Tesla has debuted its new Cybertruck and the early opinions are polarizing.
Some think Tesla’s entry into the consumer truck market looks strikingly like something in which Batman would speed through the streets of Gotham. Others think the design is revolutionary and complements the upcoming vehicle’s powerful specs and exciting features.
Here’s Tesla’s debut “trailer” for the new all-electric six-seat pickup truck, which was posted to the company’s YouTube account late last week.
“Trucks have been the same for a very long time, like 100 years — trucks have been basically the same,” said Elon Musk, Tesla’s founder, introducing the Cybertruck on Nov. 21. “We want to try something different.”
The futuristic design was too much for many people, with references made online to how it looks like a door stopper or a coffee percolator.
“This is what happens when the #DeLorean from Back to the Future, has a baby with the Tumbler from Batman Begins,” tweeted Shaun Stackhouse, among the naysayers.
This is what happens when the #DeLorean from Back To The Future, has a baby with the Tumbler from Batman Begins. pic.twitter.com/5LB7r9Fh2y
— Shaun Stackhouse (@ShaunStackhouse) November 22, 2019
But Teslarati was a fan, calling the Cybertruck “bold and unapologetically sci-fi.” The online publication pointed to innovate features like 3,500 pounds of payload capacity, adjustable air suspension, and an ultra-strong folding screen covering the truck bed that may be able to hold solar panels for charging the car.
Tesla says the single-motor version of the truck will have a range of 250 miles. The tri-motor configuration, with a 500-mile range, should be able to get to 60 m.p.h. in 2.9 seconds. The Cybertruck will be able to tow more than 14,000 lbs. and has 100 cubic feet of storage.
One big issue with the Cybertruck’s debut was that the supposedly armored-glass windows cracked when they were demo-ed by having a metal ball thrown at them. (Musk later tweeted a video showing how the windows did not crack during a trial run.) However, other demonstrations, such as hitting the stainless steel body of the car with a sledgehammer, worked well to show the Tesla vehicle’s solidity.
Still, that misstep caused the rest of the debut presentation to lose momentum. Tesla stock fell about 6% the next day, driven in part by worries over the design and durability.
As for criticism of the Cybertruck’s appearance, Musk explained that the truck’s design was so angular and “planar” because the “ultra-hard 30X steel” its shell is made of can’t be molded easily. He had earlier teased that the design was also inspired by the submarine-car in James Bond’s “The Spy Who Loved Me.”
Pricing for the Cybertruck starts at $39,900 for the single motor rear-wheel-drive and goes up from there, with the tri-motor all-wheel-drive base model costing $69,900. You can also add $7,000 to your price tag with the promise of “full self-driving” down the road. A $100 refundable deposit is required to pre-order today.
Despite some negative reaction, though, the electric truck definitely has its fans, if pre-orders are any indication. Musk posted to Twitter on Nov. 23, two days after launch, that 146,000 Cybertrucks had already been ordered. The following day, he updated that number to 200,000. The vehicles are expected to go into production in late 2021.
What do you think? Is the Cybertruck a go or a no?
This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Checkout Simplemost for additional stories.
