According to media reports, Tesla's Cybertruck has become a subject of study within the automotive industry. This polarizing all-electric pickup truck has drawn the attention of some established automakers, including South Korea's Hyundai Motor Company. It is rumored that Hyundai has conducted a teardown analysis of a Tesla Cybertruck.
Industry insiders revealed that at the end of last month, Hyundai Motor Group's Namyang Research Center began disassembling and analyzing a Cybertruck. Reports indicate that the study was completed on July 28, 2024.
While it remains unclear why Hyundai conducted a teardown analysis of the Cybertruck, reports suggest that Hyundai plans to make a strong push into the U.S. electric pickup truck market in the coming years. To achieve its goal of entering the U.S. market, Hyundai is reportedly seeking to develop an all-electric pickup truck, which will be sold under both the Hyundai and Kia brands.
The reports state that Hyundai's upcoming all-electric pickup truck aims to offer a payload capacity of 4,000 kilograms and a range of over 500 kilometers. Hyundai plans to produce more than 50,000 units of this all-electric pickup truck annually by 2029, while Kia plans to start production of the same model in 2028, with an annual output exceeding 50,000 units.
Tesla's Cybertruck has become a reference model for Hyundai, with its innovative technologies such as the 48V architecture and steer-by-wire system standing out in its segment.
Although the Cybertruck has received mixed reviews online, Kelley Blue Book recently noted that in July of this year, this all-electric pickup truck was the best-selling model in the U.S. for vehicles priced over $100,000.
The North American pickup truck market is enormous, with annual sales ranging between 2.8 million and 3 million units, more than double the sales of passenger cars in the region. To date, the three best-selling pickup trucks in the U.S. are the Ford F-Series, Chevrolet Silverado, and Dodge Ram. According to estimates by Marklines, the combined sales of these three models exceeded 1.7 million units last year, surpassing the total annual sales of Hyundai and Kia in the U.S.
