Elon Musk has finally unleashed his Tesla Cybertruck onto the market, pitching it to buyers as a futuristic bunker on wheels.
Should customers ever find themselves in a surprise combat situation, they’ll be safe in the knowledge their vehicle is bulletproof—at least for small caliber weapons.
“If you’re ever in an argument with another car, you will win,” Musk told his fans at the delivery event in its Texas factory in Austin. “Here at Tesla we have the finest in apocalypse technology.”
Four years since Elon Musk first revealed the Cybertruck—and two years since it pulled all specs and pricing—the vehicle is now being delivered to early owners in small numbers.
Up until Thursday, the Tesla CEO had managed the rare feat of keeping the model’s exact performance and cost a complete secret. A combination of delays and a near-total lack of information in turn led to feverish speculation.
And while some of the claims Musk had floated—such as vehicle buoyancy for river crossings—were left out, the entrepreneur said he wanted to deliver something remarkable that would offer more utility than a truck, while being quicker than a sports car.
On Thursday Musk revealed all his secrets, wowing the audience with footage of the pickup beating a Porsche 911 in a quarter-mile drag race … while towing another 911 behind it.
EVs like the Cybertruck typically enjoy faster straight-line acceleration than conventional cars owing to their instant availability of full torque to the drive axle. It’s their overall handling and agility in a corner where their massive weight becomes a drawback.
Porsche 911 vs Cybertruck towing Porsche 911. Pic.twitter.com/04EfaB01Fb
— Jon Erlichman (@JonErlichman) November 30, 2023
However, anyone interested in placing an order today will likely have to wait for months as the reservation list is long.
Pricing unveiled
Musk has previously said he collected over 1 million refundable deposits from customers, though this number will likely drop given prices have risen dramatically over their original indication from four years ago.
Owners may also incur some additional costs. With the truck’s range topping out at an estimated 340 miles for the $79,990 dual motor version with all-wheel-drive, Tesla has chosen to offer an attachable battery sold separately for longer trips and/or towing.
But the added pack that beefs it up to 470 miles is expected to cost $16,000 extra, takes up well over a third of the available bed and must be installed by professionals. All told, that would set a customer back nearly $96,000 before tax credits—even more if they buy the tri-motor version.
A cheaper entry model starting at $60,990 and equipped only with a single rear axle-mounted electric motor is tipped to come at some point in 2025. Tesla has been known to axe models at the last moment however: Just take the promised Model S Plaid+ as an example.
It’s also unclear when, or if, Cybertrucks will be sold outside North America.
For now though Musk celebrated the fruition of a journey that first began in late 2019 and often looked uncertain given the almost three-year delay. It was a welcome change from the recent controversies around his social media company, X.
“Finally the future will look like the future,” said Musk, at least for those Americans who like him believe in “late-stage civilization vibes.”
“The apocalypse could come along at any moment,” he quipped.
Before heading off into an urban war zone, though, just remember to be sure to keep your head down.
While entire 9mm magazines can be emptied into the stainless-steel body with little more than a dent, the shatter-resistant “armor glass” windows that famously cracked in their first demonstration four years ago are not as robust.
And this time, instead of a metal ball, designer Franz von Holzhausen only felt comfortable tossing a baseball at it.
