Cybertruck lead engineer Wes Morrill on Saturday said that the range extender offered by Tesla Inc. for the stainless steel truck will not be removable by vehicle owners but structurally mounted owing to safety concerns.
What Happened: “…any range extender offered by Tesla will be structurally mounted so it’s safe in a crash,” Morrill wrote on X.
The “range extender” is an alternate battery pack for the Cybertruck about the size of a third of the truck bed. The additional battery will still leave room for plenty of cargo, Musk said after the Cybertruck delivery event in November while adding that it is meant for very long trips or towing heavy things up mountains.
According to Tesla, the all-wheel drive version of the Cybertruck can offer an estimated 470 miles of total range with a range extender while the Cyberbeast version can offer a maximum range of over 440 miles. Without the extender, the two versions offer a range of 340 miles and 320 miles, respectively. However, the additional battery is sold separately and requires a separate installation.
Tesla, however, has yet to launch the product or reveal its pricing. In June, Morrill said that the range extender is “on track.”
Why It Matters: Tesla started delivering the Cybertruck in November last year. The company is currently attempting to further ramp up production to deliver 250,000 units annually starting in 2025.
Tesla has touched a weekly production rate of 1,300 Cybertrucks, Musk said at Tesla’s annual shareholder meeting in early June. The company is looking to increase it further this year to touch 2,500 units by year-end, he then added.
During Tesla’s second-quarter earnings call last week, Tesla said that Cybertruck production is on track to achieve profitability by the end of the year, thanks to an increase in production and attempts at reducing costs.
According to Kelley Blue Book estimates, Tesla sold 8,755 Cybertrucks in the quarter in the U.S., as compared to just 2,803 in the first quarter. The second best-selling EV truck in the quarter was the F-150 Lightning, of which Ford sold just 7,902 units.
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