Elon Musk’s Cybertruck unveiled
Elon Musk has launched his ‘green’ bakkie – but not everything went to plan
IT WAS a cracking start to his launch – but not exactly the kind he’d banked on. There Elon Musk was on stage, showing off his brand-new Tesla Cybertruck when his lead designer stepped up to perform a test designed to show off the impenetrability of the vehicle’s exoskeleton. But as Franz von Holzhausen lobbed a metal ball at the front side window the “armoured glass” smashed – much to Musk’s embarrassment and horror. “Oh f**k,” he was heard muttering. And things went from bad to worse when Von Holzhausen suggested he hurl the ball against the back side window – and that too smashed. It was an inauspicious start to the much-hyped launch but at least it got everyone talking.
SO WHY DID THE WINDOWS FRACTURE?
Just before the metal-ball test, Von Holzhausen had whacked the door with a sledgehammer to prove its durability, Musk says. This cracked the base of the windows, which is why they subsequently broke.
This seems plausible because Musk also shared a slow-motion video of Von Holzhausen performing the same test before the event, with the ball bouncing harmlessly off the window.
The combined impact probably weakened the glass, setting the stage for the live-audience smash.
A NEW BREED OF BAKKIE
Musk hopes the all-electric truck will rival America’s bestselling pickup, the Ford F-150.
“It’s gonna be like a really futuristic cyberpunk Blade Runner pickup,” the South African-born entrepreneur gushed in an interview before the unveiling, referring to the classic 1982 sci-fi movie. “It’s gonna be awesome, it’s gonna be amazing.”
Tesla’s Model 3 sedan is the world’s top-selling battery electric car and Musk will be hoping his first foray into the $100 billion (R1,5 trillion) pickup-truck market will bear similar fruit.
HOW FAST DOES IT GO?
“The powerful drivetrain and low centre of gravity provide extraordinary traction control and torque – enabling acceleration from 0-100 km/h in as little as 2,9 seconds,” according to Tesla.
THE FRAME AND OTHER FEATURES
The vehicle has an exterior shell designed for durability and is reportedly made from the same stainless steel alloy used on SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft, another Musk venture.
The more expensive model has a towing capability of about 6 400kg. Owners can also raise and lower suspension by 10cm in either direction for easy access.
The truck can seat six comfortably and has an advanced marble-like dashboard with a touchscreen. There’s also a digital rearview camera-based mirror, a racing car-style steering yoke and a glass roof.
HOW GREEN IS MY CYBERTRUCK?
Tesla cars are marketed as among the most eco-friendly vehicles on Earth – but Britain’s Daily Mail newspaper reports they might be as bad for the planet as their petrol and diesel equivalents.
“Battery-powered cars such as the Tesla are charged with electricity from power stations, and half of Britain’s power comes from coal and gas.”
However, the Cybertruck will have a solarcharging option that could extend its range by 24km a day, Musk says.
HOW MUCH WILL IT COST?
Tesla unveiled three models: a single-motor rear-wheel drive for $39 900 (R598 500), a dual-motor all-wheel drive for $49 900 (R748 500) and a tri-motor allwheel drive for $69 900 (R1,04 million).
Britain’s The Guardian newspaper reported Musk’s net worth, which is estimated at more than $20 billion (R300bn), plunged to $768m (R11bn) in a day after the embarrassing Cybertruck launch. Not that it’s put people off: Tesla announced it’s since received more than 200 000 orders. Production will begin towards the end of 2021.