The electric car manufacturer Tesla has presented a pickup for the first time. With the futuristic-looking vehicle the industry pioneer wants to push into the most important market of American car companies.
The Cybertruck has an unusual triangular shape, which is more reminiscent of a fighter jet than a classic pickup. It should be able to transport more than 1.7 tonnes of weight in the back of the truck and accelerate from zero to just under 100 kilometers per hour in 2.9 seconds.
In a video Tesla demonstrated how the pickup accelerates faster than a Porsche 911. Also a tug-of-war with the latest pickup bestseller F-150 from Ford won the "Cybertruck" in the video easily. The starting price Tesla set rather low at the equivalent of just under 36,000 euros.
Sledgehammer test
The body is made of particularly hard stainless steel, said Tesla boss Elon Musk. To show how robust she is, Tesla chief designer Franz von Holzhausen hit the car door with a sledgehammer without leaving a visible dent. However, the demonstration of the strength of the windows went awry: the glass cracked when Holzhausen threw a metal ball against it.
The heavy wagons with mostly open cargo area are the central money-maker for Ford, General Motors and Fiat Chrysler in the USA. That is the market to be tackled if you want to make the transition to electromobility, said Musk.
At the same time, it is unlikely that the Tesla pickup will soon be on the road: it usually takes several years from the idea of a new model to the start of production. Currently, the company is preparing for the market launch of the compact SUV Model Y and an electric semi-trailer.
Tesla is also not the only manufacturer that wants to serve the lucrative market segment. For example, Rivian plans to go into production with an electric pickup next year. Ford and General Motors also want to defend their market position with electrified versions of their models.
