Tesla made electric passenger cars mainstream with the Model S and Model 3 sedans and the Model X crossover, and now its turning to one of the most important segments out right now—pickup trucks. At a bizarre event in Los Angeles, Elon Musk debuted the Tesla Cybertruck, the first truck from the brand. It'll go up against upcoming EV pickups from Ford and GM, plus new kids on the block, Rivian.

Musk said at the reveal that "we need something different" than today's pickup trucks. And yes, that's certainly the case here.

The CEO said the truck uses a "monoplane" design with a body made from "think ultra-hard stainless steel," calling to mind the DeLorean DMC-12. Tesla design head Franz vol Holzhausesn even hit the Cybertruck on stage with a sledgehammer to demonstrate the body's strength. "You want a truck that's really tough. Not fake tough," Musk said. And the he claimed it was bulletproof to a 9mm handgun.

Von Holzhausen then threw a metal ball at the window to show the strength of the window. The glass broke, to which Musk said, "Oh my fucking god."

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Musk said the truck will have adaptive air suspension and adaptive dampers as standard with adjustable ride height. He says it'll offer a maximum of 16 inches of ground clearance, a 35-degree approach angle and a 28-degree departure angle. The bed is 6.5-feet long, and the truck has a payload capacity of up to 3500 pounds and a tow capacity is 14,000 pounds. To show off the bed, Tesla built an ATV and rode it up there on stage.

Performance claims are ridiculous too. Zero to 60 mph in 2.9 seconds, and a 10.8-second quarter mile time. Musk claims over 500 miles of range, though 250-plus and 300-plus mile versions will also be offered. It'll be capable of 250kW fast charging too. There will be an entry-level rear-drive Cybertruck along with two- and three-motor all-wheel drive models.

Pricing starts at $39,900 and rises to $69,900 for the tri-motor version. Presumably, the tri-motor is the same "Plaid" drivetrain that's coming to the Model S.

Musk says ordering on Tesla's site is available now. You can see the complete pricing breakdown below. Production for the rear-drive truck begins in 2021, and the tri-motor will arrive in 2022.



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