Tesla Cybertruck preview in Singapore: 3 coolest things and 1 not-so-cool thing about it

The Tesla Cybertruck is one of the most talked about new vehicles in recent times, having appeared in numerous social media videos ever since its launch late last year. And now Singaporeans can get up close and personal with the Cybertruck.

Tesla Singapore has now brought an example into town for an exclusive preview and it was showcased to the media at Tesla's Toa Payoh Experience Centre. Tesla will also invite their corporate partners and selected Tesla owners for special viewing sessions over the next few weeks. And while there are also plans for the Cybertruck to be showcased to the public, no firm details have been finalised yet.

Curious to find out what's the hype about the Cybertruck? Here are the three coolest things (and one not-so-cool thing) we discovered about it.

1) It is humongous

It's hard to tell from pictures, but the Cybertruck is an absolutely massive vehicle.

It measures 5,683mm long and 2,143mm wide, making it one of the biggest vehicles you can drive. Just for comparison, a large luxury limousine like the Mercedes-Benz S-Class measures 5,289mm long and 1,954mm wide, so the Cybertruck easily dwarfs even the largest cars on the road.

It weighs a ton too.

In fact, it's three tons. The official weight of the Cybertruck is 2,995kg, and it rises to 3,104kg for the most powerful Cyberbeast variant. That makes it a literal three-tonner truck, although we don't envision the SAF using one to transport soldiers anytime soon.

2) The stainless-steel body is bulletproof

The other thing you'll notice about the Cybertruck, other than its size, is its unique appearance. Tesla says that the Cybertruck's body is made from a stainless-steel exoskeleton, which is supposed to be resistant to dents and corrosion.

Tesla claims that the surface can also resist 45-calibre and 9mm bullets, and 12-gauge shotgun shells, which would make it handy if you find yourself in the middle of a gangland shootout, however unlikely that scenario might happen in Singapore.

The glass too is supposedly armoured and shatter-resistant (but not bulletproof), with Tesla claiming that it can withstand the impact of a baseball coming at it at up to 112km/h. Still, you might have seen the viral video of the Cybertruck's glass breaking during its global unveiling a few years ago, a moment Tesla would probably want you to forget.

3) You can carry a lot of stuff in it

The Cybertruck is officially considered a pickup truck, which means it has a cargo bed at the rear for carrying stuff. Like everything else about the car, this load-carrying area is simply gigantic.

The bed measures 1,825mm long and 1,295mm wide, which means you can fit a full-sized human or two in it, not that we're suggesting it of course. It can carry up to a maximum payload of 1,134kg, while the bed also comes with a retractable cover that opens and closes at the touch of a button.

There's even an 11.5kW power socket at the rear of the bed, which allows you to power up devices like tools, lights, or any sort of electrical appliance. You could literally live in this bed if you want.

Not so cool: You can't buy one in Singapore

While the Tesla Cybertruck is already available in America, you can't buy one in Singapore yet, unfortunately.

The main reason is that Tesla currently has no plans to build the Cybertruck in right-hand drive, which is a requirement for vehicles to be registered for sale here.

In addition, the size of the vehicle would raise issues about its suitability for Singapore. The Cybertruck would definitely not fit into many of our carparks, given that most of them are designed for regular-sized cars.

One workaround would be to classify the Cybertruck as a commercial vehicle, but that will still bring about much inconvenience to drivers, not to mention dissatisfaction from owners given that commercial vehicles here are imposed with strict limitations on speed and accessibility on our roads.

 

 

 

 

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Nevertheless, Tesla Singapore says that they are in continual dialogue with the authorities and the manufacturer on how to achieve a feasible solution to make the Cybertruck compliant for Singapore. For those who are keen to get a closer look at the Cybertruck, Tesla Singapore invites them to follow the brand on social media for the latest updates on future events and viewing sessions.

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benjamin.chia@asiaone.com

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