Cybertruck Range Extender 📐Explained

[@Molishious]

The point of the range extender was to allow Tesla to say they could almost give the 500 miles of range when they were actually no where near that.

[@michaelavrit]

I was banking on the 500 mile tri-motor for a work truck. I needed it to pull a heavy trailer around town all day. For now range and price are not going to cut it for me. Not being an EV purest, I wish Tesla would offer an integrated efficient fuel burning range extender for those in very cold regions or pulling heavy loads.

[@aerostorm_]

For the range extender. Its really just a solution for the towing use case. I expect it to have its conditioning solution hooked into the existing one. It was also never meant to be "swapable" because it requires the battery infrastructure hookups so its not a fast process. They solved the voltage balancing because Cybertruck run's 2 battery circuits in series to run at 800V and splits the pack to 400V in parallel to charge. The range extender being around 50kW will also be at 400V for charging and also reorganize the circuit for 800V output. That means it will charge in the same parallel balance as the rest of the pack. Under the bed where the range extender will go contains the air pressurization system for the scuba mode and suspension as well as the rear motor. What is most likely to be the case is the conditioning system for the range extender will be a heat pump connected to the existing heat pump line from the rear motor. This will just mean the existing heat pump and conditioning system will have to balance temperature conditions for a larger mass. You have more mass in the system but its still the same system.

[@TypicalBlox]

1. $16,000 2. Takes up 1/3 the bed 3. Non user removable, have to take it service center; making it a pain to switch between choosing bed utility and range. 4. Increases wire complexity, which decreases recharging speed and adds more points of failure. 5. Rivian owns a patent which doesn't mean a lot, but it means Tesla has to work around it / work with them. Range extender is a DOA tacky solution when they realized that the general public was going to criticize the ~300 mile range. I predict they will simply just improve the efficiency and increase the kWh from 123kWh to ~150kWh for the 2025 models adding about ~60 miles extra across, hopefully making the range while hauling / towing go from very slightly above bad to pretty decent ( for an EV truck ).

[@lucristianx]

Canceling my Cybertruck order. It’s just overall disappointing when Ford offers the lightning 40k base now. Maybe 5 years from now the cyber truck will make more sense.

[@darylfortney8081]

i think the extender will be another 400v pack in parallel with the other 2 banks already in the battery but will share the coolant loop and will have coolant connections as well as power. i think it will be balanced level with all the other cells together since they will be all wired in parallel and charging it will take an extra 30% longer.

[@williamw4350]

Honestly, I cancelled my CT reservation because they aren't doing the bench seat. Super disappointed

[@LovingCabal]

Your fixation on small battery, short range and quick charging curve being superior doesn’t help the newbies. Range probably is top concern especially with road trips. The lifestyle change needed to convert to an EV person is already not a small psychological hump. Now you are asking them to retune their minds to short range, small battery … quick multiple charges during road trip… it’s delusional. I don’t disagree with your strategy… just doesn’t apply to the masses.

[@TheScottShepard]

It doesn’t take long to learn though. One long round trip. I’m not sure CT is a good first EV though. It’s quite an investment for that. Maybe Turo something for a few days first, at least.

[@LovingCabal]

@@TheScottShepard Glad you are not the decision maker for Tesla. Tesla dominated not by letting people ‘learn’ how to live with it instead by not letting the customer have excuses to make the change.

[@MikeHewitt]

i’m longtime Tesla bull and Im not happy it doesn’t have 500 miles of range. Trucks need to be able to tow. 500 mile range is cut in half for towing

[@LovingCabal]

@@MikeHewitt me too. Exactly. I have two reservations for CT. I’m first 10min reservation holder. Don’t think I’m going to place the order. I thought CT would at least have the range as MS. Tesla didn’t blow past the competition with CT. Its not even the best product in its category.

[@Hugo-py2ce]

I agree. He likes the basic stuff and doesn't believe over 300 miles is necessary. Most people want longer range because most people travel far and want to eliminate range anxiety.

[@JayCAlan]

60 miles for 16,000 dollars... wow that put it into perspective

[@MrRandomguyTom]

And compromised bed as a "bonus"

[@onetwothreefour-s1n]

Yeah, crazy.

[@BoDiesel]

What are you talking about 60 miles? More like 130 miles for 16 grand.

[@bartholomewbrown2342]

@@BoDiesel 60 miles is about right as the range is usually cut in half in real world practice.

[@DennisKrok-s6p]

This is great for the average Tesla fanboy! They really will believe anything Electric Jesus says.

