Cybertruck battery size estimate

[CoyoteJim]

Ok, this may be pretty far off but...
Elon Musk tweeted that a solar power tonneau cover option would be available that would provide 15 miles per day. I decided to try using this estimate, given the dimensions of the tonneau cover to figure out what the battery size of the Cybertruck would be.

I measured the area of the tonneau cover at about 77 in. x 77 in. This is equivalent to 41.2 sq ft. To account for error I rounded it to 40 sq ft.
77x77 = 5929/144 = 41.2

Solar panels produce a charge at a rate of
15 Watts per sq ft per hour
1 sqft = 15 Watts/hr

At 40 sq ft the solar tonneau cover would produce 600 Watts per hour
40 sqft = 600 Watts/hr

I’m guessing that the calculation was made anticipating 8 hours of usable sun.
600 Watts x 8 hrs = 4800 Watts or 4.8 kW.

4.8kW gives the model 3 LR 15 miles
4.8kW gives the Cybertruck 15 miles

The Cybertruck battery size is very close to the model 3 LR or 75kWh

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[Saskateam]

I think you are close to the size of the small battery. Accounting for increases in battery tech it should be possible to get 85kWh in the same space as the 75kWh in the model 3. 85 kWh for 250 miles, 500 miles would be 170-180 kWh.

 

[Cyber_Dav]

Ok, this may be pretty far off but...
Elon Musk tweeted that a solar power tonneau cover option would be available that would provide 15 miles per day. I decided to try using this estimate, given the dimensions of the tonneau cover to figure out what the battery size of the Cybertruck would be.

I measured the area of the tonneau cover at about 77 in. x 77 in. This is equivalent to 41.2 sq ft. To account for error I rounded it to 40 sq ft.
77x77 = 5929/144 = 41.2

Solar panels produce a charge at a rate of
15 Watts per sq ft per hour
1 sqft = 15 Watts/hr

At 40 sq ft the solar tonneau cover would produce 600 Watts per hour
40 sqft = 600 Watts/hr

I’m guessing that the calculation was made anticipating 8 hours of usable sun.
600 Watts x 8 hrs = 4800 Watts or 4.8 kW.

4.8kW gives the model 3 LR 15 miles
4.8kW gives the Cybertruck 15 miles

The Cybertruck battery size is very close to the model 3 LR or 75kWh

Um, battery size has nothing to do MPGe. You are talking about watt hours per mile. The Model 3 is efficient. Cybertruck will be too, but will weigh significantly more. If the 3 can get 15 miles from a days charging, I expect the truck to get 10.

I don't think Elon was trying to promise us anything. I think he was telling us what he wants to do, whether possible/feasible or not at this time.

 

[CoyoteJim]

Um, battery size has nothing to do MPGe. You are talking about watt hours per mile. The Model 3 is efficient. Cybertruck will be too, but will weigh significantly more. If the 3 can get 15 miles from a days charging, I expect the truck to get 10.

I don't think Elon was trying to promise us anything. I think he was telling us what he wants to do, whether possible/feasible or not at this time.

I wasn’t referring to MPGe. I was referring to charge rate.

I guess what I’m supposing is that if two vehicles charge at the same estimated miles per kWh then they will have the same rated range per kWh battery size.
The Model X is a heavier vehicle so it only gets 8 miles per 4.8kwh and has a range of 237 miles for a 75kWh battery. Makes sense since the Model X is a heavier vehicle than the Model 3. But the Cybertruck and the Model 3 both gain 15 miles per 4.8kWh (per my calculation)so they must have similar range and weight.

The Model 3 LR weighs 4072 lbs. Elon stated that the Cybertruck and the F150 are the same weight. The F150 goes from 4000 lbs to 5600 lbs, and we don’t know which version he was referring to. The Model X weighs in at 5200 lbs, so to charge at the same rate as the Model 3 the Cybertruck must be closer to the lower end of the F150 weight range.

So for both the Model 3 and the Cybertruck that would be 62kWh for 250 miles, 75kWh for 300 miles, and 125-135kWh for 500 miles.

He gave a definite estimate of 15 miles per day. He knows the size of the solar panel and he knows the charge rate of the vehicle so I don’t think he was just throwing that out there as wishful thinking.

 

[Cyber_Dav]

it's okay, until we know, all we can do is speculate. But I think the Cybertruck will be rated over 400 wh per mile, vs the 241 rating of the model 3.

For same range it will need a much larger battery pack.

 

[CoyoteJim]

I found a revised chart that rates the Model 3 charge rate at 19 miles for 4800Watts. So the Cybertruck at 15 miles per 4800 Watts would be closer to the Model S at 14 miles per 4800 Watts. This also jives with 4800/15 = 320 Wh which is about the rate per mile for the Model S. I’m fairly confident now that the Cybertruck will be similar in Wh per mile/weight/range/battery size to the model S.

