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WATCH | Tesla’s Cybertruck bakkie is supercar fast and looks like nothing else

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<i>Image: TeslaM</i>
<i>Image: TeslaM</i>

Tesla’s bakkie is supercar fast

It looks like no other double-cab and has the performance to shame most supercars. This is the bakkie that could change everything.

The most keenly anticipated vehicle of 2019 has been revealed in California.South African born Elon Musk introduced the world to his Tesla Cybertruck this week, Tesla’s daring vision of what a future bakkie should be.

WATCH | Tesla suffers broken glass mishap during chaotic Cybertruck launch

With an appearance unlike any of the preview renderings, this could become the most important vehicle that Tesla makes. Although the world’s most disruptive vehicle brand has seen surging demand for its battery-powered passenger cars, it has ignored the lucrative bakkie market.

In the Americas (and South Africa, for that matter), bakkies remain the most popular class of vehicles. Tesla has realised that if it is to have a secure and sustainable business, there must be a battery-powered bakkie in its product portfolio.

Looks like nothing else

The Cybertruck has an odd appearance which makes it look, in part, like a classic 1970s wedge-shaped supercar. Sharp angles and curiously rectangular wheel arches define the design.

With surface shapes that look like they were designed to have a low radar signature, resembling an F-35 fighter plane, the Cybertruck might be dual-targeted at both civilian and military customers. In terms of its core specification, the Cybertruck is made from a special cold-rolled stainless steel.

Tesla-Cybertruck-Electric-Pickup

                                                                        Image: Tesla

Tesla claims it has made this bakkie virtually dent, scratch and bulletproof – all features which would be very useful for a utility vehicle, destined to be used in testing off-road conditions.

Tesla has also chosen to engineer its Cybertruck as an unibody bakkie, instead of the traditional body-on-frame configuration popularised by most of its rivals. This monocoque design will give this Cybertruck outstanding high-speed handling dynamics and cornering agility.

Tesla-Cybertruck-Electric-Pickup

                                                                          Image: Tesla

A comprehensive air-suspension system will balance ride quality over all terrain types and give the Cybertruck an impressive 406mm of ground clearance.

Tesla is willing to confirm the Cybertruck’s performance, but not its battery specification or power outputs. The range, which is due for delivery in 2021, will be three derivatives strong and they will all be configured as all-wheel drive.

In its most basic trim, the Cybertruck will feature a single electric motor. That will enable it to run 0-100km/h in 6.5-seconds, go for 400km before requiring a recharge and tow 3.4t.

A dual-motor version is good for 0-100km/h in 4.5-seconds, has 482km of range and will haul 4.5t.

Tesla-Cybertruck-Electric-Pickup

                                                                            Image: Tesla

The tri-motor Cybertruck will be a veritable super-bakkie, capable of 0-100km/h in 2.9-seconds, 800km of range and 6.3t of towing capacity. All three of the Cybertruck bakkies are rated for an impressive 1.6t of load capacity on the back.

The Tesla bakkie will also offer a very spacious cabin architecture, with seating for up to six. The styling is beyond radical and many bakkie traditionalists will require convincing to move away from a proven market of ladder-frame vehicles, yet there is no arguing that Cybertruck’s specification is deeply impressive.

Disclaimer: Wheels24 encourages freedom of speech and the expression of diverse views. The views of columnists published on Wheels24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Wheels24.

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