Elon Musk posted a video to try and prove the Cybertruck's tough, armored glass doesn't break
- Tesla CEO Elon Musk wants to set the record straight after footage of the new Cybertruck's armored glass smashing during a live demo went viral.
- Musk posted a video to Twitter over the weekend in which Tesla's lead designer throws a steel ball at the window from a short distance away, and it bounces off without breaking the glass.
- Acknowledging the earlier fail, Musk captioned the video: "Guess we have some improvements to make before production, haha."
- The Cybertruck represents Tesla's first foray into the pickup truck market as its battery technology becomes more powerful and sophisticated.
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Elon Musk has attempted to save face on Twitter after a demo meant to show off the toughness of Tesla's new Cybertruck pickup truck went awry.
On Saturday, he posted posted a short video to Twitter showing that the Cybertruck's armored glass windows are genuinely stronger than the average car window.
Here's the new video, showing Tesla's lead designer, Franz von Holzhausen, throwing a metal ball at the Cybertruck's windows:
Musk captioned the video: "Franz throws steel ball at Cybertruck window right before launch. Guess we have some improvements to make before production haha."
The new video comes after footage from Cybertruck's Thursday launch showed the truck's armored glass dramatically shattering after being hit by a metal ball during the live demo. During that demo, multiple hard objects were used to hit the truck, including a large sledgehammer.
Though Musk laughed off the mishap while on stage, exclaiming: "Oh my f---ing god" and "room for improvement" with a smile, the video went viral and Tesla's stock price sank.
On Monday, Musk tried to explain why the windows had smashed during the live demo but not earlier, behind the scenes.
He wrote: "Sledgehammer impact on door cracked base of glass, which is why steel ball didn't bounce off. Should have done steel ball on window, *then* sledgehammer the door. Next time …"
The Cybertruck is Tesla's bold, brash first foray into the pickup truck market; a market it has gradually primed itself to enter after its battery technology has become more powerful. It is made from various tough-sounding materials, including stainless steel and ultra-strong "Armor" glass.
According to Tesla's website, Tesla plans to begin production of the Cybertruck, which starts at $39,900, in late 2021. The vehicle's most expensive version starts at $69,900 and will have a maximum range of over 500 miles, a maximum towing capacity of over 14,000 pounds, and the ability to accelerate from zero to 60 mph in under 2.9 seconds.
Musk wrote over the weekend that Tesla has received 200,000 pre-orders so far.