I got to see the Tesla Cybertruck in New York City with my own eyes and it still seems unreal
If you just want to skip to the video or photos below, that's ok, I understand, just be sure to enjoy them in full screen.
I spotted this tweet late on Friday May 7th, showing the Cybertruck cruising around in New York City. It seems Tesla was finally delivering on Elon's promise of a Cybertruck appearance somewhere on the east coast. Luck would have it that his SNL appearance was bringing him to NYC anyway, what better week than for Tesla to drive that beast through Times Square for the follow-car to get some unique footage? Luck would have it that I live only 2 hours away. So my late night brain started thinking.
I knew my wife and I had some plans already for Saturday morning. So I didn't say anything. But once I found out from Owen Sparks that Elon confirmed directly to him that the truck was there through Sunday, suddenly a roadtrip looked reasonable. Owen is the high school student who attended the EV Club of CT's Model 3 Police Cruiser event back in 2020. He's gone off to college now, he was tied up in Rhode Island. Since he couldn't get to NYC, I offered to livestream my visit to him, and anybody else that cared to watch. He accepted. The mission now needed to be accomplished, and our lawn's excessively tall grass will have to wait to be mowed some other day.
I confess that we have no need for a Cybertruck in my immediate family, my wife and I tend to keep our cars for over 10 years. We are quite happy with our two EVs. I also know how important this sector of the automotive industry is, especially here in the US. It's about time pickup trucks go electric, and the high torque and instant power delivery will very likely win over nearly every single person who test drives one, regardless of the brand. It's also fun for me to contribute content to the EV Club of Connecticut's nascent YouTube Channel, where you'll also find our recent Ford Mustang Mach-E and VW ID.4 videos.
To my surprise, my wife actually said yes. She was willing to accompany me on this short trip to the big city, her first in years, and my first in about 15 months. I just had to agree to not talk about electric cars and trucks the whole way there and back. Deal! She was vaccinated back in January, and I completed my 2nd dose 3+ weeks ago. Of course we wore masks during our entire brief NYC stay.
As we drove, heavy rain started, but we stopped by the Grand Opening of the new Tarrytown NY Tesla location on our way to a brief Supercharge in Tarrytown, and we needed to get some food anyway. Special thanks to Will Cross from the Tesla Owner's Club of Connecticut, who gave me the heads-up that this event was happening.
Arrival in New York City
The Meatpacking District / Chelsea.
Breathing through a mask came in handy it turned out, since this area of Manhattan sure had a lot of burning weed smell from passersby, perhaps in celebration of some very recent changes in the law. Interestingly, neither of us can recall seeing anybody walking on the streets or in the Tesla store without their mask on, although an uncovered nose was spotted once or twice.
It was quite nice to see life starting to return back to a new normal. The skies cleared just as we arrived. I still dodged people that got too close out of habit, but the anxiety that's tied to my 14+ months of (late evening) supermarket for the families is subsiding. It was good day, especially once we found that Chelsea Market bathrooms were opened to the public, with a well-spaced and protected entrance and exits.
I noticed some interesting new architecture as drove in and as we walked. I also hadn't noticed this large, repurposed Google building before.
Parking in New York City
When I was in Manhattan at 1 and 2 Penn for my roles at VMware (and once for my role at Dell), I'd usually park at LM 29 Park, LLC, 211 W 29th St, New York, NY 10001 near Penn Station. That location was just too far away for this trip. So I used Edison Park Fast, 161 10th Ave, New York, NY 10011 that was only 0.4 miles away from Tesla at 860 Washington St, New York, NY 10014. Tesla's valet mode is great for such occasions where entrusting somebody else with your car is essential, since they generally don't allow self-parking in NYC garages, and certainly not in car elevator situations like this one. We were able to lock our valuables in the frunk and glove box, set the PIN for Valet mode on the app, then hand over the "key", the Tesla branded NFC key card, in a card holder so the attendant could hang it from his key hook. This mode only allows modest acceleration and low speeds, and disallows opening the glove box, frunk, or any personalize menus on the screen. More details here. Nice! Competitive EV makers would be wise to implement something similar.
This lot was the only one around with decent reviews. I didn't need EV charging, especially since I never planned to be parked for more than 2 hours anyway. I tipped the driver at pickup, once I saw that our car was in the exact condition in which we left it.
Tesla Showroom in New York City
We arrived at about 6pm, an hour before closing. There was good crowd control and decent inter-pod spacing while on line. A Tesla employees checked us in using a tablet, requesting our name and email address. The line moved fast, with each group having about 10 minutes to check out the Cybertruck. While we were in line, I got online via the Tesla showroom Wi-Fi and via my AT&T LTE too. While both seemed to test out at great speeds down and up, the YouTube app kept failing to keep the Live event connected. Even worse, it insisted on a Portrait orientation during each of my numerous attempts to go and stay live, capped at a mere 720p. I'm so sorry about all that. But gladly, finally, my (dual SIM) iPhone's Verizon 5G held up, and the rest of the Live event went fairly well. I got some video at some unusual angles, including the below the front (new camera!) and rear (trailer hitch panel!), which I later learned was kind of a big deal.