So for the Cybertruck that would be 75kWh for 250 miles, 90kWh for 300 miles, and 150-160kWh for 500 miles.

 

[CoyoteJim]

Cleanerwatt calculated the dual motor battery pack size at 100kWh with an efficiency of 355Wh/mile:

 

[ajdelange]

You can WAG the battery size from the range (500 mi) and an assumed consumption. Guessing that it is going to be something similar to what the X turns in we might try 350 Wh/mi. This would give a discharge capacity of 175 kWh which seems reasonable for the tri-motor. Scale by range for the other models.

As to solar charging: that is determined by the consumption. A modern rooftop panel has active area of about 1.5 m^2 (16.6 ft^2) and produces about 1/4 kW when hit with full sun ( 1 kW/m^2). In the mid lattitudes away from the desets there are about 4 -5 hours equivalent full sun on average. This means 1 - 1.25 kWh/day implying 3-4 mi/day from one of those panels. If the Cybertruck array is really three times one of these panels ( 50 ft^2) one might realistically expect 9 - 12 mi/day.

 

[Devix]

I think that the calculation in the video are correct but very optimistic.
The Cybertruck should need more Wh/mi than a Model X. Its drag coefficient is worse.
considering to use it as a generator, the 500mi version can easily have the same battery as the Roadster such as 200kWh.
100kWh are feasible for dual motor and something around 85kWh for the single. They need less power because are lighter and more efficient.

 

[Cyberpartyboy21]

There is SO much more room for more solar panels/blankets on CT, let alone the huge, long dash that could probable have an additional 15 sq. ft more of interior panels. Flat side panels would also contribute and could easily be removable and plugged into the 110/220 outlets. Correct me if I am wrong, but the main battery is equivalent to at least 6 power walls. Just the value of that alone is far greater than the truck itself, being able to be a portable super wall. Thoughts?

 

[ajdelange]

A Power Wall is about 13.5 kWh. The tri motor will have a battery capacity of about 175 kW and thus the number of cells equivalent to 13 Power Walls (if they use the same cells). Thirteen Power Walls would indeed cost $84,500 but the truck will not have 13 rectifiers, 13 inverters, 13 coolant loops, 13 contactors etc. but rather only 1 of each. And it may well have a newer battery chemistrty than the Power Wall.

PV's on the doors of the truck would be pretty useless as the power deliverd depends on the direction cosine of the sun which is going to be small when the sun is high in the sky. Practically speaking, 11 mi/da might be realizable in Palm Springs in the summer but not is Seattle.

 

[Saskateam]

With some of the news coming out lately that the CT will weigh over 8500lbs, the batteries are going to have to move this weight. I think we will see either the same battery as the roadster at 200kWh for the Tri Motor, 100 for the Dual Motor and 85 for the Single Motor. They may even need to go larger than these existing battery packs.

 

[ajdelange]

Yes, I'm becoming a little skeptical about getting 200000/500 = 400 Wh/mi in a vehicle that heavy unless they have some impressive improvements in regen recovery up their sleeves. Perhaps the trimotor battery will be even bigger that 200 kWh. The CT is going to be at least 54% heavier than the X. The X takes about 330 Wh/mi pre-Raven. Raven about 300? I still think the pack discharge capacity will be between 175 and 200 kWh. What "size" they assign to that remains to be seen.

 

[OneLapper]

With some of the news coming out lately that the CT will weigh over 8500lbs, the batteries are going to have to move this weight. I think we will see either the same battery as the roadster at 200kWh for the Tri Motor, 100 for the Dual Motor and 85 for the Single Motor. They may even need to go larger than these existing battery packs.

8500lbs is not what the truck will weigh. My Dodge dually with Cummins diesel does not weigh 8500.

The number "8500" is a guess at the GVWR which includes the payload capacity of 3500lbs. I think the actual GVWR will be closer to 10k, bringing the empty weight of the CT close to or over 6000lbs.

 

[CoyoteJim]

8500lbs is not what the truck will weigh. My Dodge dually with Cummins diesel does not weigh 8500.

The number "8500" is a guess at the GVWR which includes the payload capacity of 3500lbs. I think the actual GVWR will be closer to 10k, bringing the empty weight of the CT close to or over 6000lbs.

Or even 5600lbs - same as the F150 as Elon claims. The difference is the payload- a much higher 3500 lbs on the CT so the GVWR goes up to class 2B range. F250 capability in the weight and price of an EV comparable to an F150? What a bargain!