Tesla’s extraordinary Cybertruck caused plenty of jaws to hit the floor when it made its dramatic stage entrance on Friday.
Elon Musk’s jaw did much the same thing when the pickup truck’s “unbreakable” windows smashed during a calamitous demonstration. But the embarrassing mishap hasn’t stopped more than 100,000 people hitting the “buy” button in the Cybertruck’s first weekend.
In a tweet posted by the Tesla CEO on Sunday, Musk said 146,000 orders had been placed for the futuristic pickup, though a few hours later he updated the figure to 187,000.
At this stage, interested buyers only have to put down a deposit of $100, an amount that’s already swelled Tesla’s coffers by a whopping $18.7 million. Production of the Cybertruck isn’t expected to start until late 2021, so customers clearly need to be the patient type.
Single, dual, tri
The electric Cybertruck comes in single-, dual-, and tri-motor flavors, with the $49,900 dual model so far proving the most popular design having secured 42% of the orders (according to Musk’s 146,000 figure).
The $69,900 tri-motor version sits just behind at 41%, with the remaining 17% opting for the $39,900 single-motor model.
The top-spec Cybertruck will have a range of 500 miles, with the dual and single versions offering 300 and 250 miles, respectively. It’ll take the tri-motor model just 2.9 seconds to hit 60 mph, while the less powerful dual and single Cybertrucks will need a little longer, at 4.5 and 6.5 seconds, respectively.
The bed length, or “vault” as Musk calls it, is 6.5 feet, with exterior storage listed at 100 square feet. Tesla also teased an ATV that fits in the bed of the Cybertruck and can be charged right there.
Shipping
The single- and dual-motor Cybertrucks are set to roll off the production line first, in late 2021, though keep in mind that Tesla doesn’t always hit its deadlines. The priciest Cybertruck isn’t expected to go into production until late 2022, the California-based company said.
If any customers get fed up waiting for their Cybertruck to arrive, or suddenly realize they don’t want to drive around in something that one Twitter said looks like “a DeLorean got drunk and impregnated a Hummer in the Thunderdome,” then Tesla says it’ll offer a full refund of the pre-order payment at any point up until delivery.
Tesla is also touting the Cybertruck’s exterior shell “made for ultimate durability and passenger protection,” which includes “Tesla armor glass” that can “absorb and redirect impact force for improved performance and damage tolerance.”
A steel ball called into question the strength of that glass at Friday’s demo, but hopefully they’ll have it all sorted out before launch.