Again, this was a mad rush to grab what I could, in hindsight, focusing on more photos and 4K video probably would have been better. Live and learn.
While we stood there in front of this behemoth, I asked my wife what she thought of it. She simply said "it's big."
Video
Photo Gallery
For this article only, I agree to allowing the use of my photos if you are sure to provide photo credit to Paul Braren, as well as linking back to this article as the source. There is no other acceptable use.
Free Supercharging: If you find this article of value and decide to order a Tesla, please consider using this ts.la/paul68544 referral link when placing your order so you and I both get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging. If you order Solar, it's a $250 award after system activation.
Disclosure: My family owns no stock in Tesla. Tesla doesn't advertise at TinkerTry, or anywhere else, and this is not a sponsored post. We financed the purchase of two Tesla Model 3s, replacing my 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid in December of 2018 and replacing my wife's 2005 Honda Civic EX in December of 2019. These big moves to an all electric household were an expression of our mutual desire to go green, avoid gasoline, be safe, have fun, and save money in the long run. Mostly for my job, I drive a lot, 25,000 miles in 2019 for example, and I thoroughly enjoy sharing what I've learned with you. I hope you can tell!
See also
- Tesla Cybertruck is equipped with a camera under front bumper
May 10 2021 by Fred Lambert at ElectrekNow, with the new outing at Tesla’s store in New York City, people have spotted another interesting camera on the Cybertruck prototype.
De Paul Sunny caught the camera located under the front bumper of the Cybertruck (via @depaulsunny)
- Tesla Cybertruck prototype has a hidden camera under the front bumper
May 10 2021 by Darryn John at Drive Tesla Canada
- Elon Musk teases Tesla Cybertruck update: ‘There will be no handle’
Mar 25 2021 by Fred Lambert at ElectrekOver the last year since the unveiling and leading up to the start of production, Tesla has been modifying the electric pickup truck.
Unlike most automakers who unveil concept vehicles and later production versions that are extremely toned down, Tesla tends to bring production vehicles to market that closely resemble their original concepts.
- Tesla Cybertruck Visits New York City As Elon Musk Appears On SNL
May 10 2021 by Sebastien Bell at CarscoopsThe Cybertruck has been on a bit of a publicity tour recently. Just last month, it was seen outside Tesla’s gigafactory in Austin. Unlike that footage, though, this is a good opportunity to watch it in traffic.
- Tesla Cybertruck In Petersen Automotive Museum Hints At Mysterious New Cameras, Underbody Armor & New Finish
June 25 2020 by M. Claribelle Deveza at TesmanianThe Tesla Cybertruck that’s currently featured in the Petersen Automotive Museum hints at new cameras, a robust underbody armor, and a new finish that’s quite different compared to the all-electric pickup unveiled onstage by Elon Musk last November.
Social
Diversity of opinions makes the world much more interesting, thanks for sharing yours!
See also reasons:
https://electrek.co/2019/11/25/tesla-cybertruck-aerodynamics-cfd-rendering/
https://erik-engheim.medium.com/why-is-the-cybertruck-so-cheap-b8ed6b9a7b70
https://tesla.com/cybertruck/design#batteryI'm happy so many people will soon be grinning, when they press the go pedal on their first EV drive.
See also at TinkerTry
All Tesla related articles:
All Tesla related videos:
- Mt. Washington Auto Road in an electric vehicle is a beautiful, joyful and thrilling experience!
Sep 21 2020
- Close 4K look at Tesla "Traffic Light and Stop Sign Control (Beta)" used safely on public roads
Apr 26 2020
- Affordable and convenient way to get Tesla cables off the garage floor, trip-free charging from above!
Feb 01 2020
- Michelin CrossClimate+ 18" tires for Tesla Model 3 are better in snow & rain, protect rims, and cost less
Jan 31 2020
- Featured on "Home Gadget Geeks" Episode #429 "Paul Braren Podcasts from the Tesla 3 and Buys Another"
Jan 12 2020
- First year and 25,000 miles of Tesla Model 3 ownership went very well, far exceeding our expectations
Dec 23 2019
- Charging your Tesla Model 3 at home and on the road, with details to discuss with your electrician
Jan 30 2019
- Best road-tested Tesla Model 3 accessories for all-weather long-distance safety and convenience
Jan 05 2019
- My hometown of Wethersfield Connecticut - settled in 1634 - nestled right between Boston and New York City
Dec 23 2015
- Elon Musk's Powerwall, time-shifting the energy from that handy fusion reactor in the sky
May 04 2015
