Tesla CEO Elon Musk has unveiled an electric pickup truck and quad bike at an event in Los Angeles.
The Tesla Cybertruck and ATV are the sixth and seventh models built by the electric car company and feature high-performance specs, including a 0-60mph time of just 2.9 seconds for the truck.
“Trucks have been the same for like 100 years,” Mr Musk said. “We need something different and we need sustainable energy now. To solve sustainable energy we have to have a pickup truck.”
The unveiling comes seven years after the Tesla CEO outlined his vision of building a “sweet” electric truck “with crazy torque, dynamic air suspension” that “corners like its on rails”.
During the unveiling he described it as resembling “an armoured personnel carrier from the future”.
It comes with six seats and features armoured glass and ultra-strong panels that are made of the same alloys found on spacecraft.
Unlike traditional pickup trucks, the Tesla Cybertruck is built with an exoskeleton design made possible through not needing a fuel engine. Tesla said it had entered “a new class of strength, speed and versatility – only possible with an all-electric design”.
To demonstrate the toughness of the Cybertruck, Mr Musk encouraged people to hit the vehicle with sledgehammers. He also showed a video of the truck resisting bullets shot from a 9mm gun.
During a demonstration of the window’s strength, a ball bearing was able to crack the glass, meaning Mr Musk had to finish the presentation in front of two smashed windows. “Room for improvement,” he joked.
Other specs of the futuristic-looking vehicle include a 250-mile range 3,400kg of towing capacity and self-driving capabilities.
In two separate video demonstrations, the Tesla Cybertruck was able out-accelerate a Porsche 911 and out-tow a Ford F-150 pick-up truck.
It comes with the official tagline: “Better utility than a truck with more performance than a sports car.”
The Cybertruck comes in three versions: a single motor RWD, a dual motor AWD and a tri motor AWD.
Mr Musk unveiled the electric quadbike ATV right at the end of the event, though few details were given.
It fits in the bed of the Cybertruck and is able to charge directly from the Cybertruck’s battery.
No release date has been set for the Tesla Cybertruck but it is expected to debut in late 2021 or early 2022.
Pre-orders have already opened, with the cheapest model starting at a price of $39,900.
The most expensive version – the tri motor AWD with self-driving capabilities – costs $76,900.
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