[@AncientEgyptArchitecture]

In the mid 90's I designed/built a BEV...anything other than Lead acid batteries were fiendishly expensive back then, so I came up with a 'range extender' battery pack that could be added to the vehicle. High cost, high weight, not a huge increase in range, and worst of all it raised the CG to the point of marginal safety from rollover risk at high speed. So much for that....I am really quite surprised that the Tesla engineers resorted to such a hack approach, better that they would have waited/worked towards a higher energy density pack under the floor.

[@wolfgangpreier9160]

You would have to wait a decade or ten for the next step in financially feasible higher density battery cells.

[@Molishious]

It’s the fact that it’s such a hack approach that makes me think Tesla has no intention of actually offering this. I think it was just to get people off their back about not getting a 500 mile range. My guess is it’ll probably work out for them on that level. I think the range is actually fine for what 99 % of what people will use it for. At this point I think if you want to do a lot of towing you use an ICE vehicle or wait for the Ramcharger to come out if you still want to be electric most of the time. If you don’t need to tow then you have normal Tesla range which seems to be okay with most owners. I understand people were disappointed that the Cybertruck was no Great Leap Forward for range and is pricey but I never really thought it’d get the range. The steer by wire, four wheel steer and 48 volt architecture are cool and would be better if they weren’t inside such an ugly truck.

[@wolfgangpreier9160]

@@Molishious If i do a lot of towing i recommend a electric Volvo or Scania instead this measly little Cybertruck.

[@trex2092]

250 miles naked & NOT towing anything.

[@mikapeltokorpi7671]

Less carbon credits, because the battery is not attached to an EV. Apparently Tesla was awarded $2 Billion last year for this kind of federal subsidies, alone.

[@Jolly-Green-Steve]

They just need to offer a 200kw internal battery pack as a 20k option for all models of Cybertruck.

[@wolfgangpreier9160]

No. 3 tons curb weight is more than enough. If you want more buy a Hummer.

[@Jolly-Green-Steve]

@@wolfgangpreier9160 It's a better idea than the range extender which will add just as much weight. Using a range extender is like slapping a 32x in a Genesis. It's a bad design.

[@wolfgangpreier9160]

@@Jolly-Green-Steve Yes its a bad design. Of course. The battery in the CT - and also in F150 and Rivian - is large enough for its intended purpose. And that is NOT towing 5 tons @ 150 km/h. Or 11.000 pounds over 80 mph. IDK anything about Genesis besides its original greek meaning. I never owned a Japanese car.

[@Jolly-Green-Steve]

@@wolfgangpreier9160 Sega Genesis

[@wolfgangpreier9160]

@@Jolly-Green-Steve The Wrath of Khan.

[@brunoethier896]

I'm pretty sure the reason why the range extender would need to be installed at a service center is because it will most likely have plumbing connections for thermal management.

[@MJ-zo5gb]

I really like the cyber truck and I’m still uncertain if I’m going to get one. (I’m 309,000 in line so no need to decide anytime soon.). I do think that they went too small on the battery. 123Kw is just too small. I think a battery around 145 kW will be better since you lose so much range carrying weight or pulling a trailer.

[@johnwasilenko170]

And even just for colder climates or highway driving at higher speeds range loss is quite substantial

[@onetwothreefour-s1n]

​@@johnwasilenko170yup 250 highway, as bad as 90 towing

[@Cakebattered]

How many people still think the Tesla Roadster will have a 200kWh battery? 🤣

[@francislee7770]

Cells that at far away if connected in parallel will experience different impedance. I think it makes more sense for the range extender to operate separately to give some sort of a reduced power mode to extend the main battery.

[@LJLion]

Battery extender is beneath Tesla pedigree for being innovators and touting the merits of the 4680 batteries. People expected 500 miles not 254 miles @ 70mph nor 90 miles whilst towing.

[@onetwothreefour-s1n]

Yeah sad days.

[@aceroadholder2185]

This thing is starting to look like a stainless-steel Edsel.

[@trex2092]

As a share holder TSLA I am pissed about my share price.

[@brandonmilano3445]

Instead of the range extender battery pack…how about a diesel generator in the fronk?

[@wolfgangpreier9160]

How about a Cummins Diesel before Cummins-Diesel-Gate? One of the ultra dirty ones?

[@techyjames1945]

I have to disagree with idea of giving up the automatic tonneau cover. For one you wouldn’t be able to add more than about 10% more battery capacity. So that wouldn’t be a good option. As for how the range extender, it obviously needs to be equal to two 400 volt panels to allow splitting just like current battery pack does when charging at v3 charger. Hopefully charging can be improved when the 1000 volt v4 chargers start rolling out. As for preconditioning and BMS the range extender would tie into the existing BMS. Now if they do come out with the range extender my expectation would be because it’s tied to existing BMS it would be permanent installation not able to be removed.

[@Not_An_Alien]

Just put a gasoline generator in there.

