Teslas Electric Pickup Breaks the Mould With Angular Design and Armored Glass

Tesla on Nov. 22 unveiled its electric pickup, a truck with a futuristic angular body in gunmetal gray that resembled an armored vehicle and takes aim at the heart of Detroit automakers profits.

Starting from $39,900, the Cybertruck is less expensive than initially flagged but its polarizing design could limit sales in a popular segment symbolic of a rugged, practical American lifestyle.

At a launch event in Los Angeles, Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk said other versions will be priced at $49,900 and $69,900 with the most expensive offering a range of more than 500 miles. By comparison, the current maximum range of a Tesla car is 370 miles for its long-range Model S sedan.

Production is expected to begin around late 2021.

Made from ultra-hard stainless steel which Musk claimed was bulletproof, the four-door six-seater trucks sharp geometric body was set atop massive tires. Its tinted windows were made from armored glass, while a single strip of white light wrapped around the trucks front, replacing headlamps.

“Trucks have been the same for a very long time, like 100 years,” he said, as an audience of Tesla fans chuckled at a slideshow of pickup truck designs throughout the decades. “We need something different.”

Musks assertion that the Cybertrucks exterior “wont scratch and dent” appeared to be borne out after it was hit with a sledgehammer.

But in a snafu that invited much mockery online, the armored glass windows cracked like spider webs when metal balls were thrown at them. “Room for improvement,” Musk said, although he noted the glass had not completely broken.

The truck marks the first foray by Tesla, whose Model 3 sedan is the worlds top-selling battery-electric car, into pickup trucks, a market dominated by Ford Motor Cos F-150, along with models by General Motors Co and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV.

But analysts said its design meant the Cybertruck was unlikely to become more than a niche product and as such would have little impact on energy sustainability as Musk touted in his presentation.

The Cybertruck, Teslas first electric pickup truck, is seen in this undated handout picture released by the company. (Tesla/Handout via Reuters)

“It feels like its a truck for (Musk) and his friends in Silicon Valley, not necessarily Joe the plumber who needs the truck to run his plumbing business,” said Jessica Caldwell, an analyst at automotive consultancy Edmunds.

The design of the truck, which can accelerate from 0-60 miles an hour in 2.9 seconds, was partly influenced by the Lotus Esprit sportscar that doubled as a submarine in the 1970s James Bond film “The Spy Who Loved Me” as well as by the movie Blade Runner.

Reactions on Twitter ranged from love to hate.

“I just watched tesla release the #cybertruck and honestly? My life feels complete,” wrote @aidan_tenud, while @nateallensnyde wrote: “Its nice to see Elon Musk make a cardboard box car he drew in kindergarten.”

Ford, GM Gear Up Too

Teslas focus on the high-performance end of the pickup market is only natural given the success of Fords 450-horsepower F-150 Raptor truck, which launched in 2009 and whose sales have since risen annually.

Ford has never had to offer incentives on the model, which costs in the high $60,000 range, according to Ford spokesman Mike Levine. Ford also offers the more expensive F-150 Limited, its most powerfulRead More – Source