The EPA Says The Tesla Cybertruck Is A Heavy Duty Pickup
The Tesla Cybertruck isn’t the heaviest electric pickup, but it’s a heavy duty one.
New listings on the EPA website reveal the class to which the truck has been assigned.
During the Cybertruck launch event on November 30, Tesla revealed the weights of the two versions of the Cybertruck that will initially be available.
The All-Wheel Drive model is listed at 6,603 pounds and the high performance Cyberbeast at 6,843 pounds.
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Tesla says they both have a payload rating of 2,500, which would bring their Gross Vehicle Weight Ratings (GVWR) to 9,103 pounds and 9,343 pounds, respectively.
Over the weekend, the EPA posted several summaries for paperwork filed for the Cybertruck AWD and Cybertruck Beast, but the documents themselves have not yet been posted.
However, the summaries note that both models have been put into the Federal HD Chassis Class 2b, which is for vehicles with a GVWR of 8,501 pounds to 10,000 pounds. That puts it in the same class as vehicles like the Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD and Ford F-250.
Tesla has not yet commented on what class the Cybertrucks will be in.
While it is inconsequential to the vehicle’s emissions as an EV, the classification likely means that it won’t need to meet the same safety standards as light duty vehicles or be given the same NHTSA crash test ratings.
Tesla has released footage of in-house crash tests to show off the strength of the truck and its resistance to rollover accidents, but some observers have noted that it appears to have relatively small energy-absorbing crumple zones compared to light duty vehicles.
The smaller, but heavier, Rivian R1T electric pickup is also classified in 2b, but the the much heavier GMC Hummer EV, which has a GVRW over 10,000 pounds, is a Class 3 vehicle. NHTSA has no plans to crash test either, but the Rivian has been evaluated by the IIHS, which gave it the highest Top Safety Pick+ rating. An IIHS spokesman told American Cars And Racing that there are no current plans to test the Cybertruck.
Rivian and GMC have both released fuel efficiency ratings that are given in MPGe, or miles per gallon equivalent, which compares the electricity used to the amount of energy in a gallon of gas.
The Rivian R1T is rated from 64-78 MPGe across its various models and the Hummer EV pickup 50-53 MPGe.
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Tesla doesn’t yet list a rating for the Cybertruck, but a report from Hagerty said it would be twice as efficient as the Hummer.
This story has been updated with comment from IIHS and additional info from NHTSA
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