[@lazerusmfh]

JRE towed a 11k lb trailer with a CT and got 90 miles. CT needs a larger pack. Its like building a bad ass truck and sticking a 2.5L v6 in it I would be much happier if battery ws closer to 200kwh

[@wolfgangpreier9160]

JRE needs less towing. The CT is not fit for that purpose.

[@onetwothreefour-s1n]

Yeah that was super embarrassing

[@d21mike]

You could be right. But of all of the examples you gave where Tesla changed their mind how many of them began with a $500 non-refundable deposit? Seems like for this they are pretty confident they will deliver. Maybe they want to get a firm commitment on how many to make? Based on the order sampling that is about 25% of the orders so far have placed the order for the Range Extender.

[@TailosiveEV]

I’m sure if they cancel it they’ll just give the money back

[@regs3836]

The cybertruck looks like a kids toy. And looks about as useful. But then I don’t know what we should expect from the company that created the Generic Car.

[@onetwothreefour-s1n]

True

[@JustWasted3HoursHere]

Elon is famous for over-promising on product and release dates, but for the Cybertruck he has done that to the Nth degree. Instead of having a range extender they should just push the "500+" mile CT down the road a bit until they have figured out how to do it in a more conventional way.

[@TailosiveEV]

I agree

[@Whatisthis195]

My guess: the original cyber truck was supposed to come with the range extender in the cyber beast. Which is why you see it go from 250-300-500 in the original reveal. But as costs went up, they scrapped the idea, and allowed it to be an add on for any trim.

[@JBoy3210]

They CANNOT scrap the range extender. Throw using it to power your home or RV out the window if so. Will buy the Silverado instead if they scrap it. Dropped the ball big by not having the beast battery pack bigger. I cant believe not one engineer took into account using the truck to power an offgrid 48v home system by simply having a large battery in one of the models. Its supposed to be for the future and they put a freaking 123kw battery in it. LMAO total joke!

[@Mtheorygarage]

The range extender will not be scrapped.

[@Tman2747]

after seeing cybertruck actually only getting 165 miles of range highway driving I'm worried adding range extender wont even get you into the 250 range highway driving.

[@ahmedabdelaziz4355]

Tesla drove with 11000 pound test and made 90 mins on a fully charged battery which is rivian did on the same test 100 miles and Ford lightning f150 130 miles 😢so what do u think I will cancel my order .

[@TailosiveEV]

Worse conditions possible, also didn’t have the more efficient tires. But even if it made it 150 miles towing long distances is gonna be the last use case for gas vehicles for a while

[@keco185]

It’s not that hard to add a coolant line to the battery pack. They need to do the same thing when they add a front motor to the model 3

[@hedleypepper1838]

Such a huge vehicle i am gobsmaked they couldnt fit a 200kw battery in there under the floor. I agree the extender is a hack solution 😢

[@sly1012000]

Won’t it be better stay with a gas truck where you just pull up at the gas station and you are done in a few minutes

[@ben-l8g2n]

range extender taking 1/3 of truck bed is horrible idea. i want 500miles not for towing.

[@wolfgangpreier9160]

I want 350km without towing. Thats plenty enough. - Thats 220 miles...

[@thedownwardmachine]

70 mph highway range test with A/Ts and AWD was less than 260mi. The estimated 470mi with the extender is with A/Ss, not A/Ts (the ugly ones). A larger pack should allow you stay in the max portion of the charging curve, so imagine staying at 250kw up through 40% of total capacity, getting you almost 150 of range before hitting a charging shoulder. My big question is whether the extender and tent can fit in there together. They look like they might not interfere but I’m not 100% on that. While we are talking redesign, why not stick the extender in the subvault or just make the main battery big enough to delete that. How will the extender precondition? Great question. When the CT parts catalog and explosion diagrams got out, I looked for the extender hookup but found nothing. So it’s an open question whether the HV and coolant will get hooked in, or just the HV.

[@TailosiveEV]

Range extender won’t help much

[@thedownwardmachine]

If the extender has 50kwh, that is 40% of the existing pack, meaning that 260mi times 1.4 is 364, pretty significant.

[@TailosiveEV]

Road tripping is a lot more than just hauling cells. Charging curve, top and bottom buffers, and preconditioning are all factors that need to be addressed

[@thedownwardmachine]

True, I use my MSP mostly for errands and road tripping. Recently we did SF to LV in a day, no problem. Basically did multiple 10 to 50% charging stops, coinciding with food/stretch/biobreaks. The CT would need more juice, but the higher input and broader curve would likely make up for it, if you stick to 250kw stations, and time would likely be similar, it would just cost a lot more.

