The Tesla Cybertruck has arrived and it is, as promised, very, uh, different than the other pickups currently on the market.
The brand’s mildly enigmatic CEO Elon Musk introduced the highly enigmatic battery-powered truck at an event in Los Angeles on Thursday evening streamed live online.
He was accompanied on-stage by a merry band of softcore Mad-Max-types dressed all in black, on hand to demonstrate (rather ineffectively at times) the truck’s toughness.
The biggest news is the sheer audacity of this thing’s design, which, in fairness, Tesla did warn us about, in the form of nods to Blade Runner and a certain underwater James Bond car and straight disclaimers it would alienate many.
Still, it — it looks like a six-year-old’s interpretation of a future truck. We honestly thought it was a joke when it first drove on stage. Also: pedestrian safety regulations are still a thing, right?
The Cybertruck measures in at smaller than a Ford F-150; comes standard with adaptive air suspension; and allegedly starts at US$39,900 before any EV rebates. It will be available in three range options, measured here in miles: 250+, 300+ or 500+.
The electric engine will ship the new-age pickup from zero to 60 mph (96 km/h) in a blistering 2.9 seconds in top trim, and provide enough torque to tow 14,000 lbs. This was showcased in a video of the Cybertruck literally running away with an F-150 in a tug-of-war.
“You want a truck that’s really tough, not fake tough?” quipped Musk.
A sledgehammer-wielding assistant showcased the toughness of the truck’s stainless steel alloy (the same material used on Tesla’s Starship rocket) by whacking away at a regular truck door, followed by the Cybertruck’s. They also shot the vehicles with a 9mm pistol. You can guess the results.
But when it came time to demonstrate the durability of the transparent metal glass, the thrown object that was meant to bounce off the passenger window ended up shattering it. And the rear door window, too.
Musk soldiered on through the reveal with the two shattered windows.
In related truck news, GM vied for its piece of the electric pickup truck buzz on Tesla’s big day by revealing its e-truck release-date just hours before Elon went live.
GM’s electric pickup will be on sale sometime in late 2021, roughly the same time Tesla estimates its truck will make its first deliveries. However, you can make a US$100 deposit on Tesla’s Cybertruck right now at Tesla.com.
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November 22, 2019 at 12:22PM
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