The Tesla Cybertruck had more than its fair share of critics and doubters, which didn’t stop after its launch a couple of weeks ago. Many experts were now saying that it’s going to be impossible to insure, claiming its unique construction would make it virtually impossible to fix. However, as the first of these pickup trucks are being delivered, people are mostly getting reasonable insurance quotes.
We’ve done some digging on Reddit and on forums, where some initial owners have claimed they’re getting insurance for around $2,200. After that, we did our research and found some of the biggest names on the insurance market were offering between $2,100 and $2,500 per year.
Now, that’s still a lot of money, certainly more than Model 3 owners are paying. However, it’s pretty cheap when you consider what the pickup costs. The powerful tri-motor version costs about $120,000 for the Foundation Series and the dual-motor version is about $100,000. Prices are about $20,000 higher than what they’d normally be.
Nevertheless, the insurance costs are comparable to those of vehicles priced around $60,000. Obviously, the price of Cybertruck insurance will change in the coming months. But it’s pretty clear that Tesla’s unique vehicle has some advantages in this regard. It’s actually cheaper to ensure a Cybertruck than a normal truck from General Motors or Ford at the moment.
Why the Cybertruck is cheaper to insure
When designing and building the Cybertruck, Tesla engineers threw the rulebook away. The body is paint-free, which reduces labor, time, and cost when repairing. Also, the stainless steel body has been proven to be quite resistant to damage. If you kick the door of a regular truck, it will cave in, especially Fords with their aluminum bodies. But if you kick a Cybertruck, you’ll be the one getting hurt.
Tesla’s official videos have shown that it’s virtually impervious to damage from shopping carts and it probably can’t be keyed very easily. You can even hit it with a sledgehammer and it barely leaves a mark. Elon bragged that traditional auto presses can’t even shape this 3mm-thick plating. It’s probably immune to hail damage as well, which is a big deal.
Another advantage: Tesla’s safety systems. Insurers love cars with advanced safety systems, and although they might not live up to everyone’s expectations, Tesla has a proven track record in this department. Plus, onboard cameras and other monitoring systems could provide valuable proof of who’s to blame in the event of a crash.
On the other hand, since there is no paint, you can’t hide repairs under body filler. The Cybertruck will either have perfectly straight body panels or they will have to be replaced. But we’ve recently discovered these replacement panels aren’t as exotic or expensive as they appear. Here is a list of leaked prices:
Windshield wiper blade: $75
Windshield wiper arm & blade: $165
Windshield glass: $1900
Front steering actuator: $3300
Shatterproof side windows: $200-$260
Powered frunk & fascia: $1910 + $935
Front fenders: $550/each
35″ All-Terrain A/T tire (Goodyear Wrangler Territory RT (285/65R20): $470/each
$1,900 for a windshield isn’t cheap, but it is the biggest ever fitted to a passenger vehicle. And the fenders, well they’re cheaper than on some full-size pickups.