[@Darkchadwick]

Why not use the EXTRA storage space that's in the bed for more 4680 space?😂

[@darrenthul7088]

Jerry rig everything tested towing range when it's cold 90 miles imagine real cold like Canada maybe 70 total crap just a city truck

[@onetwothreefour-s1n]

Yep

[@Braedin]

I hope they don’t scrap it, but agreed that customers should be made aware of how it works before making a non-refundable deposit. Towing far from the SC network is definitely possible, you may just need to ball out on an expensive trailer with its own battery pack. I can’t see the extender getting you that much farther from the SC network, but it will be good for using tools/equipment for longer durations if that’s needed.

[@jackylsmith8138]

Fun fact. Rivian owns the patent on battery range extenders installed in the bed of an electric truck. How is Tesla getting around this? Is Rivian letting Tesla make it.

[@jonevansauthor]

Ummm. NACS? I feel like if Tesla went to Rivian and actually needed access to their patent, a trade or a licensing fee would be really easily done. Or... they could just buy Rivian with some pocket change from their sofas. I don't think there's the antagonism between them that you think there is. All that assumes that the patent is valid. Granted does not mean your patent is valid.

[@Gargamel-n-Rudmilla]

I think the tailgate ramp could be an option. I hope it will be, it is a no brainer for increasing the accessability for the CT.

[@lv_q3259]

+1 vote for this. Maybe Hansshow can design aftermarket like their powered frunk kit. There's already 48v feed that can be tapped from the bed. All you'd need is Tesla suspension UI to provide kneel mode to get ramp to decline.

[@ccibinel]

A traditional tonneau cover would also unlock the possibility for a passthrough bed which is a huge usability advantage.

[@wolfgangpreier9160]

Why not buy a F150? Moch more beautiful anyway.

[@ien2023]

Thank you the 1% $120kners for being the test dummies...no pun.

[@voxtek]

it makes no sense, its going to add so much weight, it will kill everything good about the truck. The handling, braking its all going to go to hell as well as acceleration.

[@LuKiSCraft]

Primary battery (with cooling tubes) charges faster up to ~75% SoC. At that point, the Cybertruck UI will display, say, 60% (primary battery at 75% and extender at say 2%). Now once the primary battery pack can only accept a charge of say 50kW, it switches to charging the extender. It does this until the extender is at 80% at which point it switches back to charging the primary. I think it can be done. The charging curve in this scenario would look just like a normal Cybertruck's curve, but you'd see it stay completely flat at 50kW once it kicks in the extender. Also the % SoC would be offset by the extender so it would be better to compare the curves with the X-axis as total kWh SoC (instead of % SoC). In this scenario it wouldn't be any slower to charge the Cybertruck + extender vs the regular Cybertruck, for the same amount of kW's

[@brianmb]

You think so? I don't know, I lean the other direction. If anything, the extender is going to HAVE to be removable fairly easily. That would be a game changer for people I think. If you could reliably remove and reinstall it in your truck without any crazy expensive equipment (some sort of dolly system), I bet it would be popular. I actually expect that feature to be more popular in the future because of the fact that the design of a pickup truck allows for that feature. Just slap on the extra battery in the bed lol.

[@TailosiveEV]

Nah it’ll be over 1K pounds, not something anyone can easily do themselves

[@onetwothreefour-s1n]

Yeah, like a nio with its battery choices-75, 100, 150kwh. Rent the 150 just for long trips or towing, swap and go, all automated 6 minutes. 360 wh/kg at the pack level/250 cell level for the 150 semi solid state, only 3% heavier than the 100 kWh nmc battery. The luxury of choice and your car isn't ever going to be a paperweight.

[@theplouf5533]

The tonneau cover may remove some range by removing a few 4680 cells, but it allows this lack to be compensated for by aerodynamics and weight reduction. So, it is cheaper for Tesla to put this tonneau cover than to put 4680s to ultimately obtain the same autonomy. So, it's the right choice. For now.

[@TailosiveEV]

There are simpler ways to use a tonneau cover

[@theplouf5533]

@@TailosiveEV You mean... lighter, right ? ;) You can also remove the doors and put batteries in the frunk. But is it still a Cybertruck ? The Cybertruck is not the problem of the 4680. The problem is the 4680, their chalenges and Tesla's transparency in talking about it: Mines, Refineries, etc. Even if it means that there still be delays, you have highlighted this correctly. Progress is slow, but still progress. 4680 project is young, very young. Tesla is committed to R&D, that's the most important thing. But you're right on one point : I find the battery pack as good as other brands when it comes to making electric vehicles.

[@jasonstroup4123]

I would rather them figure out a way to have the range extender fit into the under storage area. You could probably fit a good 30kw in there and not lose bed cargo space.

