SPECIAL EDITION QUAD-MOTOR Cybertruck rumor

[Youaregoldone]

There are sound rumors from Tesla workers about a possible Quad-Motor Super Performance Cybertruck model capable of insane maneuvers. Anyone have any thoughts?

Advertisement

 

[Ehninger1212]

There are sound rumors from Tesla workers about a possible Quad-Motor Super Performance Cybertruck model capable of insane maneuvers. Anyone have any thoughts?

What is your source?

 

[ajdelange]

There are sound rumors ....

A contradiction in terms.

 

[Daweism]

A contradiction in terms.

See what he had meant was it sounded like just rumors*

lol

 

[TI4Dan]

I would think this would be the next level of development for 3/4 or 1 ton truck CT if Elon wants to continue to fill in the Heavy Duty line of consumer trucks. A four motor truck would have serious power to do work or tow. I am interested in a bigger truck from Tesla but so far I have not heard of any communications that indicate another new model. I source news from many other ev news establishments but please do tell.

 

[TheLastStarfighter]

I can see it happening at some point. They like to do everything better than everyone else. I personally have no interest, the Tri- will already push my budget to its limits.

 

[firsttruck]

I would think this would be the next level of development for 3/4 or 1 ton truck CT if Elon wants to continue to fill in the Heavy Duty line of consumer trucks. A four motor truck would have serious power to do work or tow. I am interested in a bigger truck from Tesla but so far I have not heard of any communications that indicate another new model. I source news from many other ev news establishments but please do tell.

Cybertruck tow rating might increase too.

The middle and top part of Cybertruck towing range (7,500 - 14,000 lbs) is not very useful when most RV trailers in that range use 5th-wheel hitches Also many farmers/ranchers & other commercial use gooseneck hitches. Cybertruck needs a way to support 5th-wheel/gooseneck hitches.

They use these hitch because the trailers sway less and excess sway is a cause of a lot of accidents by vehicles towing trailers.

5th-wheel/gooseneck hitches put the transferred trailer weight load between the tow vehicles wheels (before rear wheels) which puts much less stress on the tow vehicle than what rear ball hitch does.

When towing you have to make very wide turns. With 5th-wheel/gooseneck hitches turning circle is reduced.

Most U.S. states have shorter length limit for total vehicle + trailer length.
5th-wheel/gooseneck hitches setups can be 2-3 foot shorter which means you could have 2-3 feet more of usable space.

5th-wheel/gooseneck hitches setups have smaller gap between tow vehicle high point & front of trailer which should be more aerodynamic & reduce some of the range degradation when towing.

 

[Newton]

I dont see it being too much work to make this a very expensive, or limited edition option. Make the best ev truck with all the features the others have plus more.
I also think it's kinda pointless.
But companies always fight to be the "best" so I guess it might justify the costs, simple to advertise being better then everyone else. Range, speed, features. Tank turn, offroad ability, 4 wheel torque control. etc.

And I 100% think whatever the cost (withen reason) people would buy it. Because its tesla.seems like a win,win,win

 

[firsttruck]

I dont see it being too much work to make this a very expensive, or limited edition option. Make the best ev truck with all the features the others have plus more.
I also think it's kinda pointless.
But companies always fight to be the "best" so I guess it might justify the costs, simple to advertise being better then everyone else. Range, speed, features. Tank turn, offroad ability, 4 wheel torque control. etc.

And I 100% think whatever the cost (withen reason) people would buy it. Because its tesla.seems like a win,win,win

Elon's & Tesla's strategy was purposely start with high premium end with best vehicle in class & work down. Every new model car/SUV so far has been to lower vehicle class.
If you used same strategy for trucks with single rear axles you would start with F-250/2500 series.

 

[myco.rrhizae]

sTokd!
maybe revealed when they update us on the design in a few weeks *or so*

~•°

 

[rr6013]

Seems like grist for the rumor mill.

Development would be better directed toward fewer hi-output motors that are more efficient. Less draw, less drain and ludicrous performance with simplification of the platform. There could be savings depending on the software/ battery life tradeoff.

There really is less and less need for 4x4. It is a vestige of ICE to think in terms of a motor at every wheel. Electrons can do that work, be managed by software and innovation can overcome the ludicrous cost-curve.

IRL there are more people below the 4 motor cost curve than are above it who want to own a Tesla. Einstein thought it logically perfect to simplify a system until no longer possible to remove a single item. SO Tesla’s going ludicrously bonkers on 4 motors is simply selling to a few wealthy elite who have the bones to throw at ludicrous.

It is no longer true that you need 4 wheels driving to go anywhere. Ninety percent of roads are maintained, paved and accessible by 2 wheel drive. Cars today can get to 75% of places as a result. A few crazed drivers further!

There is no argument for 4x4 safety with the increased weight adding motors at each wheel. That has devastating consequences for car-on-car collisions.

Few work trucks in the CT 8200# class would “need” 4x4. Those who do have greater needs and are better off buying ICE diesel for work.

