GEORGE NEWS - The recent launch of the new Tesla Cybertruck was an out-of-this-world experience. Excited to see what the new pickup truck looks like, I watched the launch on YouTube.
When CEO of Tesla Motors, Elon Musk, unveiled it, audience members were stunned, as was I. It doesn't resemble a bakkie and could be straight from Blade Runner.
But, as the properties of this weirdo were revealed (and I'm not referring to Musk), the design started growing on me. It is not just any truck - it's a super truck.
Musk certainly broke - no, shattered - conventional design traditions. He started the presentation with a bunch of side-profile images of pickups to highlight how little the shape has changed over the years.
Elon Musk at the launch of the new Tesla Cyber Truck.
This "tank" has a triangular-shaped crew cab. The body panels are made of ultra-hard 30X cold-rolled stainless steel and the windows are armoured glass. The Cybertruck is 5,885m long (with a 2m bed), 2,027m wide, and 1,905m tall - which places it in the range of today's half-ton trucks, depending on bed length.
The fact that it is fully electric doesn't mean it is a softy, or that it's slow.
The tri-motor AWD powertrain delivers Tesla's customary rapid acceleration in the form of a 2,9-second zero to 100km. It has a top speed of 209km. With the standard air suspension, it offers up to 40cm of ground clearance and a Jeep-like 33º approach angle for off-road travel.
The new Tesla Cyber Truck is not slow.
The tri-motor truck comes with standard autopilot to give it the most modern Adas (advanced driver-assistance systems) on the market. It has on-board 110V and 220V outlets, plus an air compressor to power electric and pneumatic tools. It seats six people with a jump seat in front.
The future is here today - 200 000 of these futuristic pickup trucks have already been ordered.
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