[@VadersFirst]

I still don’t understand how this will change things that much. Elon said the mais reason they don’t do 500mile range is efficiency because of the added weight. That battery is a ton of extra weight. How much will the battery ACTUALLY help in range vs weight harming the range

[@ChicagoBob123]

Why not do what gm did and stuff in a 200kwh pack. Or doesn't Tesla know how? That truck gets serious range

[@jamesrichmond5919]

If the range extender doesn’t make it, I’m gonna have a big problem with Tesla because I’m getting the foundation series trimotor, and that I extender without it the truck isn’t that damn cool I’m not gonna be sitting at superchargers all the time😮

[@D0li0]

I don't think the extender will be configured as a separate battery the way you are implying. I suspect the extender will be a lower capacity but similarl configuration as the built in pack. That is, it will be two 400vdc modules (versus 2x in series 200v modules which are functionally equivalent for the built in). Further, I would guess that the extender is then wired directly to the built in pack at the two ends and mid point. It will be in parallel with the built in and do the same series/parallel DCFC switching when needed. This arrangement makes it literally and conceptually simply a larger capacity whole single battery. Of course it will have similar cooling and BMS additions, but at a high level those are nuanced details we can gloss over. If you haven't seen the cover of the "penthouse" of the CyberTruck, in the front of the bed, you need to look it up. This is where the connection points for the extender are, so installation should be trivial. The addition of the and extender simply must be already planned for, it's not an unknown future hack. With all that said, a larger battery does not change the charge rate. So the larger extended pack will simply charge directly in parallel, but the added capacity means the power levels can be larger, resulting in an unchanged charge duration but resulting in more range added per time... This is because adding more cells in parallel does not change the "C rate" of the cells, look up this property... It is a charge and discharge power level as a function of a cell capacity. If the C rate of a 1Ah cell is 1C, it can charge at 1amp in 1 hour. With a C rate of 4C (approximately normal for Tesla) then the amps becomes 4amp in 15minutes (less the charge rate taper considerations). 100 parallel 1Ah cells equals 100Ah, but the C rate is unchanged at 4C, so 100amps and 15minutes are unchanged. The extender you are imagining as a separate battery which supplies power to the built in does not align with the Tesla first principals. Just like Tesla did not used a DC-DC to boost 400v to 800v like Porsche and Lucid (unwisely) did. So to Tesla wouldn't resort to this method for the extender.

[@PortlyGentleman]

Love your content. Keep it up I'm picking up my truck tomorrow in the Bay Area can't wait!

[@TailosiveEV]

Have fun!

[@thomasreese2816]

I hope they open up the port / protocol and use it as a way to connnect 3rd party tools. Could make it a strong competitor for commercial van/truck mods

[@valdisgerasymiak1403]

We can check existing connection of the range extender - they should have engineered it before delivering even foundation ct

[@Dr.Gehrig]

They really needed to have a version, however expensive with 500 miles of range. However big the battery and however expensive... this needed to happen. As you say under the bed theres plenty more room. The lack of range has had many ev enthusiasts labeling it as a "dud", and the Silverado is going embarass it even further. That it didn't come out with a 500 mile version has become a huge problem for the company. Price, people could forgive, and again the 250 lfp battery starter cybertruck could get close to 40k adjusted for inflation after the ira tax credit... but a high range model was a must. Tesla messed up badly here.

[@Baskinbzier]

Silverado who?😂

[@Dr.Gehrig]

@@Baskinbzier this thing m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/pYaxZGhur86ibaM&pp=ygUbb3V0IG9mIHNwZWMgY2hldnkgc2lsdmVyYWRv

[@deanmcmanis9398]

I think that Tesla will keep the range extender. Chevy's EV Silverado, Cadillac's Escalade IQ, and GMC's Hummer all have gigantic (232kWh) battery packs to handle off road, towing and cold weather conditions. And the Cybertruck and Tesla in general is getting blasted for problems with cold weather range and charging these days. If lower range was not a perceived problem for Tesla, then they could have quietly dropped the option. But as it is now, I think that they will keep it. And maybe even increase the largest pack size.

[@UniFanatix]

I would take off that extra storage I'm the bed, aka the cooler and just add the range extender there where it will mount directly on the battery pack. Lower the price of it and call it a day. If the vehicle gets 400 with range extender on the long range version, this is a win for me. This way you don't need to sacrifice the bed space.

[@GTStrane]

Yeah, im not sure about the value proposition for the range extender but thr Rivian max pack is not a comparison, it is the same amount of cells just a different chemistry, not additional cells. I hope they can improve the charging curve with V4 800v charging because that would be a game changer. Also you said 2 charging curves to manage, it would actually be 3 on v3 superchargers. The truck already splits the pack to 2 400v packs which isn't helping rn.

