Tesla Unveils New Electric Truck
December 2, 2019
Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiled a new totally electric truck on November 21, including a failed demonstration of the supposedly bulletproof windows where Tesla designer Franz von Holzhausen threw a steel ball at the window, shattering it.
The truck appears trapezoidal in appearance, with a roll-down cover, and a built in ramp in the tailgate of the car. The truck was also designed to be bulletproof. The unusually shaped truck has led to some criticism, including initially surprised reactions by those attending the unveiling in Los Angeles when the truck drove on stage, according to CNN.
“I do not think they should have bulletproofed the vehicle. That’s a little over the top,” personal finance teacher Warren Honore said.
During the unveiling, Musk wanted to demonstrate the bulletproof windows by throwing a steel ball at them. While the window did not break, it was severely damaged by the ball. This is despite previous demonstrations by Tesla in videos where multiple steel balls were dropped on the glass without effect.
“That car is pretty weird. I don’t understand the bulletproof feature, and they really shouldn’t have tried to demonstrate it,” sophomore Ryan Townes said.
Tesla stock dropped significantly after the unveiling. It has risen by over 5% after Musk announced that the truck has already received 200,000 preorders.
“I don’t think it was a major blow to the company or its stock price. Tesla’s stock dropped about $24.00 since the roll out of the Cybertruck,” Honore said.
The single-motor version of the truck costs $39,000; the double-motor version costs $49,900; and the triple motor option costs $69,900. A majority of pre orders have been for the double or triple order versions, with only 17% of pre orders being for the single motor version of the truck.
“I can’t believe how expensive that car is. It amazes me that anyone would buy that thing,” freshman Lucas Engelbrecht said.