Innovation

Tesla Cybertruck: video of Elon Musk cruising shows truck's 'crazy' scale

The Tesla CEO has taken the company's most striking vehicle out for a spin.

Instagram/gorgeouserika

What better way to spend a sunny afternoon, as one of the giants of the automotive world, than by taking your most controversial upcoming car and going out for a spin?

Tesla CEO Elon Musk, spotted in two Instagram videos shared Saturday, took the Tesla Cybertruck to the streets of Hawthorne, California, the same city where the company unveiled the vehicle back in November 2019 at the Tesla Design Studio. Although not set for release until late 2021, the truck's angular design and sheer size have made it stand out even among the company's own lineup.

That "stand out" quality was on full display as Musk drove past Instagram user "gorgeouserika." Towering over the car, a Musk equipped with aviator sunglasses flashes a cheeky smile and hand wave before putting the pedal to the (very large amounts of) metal.

"Look how crazy this shit looks!" the video recorder can be heard saying as they catch up with Musk a second time.

The truck was unveiled as part of a presentation with a Blade Runner theme, making it feel otherworldly and sci-fi. The weekend video, however, was tagged at the location of a Starbucks near Crenshaw and I-105.

Musk was previously spotted taking the truck for a spin in December 2019. Joined by musician Grimes and actor Ed Norton, the group was spotted in the car heading out to a Japanese restaurant in Malibu.

Far from tackling a dystopian landscape of a rain-soaked Los Angeles, it seems the truck's first few outings have been on light-hearted tours around the area.

Musk standing alongside the Tesla Cybertruck.

FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images

On paper, the Cybertruck is a beast. It measures 231.7 inches long, 79.8 inches wide and 75 inches high, with enough space for six seats and a rear bed that measures 6.5 feet. It features a bizarre angular design, which Musk claims is a necessity as it uses ultra-hard cold-rolled 30X stainless steel. This alloy, expected to also feature in the SpaceX Starship that will send humans to Mars, makes stamping practically impossible.

Of course, the truck's first public toughness test didn't quite go to plan. During the November unveiling, one of the standout images was from Tesla lead designer Franz von Holzhausen throwing a metal ball at the transparent metal glass, only to leave a giant crack. Just moments prior Musk had bragged at how the company held ballistic impact tests with a 9-millimeter full metal jacket, weighing in at 115 grain, from a distance of 10 meters. Following the ball incident, Musk claimed the earlier sledgehammer test had weakened the glass.

Despite its outwardly sci-fi nature, pricing for the Cybertruck is more in line with the company's other entry-level vehicles like the Model 3 sedan and Model Y SUV. Prices start at $39,900, for a vehicle that can travel for 250 miles per charge and offers single-motor rear-wheel drive. A mid-range model for $49,900 boosts the range to over 300 miles and adds a second motor for all-wheel drive. The high-end model for $69,900 adds a third motor and ups the range to over 500 miles.

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