[@KaceyGreen]

I had an idea to buy the Foundation series, but I was not sure if the spot would still be available when I filed my taxes. I initially thought of skipping the extender, but Zack's video of towing his EV Hummer conversion changed my mind. I realized that we would need the extender for our Cybertruck as well.

[@635574]

You wanna wait till this extender enters production, if you really need towing range and cant use it without, why would you get the CT now?

[@wolfgangpreier9160]

The Cybertruck is not a good solution for this specific use case. In the US there are no other products currently. In Europe we have many choices for mid sized trucks very capable of towing and hauling. Of course only up to 55 mph. The sme limit as all trucks.

[@kylerobinson7572]

I’m interested in the extender. Too many long trip. I would like to see a mockup and actually touch and feel. :-)

[@didiermejia780]

Lighting is way better!.

[@mnsawmill2904]

500 mi was only on the tri motor, around 300 mi was on the dual motor, I see this being often misquoted. The stand alone battery will be for a very small market. Most of the reservations were $100 not $500, I do agree the range extender in the bed is a waste and bad idea after thought.

[@darylfortney8081]

the solar tonneau also didn't come to fruition

[@mycalltoadventure9712]

Instead of the range extender being a box that takes up a 1/3 of the bed. Why not a flat pack that covers the entire bed but is 4” tall. Technically you still lose the same volume but would still be about to fit longer items in the bed.

[@TiffanyJackson-h1z]

Correction to your video: The dual motor Rivian (352 EPA rated) has more range than the dual motor Cybertruck (340 est) not less. I don’t see Tesla doing the range extender, while Rivian has the max pack and it will greatly improve before the Cybertruck even gets close to 400 mile range.

[@TailosiveEV]

I didn’t say it had more range, I said it was more efficient

[@user--PM]

crystal ball time on the range extender, it will have panasonic 2170s not 4680s it will tie into the existing cooling system and make the performance of the system overall worse, or at least take away some of the head room. it will have it's own BMS and contactors that make it a 400v or 800v battery so it can charge the same as the main battery, in parallel. i do like the idea of removing the tuno cover and putting more cells in that location, perhaps if enough people want the range extender they will delete the tuno cover and make it a manual one, then also allow the additional range extender in the bed to get the magical 500+ miles

[@StarInfinite00]

All this is just proving that battery technology is too optimistic at this point in time. Trucks and other heavier vehicles wont benefit from being full EV for likely another decade unless new battery technology is found

[@car_tar3882]

For towing cybertruck will be useless and the range extender will make it less useless also the battery will function the same he only difference is it will take ever so slightly longer to charge a set amount of miles and you have the option of more miles. That is if this is designed well which knowing Tesla it won’t be but oh well

[@ianbladuell2694]

This is probably another vaporware project that will get sideline and will never come into production

[@richierich252]

I believe the range extender was a last minute thought because they knew people would criticize the range of the cybertruck. I share opinion. 👍🏻

[@Resist4]

The range extender takes up bed space and then if you store a spare tire in the bed then you have no more space. Kind of defeats the point of having a truck.

[@alexbezdicek]

You wouldn’t get another charging curve when adding a range extender, you spread out the charge between the cells in the pack. You would need a very fast charger though. Like for the hummer ev

[@fredlomangino]

you think they arent gonna solve the heating problem before it releases? srsly?

[@qman66]

That's the first thing I thought when I saw this range extender. Stupid idea and won't make it to production

[@matthenry8408]

I am not on X so if anyone is please push this idea out for the RE. Instead of making a 500 pound battery that has to be installed at a Tesla service station, make the battery modular, say 10 small batteries of 50 pounds each. This way you accomplish 2 things, the installation can be done at home and the batteries can be added based on range need versus the all or nothing approach.

[@TailosiveEV]

Range extender is likely more than 1000 pounds. It would be more like 10 modules that are 120 pounds each

[@matthenry8408]

@@TailosiveEV 500 pounds or 1,000 pounds the modular concept still holds, just increase the number.

[@jackylsmith8138]

Tesla said the CT is the most efficient. We have yet to see it in the real world being more efficient than Rivian, Lighning and Silverado. At highway speeds on the only tires it comes with right now. It is not the most efficient EV truck.

[@TailosiveEV]

Correct, but tires can be changed. The same truck with different tires isn’t a new truck

[@1slyboy]

Can only tow 90 miles without it. They need more range for towing and camping in the west.

[@hedleypepper1838]

You are referring to Jerry rig everything test ? Towing 11,400 1bs trailer with his hummer on the back? That's a very very much worst case sub zero test. It's valid but also misleading. 😢

[@1slyboy]

@@hedleypepper1838 agreed it’s worse case scenario, but nevertheless, having more range is essential under certain circumstances for a pick-up truck. I preordered based upon a promise of 500+ miles range specifically because I will need that extra range for towing and camping in the mountains and other places out here in the west.

