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The design is a statement, it's even a declaration of war. I think they are targeting people who do not care for environmental issues and who still think that

The design is a statement, it's even a declaration of war. I think they are targeting people who do not care for environmental issues and who still think that electric vehicles are something for beaus and weaklings. If these people can't be convinced to transition to EVs for ecological reasons, just give them another reason. It doesn't matter why they drive EVs, just that they do. (Well, and to give other car companies a kick in the butt in this market segment). It is a design you can't ignore, it looks metal af and no matter what your pickup currently looks like, it will appear wimpy next to it. Also observe that it no longer sports a Tesla logo. The teaser image [0] that Musk posted before still had one. There is none on the inside either, as far as I could tell, so maybe they are moving the Cybertruck away from the Tesla brand. The presentation was on SpaceX' premises as well, if I remember correctly. (Compare that to Zuckerberg who thinks that Facebook isn't credited enough for the success of its daughter platforms WhatsApp and Instagram and is moving them closer to the (imo) toxic brand of Facebook). [0] https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1106714774694297601 https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1106714774694297601

tobib 7y ago
> I think they are targeting people who do not care for environmental issues and who still think that electric vehicles are something for beaus and weaklings. If they can't be convinced to transition to EVs for ecological reasons, give them another reason because it doesn't matter why they drive EVs, just that they do This actually opened my eyes, I haven't thought about it that way
paganel 7y ago
> it's even a declaration of war. Yeah, it is a declaration of war against pedestrians. Thankfully this thing will never catch on here in Europe and I'll continue being safe while crossing the street.
- nordsieck 7y ago
  > Yeah, it is a declaration of war against pedestrians. Thankfully this thing will never catch on here in Europe and I'll continue being safe while crossing the street. Speed is what kills, not a slightly harder body. Even the lightest car has enough mass that it's going to really hurt pedestrians if it hits one at speed. And if any car - even this one - hits someone at 5 mph, it's not going to do that much damage.
  - paganel 7y ago
    There's a huge difference between hitting a pedestrian with a small hatchback at city speeds (which, in my congested city, means between 15 and 25 kph) and hitting it with a vehicle like this.
    - leetcrew 7y ago
      why? the difference in mass between a small hatchback and a human is still an order of magnitude larger than the difference between the same car and a cybertruck. they are both so much heavier than the pedestrian that they should transfer about the same energy into the poor fellow.
      - paganel 7y ago
        Because when a hatchback hits you chances are that you’d get thrown on its hood or windscreen, while when a truck hits you chances are you’d be thrown behind its weels. The first scenario gives you bigger chances of survival as a pedestrian. It’s not a question about mass, it’s about the shape of the car. Of course, this whole scenario applies to speeds generally met in cities/towns (maximum 30-40 kph).
  - dragonwriter 7y ago
    > And if any car - even this one - hits someone at 5 mph, it's not going to do that much damage. About 2% of auto or light truck vs. pedestrian collisions under 10mph produce severe injuries, and at all speeds light trucks are more dangerous than autos, so I think you are overgeneralizing here.
    - kortilla 7y ago
      5mph != <10mph > and at all speeds light trucks are more dangerous than autos, Citation needed.
  - imtringued 7y ago
    There is a big difference between someone rolling over the hood of your sedan and hitting them with a huge "wall" of a pickup truck.
- _Microft 7y ago
  I agree. The edges look awfully dangerous for anything that's not another Cybertruck. I'm sure they are planning to build and sell them as often as possible but I wouldn't underestimate the butt-kicking idea that I mentioned. I think at least part of the goal is to make other companies produce electric pickups too.
