Elon Musk recently took to Twitter to do one of the things he likes best: tweet random things that have the power to shift billions of dollars across global markets—most of the time in the favor of his companies. However, this time Musk also spent some time answering questions from Tesla fans, most of them in regards to the upcoming Cyber Truck and its possible changes and “floating” capabilities. Yes, you read that right.
In the impromptu Q&A session, questions focused on Cybertruck news on changes that we’ll allegedly see between the prototype and the final production model. Musk appeared to be saying that Tesla will be running in the Baja 1000, which would undoubtedly mean a Cybertruck trophy truck in the near future. He also went on to say that the truck’s adaptive air suspension has allegedly been reworked with more travel for “better off-roading.”
A large portion of the initial Cybertruck coverage focused on the vehicle’s titanic proportions, but Musk’s replies seem to suggest that these will change before we see the final product hit the streets. He claims that the truck will shrink by about three percent and that the centerline will be “more level,” whatever that means. There’s no indication from the Twitter interaction that the Cybertruck’s powertrain will change, which may mean that the smaller, lighter truck will be even faster and more agile than was originally advertised.
At some point, Musk even promised that the Cybertruck will “float for a while,” though it’s unclear if Tesla will encourage its owners to ford rivers a la The
Oregon Trail. It’s unclear why a purely electric vehicle will have floating capabilities—especially if they are as effective as its shatter-proof windows.
Although Twitter has been a mixed bag for Tesla and Elon Musk, the conversations show that the company is getting serious about its next vehicle. The Cybertruck’s unconventional looks and entertaining unveiling landed it as front-page news for a while, and a successful outing at the Baja 1000 would point even more eyeballs toward the giant stainless-steel pickup. Production of rear-wheel-drive models is slated to start in late 2021, with faster, more expensive models coming in 2022, although we don’t know how the current COVID-19 situation has affected the original timeline.
Lastly, Tesla has been on the hunt for a new factory location to build its new truck, but nothing has been announced officially, despite some states’ offers of hefty incentives.
h/t: Autoblog
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