Trucks aren’t built to race at the drag strip but the electric ones can hold their own thanks to their instant torque response. The Tesla Cybertruck has finally arrived, and with it comes the tri-motor variant dubbed “Cyberbeast.” It’s now been pitted against one of the quickest-accelerating SUVs money can buy, the Lamborghini Urus. The EV vs ICE showdown was orchestrated in Texas at the Gigafactory on a freshly paved road.
The two dueled at the same location where the Cybertruck obliterated the GMC Hummer. Whether we’re talking about the drag or rolling races, the outcome was pretty much the same in all instances. Tesla’s workhorse won every single battle without breaking a sweat, despite weighing a whopping 6,843 pounds. Lamborghini’s LM002 spiritual successor was no Caterham either, tipping the scales at 4,848 pounds, but still a lot lighter than the ultra-angular truck.
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What the Cyberbeast lacked in suppleness, it made up in sheer power. With 845 hp and 686 lb-ft on tap from its three electric motors, it had a clear advantage over the Urus’ twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 rated at 650 hp and 625 lb-ft. Real-life tests have shown the high-riding Lamborghini can reach 60 mph from a standstill in as little as 3.1 seconds but that’s still no match for the 2.6-second sprint quoted by Tesla for its flagship Cybertruck. That half-a-second gap was evident in these drag races.
The tri-motor electric pickup was clocked in at 11.2 seconds for the quarter mile whereas the Urus needed an extra 1.1 seconds. It was more of the same in the subsequent rolling races as the Cybertruck put the family-friendly Lambo in its rearview mirror with ease. The Urus did manage to win one fight by coming to a halt much sooner in the brake test from 70 mph. With sticky tires and a substantially lower curb weight, the outcome was predictable.