It promises to revolutionize the road and the automotive industry, making it undoubtedly the most anticipated vehicle of recent years.
The Cybertruck is the very first pickup truck manufactured by Tesla (TSLA). The disruptor of the automotive industry hopes to cause a redistribution of the pie in the hyper profitable segment of pickup trucks, dominated in gasoline cars by the classic car manufacturers.
Currently, Ford (F) and its F-150 Lightning, Rivian (RIVN) with the R1T and General Motors (GM) with the GMC Hummer are the main groups monopolizing the market for electric pickup trucks.
Tesla does not only aim to compete with them. The Austin, Texas-based carmaker wants to change the general perception that consumers have of these cars.
Change the Game
Often these vehicles are identified with deep America, blue collar workers and the transport of medium-sized and medium-weight goods. Basically, the pickup truck is perceived as a vehicle that sits opposite to the urban lifestyle.
But Musk and Tesla decided to change this image. They want to make the pickup truck the vehicle everyone is into, a kind of a fashion icon. This ambition lies with the Cybertruck.
Musk first unveiled the electric pickup truck prototype in November 2019, at a promotional event in Los Angeles. The vehicle has been described as something out of the films "Mad Max" and "Blade Runner."
The billionaire himself said that the Cybertruck had been "influenced partly by 'The Spy Who Loved Me'," in a reference to the amphibious Lotus Esprit S1, featured in the 1977 James Bond film.
Clearly, the goal is to push the envelope, cementing the corporate image of being at the forefront of innovation. Tesla is not like the others: this is the message sent by Musk via the Cybertruck.
Demand is so high that Tesla no longer takes orders outside North America. The question remains, however, whether the Cybertruck is a vehicle that will be mass produced.
Musk and Tesla answered yes to this question from the onset, by giving a base price of $39,900. In January, Musk indicated that production would start later this year. Production would ramp up from 2024, but the billionaire did not provide any figures.
For several weeks now, the billionaire and his group have therefore been fueling the hype around the Cybertruck, of which a fleet of prototypes have been circulating on the streets of California and Texas, before the beginning of production, scheduled for later this year.
Crash Test
In line with this marketing strategy, Tesla has just published a very short video showing a crash test carried out by a prototype of the Cybertruck. The video is impressive.
The test seems to have taken place in a facility with several individuals watching the scene behind a glass pane. Inside the Cybertruck are dummies with seat belts fastened. The Cybertruck speeds towards a wall. The video does not show the impact but makes us wonder whether the Cybertruck was damaged or not.
Tesla titled the video: "Cybertruck crash test."
Musk took advantage of this tease to further fuel the suspense around the Cybertruck's capabilities.
"Wait for it …" the billionaire posted.
The video, which has already been seen by more than 25 million Twitter users at the time of writing, had the impact Tesla and Musk hoped for. Fans and consumers are getting more excited about this vehicle, though we still do not know the version that will be mass produced.
"Show us the impact," commented one Twitter user.
"No, what happened to the wall!" quipped another Twitter user.
"Incredible! So excited for my #cybertruck," added another user.
"Cybertruck is built with an exterior shell made for ultimate durability and passenger protection," Tesla says on its website. "Starting with a nearly impenetrable exoskeleton, every component is designed for superior strength and endurance, from Ultra-Hard 30X Cold-Rolled stainless-steel structural skin to Tesla armor glass."
It is said to have a low center of gravity that provides good traction control and torque, enabling acceleration from 0-60 mph in just 2.9 seconds and up to 500 miles of range.
In addition, Tesla said the pickup truck has up to 3,500 pounds (1,587 kg) of payload capacity and 100 cubic feet of exterior, lockable storage.
The Cybertruck has a towing capability of over 14,000 pounds (6,350 kg), Tesla said.
