The Tesla Cybertruck is arguably the most controversial pickup in recent history, with its angular design, stainless steel body panels, and bold claims about capability. Ever since it was revealed in 2019, people argued whether or not Tesla’s first-ever truck can actually do truck things.
And with more and more reservation holders getting their hands on the electric pickup, we can get a better idea of what the Cybertruck is capable of. One of those reservation holders is Terry Woychowski, who was the chief engineer for General Motors’ Full-Size Truck Platform in the 2000s (and later became Global Vice President of Quality and Vehicle Launch).
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The Tesla Cybertruck has the potential to convert gas-loving truck owners
If the Tesla Cybertruck would be cheaper and wannabe owners had access to home charging, the angular EV could convince hardcore gas-powered truck users to make the switch to electric. That’s what Terry Woychowski says, at least. He was General Motors’ chief engineer for the Full-Size Truck Platform in the 2000s.
In other words, he knows a thing or two about the American truck buyer, seeing how he was a huge part in the development of trucks like the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra in an age when electric pickups were nonexistent.
Woychowski is now the president of Caresoft, a company that does vehicle teardowns and benchmarking. The Cybertruck he bought will eventually be disassembled and analyzed bit by bit, but until that happens, the ex-GM exec used the zero-emissions truck to do everything he’d usually do with a gas-powered vehicle at his ranch.
In the video embedded below, Terry Woychowski told Autoline Network that as a whole, the Tesla Cybertruck is a great product that needs to be cheaper in order to succeed. The cheapest version available now costs roughly $100,000 (although a cheaper one is on the way), and that’s a pretty penny for something that’s used and abused as a work truck. This, coupled with home charging, could make current pickup owners change their minds about the Cybertruck and electric pickups in general.
However, Tesla didn’t magically make the perfect work vehicle with the Cybertruck. The ex-GM chief engineer goes on record saying that while the car’s stainless steel panels and the manufacturing prowess behind them are remarkable, the fact that it’s a fingerprint magnet isn’t so good.
As a pickup, he highly questions whether stainless steel is the right choice. Other annoying things are also tied to the controversial design, such as the very deep dashboard that makes cleaning the windshield from the inside a pain, and the lack of visibility caused by the thick and long A-pillars. The fact that the massive single windshield wiper doesn’t sit flush with the A-pillar and leaves a visible gap isn’t great, either.
On the other hand, the quality of the video cameras that feed live images to the center touchscreen is “spectacular.” From a manufacturing perspective, the 48-volt electrical system is a big deal in Woychowski’s eyes because it has the potential to reduce cost and weight because thinner wires can be used compared to a conventional 12V system.
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Four-wheel steering is a nice extra, but when it comes to the ride and handling, Woychowski says there is room for improvement, as the Cybertruck feels unrefined at times, especially when driving over hard bumps.
As a work truck, Tesla’s pickup works really well in the former GM executive’s opinion. It can carry 1,000 pounds of horse food with no problem and the included composite bed is easy to clean compared to more conventional bed liners that are akin to sandpaper.
But what do you think? Let us know in the comments below.
