Tesla Shareholder Claims to Have a Load of New Info on the Cybertruck

Chris Teague
by Chris Teague

In case you were counting, the Tesla Cybertruck “debuted” more than three years ago, and there hasn’t been a single one sold to any of the thousands of deposit-paying reservation holders. Despite that, the automaker and its fans have continued to insist that it’s coming soon, and one lucky shareholder claims to have insider knowledge of the production version of the truck. 


Tesla shareholder Matthew Donegan-Ryan used his invite to the automaker’s Investor’s Day to talk to company executives about the truck. None of his claims have been confirmed by Tesla, but its PR department doesn’t exist, so nothing is being confirmed by Tesla. Even so, Donegan-Ryan said the Cybertruck has shrunk by about five percent from the prototype, making it around the same size as the Ford F-150 Raptor.


He said the overall length and width shrunk, but the bed grew by around six inches. Interestingly, he felt the bed would be watertight with drain plugs, at least partially substantiating CEO Elon Musk’s claims that it could “briefly function as a boat.”


Donegan-Ryan said Tesla employees compared the truck’s cargo space to a Ford F-150 Raptor, which is odd, considering that Ford makes an electric truck that would be a far more natural competitor to the Cybertruck. The rear window rolls down, but there is no midgate, as we’ve seen in the Chevrolet Silverado EV and the Ram 1500 Revolution. 


Other “revelations” from his time at the event include promises that the Cybertruck’s 18.5-inch display would be the largest in any Tesla. Donegan-Ryan also claimed that the truck would come in dual- and tri-motor configurations, with a performance variant similar to the company’s other vehicles. 


[Image: Tesla]


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Chris Teague
Chris Teague

Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.

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4 of 46 comments
  • Steven Steven on Mar 15, 2023

    The Raptor is a very large truck but the bed is only 5.5 feet long, same as the F150 Super Crew. So, not a large box and will not hold a lot of furniture.

    • VoGhost VoGhost on Mar 16, 2023

      I don't think holding furniture is the only purpose, though.


  • Art Vandelay Art Vandelay on Mar 15, 2023

    Another couple years and the CyberTruck will have the same amount of lead time as the 5th Gen Camaro

    • VoGhost VoGhost on Mar 16, 2023

      Maybe Tesla should name their next model 'Chinese Democracy'?


  • MaintenanceCosts It's not a Benz or a Jag / it's a 5-0 with a rag /And I don't wanna brag / but I could never be stag
  • 3-On-The-Tree Son has a 2016 Mustang GT 5.0 and I have a 2009 C6 Corvette LS3 6spd. And on paper they are pretty close.
  • 3-On-The-Tree Same as the Land Cruiser, emissions. I have a 1985 FJ60 Land Cruiser and it’s a beast off-roading.
  • CanadaCraig I would like for this anniversary special to be a bare-bones Plain-Jane model offered in Dynasty Green and Vintage Burgundy.
  • ToolGuy Ford is good at drifting all right... 😉
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