Tesla Cybertruck Towing Range Updates — Range Issues? Misleading Concerns?
Tesla Cybertrucks are rolling out quite quickly at the moment, per reports from the Tesla gigafactory in Texas and even based on local delivery info here in Southwest Florida. The truck lives! It’s really coming to market. As it starts to get out there, we’re getting a better sense of how the truck operates and what it’s like living with the “video game truck.”
One thing some people will be especially interested in is how it performs when towing. And we’ve got a couple of recent Tesla Cybertruck towing range tests to report on. But there are some basics to understand when it comes to driving any vehicle, and more particularly when it comes to driving EVs, that we have to start with.
Key Factors Influencing Driving Range
The faster one drives, the more energy is used — whether that’s gasoline or electricity. But the extra amount of energy used going 65 mph rather than 55 mph is greater than the extra amount used going 55 mph rather than 45 mph. And the extra amount used going 75 mph rather than 65 mph is much greater than the extra amount used going 65 mph rather than 55 mph. It’s not a linear relationship. So, the faster you drive, the more energy you burn, even more than simple math would lead you to believe. (There’s more to it than this, but trying to keep it simple: the faster you go, the more wind resistance you face, and thus the more your efficiency is reduced.) The estimated range of an electric vehicle is generated assuming an average speed, and in the case of range estimates you get from automakers and the U.S. EPA, they’re not assuming 75 mph interstate driving or anything like that. So, keep in mind that when driving on the highway, you’re not going to get as many miles out of a full charge as you’re going to get driving to the store or school or work.
Temperature also influences range, because in colder temperatures, more energy is needed to warm the battery and warm the inside of the car for humans. Winter is the time to test range for the worst possible scenario, and times of extreme cold are when you’re going to get the worst results.
Tesla Cybertruck Range on the Highway
Getting to the Tesla Cybertruck, as we know, customer deliveries just recently began and it’s the middle of winter. If the Cybertruck came with the range that was initially expected (when Tesla unveiled the truck a few years ago), that wouldn’t be much of an issue. But since the Cybertruck has much more modest range after all, how far the truck can go is an important topic for many new owners, future owners, and potential owners. The estimated range for the AWD Cybertruck is 340 miles, according to Tesla. However, reports are that is overly bullish. When it comes to 70 mph highway driving with temperatures of around 45°F (7°C), one trustworthy tester, Out of Spec Reviews, found that the AWD Cybertruck got 254 miles on a full charge to a dead battery. If you calculate 80% of that, assuming one might go from 100% to 20% or 90% to 10%, then you get 203 miles of range. That’s not 340 miles, but again, that’s going about 70 miles per hour in pretty cold temperatures.
It’s estimated you might get 250–300 miles using 80% of the battery in city driving, or could get well below 203 miles if driving much faster on the interstate. But the focus of this article is supposed to be towing with the Cybertruck, so let’s get to that.
Tesla Cybertruck Towing Range
Now — towing. I saw this thread pop up on the Cybertruck Owners Club forum about 10 days ago. It provides some information on Cybertruck towing range, but there was no completely public video of the test and there were missing key variables. I was on the verge of covering it, but decided to hold off until more information was provided. Well, some other EV outlets saw or caught wind of the post as well and did run with the story, and there have since been numerous stories on the horrendous towing range of an AWD Tesla Cybertruck. So, now, I’m coming back to it.
Interestingly, the original poster has provided several updates to respond to concerns about the lack of data, so that’s helpful, even if this still wasn’t a precise scientific test. Also, they just posted Sunday on a new towing range test — not the one that got all the headlines.
The poster, Gigahorse, did not do the driving. This is information they gained from a private Cybertruck group. Some key information on this trip:
- 111 miles round trip
- fan only for HVAC
- factory tires
- no rain, sunny
- 61°F (16°C)
- towed a Tesla and trailer (estimated ~6,000 lb)
- driving under 65 mph in a mix of city and low-speed highway driving
They did 4 tests and found that using 75% of the battery, the Cybertruck got 68 miles to 113 miles of range. (Different tests got quite different results, apparently.) If using the full battery pack, they estimate 90 miles to 150 miles of range, but it’s not logical to go from 100% battery to 0% battery — quite risky, and if driving a long way, charging to 100% takes a long time. This is similar to the 72 miles a Rivian R1T got towing a large load.
Again, the parameters above all play a role in the final range, and those parameters could be much worse (if one was to drive 90 mph like a manic, for example, or if one was driving in freezing temperatures) or much better (driving 40–45 mph, for example).
In another more recent test, Gigahorse reports the following parameters:
- average speed of ~55 mph on city/town/country roads, max speed of 65 mph
- pulling 5,600 lb travel trailer
- 48–58°F (9–14.5°C)
- “minimal HVAC use”
- “Tire pressure on A/T at 65PSI wheels had no aero caps ‘they are ugly as….'” (hmmmmm — odd for a towing test, and I and everyone I’ve talked to about these think they look super cool)
- 92 mile test
The result is that they used almost the entire back pack, and using around 80% of the battery pack, they’d get about 80–85 miles before needing to recharge.
More takeaways passed along by Gigahorse from an owner couple who have driven more than 10,000 miles in the Cybertruck already can be found here. It’s interesting to look at as an early owner report, even if it does come to us via a third party and does not match how match how anyone else would use the truck.
Planning for Life with the Cybertruck
Most people will not be towing with their Cybertrucks. However, of course, its towing features have been highlighted — as they are for all trucks. So, for most of us, these tests and this discussion of Cybertruck towing are basically just for entertainment purposes. When it comes to range when not towing, we’re eager to dive in more as more data and experience comes in, and as we are able to test the Cybertruck ourselves. (Let us know of anything interesting you find!)
As for those who do plan to tow with the Cybertruck, they presumably know there is bound to be a big range hit — as there is for any towing vehicle. Is it a shocker that the Cybertruck doesn’t get 340 miles of range towing at highway speeds? Certainly not. Is 90–150 miles of range, or 70–120 miles on 80% of a full charge, a surprise? I imagine that for some, it is; and for others, it’s not. But this is a good starting point for anyone who is planning to tow with the Cybertruck. If it beats these expectations, great! If not, at least you planned accordingly, right?
Let us know anything useful you find on Tesla Cybertruck towing range or experiences.
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