The tests were conducted at the A2 Wind Tunnel in Mooresville, NC. The findings suggest that while the Cybertruck has a notable design for a pickup truck, its aerodynamic efficiency may not fully match the company's initial claims.
Back in early 2019, Elon Musk claimed that the Cybertruck could potentially achieve a drag coefficient as low as 0.30. Approximately four years later, with the final production-ready Cybertruck revealed, Tesla announced an official Cd of 0.34. Although this figure is respectable within the pickup sector, it doesn't reach as low as some of its competitors such as Chevrolet and Rivian, who have managed to achieve lower Cd numbers.
The independent wind tunnel test revealed a slightly higher drag coefficient of 0.384 for the Cybertruck, attributing the discrepancy to variations between different wind tunnels. A representative from A2 Wind Tunnel noted that "No two wind tunnels are exactly alike. If our wind tunnel was a lot larger, we may have gotten much closer to the numbers that Tesla claims to get."
Further testing demonstrated that under optimal conditions—such as a low driving height and closed tonneau cover—the Cd could be reduced slightly to 0.382. However, in less ideal conditions like extract high driving mode, the Cd increased significantly to 0.535.
When comparing these results with other electric trucks on the market, it becomes clear where the Cybertruck stands in terms of aerodynamic efficiency. The Rivian R1T leads with an impressive Cd of 0.30, followed by the Chevy Silverado EV at 0.33. The Cybertruck's tested Cd places it between Silverado EV and Ford F-150 Lightning which has a Cd of 0.44—with GMC Hummer EV trailing behind at 0.50.
Source: InsideEVs
