Tesla will unveil its long-awaited electric pick-up truck, dubbed 'Cybertruck', later this month, CEO Elon Musk has confirmed. Musk took to Twitter to post, “Cybertruck unveil on Nov 21 in LA near SpaceX Rocket factory.”
He has linked the November 21, 2019 date to the exact setting of the original Blade Runner – a 1982 science-fiction/noir cult classic film that Musk says inspired the Cybertruck. The date also coincides with the Los Angeles Motor Show, which is likely intentional too.
Little is known about the pick-up beyond what Musk has alluded to in interviews and on Twitter. He has claimed before that it will be similar in size to the class-leading Ford F-150, cost less than US$ 50,000 (approximately Rs 35.44 lakh) and be more capable than any of its rivals.
Design-wise, everything seen so far has been purely speculative. Last month, Musk tweeted, "[The Cybertruck] doesn't look like anything I've seen bouncing around the internet. It's closer to an armoured personnel carrier from the future."
Pick-ups are still the biggest-selling vehicles in North America, so the move makes financial sense. Ford sold more than 9,000,000 F-Series trucks in 2018, making it the bestselling vehicle in the US. Ford plans to launch an electric version of the F-150 before 2022.
Tesla's expansion plans beyond the pick-up also include the Model Y crossover – which will be delivered to customers internationally, in the coming months. The new Tesla Roadster and the electric Semi lorry are also currently in development.