It's time to take the new Tesla Cybertruck through its first heavy-duty towing test. While other reviewers tow other trailers with the Cybertruck, this 33-foot travel camping trailer has a larger surface area and is heavier (approximately 7,500 pounds).
We expected the Cybertruck to have plenty of power and maneuverability. Tesla claims the dual-motor Foundation series is capable of up to 600 horsepower. The truck is equipped with four-wheel steering and height-adjustable air suspension. However, we were skeptical about the hitch location, ease of connection to the trailer, ease of use of the trailer brake controller, ride comfort, regenerative braking, efficiency, etc.
The Cybertruck was a pleasant surprise in most respects, but it took me a while to get used to the angular steering wheel and variable-ratio steer-by-wire system.
Backing the Cybertruck to the tongue of the trailer was easy. The resolution of the rear camera is high, and the image on the center screen is also displayed large. The air suspension quickly adapted to the additional weight of the trailer tongue (approximately 800 to 900 pounds).
The Cybertruck has a maximum payload of 2,500 pounds and a maximum tow rating of 11,000 pounds. The dual-motor Foundation Series Tesla Cybertruck has a curb weight of just under 6,700 pounds. It's about 400 pounds lighter than the Rivian R1T quad-motor electric pickup truck.
As soon as I plugged in the trailer's 7-pin cable, the tow screen popped up and I was able to adjust the brake gain. Manual operation of the trailer brake can be done via the central screen or the scroll wheel on the steering wheel.
The Cybertruck's ride is comfortable whether it's empty or loaded. This is impressive. The sound of the electric motor is very noticeable inside the car while driving. Mechanical feedback from the powertrain is on the line between “Oops, that lack of sound isolation” and “Oh, that motor sound is so satisfying.”
After some city driving and a short stint on the highway, I returned after a 32 mile trip using 20kWh. I made a mistake in the video while calculating average energy usage.it was 1.1 miles/kWh. This is a relatively good result for such a large trailer.
But this do not have The Denver-100's efficiency loop consistently travels at interstate speeds.This is also do not have ike gauntletTM traction test. These towing efficiency results cannot be directly compared to other electric pickup trucks tested (Ford F-150 Lightning, Rivian R1T, GMC Hummer EV, and Chevrolet Silverado EV).
The Cybertruck has a battery capacity of 123 kWh. This means you can tow this travel trailer approximately 135 miles if you intend to use all 100% of the battery. A more realistic Cybertruck tow range would be closer to 115 miles (based on this first tow test), since it's unlikely that an owner will use 100% of the battery during a road trip.
Please join us in the video below.
