What am I missing?

[CompMaster]

Can't wait to see Munro's tear down of the new S. To see if they made a structural pack for new S using the 18650 size with the 2170 chemistry. That may give us a bit more of a clear picture on what's next..

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[EVCanuck]

I feel like I am missing something, all three models of the CT are advertised as having a 3500lb payload. But shouldn’t the tri motor with the 500 mile range be less. The extra weight of the motors plus the much bigger battery pack should subtract from the GVWR and equal a smaller payload.

Also if you can make the tri motor go 500 miles why wouldn’t that battery pack be put in the dual and single motor and have an even better range?

lower payload for the tri-motor version wouldn't pass marketing department's approval ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Crissa]

There's lots of limits on payload, which we've discussed. Some are the same between models, like the structure and suspension basics. Some are different, like acceleration and braking.

And they're probably going to aim for round numbers.

-Crissa

 

[kev12345]

3500lbs will probably be the max payload which will be the lightest version of the truck just like how the big 3 always advertise the max towing/payload on a truck that nobody will ever buy. crew cabs with all the bells and whislles will always pay a payload price.

 

[EMguy]

3500lbs will probably be the max payload which will be the lightest version of the truck just like how the big 3 always advertise the max towing/payload on a truck that nobody will ever buy. crew cabs with all the bells and whislles will always pay a payload price.

This.

There is virtually no chance all versions of the Cybertruck will have the same payload. The 3500 lb advertised payload likely refers to the maximum payload. Not all versions will achieve this number.

 

[kev12345]

Tesla’s trims don’t vary much like other automakers. A traditional pickup’s payload is negatively hit by cab and bed lengths, optional sunroof, leather seats etc.

I’m guessing the CT faux leather seats and glass roof will all be standard like their cars. No choice in cab and bed lengths. The weight differences will come from the number of motors and the size of battery.

Hopefully the Tri motor version will have a better payload capacity than the current 1/2 ton crew cab pickups. Most are a measly 1200lb rating which really limits towing capacity when you load the truck with family and gear. I’d be happy with 2500lbs!

 

[Firetruck41]

Just for info, payload matters when talking about towing, because you almost always max your payload, way before hitting the max trailer weight. Tongue weight, passengers, weight distributing hitch, anything in the bed, all count towards payload, and with tongue weight equaling 15% of trailer weight, you usually hit max payload before max trailer. The average half ton that has 10k lb trailer towing capability, has about 1400 lb payload. A truck loaded with a family of five a cooler, done fire wood and a weight distributing hitch will already be using about 900 lb of payload, leaving only 500 lb for trailer tongue weight. You must have 10% or more trailer weight (12-15% preferred) on the tongue or you will have constant sway, so that means that you can only tow a trailer weighing 4000-5000 lbs.

3500 lb payload is 3/4 ton+ territory, so that is great if Cybertruck can keep that rating.

In traditional trucks, every pound is calculated for payload/touring, for instance the much more powerful Cummins has about 900 lb lower payload compared to the gas powered version in the Ram.

The only reference I see on the Tesla website is "up to 3500 pounds", and that is on the general description for the truck, not a specific model. I assume it will be the same as other trucks, the more pounds the truck weighs coming out of the factory, the lower the payload, with 3500 being the best payload offered, likely on the 2wd version. I'll be happy with anything between 2500-3000.

 

[azjohn]

A lot of times the payload of a 1/2 ton can be 4 big dudes

 

[Tinker71]

You have to be able to move and stop a payload to carry it as well.

The battery will be less than a thousand pounds for a whole battery pack (probably around 500? This is a wild guess) and the additional motor weighs like seventy pounds. So that's a difference of like, two or three passengers.

This difference would matter to a small car, but not to a truck.

-Crissa

Based on 300Whrs/Kg the largest pack will weigh around 1460 lbs and the smallest pack will weigh roughly half. You might reduce the weight on the rear axle by 400 lbs with the smaller pack.

Tesla probably didn't bother with the incremental change in their early released specification. They may later.

 

[Crissa]

Based on 300Whrs/Kg...

...Which is twice the Model 3 and the Cybertruck's battery pack should be even lighter.

-Crissa

 

[Tinker71]

...Which is twice the Model 3 and the Cybertruck's battery pack should be even lighter.

-Crissa

...Which is twice the Model 3 and the Cybertruck's battery pack should be even lighter.

-Crissa

My understanding is that current 2170 batteries are 260Whr/Kg and the first generation 4860 will be 300. People are extrapolating the curve to show 400 in 5 years but we are not there yet. I am not being snarky but where are you getting numbers in the 500s? Maybe the 260Whr/Kg is for the cheaper LiFe cells for the China models and first gen will be in the mid 300s. Wikipedia says the 2013 era 18650 where 265Wh/Kg. IDK.

 

[Crissa]

My understanding is that current 2170 batteries are 260Whr/Kg and...

That's battery weight, not pack weight.

wikipedia:

The Long Range version carries 4,416 cells arranged in 96 groups of 46, and weighs 1,060 pounds (480 kg) in a 0.40 m³ volume; a density of 150 Wh/kg. Tesla continues to improve the design of the 2170 battery cell...

Now, yes, the Cybertruck packs will be lighter, but maybe only by 50%, maybe more? We don't really know. But additional batteries will weigh much less than to other vehicles. Doubling a structural battery is more like just doubling the cells than doubling the entire pack.

at 300Wh/kg that's 333kg for the cell weight using 2170s.

So the weight on the rear axle alone couldn't be 400lbs.

-Crissa