Cybertrucks in the wild - quick comment

[Hillbilly]

Starting to see a lot of them wrapped in SoCal, amazing how much a little color changes the appearance.

Still looks like a dumpster to me. Especially in green and black.

Sponsored

 

[runwithscissors]

Saw one yesterday in Brooklyn and it's ugly but I'm jelly with their soundsystem, cameras, suspension and rear steer which blows away what Rivian currently offers.

 

[Count Orlok]

one of the best things about living in God's Country is being so remote the landscape hasn't been polluted with cyberdumpsters.

 

[beyondgravity]

At the original unveiling, I thought it looked hideous, until I understood the materials it was made from - the panels are so hard and durable they cannot be stamped into compound curves like thin, mild steel is routinely stamped. Then I learned the strength of the panels were leveraged to reduce weight and create the stiffest, least flexy, truck chassis ever made, giving it a solid feeling over bumps and direct driving dynamics, like it was forged from a single piece of metal. Then I learned it would stop handgun bullets and be impervious to door dings and could never rust. As I begin to understand what drove the design it started to make my 2010 steel F-150 look quaint and antiquated.

I don't plan on getting shot at (but these days one never knows) and it's especially nice to not have to worry about door dings in tight parking spots (it seems like parking spots keep getting narrower), errant baseballs, rocks and debris kicked up on the freeway, or damaging hail. And the lack of paint means there is no thin fragile clearcoat that can get scratched and damaged when driving through brush and alder saplings, dang, those alder saplings grow quick! It took me about half an hour to start seeing the functionality and beauty in the design. Now it looks like modern tech art. But that's not why I want one, even though it looks better than my F-150, I don't really care about truck aesthetics, I care about how they function. I really like the locking, motorized roll-top tonneau that is rated for a big man with a heavy tool belt, or a load of roofing materials, to stand and walk on.

So I completely understand how Rivian fans think it looks odd, or even hideous, I get it. But the more I see it, the better it looks. And when I had an opportunity to see one in the flesh (metal) last month at a Seattle Delivery Center, I was blown away. Looks much better up close and personal. I'm buying it for me, not for the approval of others!

The narrative that people want a hideous looking truck to be seen in never made much sense. Think about it, nobody wants to be seen in something that looks hideous. Looks are very much subjective, everyone has different likes and dislikes, just like Country music, most of it sounds like crap to me, it curdles my blood, yet I get that some people like it above all else. Preferences are very individual. My guess is the Cybertruck will outsell the R1T, and that some Rivian owners are afraid of that prospect. Don't be afraid peeps, like is too short and variety is the spice that makes it all worthwhile. How boring it would be if all vehicles looked the same!

I'm not a fan of the plastic wrapped ones, I like the raw steel. Tough an no-nonsense, like a truck should be. Wrapping steel that is this hard and durable in thin plastic just seems wrong to me and makes it not much better than a fragile painted surface when driving through brush that is grinding the mud paste into the coating. Even the self-healing paint protection film looks like hell after a couple of years of driving on overgrown trails and roads rubbing the mud grit into the plastic. I don't want to have to worry about scratching the PPF, and especially not fragile paint. It's a truck!

With the toughened glass, it's like a knight in shining armor. Of course, looks are a very personal thing, I'm just tickled pink that I'll be taking delivery of my own Cybertruck in about a month. Goodbye 2010 F-150 4x4, not sad to see it go! This is how the transition to electric trucks happens, one truck at a time. And I will not miss the stink of the F-150 in the morning! I wish Rivian could make more EVs, but their plan is to slow down, not speed up. At least for now, I'll be leaving what they do make for people who don't like the tough looks of the Cybertruck or the frumpy looks of the Lightning. I get it, some people want a softer, gentler looking truck. And that is A-OK by me! Carry on, lets keep making the world a cleaner, better place to live and breathe!

I can see what you did there. Is this your soliloquy to tell yourself the cyperpunk nihilistic design of Cypertruck is better than solarpunk forward looking positive design of R1, R2 and R3. You do you bub! ?

 

[No_Name5330]

This is creative…

 

[kurtlikevonnegut]

Apparently someone in my neighborhood has one now.

Naturally they had to post in the neighborhood Facebook page that they would be down by the pool for anyone who wanted to come and take pictures with it ?

 

[COdogman]

Apparently someone in my neighborhood has one now.

Naturally they had to post in the neighborhood Facebook page that they would be down by the pool for anyone who wanted to come and take pictures with it ?

 

[Ecupip]

Saw one yesterday in Brooklyn and it's ugly but I'm jelly with their soundsystem, cameras, suspension and rear steer which blows away what Rivian currently offers.

Better suspension? You must be joking.

 

[RivRyan]

A cautionary note -- I read the cybertruck owners forum Issues thread every now and then for giggles. If you see one in the wild, don't drive too closely behind it. They seem to just suddenly die more often than you'd expect. Well, more often than you'd expect for any other car.

 

[runwithscissors]

Better suspension? You must be joking.

I haven't personally driven in the CT but the R1S with 20's is pretty bad unless you're in AP Standard on the softest settings. I don't know how anyone could use lowest settings in Sport Mode. Rivian suspension is noisy and slow making it impossible for kneel mode with passengers as they always open the door early to cancel. CT suspension has greater travel and much faster than what Rivian currently offers. R1T drives much better than the R1S due to the longer wheelbase and it's noticeable.

 

[strykerwsu]

Disagree having ridden in both. R1 suspension is light years ahead of CT design. Check the scores for amount of articulation. Now CT does have quicker air height changes.

Kneel always worked great for me before I got sliders.

 

[Gen(R3)Xer]

I retired 25 years ago. But I'm always happy to share things in life that I'm interested in and that make me happy. I earn exactly $0.00 from this. Tesla doesn't spend a lot of money on marketing because they know that, ultimately, their customers would be footing the bill. Advertising adds zero value to purchasers of new cars. They can learn all they need to know without watching slick ads.

There is so much hate in the world, I would like to turn it around in any small way that I can.

I agree. To each their own. This is why companies like Tesla and Rivian have such high retention rates. They speak to the individual. Neither of these companies is perfect. They’ve had their missteps, but people are loyal to the brand because it’s brought them joy.

I hope that all EV companies find success in this new and exciting world of mobility. You don’t have to tear something down to prove how much you like something else.

 

[baker]

Guy driving is driving with his hoodie up. Obviously ashamed to be seen in the vehicle.

Nice looking R1S btw

Why thank you. I only wish I had it riding high at the time.

 

[natenick]

Side by side at Discount Tire today. CT sure looks smaller in person and peak height is about the same as my R1T in All Purpose mode. Rear seat headroom has got to be worse in the CT?

 

[Discount Tire]

Side by side at Discount Tire today. CT sure looks smaller in person and peak height is about the same as my R1T in All Purpose mode. Rear seat headroom has got to be worse in the CT?

Sweet side by side pics! Thanks for sharing!

Sponsored