- aklemm 7y ago
  Hearing a lot made of this pedestrian problem. Are trucks more likely to hit pedestrians? I was not aware of big vehicles being more dangerous. Personally, I don’t want to get hit by any motorized metal no matter the size.
  - jorvi 7y ago
    Not necessarily, but hitting your body and especially your head on a sharp edge is much more dangerous than a flat or curved surface. Compare hitting your head on the edge (or even corner!) of a table vs. hitting it on the bottom of the table.
  - smt88 7y ago
    Big vehicles are more dangerous, obviously. They have more mass, so they hit people with more force. https://www.curbed.com/2018/9/27/17909270/pedestrian-deaths-suv-car-design https://www.curbed.com/2018/9/27/17909270/pedestrian-deaths-...
- throwaway07Ju19 7y ago
  IIRC there is a regulation in the US that ensures the front of a car is designed so that a pedestrian is thrown over the car instead of under it. It is one reason so many new cars look alike. Does a truck have any such requirements for pedestrian safety ? Is the highest part of the Cyber truck's front end any lower than a F-150 for example ? That could make for a safer design.
  - nordsieck 7y ago
    > Is the highest part of the Cyber truck's front end any lower than a F-150 for example ? They look like they're the same height, although it's a bit difficult to compare. The top of the F150's grill does look a bit more curved; not sure how much of a difference that makes. https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1198751258384818176 https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1198751258384818176
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
- maratd 7y ago
  How is a Ford F150 safer for a pedestrian?
  - paganel 7y ago
    Because they're absent from most of Europe, because of their huge cylinder-volume the tax-related costs are pretty big in many European countries (there's only 2 F150s that I know of in the 2-million European capital I live in). This being an EV car will probably have close to no taxes attached to it so chances are some EV-enthusiasts will buy this instead of a Model 3 or Model S.
    - kortilla 7y ago
      Is that really a problem? Most of the pedestrian fear of trucks in europe is likely just fear of the unknown.
      - paganel 7y ago
        I've had cars slightly touch me while I was crossing the street, but because they were generally small cars they were only touching my feet. Not at all a pleasant feeling but survivable. A truck, well, it would go straight for the belly/chest, a lot more vulnerable area.
        wil421 7y ago
        There’s a much bigger problem if cars are touching you while you are walking than a big flat front end.
      - smt88 7y ago
        It's really a problem. Fear of large cars is justified in Europe and anywhere else because they kill more pedestrians[1]. 1. https://www.curbed.com/2018/9/27/17909270/pedestrian-deaths-suv-car-design https://www.curbed.com/2018/9/27/17909270/pedestrian-deaths-...
    - donaltroddyn 7y ago
firethief 7y ago
Exactly. Nothing has changed at Tesla: their plan has never been to release model after model that cannibalize their business in the the electric-car-driver milieu; they aim to eat the classic demographics, one by one. For this niche, they broke out of their box and embraced a different aesthetic. Striving for that meant there was a lot they couldn't reuse--even the strength of their brand--but it's the most important niche by a longshot. It gets its own box.
Waterluvian 7y ago
If this is indeed their thinking then cybertruck is a terrible name in my opinion. It's far too nerdy for the anti-environmentalism manly man who cares about wimpiness.
- jopsen 7y ago
  Cybertruck isn't nerdy, cyber-anything always sounds wrong to me. Do nerds call the web cyperspace?
  - generatorguy 7y ago
    When anybody calls anything cyber-whatever it used to be a red flag that they were probably clueless. Unfortunately cyber security has become a de facto term in industrial control networks.
  - eitland 7y ago
    Only seen it used in a useful way when discussing legal matters. That said, at least around here military seems to have adopted it which might give the name a boost with parts of the truck buying demographic?
