It is actually a rare sight when we see two Tesla vehicles drag-racing against each other — and one of them hasn’t even gone to production yet. Yes, I am talking about a Tesla Semi and a Cybertruck prototype drag race.
But since these are like big and small brothers to each other, the competition between them is kind of mild and friendly — no pressing the pedal to the metal.
On Saturday, a Tesla Semi, Cybertruck, and a few Tesla vehicles in white were spotted outside the automaker’s Gigafactory in Austin, Texas. In one instance, a short drag race was conducted between Tesla Semi and a Cybertruck prototype.
This was kind of a tamed drag race as you must have noticed in the video above. A bobtail (without a trailer) Tesla Semi vs. the Cybertruck, an epic battle it would have been but the Cybertruck did not floor it at all.
Tesla Semi has a 3-motor drivetrain while the Cybertruck prototype in this race is a 4-motor variant with each wheel having its own motor. This quad-motor drivetrain setup enables the Cybertruck with the 4-wheel steering capability we have seen before.
However, a Tesla Semi truck due to its ultra-modern curvy design has a very optimized drag coefficient of 0.36 Cd. This is even better than a Bugatti Chiron which has a coefficient of drag of 0.38 Cd. While traditional semi trucks with their bad aerodynamic design fall between 0.65 – 0.70 Cd.
Looks like Tesla had put these vehicles outside Giga Texas on purpose during the weekend, as multiple other observers posted videos and pictures of both the Semi and the Cybertruck prototype.
Some enthusiasts were even able to take pictures and video from a very close distance to these vehicles. Like Aditya, who shared the following pictures and a video of the Cybertruck bed cover electrically closing down. We can also call this the Cybertruck bed shutter, IMO.
The Cybertruck prototype was also seen demonstrating its 4-wheel steerability (Crab Mode) which the automaker has been working on for around 2 years now. However, the 4-wheel steering will only be available on the top-tier quad-motor Cybertruck, and Tri, Dual, and Single-Motor variants will of course lack this feature.
Tesla aims to start the production of its controversial-design Cybertruck this year at Giga Texas. The tooling process to set up assembly lines had already begun last year and IDRA’s 9,000-ton Giga Press is in the process of commissioning at the factory as well. So, Tesla so far seems to be following the correct timeline for Cybertruck production.
While Tesla Semi’s first production and deliveries started last year and around 38 of these trucks are currently functional with PepsiCo and Frito-Lay. However, the automaker has big expansion plans for its Giga Nevada factory to ramp up Tesla Semi and 4680 cell production.
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