Technology 4 min read

Cybertruck: Tesla Truck Debuts With Fanfare, and Ford Isn't Happy

Artist_Studio / Shutterstock.com

Artist_Studio / Shutterstock.com

If you ask Elon Musk about the new Tesla truck, he will describe it as “the coolest car [he’s] ever seen.” Back in September, he announced they would unveil his Blade Runner-like this November, and they did!

The truck, called Cybertruck (cyberpunk truck), is finally here. Now, we can discuss its potential in positioning Tesla on the electric pickup truck market.

Tesla claims Cybertruck to have a “better utility than a truck with more performance than a sports car.”  Does it perform as a utility vehicle that would win over customers in the highly-competitive conventional pick-up market?

With its design that some say straight out of Blade Runner or pencil stroke of a kindergarten child, the Tesla Cybertruck will leave no one indifferent.

But beyond his look like no other, what are his arguments to attack one of the fastest-growing segments of the automotive market?

Tesla Truck: Cybertruck is All-Electric, All-Round Pickup

With futuristic aesthetics, Tesla truck looks more like a concept car than a production vehicle. The freedom of style in its design results in an exterior that’s unlike any existing pick-up truck.

To maximize durability and safety, Tesla truck has an exterior hard shell. Cybertruck is built with a monochrome exoskeleton made from Ultra-Hard 30X Cold-Rolled stainless-steel.

Tesla says if there were something better, it would’ve used it. The material is used in SpaceX rockets. The ultra-strong glass is both for improved performance and damage tolerance.

Cybertruck comes in three versions: single motor, dual motor, and tri-motor. The latest can reach 60 mph in <2.9 SECONDS and can carry 3,500 pounds with a towing capacity of 14,000+ pounds. As for range, Tesla truck can travel for 250, 300, or 500 miles on a single charge depending on the version.

Cybertruck does look like an armored vehicle straight out from an SF graphic novel. Some people even thought it was some Musk joke or publicity stunt. But Tesla truck is real. You can ask the guy who smashed its supposedly “ultra-strong” glass.

On Nov. 21, Tesla held the demonstration of Cybertruck at its Design Center in Hawthorne, California. Tesla CEO Elon Musk hosted the event himself. Sledgehammering Cybertruck door didn’t make a dent, literally.

But when Musk invited a Tesla designer on stage and asked him to try to smash the window. He did, effortlessly, and with both windows.

Musk didn’t see that coming. He later attributed the shattered glass mishap to the order in which the hits took place.

“Sledgehammer impact on door cracked base of glass, which is why steel ball didn’t bounce off,” Musk tweeted. “Should have done steel ball on window, *then* sledgehammer the door. Next time …”

Nevertheless, the shattered window doesn’t seem to be a problem because demand has shattered expectations. Thus far, Tesla received over 250,000 preorders for its all-electric pickup. Slated for late 2021, Tesla truck prices will range from $39,900 for the single motor to $69,900 for the tri-motor model.

Tesla Cybertruck vs. Ford F150

In addition to Tesla, at least seven other US automakers are preparing to introduce their electric truck models by 2021. The list includes major companies like General Motors and Ford and small startups like Lordstown Motors.

This is a fast-growing segment, and Tesla’s new model better prove its “hauling and picking up” chops.

Tesla found no better way to introduce Cybertruck than to take on a best-selling pickup like Ford F-150. In 2018, Ford sold over 1.1 million units of its Super Duty pickup, or F-150. On average, a sale every 29.3 seconds.

Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson shimmed in questioning the physics of the stunt.

“Electric vehicles are famously heavy…” Tyson said in a tweet. “It’s all about the weight borne by spinning tires. That’s the source of traction, not the engine power.” He then challenged Musk to do another test where the two torques are fully loaded. Musk agreed to do it “next week.”

Of course, Ford Motor Co. execs weren’t happy with the result and said they wanted a fair rematch between the two pickups. Then they backed off from the second match calling the first one “absurd.” All the same. Musk still wants to do it apparently.

Read More: Tesla Pickup Truck To Arrive In November

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Zayan Guedim

Trilingual poet, investigative journalist, and novelist. Zed loves tackling the big existential questions and all-things quantum.

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