mamcx 7y ago
> It is a design you can't ignore, it looks metal af and no matter what your pickup currently looks like, it will appear wimpy next to it. With my brother we also speculate that this is the PERFECT car to personalize: Must be a blast to custom paint it. Also: If you have one, you will be (probably) the ONLY with it in the block. This alone will be a factor for some..
- mycall 7y ago
  > If you have one, you will be (probably) the ONLY with it in the block. Humvee market
- ncmncm 7y ago
  True, the nice flat surfaces will be great for graffiti. Don't park it outside.
oxplot 7y ago
Tesla has always had somethings for those who do not care about environmental issues: looks (Tesla cars don't look like vacuum cleaners of the past), performance (fastest 0-100 of any sedan), technology (remote control, some self driving, OTA updates). In fact, the only way to appeal to general public is through these things. Environmental issues are just too hard to grasp in every day life, especially since their supposed effect are long into the future.
- SideburnsOfDoom 7y ago
  > since their supposed effect are long into the future. And in the near future. And in the present. and in the recent past.
senectus1 7y ago
I suspect that it should be cheaper to make as well... very few curves make for easy to make panels. Not a lot of investment needed to manufacture these things.
- londons_explore 7y ago
  When curves are made on a computer, and CNC cut into a steel press that can make a door in 8 seconds, they turn out very cheap. In fact, curves are much stronger than flat panels for the same weight/cost, which is a big reason for exterior curves in some cars which are also structural. From that perspective, I think the flat angular design used is for style only, and has no engineering basis.
  - defterGoose 7y ago
    Yep. The lack of curves will also make it near impossible to blend any dent/paint repair that it might need down the road.
  - ChickeNES 7y ago
    I don't understand why people keep speculating about this when it's already been covered by the press and Elon himself: https://www.motortrend.com/news/tesla-cybertruck-electric-pickup-engineering-manufacturing/ https://www.motortrend.com/news/tesla-cybertruck-electric-pi... https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1198700591465156608 https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1198700591465156608
    - imtringued 7y ago
      The design of the body panels still requires a hydraulic press to form the parts. The only money that can be saved is with cheaper dies but that only matters for low production volumes. Breaking a stamping press sounds like incompetence to me. They have near infinite scalability. Just build a bigger one.
needToCrust 7y ago
“... no matter what your pickup currently looks like, it will appear wimpy next to it.” I have to disagree. That is your opinion not a fact. I think it looks like someone who just started out at whittling tried to make a Delorean and used the result as the design for the “truck”. Personally, I think the tesla “truck” looks wimpy. I’m really disappointed by it.
- eitland 7y ago
  Here's another user who thinks it looks awesome. Most people I've heard however thinks it looks weird. Importantly however none of those others I talked to ever owned a pickup truck or even talked about wanting one... :-)
  - needToCrust 7y ago
    I’m not sure how your anecdote is important. You could have no friends, and only talk to the crazy guy that hangs out by the liquor store. You could work at a senior center so most the people you talk to aren’t allowed to drive, but hate new fangled technology. Or... You could have a horrible sample size of anecdotal evidence (which is horrible evidence itself) to draw any reasonable conclusion. :-)
- UnFleshedOne 7y ago
  I agree, any existing truck of comparable size (aside from actual working trucks with wheels bigger that whole F350), looks wimpy next to tesla's truck. Like an office cowboy with $500 tastefully torn jeans and designer fleece shirt next to a coal miner at the end of his shift.
  - needToCrust 7y ago
