After announcing the Long Range RWD Cybertruck for Saudi Arabia, Tesla left everyone speculating when the new RWD variant would launch in North America.
After just a day since launching in Saudi Arabia, Tesla has officially launched the Rear-Wheel Drive variant of the Cybertruck in the U.S.
The RWD variant is a toned-down and simplified version aimed at a lower price than the AWD, sacrificing several key features for affordability.
Let’s take a look at what’s been cut and what’s changed between the trim variants.
Feature Cut
The updated specs for the RWD variant now provide 350 miles of range, with up to 362 with the new optional soft tonneau cover - more on that later. The 0-60mph acceleration is 6.2s, which is acceptable but not the fastest Tesla on the block. Tesla has also removed the adaptive air suspension - meaning this is the first Cybertruck on a coil suspension. This has also impacted the overall payload capacity, dropping it to 2,007 lbs (from 2,500 lbs on the AWD).
With a reduced tow capacity of 7,500 lbs (down from 11,000 lbs on the AWD), we expect that this will be a deal-breaker or deal-maker for many, as it can tow double of what the Class II hitch on the Model X and Model Y can - but not enough to tow big trailers.
While this a single-motor vehicle, there is still a diff-locker available for off-roading. We expect a limited variant of Off-Road Mode to be available on this Cybertruck.
Interior Differences
On the inside, Tesla has definitely trimmed to meet the new price point. The rear screen has been removed, and the seats are now cloth textile. With the loss of the leather, the seats are also no longer ventilated - but the front seats are still heated. They’ve also cut down on the sound system - from 15 speakers to just 7, including a subwoofer, on this trim. That also cuts out the active noise cancellation.
The HEPA filter and Bio-Weapon Defense mode have also been removed, along with the two 120V outlets inside the cabin.
Truck Bed
The bed of the truck also sees some differences, with the biggest being the removal of the bed outlets - and, oddly enough, they’re not an option, either. This is a big loss - Tesla should have at least kept them as an optional add-on because they’re one of the best use cases of the Cybertruck. However, this truck still supports Powershare, and the new Powershare Outlet Adapter is launching alongside it.
Tesla has also removed the bed’s L-Track and LED lightbars in favor of simpler LED lamps on either side.
Finally, on the exterior, the Cybertruck RWD has lost its rear lightbar, keeping only the turn signal lights and a center brake light. Tesla has also removed the signature lights on the front of the truck - there are standard headlights there instead.
No more rear lightbar. We're not sure how this will look on the roads just yet!
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Available Options
The new standard wheels are 18”, but the tires make up for the remainder to keep the same 35” total size. 20” Cyber Wheels and covers are available for $3,500. Interestingly, Tesla is honoring the discounted FSD early-reservation holder price of just $7,000. If you’re not a reservation holder, FSD will be an additional $8,000.
The new 18
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The Cybertruck Long Range RWD isn’t shipping with a tonneau cover. Instead, it will be available on the Tesla Shop (or during the ordering process) for $750 as a soft cover, which offers up to a 12-mile improvement in range. The soft cover is manual and water resistant.
The Soft Tonneau in all its glory.
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Pricing & Availability
Tesla has cut out major features of the Cybertruck to be able to offer it at a lower price. However, the price is not as low as many would have liked to see. The RWD Long Range version will sell for $69,990 ($62,490 after the Federal EV Rebate). While there are a lot of removed features for just a $10k price reduction, the truck can still be a good option for those looking to adventure or do light towing. The one bright spot for the RWD variant is the improved range thanks to the truck being lighter.
This variant will begin shipping in the United States in June/July 2025, and we expect it to become available in Canada and Mexico in the coming weeks or months as well.
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In a one-two punch fashion today, Tesla has announced two big pieces of news, one after the other. First off, Tesla has officially launched in Saudi Arabia, but more importantly, it has also announced plans to introduce the Long Range RWD Cybertruck.
— Tesla Europe & Middle East (@teslaeurope) April 10, 2025
Saudi Arabia Launch
Tesla vehicles are now, for the first time - barring third-party imports - available for direct sale to customers in Saudi Arabia, beginning with the refreshed Model 3 and the refreshed Model Y.
