If anyone thought that Tesla's first tilt at making a truck would be conventional, they had another thing coming.
The firm and CEO Elon Musk have revealed their new Cybertruck today in Los Angeles, and first and foremost it looks unlike anything else on the market. Musk's love of steampunk and '80s cinema is clear to see in the Cybertruck's Tron-like form factor, sharp edges, and DeLorean-like stainless steel exterior.
Reactions to the looks are potentially as ... errr ... broad, as any other new-vehicle unveiling in recent history. Tesla, as is tradition, have got everyone's tongues wagging with this big triangular thing.
Yes, stainless steel. The body of the Cybertruck is made out of what Tesla calls ultra hard 30X cold rolled stainless steel. To demonstrate the strength of the flat-grey bodywork, the launch included the pick-up getting slammed in the door with a sledgehammer — as well as hitting the door of a Ford F-150 for comparison.
Speaking of the F-150, Tesla used Ford's iconic pick-up as a dimensional baseline for the Cybertruck. It's 5885mm long, 2025mm wide, and features a 1981mm long rear bed. Musk says that the Cybertruck outperforms the F-150 across the board for practicality, despite sharing a similar set of dimensions.
The Cybertruck is also said to be bulletproof, with impact-resistant glass supporting the rigid bodywork. Although, the glass didn't necessarily perform to spec during the launch — cracking (but not shattering) during an impact demonstration.
Beyond the bodywork and wild design, the Cybertruck naturally features a fully electric powertrain. Musk claimed that range-topping all-wheel drive models would be able to hit 60mph (96km/h) in just 2.9-seconds — acceleration speeds quick enough to rival most hypercars.
“We wanted to show you something different, [...] and we need sustainable energy now,” Musk said on stage.
It also features adaptive air suspension, which aids the Cybertruck's handling while also allowing up to 404mm of ride-height during off-road use. Towing and payload sit at a bonkers claimed 6350kg and 1587kg respectively.
There are three range levels set to be offered; 321km, 482km, and 805km. Pricing in the US will start at US$39,900 for the lowest range rear-wheel drive single-motor model, and the flagship three-motor model will be priced at US$69,900. If it were to come to New Zealand, expect that pricing to go out the window.
Plenty of incredibly bold claims — it wouldn't be Tesla without those. Now, let's see if they can deliver ...
