Four years after its debut, Elon Musk-run Tesla has finally launched the long-awaited Cybertruck at a starting price of $60,990 and delivered the vehicle to its first batch of customers.
In an event held at the company's headquarters in Austin, Texas, Musk delivered the truck to about a dozen people and predicted that it would usher in a new, more exciting era, reports The Verge.
The company also revealed updated details about the pricing, range, and features of the truck at the event.
The rear-wheel drive version of the electric truck will cost $60,990, up from $39,900 in 2019. It will have a range of 250 miles on a single charge. However, the model will not be available until 2025.
The dual-motor and tri-motor "Cyberbeast" versions will be available sooner, i.e. 2024, according to Tesla's order page -- and will be more powerful.
The AWD Cybertruck will cost $79,990, have a range of 340 miles, hit 0-60mph in 4.1 seconds, and have a top speed of 112 mph. The tri-motor trim will cost $99,990, produce 845 horsepower, 10,296 lb-ft of torque, and have a range of around 320 miles, the report mentioned.
The prices stated at the event are significantly higher than the $50,000 price range the tech billionaire had long said the vehicle would retail for.
At the event, Musk invited Tesla's chief designer, Franz Von Holzhausen, to redo the infamous window strength demonstration from 2019, where he had previously attempted to smash the supposed armour-plated glass with a ball bearing but failed.
This time, Von Holzhausen threw a baseball, and the glass successfully withstood the projectile.
(With inputs from IANS)