Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveils Cybertruck, says pressurised version will be the official Mars truck
Tesla's Cybertruck, which can go from 0-60 mph in just 2.9 seconds, comes in three variants: self-driving, autopark, and trailer docking. The Adaptive Air Suspension feature allows the truck to adjust its height, depending on the nature of roads.
Elon Musk, the Founder and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been in the news for two reasons: one is to colonise Mars, and the other is the electrification of the mobility space.
After the prototype launch of Starship, SpaceX’s deep-space transportation system designed for manned missions to Mars and beyond, Elon has unveiled a new innovation in the heavy vehicle category, which is going to set some new benchmarks for the rest to follow.
The Tesla CEO unveiled the company’s Cybertruck, an electric passenger vehicle, at the Tesla Design Studio, next to SpaceX headquarters in Los Angeles on Friday.
Elon took a moment and tweeted saying, “Tesla Cybertruck (pressurised edition) will be the official truck of Mars”.
Elon Musk alongside Tesla Cybertruck
The powerhouse capability
The Cybertruck packs up a massive powerhouse performance as it can go from 0-60 mph in just 2.9 seconds on the high end. In one of the tests, Cybertruck actually defeated the latest edition of Porsche in a race. It's not a CGI, Elon said.
Similar to other Tesla vehicles, the Cybertruck has the capability to carry 250 kw plus or 14,000 superchargers worth of electric power. According to Elon, you don’t need a generator as it can do the job with its 110v/220v on-board outlets, and also has an onboard air compressor.
The electric truck comes in three variants - self-driving, autopark, and trailer docking; the base variant price starts at $39,900. The economics are better than the price, as Elon said the price of electricity was cheaper than the price of gas.
This means the user would pay $570 ($500 lease + $40 energy $30 maintenance) per month when compared to another user paying $700 ($400 lease $130 fuel + $90 maintenance) per month for a half-ton pickup truck.
The Cybertruck design
The electric truck has a six-seater capacity, and has the same dimensions as other pickup trucks in the US. But there’s a catch. Unlike others, the Cybertruck has an exoskeleton body, which means the mass of the vehicle is moved outside.
"Trucks have been the same for a very long time, we are going to show you how the truck looked like for the last 100 years," said Elon at live launch event.
To give an insight, a usual truck design has a body and the bed on the frame. Elon said, “Body and bed don’t do anything useful, and this was the way the airplane was designed”.
To keep the weigh lighter, the company has moved the stress to the outside skin, he said. The Cybertruck is made out of thick hard stainless steel. “It’s really hard,” he added.
To give a visual comparison, Elon asked a person on stage to hammer the usual truck door, which suffered severe dents. But on the other side, when the Cybertruck drone was hammered, there was no sign of dent. Besides, it could survive the nine mm gunshot - that’s how hard the body is, and “it’s the same alloy in the Starship rocket as in the Cybertruck”, said Elon.
Wait, there’s more.
The Cybertruck is also integrated with armoured glass. In addition, it is integrated with Adaptive Air Suspension, which will be seen in all variants. The feature allows the truck to adjust its height, depending on the nature of roads - so one can be efficient on a highway and at the same time, one can go off-roading.
“The user can adjust the suspension accordingly depending on the weight on the truck,” Elon said.
Because most trucks are equipped with towing capability, Cybertruck also has a feature where it can tow up to 14,000 lbs.
“So yeah, you can order now, if you like, Tesla.com/cybertruck,” Elon said.
(Edited by Megha Reddy)