Tesla has also stated that the Cybertruck will be launched in late 2025, which brings us to our second piece of news.
RWD Cybertruck Has Different Features
Tesla unveiled the Long Range Rear Wheel Drive Cybertruck on the Middle East website, which is scheduled to be available in the late 2025 timeline. This is more than a single motor variant of the Cybertruck. The RWD version of the truck is not only lighter than the AWD version, but also features different specs.
Unfortunately, pricing is not available at this time for any of the versions in Saudi Arabia, so we can’t estimate the North American price either, but this will be something a lot of potential buyers have their eye on.
Here are the specs of the Long Range RWD version and how it compares to the AWD Cybertruck (be sure to scroll horizontally on mobile).
Variant
Range
Towing
Weight
Acceleration
(0-100km/h)
Top Speed
Max Ground Clearance
LR RWD
350 mi (563km)
3,402 kg
2,775 kg
6.6s
112 mph (180km/h)
243mm
LR AWD
325 mi (523km*)
4,990 kg
3,009 kg
4.3s
112 mph (180km/h)
406mm
Cyberbeast
320 mi (515 km)
4,990 kg
3,113 kg
2.7s
130 mph (209km/h)
406mm
*The Foundation-Series Cybertruck AWD is rated at 560km of range.
No Air Suspension, No Rear Screen
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One of the immediate things to notice in the Long Range RWD variant Cybertruck is the fact that it does not include an air suspension or rear screen. Tesla has removed the air suspension and will likely fit the truck with a much cheaper regular suspension in order to cut costs. This will likely come alongside other changes to the interior trims, as well as changes to the bed outlets and tonneau cover.
We expected the LR RWD version to launch with fewer features, as it tries to appeal to more buyers, such as work-truck purchasers or those who want a fantastic EV truck but without all the extras that are essential for off-roading or track use.
The LR RWD also comes with the option of 18” rims - a new wheel size that isn’t currently available for other versions. These wheels also come with Cybertruck-themed and hex-styled aero covers and look to be the same or similar tires mounted on them based on the pictures on Tesla’s site.
We don’t have any news yet on when this version will be available in North America, but given that Tesla will be producing it at Giga Texas, a North American launch can’t be too far behind.
It is always nice to get sneak peeks into what Tesla is doing next, so let’s take a look at these two upcoming features and see what’s on the software team’s bucket list.
Tire Fill Assist
The first new feature that’ll be coming soon is simply titled “Tire Fill Assist.” Unfortunately, there isn’t much more to go on for this one, but we have a few ideas of what it could be used for.
Tesla already uses smart TPMS sensors (and also Smart Tire Treat Sensors) to relay information to the vehicle over Bluetooth, which makes it easy to keep track of your tire pressure. However, when you need to inflate one of your tires, you’ll either need a tire pressure gauge or head inside the vehicle to see what the vehicle is reporting.
Tire Fill Assist could be an option available in the vehicle’s Service panel that actively checks the Bluetooth TPMS while you’re filling them. Normally, these readings aren’t reported in real-time, so this feature could increase the rate at which tire pressure data is transmitted for a period of time. It could also give you audible feedback through the vehicle’s internal speakers or outside speaker (PWS) where the tire is approaching the set limit.
This is a feature available on other vehicles, so it isn’t too surprising that Tesla is adding something similar in their own software-focused way.
Routing Option: Lower Price
Another new option, according to Green, is a new routing option built around lower prices. This could consider toll roads, but one thing it’ll focus on is Supercharger pricing. Since stations offer variable pricing that also changes based on the time of day, Tesla could offer drivers different routing options.
Users will be able to tap a “View Lower Cost Charging” option to view cheaper nearby chargers that may be slightly more out of the way. This creates a balance and lets drivers choose whether they want to prioritize speed or savings.
Tesla already warns users when a site has a wait period and will automatically redirect vehicles to nearby alternative Superchargers, so this will be a similar feature, but instead of being based on congestion, it’ll be based on the user’s price preference.
While these are two small additions, they’ll undoubtedly improve the experience when a driver is in one of these circumstances. Green spotted these features in the production build of 2025.8. While they’re not active yet, it seems like it won’t be long before we get to experience these features for ourselves.
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