Tesla’s futuristic Cybertruck pickup was spotted cruising through the streets of New York City on Saturday, May 8, just hours before Elon Musk, the company’s flamboyant CEO, hosted Saturday Night Live.
Tesla tweeted a short clip showing the pickup — or a prototype of the as-yet-unreleased vehicle — passing by Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan.
Cybertruck in NYC pic.twitter.com/Q7JnSo1QoX
— Tesla (@Tesla) May 8, 2021
Around the same time, folks who saw the all-electric Cybertruck rumble by also started posting videos on social media …
Tesla Cybertruck in Times Square.#cybertruck pic.twitter.com/65BIn9WNsY
— Eric Rihlmann (@ericrihlmann) May 8, 2021
Yup that’s the #cybertruck at the #Tesla #meatpacking showroom I see #NYC $tslapic.twitter.com/PWNHOCmxH3
— Susan Li (@SusanLiTV) May 8, 2021
It’s not the first time the vehicle has been spotted in the wild, though it is the first time for it to show up in New York City.
Tesla took the wraps off the Cybertruck in November 2019, describing it at the time as incorporating “the utility of a truck with sports car performance.”
The vehicle will be manufactured at a new plant that’s currently under construction in Austin, Texas. Tesla is aiming to launch the Cybertruck onto the market by the end of 2021, but that date could slip.
Pre-orders have been available since the vehicle’s unveiling, with reports last summer suggesting that more than 650,000 people have so far dropped the required $100 deposit to secure their place in line.
The vehicle will be available in three configurations. The best-priced $39,900 version features a single electric motor, a 250-mile range, and a towing capacity of 7,500 pounds.
The $49,900 dual-motor version, which has so far proved most popular, offers a 300-mile range and a towing capacity of 10,000 pounds.
Finally, there’s the $69,900 tri-motor model, with a 500-mile range and a towing capacity of 14,000 pounds.
While any new product from Tesla is guaranteed to make international headlines, the Cybertruck garnered even more attention after a spectacular on-stage flub in a stunt that was supposed to highlight the strength of the Cybertruck’s “unbreakable” windows. When a steel ball thrown at one of the vehicle’s side windows shattered the glass, Musk, who was on stage at the time, said, “Maybe that was a little too hard.”
On-stage unveils always carry with them a high degree of risk. Check out this video compilation featuring the most awkward calamities from the world of tech to hit some of the biggest names in the business.
