Tesla Cybertruck claims 2,500-lb payload capacity, 11,000-lb tow rating
Twitter user Dylan visited the Tesla store in San Diego and happened on a display sign for the Cybertruck next to an example of the due-any-day-now stainless steel pickup. The sign highlighted five points around the truck, the first being an “Ultra-hard stainless-steel exoskelton (sic),” the next, “Shatter-resistant glass.” As others have noted, all modern automotive glass is shatter-resistant, windshields even more than side glass, which is why one generally needs a special tool or broken spark plug or small metal ball at a reveal demonstration to make that happen. The “Adaptive air suspension with on-road and off-road drive modes” is also common, although the air suspension bit is found more among the luxury SUV spectrum than on trucks, and Tesla’s version seems to rise especially high. The first new interesting bit concerns payload, Tesla claiming the “Ultra-tough SMC bed” can hold up to 2,500 pounds; SMC stands for sheet moulding compound. The second interesting bit is how much the Cybertruck is rated to pull, the sign showing “11,000 pounds of towing power.”
#cybertruck at UTC mall. Sign confirms 2500lb payload / 11,000 lb towing pic.twitter.com/QCgQMqEP1c
— Dylan (@dyldebus) November 20, 2023
A thread at the Cybertruck Owner’s Club says there will be 20 pickups put on display and that this one is a dual-motor version. The single-motor drivetrain is dead in the water for now, so too the 3,500-pound payload capacity that was announced with the truck in 2019. Because payload varies with the weight of the vehicle and the tri-motor version will be heavier, payload will decrease for the more powerful truck. A 2,500-pound capacity still puts the Cybertruck ahead of most electric cohorts, the Chevrolet Silverado EV (1,440 pounds), Rivian R1T (1,760 pounds), and Ford F-150 Lightning (2,200 pounds). The only electric hauler going above and beyond for the moment is the Ram 1500 REV at 2,700 pounds. Compared to ICE-powered pickups, the Cybertruck is anywhere from 45 to 200 pounds better.
Tow rating won’t change, here again Tesla’s offering only coming in behind the Ram. The Chevy and Ford electric pickups go as high as 10,000, the Rivian matching the Tesla by going up to 11, the Ram 1500 REV ready to hitch 14,000 pounds. Of course, the real comparison here — and why it makes little sense to compare to ICE-powered pickups — will be how far each electric truck can drive when pulling the same weight over the same routes. That’s the comparison test we all need.
The Cybertruck page on Tesla’s site still touts 3,500 pounds of payload and “a towing capability of over 14,000 pounds,” so who knows, there could be more surprises ahead.