[@lucidhunter]

I think someone like Obrist(Germany) should manufacture an actual range extender for Cybertruck that fits in the under bed vault or frunk. Tesla should’ve used the under bed vault for a full size spare but since they didn’t perhaps they could expand the main battery into that area.

[@rockelino]

@Tailosive EV, Unrelated but wanted to ask for your opinion - as of today, Tesla no longer offers free color options for the Model X, so if I buy the base Model X in other than silver, it doesn’t qualify for the $7500 tax/point of sale credit. This apparently just happened in the last few days. Thoughts?

[@TailosiveEV]

Probably too much demand to justify keeping the price low. Manufacturing is easier when all the colors / trims are the same

[@billmM3605]

I can't believe people actually think EV's are worth all of this hassle. It is so nice to get into my pickup and go for 600 miles without worrying about range. This thing is not a "truck" it is a novelty.

[@xfilethe]

oke this is my beef after ive seen loads of vids from the cybertruck... there are some strange things ive noticed of the bat on this truck... ex why do we need 90 degrees opening back doors , honestly i rather have suicide doors makes more scene ea door opener on the same column... then when you get in the back the seats fold up... its cool and handy and stuff but when i transport stuff ( we have had a station wagon for life ) i like to have a flat floor...so i would fold the seats down... so that made me think and it hooks onto that batt pack extender... this is my thoughts and heck i maybe so wrong but this is my eye as a cad designer in engineering... i would put al those aspects in if i wanted to forklift in a big mass i think a euro pallet wont fit i think so my logic said giant battery pack etc... i also think that the battery connectors are somewhat at the back down of those seats... so they cold do that... you would still have loads of space on top of that pack to store gear etc... the only problem i can think of is that rivian has a patent on sliding a battery in that tunnel and this may come close to that patent....and they may be exploring what can be done , but i bet you they had that thought otherwise we would not see these choices in my view... because why would you else need a 90 degree door , and if so why is it not on the front doors.... but that make way more sense then the pack in the bed.... but you can see things have evolved along the way....like they cut the ramp on the tailgate and then having the excuse that its to heavy etc etc... dont get me wrong that may be valid , but i think the main reason was cost... i mean who are they kidding , they have a compressor for the suspension , whats stopping you from putting 2 air powered rams in that gate to help lift it up and making it auto close.... its the same stupid reason those charge ports are at the back , not because its useful but its the shortest route to the batt connection point i guess... im still bashing my head please please put those plugs at the front of those cars.... it makes no logical sense in the way you use a car trust me...or you are one of those backwards parkers at malls etc that buys nothing and you never open your trunk...sorry im a guy that buys a hatchback to use the hatsh even when im charging it because thats where my gear is.... and no i dont have of site parking ( so i dont park the hatsh up to my garage ) but in Europe thats not a problem there are 10 chargers within 5 to 7 min walk from my home.... he only did that so these cars would blend in withe petrol cars because he was afraid that Americans would not cope whel withe the change... theses things are far from perfect ex why is there no screen cover for that back screen when you can stow stuff there .... trust me i would scratch it ....unless they made that thing out of the same gorilla glass lol.... but i digress we have an mg5 ( good car for that price ) and trust me the front is where those things need to be.... so yes i think that car is great would buy one over the others if i ever have so much money ( like never lol ) but prices rose and he had to cut stuff which is sad.... and if anything that pack is better placed in between the back row .... but what i really am exited about , and i hear nobody talk about is : what if you slapped a tow-truck configuration in that bed and toolboxes on that back row... or made it into a box van.... this chassis has loads of possibilities.... i bet you if you had a towing cyber-truck you will be seen lol....

[@stevendunn264]

More battery means more range but who drives like that. I can’t drive 2 hours without stopping. Might as well be charging. We don’t need more battery, more weight, more cost, more danger. We need better infrastructure. We are fixing the wrong problem. 90% of drivers are commuting 30 miles in a vehicle by themselves. Not driving 1000 miles across the country or running a rideshare business. If you do how about someone “BUILD” a ride share vehicle like they have made “CAB” vehicles in the US and Britain. Designed for that use.You need a vehicle that meets your needs most the time.

[@Boomtendo4tw]

Need an aero trailer with built in batteries or with a smaller generator for truck towing to make sense with ev

[@jamesrichmond5919]

The point is you won’t be at the supercharger as often if you have more in the first place, but it is very disappointing to not have that 500 mile range in the beginning like we were so hoping for, but I honestly would not get the cyber truck if it weren’t for the Range extender just enough range for me even driving around Houston Texas on a daily basis I’ve had times when I drove my model Y all day and had to hit the supercharger and it is a dull motor long range

[@madguitarist]

I'd rather see them work on battery energy density to increase range. Frankly, the roll up tonneau could be done more efficiently if they integrated it into the roofline and free up that space. If you think about having all of that extra material to stretch down into the floor of the vehicle, it's wasteful and inefficient. Do a powered rail with slats that stack into a slot at the top of the "boxrails."

