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Elon Musk’s ‘Cyberpunk’ Tesla Pickup Truck: Go, Tesla, Go! Or Why, Elon, Why?

(Credit: Stephen Mason/YouTube)

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The Tesla Truck reveal is only a month away now, and a few more specifics about what it looks like have been revealed by Elon Musk. We already expected something cyberpunk, but now we also are to expect a military-styled armored personnel carrier as part of its inspiration. This all sounds very cool as a concept vehicle, perhaps, but will it sound cool to a large enough consumer base to be worth the time and effort to put in on the market?

Actually, another question has started to creep into my mind: What exactly is the point of the Tesla Truck?

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Whereas other Tesla vehicles were designed to directly take on ICE cars and revolutionize the EV market in their own sporty or practical way, the pickup truck market seems to be more particular about what converts a potential customer into an actual customer. That said, a cyberpunk beast is an odd choice for a company that has proven so many EV myths false and arguably inspired a lot of legislation to be aimed squarely at legacy manufacturers. If Tesla can do it, regulators seem to say, so can you. But one area EVs really need to take on to truly be a completely mainstream option is pickup trucks.

That’s where Rivian seemed to be coming in, albeit their starting prices are a bit on the high side for the mainstream truck customer. It could all be proven completely worth the expense down the line, but when Tesla fired shots with an “under $50k” potential truck price tag, it certainly seemed like there was going to be a real shakeup that put an affordable and all-electric work truck on the road soon. The more I hear about the style of the Tesla Truck, though, the more I scratch my head. Yes, Rivian did their own style thing with the piggy-nose headlights, but that was really just one feature people have started to warm up to. The point of it was also so they would be very recognizable and distinguished as their brand. An entire vehicle going against the grain is a different matter entirely.

I know Musk has his mantra of aiming to design a vehicle that he would personally want to buy, and I respect the logic behind that. However, there’s also the other angle about him that doesn’t jive with Harrison Ford being behind the wheel of this kind of Tesla in a Hollywood production: Making EVs mainstream.

Sure, the Model S and even Model X aren’t really practical purchases for more fiscally-limited consumers (i.e., most of them). There’s an argument to be made for them, though. After proving that EVs could be amazing, the improvements that went into their manufacturing has now translated into the mass market Model 3. There’s already an existing parallel in the ICE world on this as well via racing. The US gas company Sonoco exemplifies this with their motto that their gas is the “official fuel of NASCAR” despite regular car fuel being totally different from racing car fuel. The thought is that if they know how to manufacture super performance gas, their fuel will have an overall higher level of refinement technology that your car will benefit from. I have no idea if it actually does, but that’s the message.

That said, maybe the Tesla Truck is supposed to be this beast that has amazing specs which inspire customers to crave a “normal” looking truck from Tesla to eventually be produced. The next question will be whether enough buyers will go along with the cyberpunk thing and justify the expense from all the tweaks that will inevitably be necessary to develop a mass market pickup truck to follow. The Model S was very expensive, but it was still a traditionally designed sedan which appealed to a large enough consumer base to help fund Tesla’s next developments.

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The Tesla Truck is kind of an outlier on this thinking, too. It will be a somewhat inexpensive truck with an even smaller consumer base. Or, does Musk hope to change what people think of in terms of a pickup truck? I am a staunch doubter on this, period. If there’s one thing the pickup market doesn’t seem to be very open to, it’s that sort of radical change. I’ll gladly be proven wrong, but until that day comes, I can’t really entertain this possibility.

Maybe Musk isn’t going for a mass market pickup at all. Maybe he just wants to prove that he can make a truck, make it cheaper, and make it better.

Then again, the Taycan also wasn’t supposed to be a true Tesla competitor, either, yet here we are. Plaid Mode is capturing headlines and significant interest in the EV community. Would we be hearing about it so soon without the Taycan reveal? I have my doubts, but who really knows?

Accidental computer geek, fascinated by most history and the multiplanetary future on its way. Quite keen on the democratization of space. | It's pronounced day-sha, but I answer to almost any variation thereof.

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Elon Musk

X account with 184 followers inadvertently saves US space program amid Musk-Trump row

Needless to say, the X user has far more than 184 followers today after his level-headed feat.

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Joel Kowsky, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

An X user with 184 followers has become the unlikely hero of the United States’ space program by effectively de-escalating a row between SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and President Donald Trump on social media.

Needless to say, the X user has far more than 184 followers today after his level-headed feat.

A Near Fall

During Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s fallout last week, the U.S. President stated in a post on Truth Social that a good way for the United States government to save money would be to terminate subsidies and contracts from the CEO’s companies. Musk responded to Trump’s post by stating that SpaceX will start decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft immediately. 

Musk’s comment was received with shock among the space community, partly because the U.S. space program is currently reliant on SpaceX to send supplies and astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). Without Dragon, the United States will likely have to utilize Russia’s Soyuz for the same services—at a significantly higher price.

X User to the Rescue

It was evident among X users that Musk’s comments about Dragon being decommissioned were posted while emotions were high. It was then no surprise that an X account with 184 followers, @Fab25june, commented on Musk’s post, urging the CEO to rethink his decision. “This is a shame this back and forth. You are both better than this. Cool off and take a step back for a couple days,” the X user wrote in a reply.

