Musk Touts Cybertruck’s Aerodynamics

Tesla Inc.’s upcoming electric “Cybertruck” could have a drag coefficient as low as 0.30, which would make it the slipperiest pickup on the market.

In a recent tweet, CEO Elon Musk said the 0.30 Cd could be achieved with “extreme effort.” He points to the improved airflow of the stainless steel truck’s flat underbody, angular top, hard edges, covered cargo bed and specially designed wheel wells.

At just under 0.36 cd, the 2019 Ram 1500 currently is the most aerodynamic half-ton pickup truck. That vehicle features a variety of aero enhancements, including active grille shutters, a movable front air dam and an adjustable air suspension.

Mercedes-Benz claims its latest A-Class sedan and CLA coupe are the most aerodynamic production vehicles with a 0.22 Cd. Tesla’s Model 3 small sedan is rated at 0.23.

During a computational fluid dynamics simulation, an independent aerospace engineer found the Cybertruck could achieve a 0.30 Cd. More information is available HERE.

Tesla aims to launch the $39,900 Cybertruck by the end of 2020. The company unveiled the vehicle two weeks ago in Los Angeles and claims to have already received more than 200,000 $100 refundable deposits for the truck.