    That’s good for you? But it doesn’t matter. The comment I was replying to implied that its/your view was a fact. By replying with my point of view I’m proving that is not a fact. By replying with your point of view... I actually don’t know why you replied. Why did you?
kpU8efre7r 7y ago
Agreed. The truck crowd is going to be the toughest to win over. Their father's father's father drove a Ford truck and so do they. Seeing is believing and Tesla needs to make a statement. You really won't be able to ignore this. Once you get taken down a peg by an electric truck a few times and you'll start to want one no matter who you are.
gddvhy 7y ago
And thus PR strategy may work. To give this truck's toughness credibility, they need to "leak" a few videos how this electric truck easily outperforms military Hummers in Utah mountains. In addition to that, they can shoot this truck with ak47 and say that thanks to its steel frame, none of the bullets went thru, while the supposedly tough Hummers and died pickups look like a cardboard target now. After this, the cybertrucks toughness will be undisputable.
- steve19 7y ago
  It can resist low powered 9mm bullets. It won't even come close to resisting a rifle round. So minimally more protection than any other vehicle.
  - clouddrover 7y ago
    Maybe. BMW's new armored car is rated at Vehicle Resistance 6, which means it can withstand fire from an AK-47 among other things (such as lightly thrown metal balls): https://www.bmw.com/en/innovation/armored-car-bulletproof-cars.html https://www.bmw.com/en/innovation/armored-car-bulletproof-ca... Mercedes does an armored car rated at VR10: https://www.motor1.com/news/61225/mercedes-maybach-s600-guard-revealed-with-vr10-protection/ https://www.motor1.com/news/61225/mercedes-maybach-s600-guar... So let's see what the Cybertruck's VR rating is in a couple of years.
    - imtringued 7y ago
      When I'm thinking of armored vehicles I'm thinking of at least 7mm steel to protect against machine guns and even that is paper thin! I got taken down too many times in War Thunder...
- chrisdirkis 7y ago
  What would framing it as a "leak" do for Tesla, vs just doing those videos/tests as a branded marketing stunt? I'm not sure what the obfuscation gets Tesla. Like, oh no, we didn't intend you guys to see our truck being awesome?
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
flycaliguy 7y ago
I think this vehicle is for the police eventually. This market is just the transition point.
- vector_rotcev 7y ago
  Search for 'dubai cybertruck' and you'll already find reports of police forces ordering them. A long range, high-acceleration + high-speed utility vehicle that's marketed as very robust/bulletproof? Definitely.
jv22222 7y ago
Just thinking out loud: I wonder if people are underestimating how much the design was driven by the fact it was fun to make something that looked like it was from Blade Runner. Maybe the whole thing started out as “Let’s make something shit cool like a blade runner cop car” and then the idea that it would bring down production costs, look different, etc, developed after they designed something that they really liked. Elon seems to be quite motivated by having fun, one of the things I like about him.
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
mushufasa 7y ago
I feel like the design process went like: Elon: wow, stainless steel is an underrated material, it solved my starship rocket design problems. and it's cheap! January 2019 (https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/rockets/a25953663/elon-musk-spacex-bfr-stainless-steel/ https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/rockets/a25953663/elo...) Elon: what if I used stainless steel for cars? Elon: well there was the delorean, and blade runner... Elon: you've got 6 months team. (note there was no need for a dialogue partner)
goatinaboat 7y ago
I think they are targeting people who do not care for environmental issues and who still think that electric vehicles are something for beaus and weaklings How is that different from people who want to loudly signal their environmental virtue while ignoring externalities such as the electric power probably coming from coal, the extraction and manufacturing processes for batteries, etc? This is a competitor to an electric humvee - an unnecessarily large vehicle is wasted energy no matter where that energy originated