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Much to the social media platform’s surprise, Musk responded to the user. Even more surprising, the CEO stated that SpaceX would not be decommissioning Dragon after all. “Good advice. Ok, we won’t decommission Dragon,” Musk wrote in a post on X.

Not Planned, But Welcomed

The X user’s comment and Musk’s response were received extremely well by social media users, many of whom noted that @Fab25june’s X comment effectively saved the U.S. space program. In a follow-up comment, the X user, who has over 9,100 followers as of writing, stated that he did not really plan on being a mediator between Musk and Trump. 

“Elon Musk replied to me. Somehow, I became the accidental peace broker between two billionaires. I didn’t plan this. I was just being me. Two great minds can do wonders. Sometimes, all it takes is a breather. Grateful for every like, DM, and new follow. Life’s weird. The internet’s weirder. Let’s ride. (Manifesting peace… and maybe a Model Y.)” the X user wrote.

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Lifestyle

Tesla Cybertruck takes a bump from epic failing Dodge Charger

The Cybertruck seemed unharmed by the charging Charger.

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Credit: Hammer_of_something/Reddit

There comes a time in a driver’s life when one is faced with one’s limitations. For the driver of a Dodge Charger, this time came when he lost control and crashed into a Tesla Cybertruck–an absolute epic fail. 

A video of the rather unfortunate incident was shared on the r/TeslaLounge subreddit.

Charging Charger Fails

As could be seen in the video, which was posted on the subreddit by Model Y owner u/Hammer_of_something, a group of teens in a Dodge Charger decided to do some burnouts at a Tesla Supercharger. Unfortunately, the driver of the Charger failed in his burnout or donut attempt, resulting in the mopar sedan going over a curb and bumping a charging Cybertruck.

Ironically, the Dodge Charger seemed to have been parked at a Supercharger stall before its driver decided to perform the failed stunt. This suggests that the vehicle was likely ICE-ing a charging stall before it had its epic fail moment. Amusingly enough, the subreddit member noted that the Cybertruck did not seem like it took any damage at all despite its bump. The Charger, however, seemed like it ran into some trouble after crashing into the truck.

Alleged Aftermath

As per the the r/TeslaLounge subreddit member, the Cybertruck owner came rushing out to his vehicle after the Dodge Charger crashed into it. The Model Y owner then sent over the full video of the incident, which clearly showed the Charger attempting a burnout, failing, and bumping into the Cybertruck. The Cybertruck owner likely appreciated the video, in part because it showed the driver of the Dodge Charger absolutely freaking out after the incident.

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The Cybertruck is not an impregnable vehicle, but it can take bumps pretty well thanks to its thick stainless steel body. Based on this video, it appears that the Cybertruck can even take bumps from a charging Charger, all while chilling and charging at a Supercharger. As for the teens in the Dodge, they likely had to provide a long explanation to authorities after the incident, since the cops were called to the location.

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Lifestyle

Anti-Elon Musk group crushes Tesla Model 3 with Sherman tank–with unexpected results

Ironically enough, the group’s video ended up highlighting something very positive for Tesla.

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Credit: Led By Donkeys/X

Anti-Elon Musk protesters and critics tend to show their disdain for the CEO in various ways, but a recent video from political action group Led By Donkeys definitely takes the cake when it comes to creativity.

Ironially enough, the group’s video also ended up highlighting something very positive for Tesla.

Tank vs. Tesla

In its video, Led By Donkeys featured Ken Turner, a 98-year-old veteran who served in the British army during World War II. The veteran stated that Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, is “using his immense power to support the far-right in Europe, and his money comes from Tesla cars.” 

He also noted that he had a message for the Tesla CEO: “We’ve crushed fascism before and we’ll crush it again.” To emphasize his point, the veteran proceeded to drive a Sherman tank over a blue Tesla Model 3 sedan, which, of course, had a plate that read “Fascism.” 

The heavy tank crushed the Model 3’s glass roof and windows, much to the delight of Led By Donkeys’ commenters on its official YouTube channel. But at the end of it all, the aftermath of the anti-Elon Musk demonstration ended up showcasing something positive for the electric vehicle maker.

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Tesla Model 3 Tanks the Tank?

As could be seen from the wreckage of the Tesla Model 3 after its Sherman encounter, only the glass roof and windows of the all-electric sedan were crushed. Looking at the wreckage of the Model 3, it seemed like its doors could still be opened, and everything on its lower section looked intact.

Considering that a standard M4 Sherman weighs about 66,800 to 84,000 pounds, the Model 3 actually weathered the tank’s assault really well. Granted, the vehicle’s suspension height before the political action group’s demonstration suggests that the Model 3’s high voltage battery had been removed beforehand. But even if it hadn’t been taken off, it seemed like the vehicle’s battery would have survived the heavy ordeal without much incident.

This was highlighted in comments from users on social media platform X, many of whom noted that a person in the Model 3 could very well have survived the ordeal with the Sherman. And that, ultimately, just speaks to the safety of Tesla’s vehicles. There is a reason why Teslas consistently rank among the safest cars on the road, after all.

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