In general, electric cars aren’t my jam. I like to hear and feel an internal combustion engine. Before my Cybertruck First Drives, my electric experience leaned more towards GTA than any IRL vehicle. My entire EV roster included a plug-in hybrid I daily drove and three fully electric vehicles that were only test rides. This most recent EV test upped my resume to my third Cybertruck variant. So, what was it about Tesla’s truck that made me try it out again? Well, this was the Tesla Cybertruck FSD (Full Self-Driving).
- Base Trim Engine
-
EV
- Base Trim Transmission
-
Automatic
- Base Trim Drivetrain
-
All-Wheel Drive
- Base Trim Horsepower
-
600 HP
- Base Trim Torque
-
521 lb.-ft.
- Base Trim Battery Type
-
Lithium ion battery
- Make
-
Tesla
- Model
-
Cybertruck
- Segment
-
Full-Size Pickup Truck
Spoiler Alert: By the end of this test, I found myself pulled over at the side of a thoroughfare (not by choice) with FSD self-disabled. I was swiping between my Uber app and DMs, checking whether my phone-a-friend SOS would locate anyone near enough to come and drive me home. Here’s how it all went down.
Telemetry from your vehicle indicates improper use of Full Self-Driving (Supervised). Keep your hands on the wheel and remain attentive at all times. Full Self-Driving (Supervised) will no longer operate after 1 more Autopilot Strikeouts.
My Path To Cybertruck FSD Started With A Bimmer
Although my last EV adventure ended with Cybertruck in a Mad Max-esque wasteland, my electric story didn’t start in an apocalyptic bunker or with Tesla. Flashback to nearly a decade ago, when I rolled a plug-in hybrid BMW i8 off the lot as my new grocery-getter. That i8 was all about the butterfly doors, nothing about its electric propulsion.
12 to 14 electric miles had minimal impact on my fuel budget. It had no motor roar that I was used to, and the piped in engine audio was more comical than convincing. The i8 didn’t chirp gear or put on a smoke show. Launch control and a 4.2-second 0-60 time kept it fun; but again, if the i8 had standard doors, I wouldn’t even have had that first, single EV-ish experience. Overall, I dug on my time in the i8, not because of the electric motor, but despite it. I am truly just an ICE girl at heart.
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This stainless steel wonder performed better than you might expect.
I’ve Had The Cybertruck Three Ways
For my first fully-electric ride, I hopped in a base model Cybertruck. It was running, yet oddly silent and still. I’ve felt more engine rumble through the seat of a mall massage chair. But shocker, that Cybertruck’s ride went better than expected.
Cybertruck Powertrain Specs
|
AWD |
Tri-Motor Cyberbeast |
|
|
Top Speed |
112 MPH |
130 MPH |
|
0-60 |
4.1 Seconds |
2.6 Seconds |
|
Range |
325 Miles |
320 Miles |
Hammer Down: Cyberbeast Vs. C8
No, I won’t claim to be a converted fangirl, but Cybertruck’s insta-power and immediate available torque made my eyes sparkle. I evolved from road-testing a base model Cybertruck to putting a tri-motor Cyberbeast on the line vs. a Chevy C8 Corvette. No roll. All dig. Cyberbeast got the dub.
That giant, metal wedge-on-the-edge looked like it would hit heavy. Wrong! The actual launch was a mind blow. It remained quiet. No exhaust. No lope. No growl. But in a nanosecond, it pinned me back, dropped my stomach, and spun my brain. Its 845 horses and 10,000-plus pound-feet of wheel torque went HAM on America’s mid-engine marvel. Cybertruck street race cred – check. That led me to Cybertruck FSD, another next-level variant in the Tesla fam.
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FSD: Let Tesla Take The Wheel
My previous drives left me familiar with Cybertruck and on this most recent test, I only had to acclimate to its FSD menus. I entered my first destination and was quickly on my way, with Cybertruck in what felt like total control. It did exactly what it promised.
When loading destination info, Cybertruck asked how much over the speed limit (by percentage) I wanted to go. As a girl who grew up wanting to be a race car driver, I’m not too shy to stand on it, but I figured I should lean conservative. I dialed in at a certain percentage over the speed limit, refraining from giving the Cybertruck approval for speeds that felt like auto-enrollment in traffic school.
Carving Lanes
Cybertruck drove me to the highway, up the on-ramp and through commute traffic. It was threadin’ the needle like Brady in his Patriots’ prime. I watched on the display screen as Cybertruck was in Chill Mode (limited acceleration for a smooth, gentle ride). It showed me images of our travels, environmental structures, and surrounding cars, while it went freeway drivin’ like a boss.
Once back on the city streets, I went back to Chill and moved through traffic like butta – super smooth. Until… I noticed a Sheriff on my left, but Cybertruck didn’t. Maybe if it was one of its own, like the Sin City PD Cybertrucks, it would’ve slowed. Cyber recognize Cyber? Possibly, but in my sitch, Cybertruck made no differentiation and saw the patrol car as just another vehicle. I rolled past law enforcement with my wide-eyed, shocked emoji face, shrugging, and holding up both hands. I was in surrender posture, already mentally prepping for my apology to the traffic court judge.
Side Note: I’m totally dropping a comment in the Tesla suggestion box for a Cruiser Recognition feature that prompts Speed Compensation and maybe a ticker that says, “My foot’s not even on the pedal.”
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‘Asleep’ At The Cybertruck Wheel
Fast-forward to the final miles of my drive. I wondered what Cybertruck would do, if I fell asleep. Rolling through a desolate area, I put it to the test. Hands on the wheel, I closed my eyes (momentarily). Cybertruck alerted me. I closed them again (momentarily), and like a nagging snooze button, it alerted me again.
After my final warning, Cybertruck went full send to the side of the road, immediately forcing us both into timeout. Neither Siri nor Google would come to my aid in restarting my cyber-stuck Cybertruck. I speculated I needed a new set of alert eyes for Cybertruck to read and start again.
Although Tesla’s manual says Cybertruck does not use biometrics to engage FSD, once I was out of the driver’s seat and someone else was in, it cranked up and resumed its course.
Stainless Is The New Chrome, And Chrome Don’t Getcha Home
Ironically, over the years, I’ve spent a little time broken down on the side of the road in a few different old school, ICE-powered American muscle cars. But for totally different reasons. I love OG muscle, it doesn’t always love me. Even so, I never imagined a scenario where I would be cyber-ceased in a Cyberbeast all because of its feels, stranded on the shoulder because it thought I was tired. Oh well – chalk it up as one more thing that hits different with Tesla tech.
Moral of the story: If you fall asleep or fake fall asleep, FSD Cybertruck does too, and it just may nap harder than you. You snooze, you lose. Don’t drive drowsy!
Cybertruck Owner’s Manual Note: When Full Self-Driving (Supervised) is engaged, Cybertruck attempts to drive to your destination by following curves in the road, stopping at and negotiating intersections, making left and right turns, navigating roundabouts, and entering/exiting highways. Note to self: Keyword – “attempts.”
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Sources: Tesla, Chevrolet