The Tesla Cybertruck Has Landed, But You CANNOT Buy It

Yes, the much lauded - and loathed - Tesla Cybertruck has made landfall in Malaysia, but not for sale - it's merely serving as a statement piece.

The much lauded – and perhaps equally loathed – Tesla Cybertruck has officially made landfall in Malaysia. Two press viewing sessions were held today at the Tesla Experience Centre in Cyberjaya, and CariCarz.com was able to size up said electric off-road pick-up truck in the flesh through one of which.

The Cybertruck is in the midst of its Asian regional tour, having just made its regional ASEAN debut late last week in Thailand. It has also  visited China, Hong Kong and Japan prior. From May onwards, the Cybertruck will be displayed locally at Tesla’s Cyberjaya and Pavilion Damansara Heights centres.

We repeat: YOU CANNOT BUY ONE. At 5,683 MM long, 2,032 MM wide, and 1,797 MM tall, the Cybertruck might perhaps be just too large for local Malaysian roads anyway.

Before you start asking about price and availability, we’ll be blunt: YOU CANNOT BUY ONE. Today’s viewing is effectively a branding exercise by the Malaysian arm of the revered – and sometimes despised – American electric vehicle (EV) brand. It is, more or less, serving as a statement piece.

At present, Tesla shows no intent at offering the Cybertruck locally. We’ll add that the firm hasn’t adapted the wedge-shaped, stainless steel-bodied off-road pick-up truck in right-hand-drive (RHD) form.

Given the fate of RHD versions of the Models S and Model X, a RHD iteration of the Cybertruck seems unlikely to happen. We’ll also note that this truck is perhaps too massive for our roads, and the challenge of sourcing enough stainless steel supply to build them en-masse will be an economical stretch.

We'll also note that, given the fate of the RHD versions of the Model S and Model X, we don't expect Tesla to produce RHD versions of the Cybertruck anytime soon.

Massive 20-inch wheels with 'Aero Cover' are each shod in bespoke 285/65-section Goodyear Wrangle Territory RT tyres.

Nevertheless, having sized it up in-person, there was plenty to soak up from the Cybertruck from every angle indeed. What’s certain here is that it is HUGE – it sits 5,683 MM long with a 3,635 MM wheelbase, 2,032 MM wide, and 1,796 MM tall at the peak of its wedge shape silhouette.

For contrast, the Cybertruck is 258 MM longer than a Toyota Hilux, with its wheels also sitting 550 MM longer over said typical example. And if you thought the massive size comes with equally massive kerb weight, then you’d be right – it tips the scale between 3,009 and 3,129 KG, in fact.

As if that wasn’t enough, we’ll also point out that the Cybertruck rolls on 20-inch wheels shod in 285/65-section Goodyear Wrangler Territory RT tyres custom-made to fit the distinctive black aero covers. Mind you, that’s before we get into the Cybertruck’s flatbed and extra storage space too.

Massive too is the Cybertruck's flatbed, which measures 1,852 MM long and 1,295 MM wide with a total capacity of 1,591 litres, but there's more...

The bed also houses a 91-litre under-floor storage bin and comes with a massive roller-shutter tonneau cover that impedes rear-view vision altogether.

What makes this a true pick-up truck – in a sense – is the sizeably large rear bed that measures 1,852 MM long and 1,295 MM wide, boasting a total capacity of 1,591 litres in all. It even has an additional 91-litre under-floor cargo hold, a 200-litre frunk that doubles up as a bench, and an extra 1,533-litre store should you fold up the rear seat cushions. 

Whilst on the flatbed still, it’s also worth noting that this is the first Tesla model to offer vehicle-to-load (V2L) functions through both a 120- and 240-volt sockets primed  in the bed. These can output up to 11.5 kW of power.

In its most powerful 'Cyberbeast' tri-motor form, Tesla touts the Cybertruck in having up to 840 HP and 929 NM of twist, altogether allowing 0-100 KM/H dashes in just 2.7 secs - with rollout subtracted.

Typical of Tesla, the Cybertruck has three variants – base single-motor RWD, mid-spec dual-motor AWD, and a range-topping ‘Cyberbeast’ tri-motor AWD choice. There’s up to 600 HP and 10,080 NM of peak torque from the dual-motor variant, though the latter figure is measured the at the wheels, multiplied by the ratio of the single-speed transmission – there’s actually about 671 NM here.

As for the ‘Cyberbeast’, its tri-motors push out a whopping 840 HP, which enables 0-100 KM/H dashes done in just 2.7 seconds - albeit with the rollout subtracted, as is typical for Tesla. Wheel torque is bumped up to 13,959 NM, or 929 NM at the motors.

As for range, Tesla touts 402 KM for the base RWD variant, 547 KM for the dual-motor AWD variant, and up to 515 KM for the Cyberbeast. Payload capacities sees Tesla touting up to 1,134 KG for the dual-motor model and 1,030 KG for the Cyberbeast, whilst towing capacity is rated at nearly 5 tonnes (4,990 KG).

As for its EV architecture, the Cybertruck harnesses Tesla’s first 800-volt platform that houses a 123 kWh lithium ion battery pack. Besides 11.5 KW AC charging, the setup also accepts up to 350 kW DC charging inputs, though no charging times were disclosed during today’s showcase.

On board, it's the typical minimalist Tesla affair featuring a massive touchscreen and its controversial yoke-style steering wheel up front.

On board, it’s the typical Tesla minimalist affair featuring its controversial yoke-style steering with integrated signal indicator and wiper controls (no stalks), 18.5-inch floating centre console touchscreen plus a secondary 9.4-inch rear touchscreen.

Other usual Tesla gimmicks present on board include dual wireless chargers, a HEPA air filter that enables a “bioweapon defence mode,” massive glass roof, and a 15-speaker sound system with dual subwoofers.

Starting May onwards, you can size up the Cybertruck in the flesh at Tesla Malaysia's Cyberjaya and Pavilion Damansara Heights centres.

Other features primed include a steer-by-wire suite with rear-wheel steering  of up to ten degrees, as well as an air suspension system granting ground clearances of up to  305 MM (Normal) and 443 MM (off-road Extract mode).

Well, that’s everything we can tell you about the Cybertruck from today’s showcase. Check out more images of it in the gallery prepared below.