Nearly 25% of Tesla Cybertruck buyers are opting for the range-extending battery pack that takes up bed space, reduces payload, and costs an estimated $16,000.
That’s according to crowd-sourced data found over at the Cybertruck Owner’s Club. We need to note that although this data has been found to be quite accurate, it only includes those who submit to the site. So, in terms of total numbers, expect the data to be lower than the actual figures, but the percentages should be close to accurate.
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The Cybertruck range-extending battery pack appears to be popular among buyers.
The pack takes up one-third of the truck’s bed and reduces its payload capacity by approximately 600 pounds. It costs $16,000 too, but a lot of buyers are still opting for it.
The range-extending battery pack adds approximately 120 miles of range, but the downsides are many. For starters, it reduces the size of the bed substantially and it has to be installed by Tesla, so it’s not something you just pop in and out on your own.
This means that it would be difficult to run up to your nearest Home Depot and load your Cybertruck up with full sheets of plywood or drywall without first having the range extender removed at your nearest Tesla store, which in some parts of the U.S. may be hundreds of miles away.
The other drawback is that with the range extender weighing some 600 or so pounds, the truck’s payload is reduced by that much whenever the extra battery is installed. So, the payload falls from 2,500 pounds to a still acceptable 1,900 pounds, which is more than a Rivian R1T (1,764 pounds), but less than a Ford F-150 Lightning (2,235 pounds).
And of course, the range extender reduces the vehicle’s performance a bit and decreases its efficiency. But perhaps its biggest drawback is its $16,000 estimated price tag. That’s like the cost of a used Chevy Bolt. So another car in your driveway or a range-extending battery pack for your Cybertruck. The choice is yours.
For a bit of background, Tesla says that the Cybertruck AWD and top-trim Cyberbeast with tri-motor AWD will get range extender options that boost range ratings from 340 miles to 470-plus miles and 320 miles to 440-plus miles, respectively.
And as we pointed out in a previous post:
The range extender is said to add around 130 miles of additional range to the Cybertruck’s stated 340 miles, which means that it will need around 47 kWh of usable storage. That’s about 575 4680 cells, or 450 pounds in just batteries. The unit will also have added weight for the pack construction and other embedded components.
We should also note that Elon Musk says that a future version of the range extender will be able to take the Cybertruck’s range to 500 or more miles. So perhaps it’s worth waiting for that one instead.
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