2 days ago
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Tesla has unveiled a single-motor, rear-wheel drive entry level Cybertruck that’s almost $AU16,000 cheaper – and is rated to go further on a single charge.
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The cheapest, longest-range Tesla Cybertruck yet has gone on sale in the US as the electric car maker looks to turnaround a sales slump globally so far in 2025.
The 2025 Tesla Cybertruck Long Range is the first rear-wheel drive variant of the polarising electric pick-up, with a single rear-axle motor instead of the dual-motor all-wheel drive (AWD) set-up offered until now.
For a significant $US10,000 ($AU15,900) less than the previous entry point into the Cybertruck range, the Long Range’s price drops a further $US7500 ($AU11,900) to $US62,490 ($AU99,100) before-on-road costs after a federal electric vehicle tax credit in the United States (US) – while also offering extended driving range.
It could increase the chances of the Cybertruck range being offered in Australia, given its lower price point.
The Long Range version could be the new price leader if Tesla decides to bring the Cybertruck down under.
Tesla claims the Long Range Cybertruck has an official range of 563km – up from 523km – but to achieve this, customers need to pay an additional $US750 ($AU1191) for a soft tonneau, with the standard hard cover offered across the rest of the line-up not fitted to the Long Range version.
Buyers skipping the soft tonneau option will still enjoy great claimed driving range, but at 532km it’s a mere nine kilometres more than the best range offered by AWD versions.
While it offers the same 325kW charging speed as AWD versions, Tesla claims a faster top-up for the Long Range Cybertruck, with 237km of range in as little as 15 minutes.
The single-motor Cybertruck sits on smaller 18-inch alloys with aero covers and all-season tyres instead of the all-terrains on AWD models.
It also uses adaptive dampers with coil-springs instead of the air suspension used on other models, with ground clearance reduced to 243mm whereas 20-inch wheeled AWD Cybertrucks offer up to 406mm.
Removing a motor means the rear-drive version weighs 234kg less – officially 2775kg – while payload and towing are also less to 910kg and 3402kg, down from 1134kg and 4989kg respectively.
The cabin misses out on the second-row 9.4-inch touchscreen – but still has the 12.3-inch display up front – with a 38.5-litre-smaller cargo area, and part-cloth seats among the drawbacks compared to all-wheel drive versions.
Tesla has pointed to the changeover between the previous and new Model Y – which began arriving in Australia in March 2025 – for the lower sales numbers, however reports suggest the increased political involvement of its CEO Elon Musk has seen a backlash against the brand.
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