We’re getting used to seeing prototypes of Tesla’s Cybertruck out on the road and those pictures and videos have helped us learn plenty about it in the absence of any solid new details from Tesla itself. We’ve been able to see how big it is relative to other vehicles, what the bed looks like and what buyers can expect from the interior.
But what we’ve all waiting for is some footage of the truck in action, specifically showing us how it acquits itself in the dirt and whether it’s as outrageously rapid on the street as many of Tesla’s existing cars and SUVs.
We’re still waiting to see the Cybertruck busting some off-road moves, but a new video of the EV out on public roads definitely lays to rest any fears that the angular pickup might not live up to the performance standards Tesla has set with cars like the Model S Plaid and Model 3 Performance. It shows a Cybertruck pulling away hard from a stoplight, and while it’s not quite a dragstrip launch, it shows how effortlessly quickly Tesla’s newest machine can move when required, despite probably weighing more than 6,000 lbs (2,720 kg).
Related: Tesla Cybertruck’s Bed Seems Terribly Impractical In These Photos
Of course we don’t know what motor setup or power output this RC (Release Candidate) prototype is running, and still don’t know what powertrain options will be available to buyers. Telsa originally said that the truck would be available in single-, dual- and tri-motor forms, but since then it has removed the configurator from its website, and in late 2021 CEO Elon Musk said that the first variant would be a quad-motor truck.
Tesla might have reasonably concluded that it needs the top model to have a quad-motor setup to match the one available on its Rivian R1T rival, but we’ll have to wait until the Cybertruck finally gets here before we know all the details. That was meant to have happened in Q3 of this year, but Tesla missed the deadline, as it has done many times before.
There are signs, however, that the launch will happen very soon. In addition to a large number of Cybertrucks now being seen in the wild, it’s been reported that Tesla employees have started receiving apparel intended for the launch event.
H/T to Cybertruck Owners Club