[@Gargamel-n-Rudmilla]

I think the extender only needs to extend the CT range by 100 miles and give a performance boost of @1 second. This means they do not need such a large battery pack. Maybe the pack can drop from @$16k to @$10k😊

[@justinjja2]

I think it will exist, but on the fence about getting one myself… so I do see where you are coming from. I’m thinking it’s going to be air cooled lifepo4 (w/ heaters) It doesn’t need to be capable of 630KW like the internal battery, 100kw would be more than enough, and would require minimal cooling.

[@DaGoat97]

The extra weight, thermal management energy usage + speed of travel will eat up that extra battery making it negligible.

[@Dixon1430]

They should get rid of the under vault storage and fill it with batteries. Just charge more money if you need to but at least have a good range.

[@GoatDirt]

software sand bagging the 4680 is not going to last long. one sw update will unleash that bad boy

[@MarkSparks-xd9yy]

If they want the previously advertised range with all of the clearance it has a double stack or longer cells like a 46-160 makes far more sense to me.

[@Mtheorygarage]

The idea that the range extender will be abandoned will not age well.

[@michaelfink64]

Cybertruck is a fair bit lower in height than F150 Lightning and R1T. Maybe they should go with a double row of batteries in he floor?

[@staly23o]

About if they are still testing how deep they can go on each cell. Maybe ,… . I wonder if they thought of future proofing the vehicle for more range. Maybe the 800 volt potential is not fully utilized.

[@WentzCraft]

I agree with most everything you said except you don't seem to understand how having a larger battery pack will keep you at high charge rates for longer.

[@thesimplegig]

Do they return the deposit on those that they scrapped

[@ANDR_U]

I ordered it. I want one

[@wolfgangpreier9160]

I ordered two i want at least one. But maybe we in Europe do not get any? Who knows...

[@Gargamel-n-Rudmilla]

I doubt it very much. The extender is a good option. They just need the all weather option. The 4680 will have a v3 and a v4. The strategy made sence and still does. V3s will be coming end of this year I think. Everytime there is an upgrade the extender can be upgraded as well. Obviously this upgrade is for new customers it would be costly to swap an old extender for a new one most likely, but who knows. If Tesla make everything backwards compatible for the extender and the main battery pack then this path will be open for initial and older CY owners to upgrade.

[@qman66]

If the range extender was happening they would have released it right away. Once they said the one year bs I felt it was never happening

[@Gargamel-n-Rudmilla]

@@qman66 maybe, If the market is disappointed and people just can not do without the extender, then Tesla will ramp up the extender production, even if they do not want to. I think the early adopters will just be using the CT for personal use but if I need a truck for my own business, say I am hauling stuff or towing then I would need the extender. Tesla just wants to know where that demand will be. When they start to produce more then they will see. The market will tell them. It is not a big deal. People have a choice of BEV trucks now. , Well with Ford cutting Lightning production maybe less choice. 🤔

[@NicholasMarcelin]

I’m sure Tesla has already thought about most of these points you are bringing up. Since it’s a separate unit, I would assume, specifically on V4 chargers, that the battery pack could be charging independently and simultaneously with the main unit. Therefore, you could be looking at similar charging times. Sure it takes a portion of the bed true, but isn’t this pack really here for towing purposes? If you’re not really towing with this thing, and would prefer the extra bedspace, then the battery pack is irrelevant to you, as you have the same estimated mileage of any other Tesla. The reason why this makes no sense to you, is because it wasn’t a product made for you.

[@qman66]

The range extender ain't happening

[@NicholasMarcelin]

You see, I own a video production company and we currently have a Toyota Tacoma that drives around with a shack like attachment that allows us to store all of our production equipment. The amount of money we spend on gas alone, traveling from Miami to West Palm Beach for a weekly podcast Client, is significant. I’m talking about $80 for the round-trip. We do this like twice a week. When you do the math, I’m looking at an ROI in two years for that battery pack. It’s about 80 miles to go to our destination. With that extender, I would be able to go to my destination, and come back home to charge at a lower rate at our office, and can avoid superchargers in general. In my use case, and for most that actually tow. This thing is very important. It may not be for everyone that just wants a cyber truck around town, but for people that actually need a work truck, we need this thing.

[@TailosiveEV]

I’m sure Tesla thought of a way to get the tri motor to 500+ miles too…

[@NicholasMarcelin]

@@TailosiveEV what does that have to do with anything I just stated?