Real-World Towing Test Reconfirms That Tesla's Cybertruck Isn't a Workhorse

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Photo: Hoovies Garage on YouTube / autoevolution edit

It's not the first nor the last time this electric vehicle will be subjected to towing tests. Owners like showing off what their pricey pickup trucks can or, in this case, cannot do. But don't fall into detractors' traps. The Cybertruck is a bit more than meets the eye.

Tesla's first-ever battery-powered pickup truck looks like nothing else on the road today. No matter what you or I will say about it, this EV is, without a shadow of a doubt, cool. You don't have to agree with this assessment, but it is the truth. After all, what other automaker will sell you an edgy bullet-resistant pickup truck with rock- and Class-4 hail-proof glass? Besides, almost everyone stares at this stainless steel behemoth.

However, we cannot ignore a few facts that have made this vehicle's debut a bit controversial. It was launched for almost double the promised MSRP, with a battery pack that doesn't have impressive charging performance, without many features and accessories, and with a few shortcomings such as weak upper control arms, rust, or misaligned panels.

Even the $16,000 range extender isn't around. We also won't mention the pointy front end that could seriously hurt an unsuspecting pedestrian or an animal.

But people who pay $20,000 extra to cut in front of those who want a dual- or tri-motor Cybertruck without the Foundation Series etching do not care because, as expressed previously, this thing is cool. Renting it to curious people or creating monetized content on social media also helps.

This owner, Tyler Hoover of Hoovies Garage, decided to tow a pristine 2,700-mile DMC DeLorean – the original fridge on wheels – to a nearby mechanic's shop with his dual-motor Cybertruck.

He charged the EV to around 80% before putting the unique coupe on an aluminum trailer but started the journey with almost 200 miles (322 kilometers) of range left on a sunny day with not much wind.

Photo: Hoovies Garage on YouTube

His non-scientific 33-mile (53-kilometer) trip consumed 62 miles (100 kilometers) of range after traveling at speeds of over 55 mph (89 kph). He even reached 80 mph (129 kph) while driving in the fast lane on the highway.

The Cybertruck, equipped with off-road tires, fared much better in the towing test than Hoover's previous all-electric pickup truck, the standard-range Ford F-150 Lightning.

However, he's still not satisfied with it, which is understandable. He claims that charging would take too long and would need to happen too often. He's not wrong.

Even though the EV has the 800V architecture, it still can't take advantage of 350-kW dispensers like those found at Electrify America stations because the EV doesn't understand the CCS connector code. On top of that, the charging curve isn't stellar, and V3 Superchargers only have an output of 250 kW maximum.

Maybe this Cybertruck owner should just ditch Tesla's pickup truck and go for the Silverado EV 4WT or RST. Chevy's zero-tailpipe emission ride has a humongous battery pack that can make long-distance towing a breeze, and you can buy it with all the bells and whistles or just the essentials.

At the end of the day, the Cybertruck remains a cool EV and a testbed for great technology such as Powershare (vehicle-to-load), the 48V electrical system, or steer-by-wire. The next generation could be the one that might just work for everyone. Just look at the Model 3 refresh. That's progress!

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