Cybertruck: Pros and Cons Differ in the US

Electrocamp mentioned that they found the recent viral real-world Cybertruck review in Korea interesting. That review pointed out issues like the vehicle being too large to park easily, ambiguous wiper performance, Level 2 charging errors, and problems with de-icing salt in winter.

Automatic car wash issues were also mentioned in Korea, but a Cybertruck owner who has driven the vehicle for over two years in the US had a different experience. After driving in the California Bay Area and Massachusetts, many of the disadvantages heavily criticized in Korea were less inconvenient than expected. This suggests that it's not about who is right or wrong, but that even the same car can be evaluated very differently depending on the driving environment and method.

At 5.68m long and approximately 2.2m wide even with mirrors folded, the Cybertruck is indeed a large vehicle. However, in the US, full-size pickup trucks like the F-150, Silverado, and Ram are common, so the Cybertruck's size doesn't feel out of spec on US roads or in shopping mall parking lots. The rear-wheel steering function plays a particularly big role, making the turning radius feel surprisingly small for its bulk.

Thanks to rear-wheel steering, the rear wheels also turn, making the turning radius feel surprisingly small. There were times when it felt easier to turn in tight spaces than the previous model I drove. In the Bay Area, I hardly recall any stress due to the car's size in shopping malls or company parking lots. However, after moving to Boston, there were instances in older parking lots or buildings where ceiling heights or entryways were precarious, making me realize the vehicle's size.

In tight spaces, you immediately feel that the vehicle is large. Experiences with adaptation speed also vary among US owners, leading to the conclusion that where you use the vehicle is as important as its size. Regarding automatic car washes, there were no particular issues. Although I didn't frequent them, I was never refused service in either the Bay Area or the East Coast just because it was a Cybertruck.

The US has many facilities that accommodate large pickup trucks, so automatic car washes weren't a significant issue for Cybertruck operation. However, a bigger reason for feeling less burdened by the Cybertruck's size is FSD (Full Self-Driving). According to Tesla app records, 15,497 miles (98.6%) of the recent 15,713 miles were recorded as self-driving.

The longest trip recorded was 173.7 miles. While some service processes or segments not driven by me might be included, it's clear that most daily driving is done with FSD. Not only on highways, but even in downtown Boston, with its complex lanes and numerous construction zones, I mostly entrust driving to FSD. Direct driver intervention during city driving is genuinely rare.

Sometimes I intervene directly when parking, but most of the time the vehicle completes parking, and it hasn't felt like a major inconvenience. Especially with the V14 generation, the perceived performance has changed significantly, and the V14.3.8 currently in use is quite stable. It's not perfect, and I always keep an eye on the road and am ready to intervene at any time.

I trust FSD enough to nearly hand over daily driving, provided the driver is supervising. Continuously steering a large 5.7m car myself versus having FSD do most of the driving while the driver supervises makes the Cybertruck ownership experience quite different. Cases of FSD usage rates in the 90s are repeatedly observed among US owners.

Some people say they intervene more often due to weather or map issues, but even if a 98.6% FSD usage rate isn't common, the general practice of entrusting most driving to FSD wasn't particularly unusual. Next, regarding charging, I was concerned when moving from California to Massachusetts, but it was less inconvenient than expected. The key was not the number of chargers, but whether I could charge where the car was normally parked.

When you park your car for a few hours while commuting, taking a train, or grocery shopping, if there's a Level 2 charger there, even slow charging doesn't feel like waiting time. Experiences of US owners also repeatedly show a pattern of charging while parked at work or at a destination. Also, if you look carefully, there are still quite affordable Level 2 chargers available. In some public parking lots, electricity and parking are combined for as little as $1.75 per hour.

Even around commuter stations like Rowles Wifeplein, there are places with decent parking conditions, so even after moving to the East Coast, I've had virtually no major inconvenience with charging. However, there are aspects of the charging environment review that I agree with, such as PCS (Power Conversion System) issues or Level 2 charging errors. While I haven't personally experienced them, there have been cases among my acquaintances who had repairs for such problems.

PCS issues and Level 2 charging errors have been confirmed as real problems, and there have been cases of repairs. However, my vehicle has not shown such symptoms for over two years. The wiper issue is similar. I notice that the corners are not perfectly wiped, but I haven't been particularly bothered by it in actual use, and my vehicle did not receive recall repairs related to wipers. On the other hand, some 2024 model year vehicles did have a recall for a wiper motor controller issue. I sometimes wonder if I was lucky.

Whether I was lucky or not cannot be determined by experience alone, and judgment on winter salt issues is also reserved. I experienced snow and salt in California, but so far there have been no significant corrosion issues on the car body that required attention. However, the winter in Massachusetts could be different. While Tesla explains that orange or brown marks on the stainless steel surface may not immediately mean body rust, they do advise promptly removing corrosive substances like road salt.

There are concerns about this New England winter. One unexpected drawback over two years of driving has been the wrapping issue. When it was bare stainless steel, minor impacts like door dings didn't bother me. There was no need to worry about paint peeling like with a regular painted car, and minor door dings didn't cause significant damage to the body itself. However, after applying the wrap, the situation reversed.

The metal panel is fine, but the wrap tears, which is stressful. What I would have overlooked as a minor impact before now leaves a mark on the wrap, making me wonder whether to repair it or just leave it. I wrapped the car to protect the body, but instead, I created a new consumable. The conclusion after driving the Cybertruck for over two years is that while it certainly has drawbacks, the weight of those drawbacks varies greatly depending on where and how you drive it.

In the US, full-size pickup trucks are commonplace, and thanks to rear-wheel steering, the turning radius is very small despite the car's size. There's also an environment where you can charge affordably while parked. Additionally, 98.6% of the recent 15,713 miles were driven with FSD. These combined conditions made the Cybertruck's disadvantages, which might feel significant in Korea, seem quite minor to me. Conversely, entering an old parking garage in Boston immediately makes you feel the vehicle's size.

I don't believe the real-world review from Korea and my experience contradict each other. It's closer to the conclusion that even the same car can become a completely different vehicle if the environment and usage methods change. I stated that I would share my honest experience again after properly going through one winter season in Massachusetts.