruck is stupid.
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you have to change out the $15,000 battery pack before you would have to change the spark plugs in a modern car.
I see a future where 2-car families will have an electric car for local driving and a gas rig or plug in hybrid if they have to go anywhere.
we are 50+ years from an all electric highway, and thankfully I will be long gone.6 -
Don McManus: 29938804277147/comments/29938892581531
you have to change out the $15,000 battery pack before you would have to change the spark plugs in a modern car.
I see a future where 2-car families will have an electric car for local driving and a gas rig or plug in hybrid if they have to go anywhere.
we are 50+ years from an all electric highway, and thankfully I will be long gone.Just to be clear, Don, I gave you a like for your whole comment except for the part about you being gone! We rather enjoy your company!
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Here are the long range capabilities of the Tesla. We drove down to Atlanta for the family Christmas party. 207 miles. To me, as I am used to driving 675 miles a day in the Big Rig, a 414 mile round trip is not a long drive. But it is a long drive for the Tesla. Heat and headlights eat up that electricity. Running heat and headlights on a rainy 48 degree day, you only can get 150 miles.
On the way down, we had to stop in Gainesville for a recharge. 40 minutes.
On the way back, stopped in Gainesville again, another 40 minutes on the refill. Total of 8 hours of driving, and an hour and 20 minutes at the electricity pumps.
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