Electric Vehicle Overlanding - Tesla Cybertruck
 

I've had an idea swirling around my head the last couple years and I wanted to bring it up with HUBB members to get some differing perspectives.

Ever since Tesla announced that the highest trim of their stainless steel doorstop of a truck would have a 500 mile range, 18 inches of ground clearance, and a number of other potentially unique features I've fantasized about slow travel in one.

Pros for overlanding:

• Stainless steel body
• Stock pneumatic suspension
• Storage in the "frunk", sides, under the bed, 6.5ft bed with durable cover stock
• 500 mile range with the tri-motor variant, meaning possibly multiple days without range anxiety
• Very few parts in the drivetrain
• Less emissions and noise pollution from the vehicle
• Announced solar option to allow 15-40 miles of range per day of sunlight as an OEM option

Potential Cons for overlanding:

• Design will draw a lot of attention, possibly from bad actors
• Availability of electricity in remote areas (solar option might help alleviate)
• Brand new, unproven platform, even from this manufacturer
• Parts/labor availability in countries that Tesla isn't present in
• Aftermarket will take a while to catch up

The appeal of overlanding for me is not just the travel, meeting people of different cultures, etc. The appeal lies in having a true adventure and if possible doing something few people have done. I am intrigued by the idea of slow traveling the world in a vehicle that doesn't pollute, presents unique challenges, has the potential of having unique advantages, and (subjectively) looks really cool and futuristic.

Those that have overlanded to remote areas, do you feel like bringing an EV would be a fiasco like what we saw with the Long Way Up show?

I'm interested in perspective, and using the time before this vehicle is released to save money for this trip. Thanks!

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/jFC3...05236565.0.jpg

If I recall how it worked for Delorean... the stainless steel body means that every ding or scratch is forever. Can't really polish anything out or use body filler/repaint. Can't easily replace body panels since they are structural.

The biggest one is that it doesn't exist. ;)

UPDATE: Never mind, I see you have already watched it!
--

Go watch Ewan & Charley's series Long Way Up.
They ride a pair of Harley Livewire electric motorcycles, plus a couple of Rivian electric trucks from Tierra del Fuego to Los Angeles.
You may find the troubles they run into with electrical Infrastructure enlightening.

It's on Apple TV, but I believe there are extensive clips on Youtube and elsewhere.

https://tv.apple.com/ca/show/long-wa...&mttnsubplmnt=

The best attitude towards anything Elon Musk proposes is "I'll believe it when I see it." While his cars have had some successes (although many years behind original schedules), his solar roof tiles, hyper loop transit tunnels, and a host of other wildly-speculative stuff has mostly served to demonstrate the truth of P.T. Barnum's famous beliefs about suckers and the wealth available to promoters of hoaxes.

If you insist on organizing any aspect of your life around Musk concepts, I'd suggest anticipating long delays, broken promises, and significant price increases...and that's before questions of dealer networks, parts availability, and vulnerability to damage become relevant. Then again, what do I know--every so often his ideas shower money on believers!

Yeah the issue they had was what they always seem to have issues with:

• "Ewen has to be back in town by X date, we better rush!"
• "We picked vehicles that we could get offered to us for free, rather than picking the best tool for the job.
  
  

The Rivians and the Livewires were *terrible* choices, mostly because the Rivians had only 250 miles of optimal range on a good day, and the Livewires weren't even offroad bikes AND only have 90 miles of range on a good day.

I've owned a Tesla Model S and a Zero SR, they're not for that job and definitely don't have the safety margin to go out into the boonies regardless of modification. I was raging at the show the entire time because of this.

The whole thing was a scam from start to finish.



Mezo.

You'll never find a bigger critic of LWU than myself. Mostly because I'm a fan of EVs and also an adventure motorcyclist. I've owned both, I have I think a decent feel for what's reasonable. What LWU portrayed was not reasonable or at all truthful.

My expectations for overlanding in something like a Tesla Cybertruck is getting between 400-500 miles on a single charge, with only 120-250 miles per day expected of actual transit. I'm willing to stop for a day or multiple days to charge, I'm in no rush, and would have solar on the vehicle as a last resort. I'm even willing to bring a gas generator if I find it unreasonable to expect less than 250 miles on gravel or because of temperature issues.

I suppose we'll have to wait and see. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The Italian T-rex Bremach???

Add more batteries to increase range and find a way to charge the batteries along the way - then sure, why not? Charging by solar would take ages. Charging by generator would kindif defeat the purpose somewhat? I guess, if you went painstakingly slow to allow for recharging on a low output charger that wouldn't cause a fire to whatever you tap into - sure, why not?

There are now also great electric motorcycles that might be more suitable.

https://ecofriend.com/wp-content/upl...r_qdrAa_69.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pr...GyulmYqP7pb6PP

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3HB5NpiAtZ...t+rex+ev+9.jpg

https://s.aolcdn.com/images/dims?cli...422&quality=80

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pr...LZYEXhs4P2OKbI

Much depends on your definition of Overlanding and where you want to go
 

From March 2016 until April 2019, in the early days of electric vehicles, and before there was much EV infrastructure, anywhere, Dutchman Weibe Wakker drove a borrowed electric VW from the Netherlands to New Zealand. His 1,222 day, 100,450 kilometres (62,417 miles) road adventure took him through 34 countries. He accomplished this by asking people to plug into homes and businesses and donate some of their electricity.

Can it be done? Sure. Wakker showed it can. But range and having infrastructure to recharge are going to be, IMHO, the biggest limiting factors. If you plan to cross the Sahara, for example, you may want to have lots of water, food, solar panels, and time available. Also, if you need to carry your living room chesterfield every where you go to be comfortable, that too will be a limiting factor.

More about Wakker's road trip »

https://adventuretrend.com/dutchman-...oad-trip-tips/

I did enjoy there trip soo much! Was nice to see south america again.

I like the idea of overlanding with a Tesla. Actually, today - it just need much of the most valuable what we humans have: time..

We are private guys and no one will send a Truck with a big diesel generator to remote places to give use a charge - like showed in "long way up".

Solar Power is available on good weather, most of use dont can wait severall days till they can progress.

Probably we are too early today - and this is the best overlanding solution in 12years, when the world overpopulation brings charging stations too in "no longer" remote places.

Today - it is possible for rich people (with enough time) - to even use an electric vehicle for overlanding purpose.

Surfy

Choose one which can pull the hanger with the power generator :)

LWU was pure Hollywood from start to finish.
We were shown what the sponsors wanted us to see.
Am I jealous of them? Hell, yes!
But do I believe it?
No more than I believe all the myriad of Youtube 'stars' like Itchyboots etc.
Sure, they are out there doing it, but with a band of acolytes behind the scenes doing all the fixing.
All this hype of pretty girls and boys on their RTW trips bears about as much relevance to the real world as any other blockbuster movie does.
Curmudgeonly rant over.