tobib 7y ago

> I think they are targeting people who do not care for environmental issues and who still think that electric vehicles are something for beaus and weaklings. If they can't be convinced to transition to EVs for ecological reasons, give them another reason because it doesn't matter why they drive EVs, just that they do This actually opened my eyes, I haven't thought about it that way

paganel 7y ago

> it's even a declaration of war. Yeah, it is a declaration of war against pedestrians. Thankfully this thing will never catch on here in Europe and I'll continue being safe while crossing the street.

nordsieck 7y ago
> Yeah, it is a declaration of war against pedestrians. Thankfully this thing will never catch on here in Europe and I'll continue being safe while crossing the street. Speed is what kills, not a slightly harder body. Even the lightest car has enough mass that it's going to really hurt pedestrians if it hits one at speed. And if any car - even this one - hits someone at 5 mph, it's not going to do that much damage.
- paganel 7y ago
  There's a huge difference between hitting a pedestrian with a small hatchback at city speeds (which, in my congested city, means between 15 and 25 kph) and hitting it with a vehicle like this.
  - leetcrew 7y ago
    why? the difference in mass between a small hatchback and a human is still an order of magnitude larger than the difference between the same car and a cybertruck. they are both so much heavier than the pedestrian that they should transfer about the same energy into the poor fellow.
    - paganel 7y ago
      Because when a hatchback hits you chances are that you’d get thrown on its hood or windscreen, while when a truck hits you chances are you’d be thrown behind its weels. The first scenario gives you bigger chances of survival as a pedestrian. It’s not a question about mass, it’s about the shape of the car. Of course, this whole scenario applies to speeds generally met in cities/towns (maximum 30-40 kph).
- dragonwriter 7y ago
  > And if any car - even this one - hits someone at 5 mph, it's not going to do that much damage. About 2% of auto or light truck vs. pedestrian collisions under 10mph produce severe injuries, and at all speeds light trucks are more dangerous than autos, so I think you are overgeneralizing here.
  - kortilla 7y ago
    5mph != <10mph > and at all speeds light trucks are more dangerous than autos, Citation needed.
- imtringued 7y ago
  There is a big difference between someone rolling over the hood of your sedan and hitting them with a huge "wall" of a pickup truck.
_Microft 7y ago
I agree. The edges look awfully dangerous for anything that's not another Cybertruck. I'm sure they are planning to build and sell them as often as possible but I wouldn't underestimate the butt-kicking idea that I mentioned. I think at least part of the goal is to make other companies produce electric pickups too.
aklemm 7y ago
Hearing a lot made of this pedestrian problem. Are trucks more likely to hit pedestrians? I was not aware of big vehicles being more dangerous. Personally, I don’t want to get hit by any motorized metal no matter the size.
- jorvi 7y ago
  Not necessarily, but hitting your body and especially your head on a sharp edge is much more dangerous than a flat or curved surface. Compare hitting your head on the edge (or even corner!) of a table vs. hitting it on the bottom of the table.
- smt88 7y ago
  Big vehicles are more dangerous, obviously. They have more mass, so they hit people with more force. https://www.curbed.com/2018/9/27/17909270/pedestrian-deaths-suv-car-design https://www.curbed.com/2018/9/27/17909270/pedestrian-deaths-...
throwaway07Ju19 7y ago
IIRC there is a regulation in the US that ensures the front of a car is designed so that a pedestrian is thrown over the car instead of under it. It is one reason so many new cars look alike. Does a truck have any such requirements for pedestrian safety ? Is the highest part of the Cyber truck's front end any lower than a F-150 for example ? That could make for a safer design.
- nordsieck 7y ago
  > Is the highest part of the Cyber truck's front end any lower than a F-150 for example ? They look like they're the same height, although it's a bit difficult to compare. The top of the F150's grill does look a bit more curved; not sure how much of a difference that makes. https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1198751258384818176 https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1198751258384818176
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
maratd 7y ago
How is a Ford F150 safer for a pedestrian?
- paganel 7y ago
  Because they're absent from most of Europe, because of their huge cylinder-volume the tax-related costs are pretty big in many European countries (there's only 2 F150s that I know of in the 2-million European capital I live in). This being an EV car will probably have close to no taxes attached to it so chances are some EV-enthusiasts will buy this instead of a Model 3 or Model S.
  - kortilla 7y ago
    Is that really a problem? Most of the pedestrian fear of trucks in europe is likely just fear of the unknown.
    - paganel 7y ago
      I've had cars slightly touch me while I was crossing the street, but because they were generally small cars they were only touching my feet. Not at all a pleasant feeling but survivable. A truck, well, it would go straight for the belly/chest, a lot more vulnerable area.
      - wil421 7y ago
        There’s a much bigger problem if cars are touching you while you are walking than a big flat front end.
    - smt88 7y ago
      It's really a problem. Fear of large cars is justified in Europe and anywhere else because they kill more pedestrians[1]. 1. https://www.curbed.com/2018/9/27/17909270/pedestrian-deaths-suv-car-design https://www.curbed.com/2018/9/27/17909270/pedestrian-deaths-...
  - donaltroddyn 7y ago

firethief 7y ago

Exactly. Nothing has changed at Tesla: their plan has never been to release model after model that cannibalize their business in the the electric-car-driver milieu; they aim to eat the classic demographics, one by one. For this niche, they broke out of their box and embraced a different aesthetic. Striving for that meant there was a lot they couldn't reuse--even the strength of their brand--but it's the most important niche by a longshot. It gets its own box.

