Tesla reveals wild-looking Cybertruck pick-up

TESLA Motors has unveiled its long-awaited and, as it turns out, wild-looking all-electric Cybertruck pick-up, which promises monster-truck performance, a 6.35-tonne towing capacity and 800km-plus driving range.

First deliveries are expected in Australia late in 2021.

Revealed late last week to fans and investors at an event in Southern California, the Cybertruck features truly unique styling with an angular, blocky design that has polarised opinion across the globe but attracted a huge run of orders from prospective buyers – including from Australia.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is using his Twitter feed to post regular updates, which as at Monday morning, had passed 200,000.

Three variants of the Cybertruck will be on offer – single-motor rear-wheel drive, dual-motor all-wheel drive and tri-motor all-wheel drive, with Mr Musk saying in an earlier tweet over the weekend that 42 per cent of orders are for the dual motor, followed closely by the tri at 41 per cent and the single with 17 per cent.

The American EV manufacturer has not detailed power outputs for the range yet, but has said the Cybertruck will offer more than 500 miles (805km) of driving range, with a towing capacity of 6350kg when using the tri-motor set-up.

With the dual-motor powertrain, driving range and towing capacity drop to 483km and 4536kg respectively, while the single motor is capable of 402km and 3402kg.

The tri motor is the quickest of the lot with a claimed 0-100km/h sprint time of just 2.9 seconds, up to 4.5s with the dual motor and 6.5s in the single motor.

Featuring a two-row seating set-up capable of housing up to six occupants, the Cybertruck has a total storage capacity of 2832 litres, thanks primarily to a load bed measuring 1981mm in length.

The load bed is covered by a lockable storage cover, while adaptive air suspension can raise or lower vehicle height by up to 100mm to help load cargo into the vehicle.

For off-roading enthusiasts, the Cybertruck’s approach and departure angles measure 35 and 28 degrees respectively, while ground clearance is up to 406mm.

While the Model S and Model X feature smooth, flowing lines, the Cybertruck goes completely in the other direction, with an angular, industrial design that looks nothing like any other pick-up on the market.

A slim LED strip running across the front of the Cybertruck comprises the headlights, while the A-pillar, roofline and load bed are all made up by a simple, triangular design.

At the rear it is a similar story, with the tail-lights expressed through a flat LED strip, and the tailgate a simple, boxy square.

Black flared wheelarches and black rims give the Cybertruck a more off-road-ready look, while the entire body is finished in a monochrome, stainless-steel exoskeleton.

The cold-rolled stainless-steel exterior is the same material to be used in the SpaceX Starship prototype – one of Mr Musk’s various ventures – and is designed to help avoid dents, paint damage and long-term corrosion, while offering superior protection to passengers.

Also aiding passenger protection are windows made of Tesla’s armour glass – a glass and polymer-layered composite designed to absorb and redirect impact force.

At the unveiling, a demonstration of the glass failed spectacularly when a rock thrown at the window broke straight through on two separate occasions.

Inside, the Cybertruck will feature a 17-inch touchscreen as well as its six-seat, dual-cab cabin layout.

Local pricing is yet to be revealed, however in the States the single motor will ask $US39,900 ($A58,711), up to $US69,900 ($A102,855) for the triple.

Australian pricing and specification will be announced closer to the model’s expected release date.