- Cybertruck Long Range RWD originally launched with a starting price of $69,990.
- Base version dropped the powered tonneau cover included with other models.
- Tesla gave no explanation, though slow sales likely led to the model’s removal.
Tesla has a habit of introducing entry-level versions with relatively affordable sticker prices only to drop them from its line-up without warning. That’s exactly what happened with the Cybertruck, as the company has scrapped the rear-wheel-drive model that once anchored the pickup’s range.
The change appeared on Tesla’s online configurator, where the Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive model is now missing. Priced from $69,990, it used to be the most affordable Cybertruck one could buy. With its demise, the range now starts at the $79,990 All-Wheel Drive and tops out with the $114,990 Cyberbeast. It’s worth noting that when it was first unveiled in late 2019, Tesla said its electric pickup truck would start at just $39,900 – something that turned out to be wide off the mark…
Read: Family Says Cybertruck Became A Fiery Trap That Killed Driver
If we had to guess, we’d say that there simply wasn’t enough demand for Tesla to keep building the most basic version of the Cybertruck in it. Not only did it rely on a single electric motor, rather than the dual and tri-motor designs of the All-Wheel Drive and the Cyberbeast, but it also lacked any 120V/240V outlets and a powered tonneau cover.
The omissions didn’t stop there. The Rear-Wheel Drive came with a seven-speaker audio system instead of the 15-speaker setup in other versions, had textile rather than leather seats, and did without a rear touchscreen.
Anyone who had their heart set on buying the single-motor Cybertruck will now have to look at the used car market. Either that, or they will need to be drop an extra $10,000 to get behind the wheel of the All-Wheel Drive.
Interestingly, Tesla only introduced the Cybertruck Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive in April. While it didn’t sport the same off-roading abilities as the All-Wheel Drive and Cyberbeast, it did have the highest driving range of any variant, as it was capable of traveling up to 350 miles (563 km) on a single charge.
The downside was that its towing capacity was reduced from 11,000 lbs (4,989 kg) to 7,500 lbs (3,401 kg), while the payload was reduced from 2,500 lbs (1,133 kg) in the All-Wheel Drive to 2,006 lbs (910 kg). These factors might have played a role in buyers choosing to skip it the entry-level variant in favor of more upscale ones, which ultimately led to its cancellation.
