A few days after the unveiling of the Tesla Cybertruck, Elon Musk took to Twitter to announce how many people have already secured a build slot in exchange for a $100 refundable deposit.
According to the company CEO ‘s most recent tweet, that would be 200,000. In a previous tweet when he revealed that 146,000 pre-orders had been received in the first 24 hours, he said that 42 percent chose the dual-motor variant, 41 percent for the tri-motor setup, with only 17 percent going for the less capable single-motor model.
Watch: Tesla Gave Shot Gun Rides In The Cybertruck, These Are The First Impressions
Theoretically, those are impressive numbers, but what do they really mean given that that the deposit is set at only $100 and it’s fully refundable? Tesla could receive a million reservations and it wouldn’t mean much in practice since there’s no real commitment on the behalf of those who expressed interest. This sounds more like a marketing gimmick to drum up attention and convince the market and investors that all is good and well, than anything else, something Tesla has proven to be extremely clever and effective at over the years.
200k
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 25, 2019
Remind me about the Cybertruck
The electric pickup truck, which rivals Detroit’s traditional work horses, has a starting price of $39,900 for the entry-level model, which promises 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in 6.5 seconds and more than 250 miles (400+ km) of range.
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The mid-spec cuts 2 seconds from the base version’s 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) time and adds 50 miles (80 km) to the range, for an MSRP of $49,900. Meanwhile, the range-topper offers supercar performance. Nought to 60 mph (0-96 km/h) takes a jaw-dropping 2.9 seconds, according to Tesla, and the quarter mile is completed in 10.8 seconds. This version has a 130 mph (209 km/h) top speed, 500+ miles (800+ km) of range with the battery fully charged and will set you back at least $69,900.
The Cybertruck should enter production in 2021, but Tesla has a long history of delaying products, so not many eyebrows will raise if, for one reason or another, they decide to follow this tradition. The top-of-the-line variant is scheduled to follow one year later.
146k Cybertruck orders so far, with 42% choosing dual, 41% tri & 17% single motor
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 23, 2019