A $50,000 camper that turns the Tesla Cybertruck into an RV has hit $80 million in pre-orders - see inside
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Brittany ChangAug 15, 2021, 18:11 IST
A deployed Cyberlandr.CyberLandr
An artificial intelligence and software company is creating camper attachments for Tesla Cybertrucks.
Stream It has already seen $80 million in pre-orders for its $50,000 Cyberlandr, its CEO told Insider.
See inside the Cyberlandr, which will be produced and delivered in tandem with the Cybertruck.
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Chatter about Tesla's upcoming Cybertruck has subsided since its unveil in late 2019, but that's not stopping designers from imagining its potential uses.
This includes Lance King, the CEO of Stream It, a software and artificial intelligence company that's now pivoting to create attachments that can turn Cybertrucks into a pop-up tiny homes on wheels.
The Cyberlandr.
CyberLandr
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Yes, you read that right. A tech company is now making pickup truck campers, or "Cyberlandrs."
The Cyberlandr.
CyberLandr
The production of Tesla's infamous Cybertruck may have been pushed back from 2021 to 2022, but that's not stopping Stream It from "ramping everything up," King told Insider.
Tesla Cybertruck and Cyberquad.
Ringo H.W. Chiu/Associated Press
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King first thought of the idea when he was preordering a Cybertruck and realized no existing RV or camper could be compatible with the futuristic truck's body.
The Cyberlandr.
CyberLandr
"[The RV industry] hasn't innovated in 50 years," King said. "They're not going to get a stroke of genius and create a new RV. And I thought, 'who could do it?'"
The Cyberlandr.
CyberLandr
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It turns out the answer is himself and his Stream It team.
A deployed Cyberlandr.
CyberLandr
"The only company I can think of that could do that is my company," King said. "We've got the software developers, we've got the AI, and we're really creative. We wanted it to be a Tesla-like experience even when you were in a RV."
The Cyberlandr.
CyberLandr
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According to King, a "true Tesla level RV" needs strong software that's capable of artificial intelligence and yearly updates, similar to Tesla's vehicles.
The Cyberlandr stowed away.
CyberLandr
So towards the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, in the face of potential layoffs, King decided to put his team to work designing the CyberLandr.
The Cyberlandr's kitchen.
Cyberlandr
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Prior to this project, the company had never worked in the RV industry, although many team members enjoy overlanding, camping, and RVing.
The Cyberlandr mid deployment.
CyberLandr
King says this inexperience in the RV industry is a "massive strength."
A fully deployed Cyberlandr.
CyberLandr
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"Tesla would never have been able to reinvent the car had they been in the car business," King said. "Just being in that changes your field of vision. We think it was necessary to not be in the RV industry to create a truly new and unique product."
The entry door.
Cyberlandr
So far, this investment is paying off.
The Cyberlandr.
Cyberlandr
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The camper was an instant success upon its unveiling in early April.
The four stages of the Cyberlandr's deployment.
CyberLandr
To prove potential market success, the company's goal was to have 100 to 200 interested customers within the first month. Instead, it saw 1,000 buyers.
The Cyberlandr's living room.
Cyberlandr
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According to King, the Cyberlandr team has already hit over $80 million in preorders, and it's still seeing daily sales, which Insider confirmed.
The bed being deployed.
CyberLandr
It's even received a one-word stamp of approval from Elon Musk, who called a video of the Cyberlandr "cool" in early July.
The camper's popularity should come as no surprise.
The Cyberlandr.
CyberLandr
The Cyberlandr combines two growing trends that have recently flooded the automobile industry: camper vans and electric pickup trucks (especially one as hot as Tesla's).
A deployed Cyberlandr.
CyberLandr
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Now let's take a closer look at the tiny home on wheels includes. The approximately $50,000 Cyberlandr has a retractable staircase that leads up to the interior's living room, bedroom, and bathroom.
The entire unit can tuck away into the Cybetruck's bed when it's not in use. Think of it as a pop-top camper.
The Cyberlandr.
CyberLandr
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Let's start in the kitchen, which has all the basic necessities with a tech-forward twist, like a voice-controlled smart faucet, a refrigerator, a porcelain countertop with a hidden cooktop, and a sink with a cutting board and drying rack.
The Cyberlandr's kitchen.
Cyberlandr
The living room is right next to the kitchen, and comes with removable seats, voice or phone activated lights and temperature control, and a 32-inch smart television equipped with streaming services like Netflix and Apple TV.
The interior of the Cyberlandr.
CyberLandr
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This space can also be used as an office: The television can double as a second monitor, the pivoting tables can be used as desks, and the Cyberlandr's Starlink satellite dish can provide an internet connection.
The Cyberlandr's living room.
Cyberlandr
The living room also transforms into a bedroom. All you have to do is unfold the seats into a roughly queen-sized bed.
The bed.
CyberLandr
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There's also space under the bed to sleep an additional adult or two children.
A fully deployed Cyberlandr.
CyberLandr
Other amenities inside the tiny home on wheels include heated floors, an onboard bathroom with a shower, sink, and toilet, and smart glass that can dim for more privacy.
To power all of this, the Cyberlandr will use the truck's battery and its own 500-watt solar panels.
The Cyberlandr.
Cyberlandr
Stream It predicts the 1,200-pound camper will inevitably cut the truck's range by 5%.
The Cyberlandr.
Cyberlandr
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When it's fully deployed, the truck and its tiny home will likely stand at just under 11 feet tall depending on the final height of the Cybertruck.
The Cyberlandr.
CyberLandr
Designing a camper based on a vehicle that doesn't exist yet has its obvious challenges, but King believes the Cybertruck's design won't change too much from the original unveil.
The Cyberlandr.
Cyberlandr
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And the team has already created renderings of the camper with exact measurements, allowing the designers to easily change the camper's dimensions according to the final Cybertruck design.
The bed.
CyberLandr
The campers will eventually be produced near the Cybertruck's manufacturing site in Texas. This proximity will allow the Cyberlandr team to install the campers onto the Cybertrucks for its customers.
In the short term, the company will be leasing a manufacturing facility just outside of Austin, Texas. But looking ahead, Stream It plans to create its own facility in the city.
The Cyberlandr's kitchen.
CyberLandr
Despite this prep work, King is "really nervous" about the first customers that ordered a Cyberlandr.
The removable seats from the Cyberlandr.
CyberLandr
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The product is wholly dependent on the final Cybertruck specifications, so if Tesla doesn't share them before the Cybertrucks are shipped out, the team will have to take their own measurements and tweak the designs. This means the first few customers might not have their Cyberlandrs by the time their Cybertrucks are ready.
The Cyberlandr's kitchen.
CyberLandr
"We're ramping up everything to make sure we can respond very quickly to those changes and get them out as soon as possible afterwards," King said.
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