The unveiling started out with a self-titled "cybergirl" who said: "The Cybertruck, the number one mode of transport for a cybergirl. The greatest evolution in vehicular fashion and function."
There are speculations that the "cybergirl" was Grimes, Elon Musks' alt-pop singer girlfriend.
"I now present to you my creator," said cybergirl. Enter Tesla CEO Elon Musk's walk out onto the stage. A short and awkward presentation followed, with Musk explaining why the Truck was a necessary and revolutionary product.
Now, cue the flames for a grandiose Cybertruck entrance that seemed more like the introduction of a celebrity boxing match.
At last, the full showing revealed a futuristic, geometric pickup truck to a crowd of smartphones, eager fans, and of course, more fire.
The flames were obviously much more dramatic and monitored than the Tesla Supercharger station that caught fire at a Wawa in New Jersey just a few days prior.
The first of a series of demonstrations began when Tesla's head of design Franz von Holzhausen appeared with a sledgehammer, first hitting and denting what Musk called a "regular truck door"...
...before transitioning the power of the hammer to the Cybertruck, which received no visible dents after the beating. This is because the automaker claims the truck's body — made of "ultra-hard 30X cold-rolled stainless steel" — is almost impenetrable.
To further this point, the screen behind Musk and the Cybertruck started playing pre-recorded clips of the body being shot at with a nine-millimeter bullet. The bullet shattered like a "paintball," Musk commented.
Then came the testing of the Tesla Armor Glass, which Musk called "transparent metal glass." Three testers — in all-black, steampunk-esque outfits — came out to initiate the test, first dropping a metal ball onto the shatter-free glass from a lower height...
...before dramatically climbing up a ladder to drop it successfully from a taller height.
Glass optics aside, the testers were reminiscent of well-coordinated magician's assistants with their confident but dramatically fluid movements.
However, the success of the armored glass didn't last long. Holzhausen came back on stage with a large metal ball to throw at the window, which then cracked, not once...
"We threw wrenches, we threw everything," Musk said. "We even literally threw the kitchen sink at the glass and it didn't break. For some weird reason, it broke now. I don't know why."
"Fix it in post," Musk jokingly exclaimed like an Instagram influencer trying to optimize their photos.
But the pride of the Cybertruck was soon saved afterward when Musk, now standing in front of a glass-shattered truck, played a video of a Ford F150 and the Cybertruck in a "tug-of-war" competition that ultimately ended with the Cybertruck towing the F150.
The Cybertruck can tow more than 14,000 pounds and carry a payload of up to 3,500 pounds in its most-expensive configuration.
Ford is currently developing a Cybertruck rival, an all-electric F-150.
There was also a speed test that showed the truck drag racing a Porsche 911, the latter of which received a head start.
"You could basically do the Baja Rally in this thing," claimed Musk.
The price and specs were then announced. The truck begins at $39,900 for the single-motor rear-wheel-drive version that has a range of 250 miles. The most expensive tri-motor all-wheel-drive version starts at $69,900 and has a range of over 500 miles.
The tri-motor Cybertruck can hit 60 mph in about 2.9 seconds. Self-driving features are a $7,000 add-on.
The event closed out with a surprise unveiling of the Cyberquad, an electric ATV. The ATV will be available as a Cybertruck option.
The loading of the Cyberquad onto the rear cargo area also allowed Musk to show off the truck's "adaptive air suspension" which raises and lowers the Cybertruck's suspension by four inches for easier access to both the cargo area and the cabin of truck. There's also a self-leveling feature.
This concluded the jam-packed unveiling of the Cybertruck, which was met with mixed reviews online.