I have had 4x4 since 1946 Dodge Power wagon. Today, I use 4x4 as luxury to park sidehill and use 4x4 to drive out of an impossible position for 2 wheel car. It is a luxury when I have unmarked two-track that I needn‘t walk first. Currently, in a third world country I haven’t needed 4x4 yet but its a luxury if I do.

I’m one CT buyer. I’d be happy with two motors that spec up to the tri-motor. Range is everything. Pulling an F-150, pulling 14000# trailer is not a good match to BEV. The longer I have had time to wait, the single motor might be the better BEV

 

[ajdelange]

Cybertruck needs a way to support 5th-wheel/gooseneck hitches.

They use these hitch because the trailers sway less and excess sway is a cause of a lot of accidents by vehicles towing trailers.

5th-wheel/gooseneck hitches put the transferred trailer weight load between the tow vehicles wheels (before rear wheels) which puts much less stress on the tow vehicle than what rear ball hitch does.

There are several proposed schemes for gooseneck attachment to the CT.

The reason for moving the attachment point forward in a trailer hookup is a matter of torque in two planes. In the vertical plane if the weight is behind the rear wheels the torque "transfers" weight away from the front wheels with obvious implications to steering. In the horizontal plane a lateral force on a trailer attached behind the rear whells applies a torque about them thus rotating the vehicle which can lead to sway and instability. Traditionally these torques are compensated for by weight transfer schemes, fifth wheel and pivot point projection hitches. In the TriMotor CT the sway torque can largely be neutralized by rear wheel torque vectoring. That doesn't mean that fifthwheel/gooseneck attachment isn't desirable.

But the subject of this thread is a 4th motor up front. This isn't going to help with sway reduction or weight transfer. Thus I don't see (though I readily admit I could be missing something) any advantage to a 4th motor for towing. In fact I'm not sure I see much advantage to it for anything but marketing and, as an engineer, I confess a strong attraction to the concept in terms of "cool" factor.

 

[ajdelange]

Development would be better directed toward fewer hi-output motors that are more efficient. Less draw, less drain and ludicrous performance with simplification of the platform. There could be savings depending on the software/ battery life tradeoff.

One motor sufficient to meet the load draws one unit of current. Four motors sufficient to meet the load each draw 1/4 unit of current meaning 1/16th the I^2R losses in each but as there are 4 of them I^2R loss becomes 4/16 = 1/4 of what you have in a single motor implementation. Thus multiple motors are more efficient.

There really is less and less need for 4x4. It is a vestige of ICE to think in terms of a motor at every wheel. Electrons can do that work, be managed by software and innovation can overcome the ludicrous cost-curve.

Yes, it is true that you don't need 4 wheel drive except when you need it which isn't most of the time. I live in suburbia. I need it every time it snows.

SO Tesla’s going ludicrously bonkers on 4 motors is simply selling to a few wealthy elite who have the bones to throw at ludicrous.

Cars and trucks are not sold based on utility. They are sold based on consumer demand. The hottest selling motor vehicle in the US is and has been the pickup truck. How many of the buyers of those "need' a truck? Perhaps 10%?. A 4th motor in the CT doesn't add any utility to it except in rare applications. Should Tesla elect to offer a Quadmotor CT it will be for competitive reasons rather than utility driven ones.

Given the price or the Tri I'd guess a quad version would come in at around $100K. Any millionaire should be able to afford that and 7% of the population were millionaires last time I saw figures on this. Substantially more than a "few wealthy elite".

It is no longer true that you need 4 wheels driving to go anywhere. Ninety percent of roads are maintained, paved and accessible by 2 wheel drive. Cars today can get to 75% of places as a result.

75-90% is 10-25% shy of anywhere. 4 wheel drive clearly has advantages in many applications and, as noted in the first paragroph, it comes as a side benefit of the higher efficiencies that stem from the use of multiple motors.

 

[firsttruck]

Traditionally these torques are compensated for by weight transfer schemes, fifth wheel and pivot point projection hitches. In the TriMotor CT the sway torque can largely be neutralized by rear wheel torque vectoring. That doesn't mean that fifthwheel/gooseneck attachment isn't desirable.

It is not just desirable. Many F-150/F250 buyers bought the truck solely for towing 5th wheel RV.
They are going to national parks & wilderness areas & similar. Don't we want them using Cybertruck instead of ICE polluting the air in the national parks & wilderness areas & similar.

Toque vectoring might be a method to compensate for weight transfer when rear-end ball hitch towing but is useless to potential customers that are towing with 5th-wheel/gooseneck hitches if there is no way to use with Cybertruck. Buyers who have RV trailers over 7,000lbs are likely 5th wheel hitches.

 

[ajdelange]

As I said it will be possible to tow fifth wheel and gooseneck rigs behind the CT. Some of the solutions are rather klugy looking though. There is a guy that has a device that would be mounted in the bed. He has apparently contacted Tesla as there are, of course, questions as to whether there is clearance below to the battery, structural considerations etc. There's a device that attaches to a ball hitch that has it's own sway reduction technology built in. That can be used behind any truck with a ball hitch.

Torque vectoring cannot be used for weight transfer. It is used to combat sway.

In any case a 4th motor up front isn't going to help.