The Tesla Cybertruck Pickup Truck Is Here and It's Wacky

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."