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posted by takyon on Friday November 22 2019, @09:06PM   Printer-friendly
from the baby-don't-hurt-me dept.

Tesla Cybertruck

Tesla unveiled the Cybertruck. Apparently, many people think it's ugly. I absolutely love it. It took the jellybean esthetic of modern vehicles and ran it over. Twice. There's simply no point in saying anything about this truck -- you have to look at the pictures:

https://www.theverge.com/2019/11/22/20976539/tesla-cybertruck-test-drive-electric-truck-pickup-video-features-price-elon-musk

In order to make this TFS less short, a few specs, but really, they don't matter until you see if it appeals to you which it either will or won't in spades. The low end 250 mile range version is supposed to be about $40k. The body is unpainted cold rolled stainless steel. Upmodels will have a towing capacity variously described as 10-14k pounds and at the top end, a 500 mile range. They'll cost a lot more.

"Bulletproof" Musk Cybertruck fail

Elon Musk bragged that his "cybertruck" was bulletproof to a 9mm round, but two separate attempts to demonstrate just how tough it is failed when ball bearings thrown by hand literally caused the windows to come crashing down in pieces. So much for safety glass; even on cyber trucks, windows sucks.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/nov/22/cybertruck-tesla-unveils-the-pickup-truck-we-have-to-have

We created an exoskeleton," Musk said to rapturous whoops from those attending the Los Angeles launch. "It is literally bulletproof to a 9mm handgun."

Franz von Holzhausen, Tesla's chief designer, asked Musk if he could lob a metal ball at the window of the vehicle. "Really?" said Musk. The window smashed. "Oh my fucking God," said Musk. "Maybe that was a little hard."

Showing confidence in the vehicle, Von Holzhausen then suggested he should lob it at a second window. "Try that one? Really?" asked Musk moments before the rear window was also smashed. "It didn't go through, that's the plus side," a stunned Musk said.

Also at Ars Technica and Wccftech.

See also: Hot takes as opinion cools on Tesla Cybertruck
Tesla trademarked Cybertruck and 'Cybrtrk' ahead of its planned debut


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  • (Score: 5, Interesting) by slinches on Friday November 22 2019, @11:17PM (3 children)

    by slinches (5049) on Friday November 22 2019, @11:17PM (#923564)

    I wouldn't say that the design is ideal from a functionality standpoint, considering the limited bed accessibility and poor rearward visibility (it needs a video rear view mirror). Although, the overall shape really is functional from a structural perspective. It is shaped the way it is in order to be folded up out of a sheet of steel like origami. That means there's minimal tooling costs and special machinery required to produce the body. It's an entirely different way of thinking about constructing a vehicle.

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  • (Score: 2) by barbara hudson on Saturday November 23 2019, @08:09PM (1 child)

    by barbara hudson (6443) <barbara.Jane.hudson@icloud.com> on Saturday November 23 2019, @08:09PM (#923938) Journal
    All flat surfaces makes for a poor energy absorbing crash safety cabin. A sledge hammer wielded by an out-of-shape executive doesn't compare to an impact from another vehicle. The Saturn did a similar trick with polymer body panels that absorb impact and bounce back - but leave it in the sun and the body panels permanently distort. Repair costs are going to be high - it's easier to putty over a curve and repaint than to make a flat metal surface look flat again - the eyes will pick up any distortion.

    So, replacement is the only option. And given the poor record of fit and finish for Tesla, and how the term FUGLY describes it to a T, it better be self driving because only incels would be caught dead driving it. Looks like an old Ranchero reimagined in aluminium foil.

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    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 24 2019, @06:14PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 24 2019, @06:14PM (#924224)

      and that mac-using fag obviously pulled his swing when he hit the tesla.

  • (Score: 2) by barbara hudson on Saturday November 23 2019, @08:14PM

    by barbara hudson (6443) <barbara.Jane.hudson@icloud.com> on Saturday November 23 2019, @08:14PM (#923941) Journal
    It's not a new way. Unit-body construction has been around for half a century. Electric vehicles for a century. Stainless steel - remember the deLorean?
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