Waterluvian 7y ago

If this is indeed their thinking then cybertruck is a terrible name in my opinion. It's far too nerdy for the anti-environmentalism manly man who cares about wimpiness.

jopsen 7y ago
Cybertruck isn't nerdy, cyber-anything always sounds wrong to me. Do nerds call the web cyperspace?
- generatorguy 7y ago
  When anybody calls anything cyber-whatever it used to be a red flag that they were probably clueless. Unfortunately cyber security has become a de facto term in industrial control networks.
- eitland 7y ago
  Only seen it used in a useful way when discussing legal matters. That said, at least around here military seems to have adopted it which might give the name a boost with parts of the truck buying demographic?

mamcx 7y ago

> It is a design you can't ignore, it looks metal af and no matter what your pickup currently looks like, it will appear wimpy next to it. With my brother we also speculate that this is the PERFECT car to personalize: Must be a blast to custom paint it. Also: If you have one, you will be (probably) the ONLY with it in the block. This alone will be a factor for some..

mycall 7y ago
> If you have one, you will be (probably) the ONLY with it in the block. Humvee market
ncmncm 7y ago
True, the nice flat surfaces will be great for graffiti. Don't park it outside.

oxplot 7y ago

Tesla has always had somethings for those who do not care about environmental issues: looks (Tesla cars don't look like vacuum cleaners of the past), performance (fastest 0-100 of any sedan), technology (remote control, some self driving, OTA updates). In fact, the only way to appeal to general public is through these things. Environmental issues are just too hard to grasp in every day life, especially since their supposed effect are long into the future.

SideburnsOfDoom 7y ago
> since their supposed effect are long into the future. And in the near future. And in the present. and in the recent past.

senectus1 7y ago

I suspect that it should be cheaper to make as well... very few curves make for easy to make panels. Not a lot of investment needed to manufacture these things.

londons_explore 7y ago
When curves are made on a computer, and CNC cut into a steel press that can make a door in 8 seconds, they turn out very cheap. In fact, curves are much stronger than flat panels for the same weight/cost, which is a big reason for exterior curves in some cars which are also structural. From that perspective, I think the flat angular design used is for style only, and has no engineering basis.
- defterGoose 7y ago
  Yep. The lack of curves will also make it near impossible to blend any dent/paint repair that it might need down the road.
- ChickeNES 7y ago
  I don't understand why people keep speculating about this when it's already been covered by the press and Elon himself: https://www.motortrend.com/news/tesla-cybertruck-electric-pickup-engineering-manufacturing/ https://www.motortrend.com/news/tesla-cybertruck-electric-pi... https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1198700591465156608 https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1198700591465156608
  - imtringued 7y ago
    The design of the body panels still requires a hydraulic press to form the parts. The only money that can be saved is with cheaper dies but that only matters for low production volumes. Breaking a stamping press sounds like incompetence to me. They have near infinite scalability. Just build a bigger one.

needToCrust 7y ago

“... no matter what your pickup currently looks like, it will appear wimpy next to it.” I have to disagree. That is your opinion not a fact. I think it looks like someone who just started out at whittling tried to make a Delorean and used the result as the design for the “truck”. Personally, I think the tesla “truck” looks wimpy. I’m really disappointed by it.

eitland 7y ago
Here's another user who thinks it looks awesome. Most people I've heard however thinks it looks weird. Importantly however none of those others I talked to ever owned a pickup truck or even talked about wanting one... :-)
- needToCrust 7y ago
  I’m not sure how your anecdote is important. You could have no friends, and only talk to the crazy guy that hangs out by the liquor store. You could work at a senior center so most the people you talk to aren’t allowed to drive, but hate new fangled technology. Or... You could have a horrible sample size of anecdotal evidence (which is horrible evidence itself) to draw any reasonable conclusion. :-)
UnFleshedOne 7y ago
I agree, any existing truck of comparable size (aside from actual working trucks with wheels bigger that whole F350), looks wimpy next to tesla's truck. Like an office cowboy with $500 tastefully torn jeans and designer fleece shirt next to a coal miner at the end of his shift.
- needToCrust 7y ago
  That’s good for you? But it doesn’t matter. The comment I was replying to implied that its/your view was a fact. By replying with my point of view I’m proving that is not a fact. By replying with your point of view... I actually don’t know why you replied. Why did you?

