As the whole automotive world is tuned in on the Los Angeles Auto Show, Elon Musk and Tesla are applying the finishing touches on a debut that has the potential to overshadow L.A. and render it forgotten in a flash. The Tesla Cybertruck is finally making its debut but until we get so see the wraps fall off, let’s have a closer look at one of the crucial aspects that could make or break the electric pickup truck: its price tag.

The price aspect is of paramount importance for the Tesla Cybertruck because it won't be the only all-electric pickup truck on the market. Rivals like Rivian and Bollinger offer different yet still capable trucks and Ford’s all-electric pickup is on its way, so it will be interesting to see where will Tesla slot the Cybertruck when it comes to price, especially after Musk was adamant that “it’s got to start at less than $50,000, it’s got to be like $49,000 starting price max.”

How Much Will the Tesla Cybertruck Cost?

This is the million-dollar question. So let’s start from the top, more precisely from Elon Musk’s statement. In itself, it could hint that Tesla is looking to pull a Chevrolet, who said the 2020 Corvette C8 would come it at under $60,000, only to later announce that the starting sticker was $59,995 for the entry-level Vette. So, will the Tesla Cybertruck be priced in the $49,000 ballpark? For now, we’re kind of doubting that, because

Such a move could make sense, especially since big-name businesses have showed an eagerness to ditch oil-burning rigs and make the switch to all-electric propulsion for their fleets. Remember Amazon buying 100,000 electric trucks from Rivian? Or UPS and Arrival working on those cute-looking electric delivery trucks? That’s a chunk of the market Tesla can’t afford to ignore now that it has the means to compete. After all, modding the Cybertruck chassis for cargo-hauling purposes shouldn’t pose too much of a challenge, not when Simone Giertz managed to turn her Model 3 into a home-made pickup truck.

How much expensive can the Tesla Cybertruck get, then?

Luckily, we’ll be able to confirm that theory right as the Cybertruck makes its debut. As you know, it’s Tesla’s habit of putting forward the most expensive models first, then gradually introducing cheaper and lesser iterations. It will likely be the same case for the Cybertruck as well.

The Rivian R1T starts at $69,000 and while this looks like the price tag to beat for the Tesla Cybertruck, those higher-spec models will have to steal customers from the $125,000 Bollinger B2 (for now). What’s more, Ford will eventually unleash the all-electric F-150 pickup truck - that’s right, the one that can tow a freight train - which means the Cybertruck will finally get an adversary that’s designed and produced by a long-time established carmaker. Given that the Ford Mustang Mach-E can be had for anything between $44,895 and $65,500 while the Tesla Model Y’s price range is $40,200-$61,000, we expect the electric F-150 vs Tesla Cybertruck sticker battle to take place within price brackets that overlap as well.

Besides towing capacity, which Musk rated at 300,000 pounds, Tesla’s Cybertruck is expected to return impressive 0-60 miles per hour bursts because that’s what the Palo Alto carmaker has been preaching to its fan and customer base: that an all-electric car should be also fun and aggressive when it comes to sprinting from a standstill as quickly as possible.

The same go-all-out creed was suggested by Elon Musk in relation to the Cybertruck in the past: remember the “crazy torque & a suspension that dynamically adjusts for load” bragging? Well, that adjustable suspension could also work to the driver’s advantage during a drag race - or right at the start, to be more precise. So pardon our speculations, but it’s hard to conceive that Tesla didn’t run a scenario where people would drag race the Cybertruck against a supercar or two. Those abilities, however, will add a lot to the final price tag, make no mistake.