kpU8efre7r 7y ago

Agreed. The truck crowd is going to be the toughest to win over. Their father's father's father drove a Ford truck and so do they. Seeing is believing and Tesla needs to make a statement. You really won't be able to ignore this. Once you get taken down a peg by an electric truck a few times and you'll start to want one no matter who you are.

gddvhy 7y ago

And thus PR strategy may work. To give this truck's toughness credibility, they need to "leak" a few videos how this electric truck easily outperforms military Hummers in Utah mountains. In addition to that, they can shoot this truck with ak47 and say that thanks to its steel frame, none of the bullets went thru, while the supposedly tough Hummers and died pickups look like a cardboard target now. After this, the cybertrucks toughness will be undisputable.

steve19 7y ago
It can resist low powered 9mm bullets. It won't even come close to resisting a rifle round. So minimally more protection than any other vehicle.
- clouddrover 7y ago
  Maybe. BMW's new armored car is rated at Vehicle Resistance 6, which means it can withstand fire from an AK-47 among other things (such as lightly thrown metal balls): https://www.bmw.com/en/innovation/armored-car-bulletproof-cars.html https://www.bmw.com/en/innovation/armored-car-bulletproof-ca... Mercedes does an armored car rated at VR10: https://www.motor1.com/news/61225/mercedes-maybach-s600-guard-revealed-with-vr10-protection/ https://www.motor1.com/news/61225/mercedes-maybach-s600-guar... So let's see what the Cybertruck's VR rating is in a couple of years.
  - imtringued 7y ago
    When I'm thinking of armored vehicles I'm thinking of at least 7mm steel to protect against machine guns and even that is paper thin! I got taken down too many times in War Thunder...
chrisdirkis 7y ago
What would framing it as a "leak" do for Tesla, vs just doing those videos/tests as a branded marketing stunt? I'm not sure what the obfuscation gets Tesla. Like, oh no, we didn't intend you guys to see our truck being awesome?

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

flycaliguy 7y ago

I think this vehicle is for the police eventually. This market is just the transition point.

vector_rotcev 7y ago
Search for 'dubai cybertruck' and you'll already find reports of police forces ordering them. A long range, high-acceleration + high-speed utility vehicle that's marketed as very robust/bulletproof? Definitely.

jv22222 7y ago

Just thinking out loud: I wonder if people are underestimating how much the design was driven by the fact it was fun to make something that looked like it was from Blade Runner. Maybe the whole thing started out as “Let’s make something shit cool like a blade runner cop car” and then the idea that it would bring down production costs, look different, etc, developed after they designed something that they really liked. Elon seems to be quite motivated by having fun, one of the things I like about him.

deleted 7y ago
[deleted]

mushufasa 7y ago

I feel like the design process went like: Elon: wow, stainless steel is an underrated material, it solved my starship rocket design problems. and it's cheap! January 2019 (https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/rockets/a25953663/elon-musk-spacex-bfr-stainless-steel/ https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/rockets/a25953663/elo...) Elon: what if I used stainless steel for cars? Elon: well there was the delorean, and blade runner... Elon: you've got 6 months team. (note there was no need for a dialogue partner)

goatinaboat 7y ago

I think they are targeting people who do not care for environmental issues and who still think that electric vehicles are something for beaus and weaklings How is that different from people who want to loudly signal their environmental virtue while ignoring externalities such as the electric power probably coming from coal, the extraction and manufacturing processes for batteries, etc? This is a competitor to an electric humvee - an unnecessarily large vehicle is wasted energy no matter where that energy originated