President Javier Milei met today with Elon Musk, founder of Tesla and Space X, among other companies, in Austin, Texas, headquarters of one of the four gigafactories that the automaker owns in the United States.
Both leaders shared photos of the meeting on their social networks that generated so many expectations during the week.. However, the content that surprised the most was a video of the president on top of the Cybertruck, the truck that is produced in that place, together with his sister Karina Milei.
This is a model whose launch It was delayed more than two years, and which Musk has promoted on his social networks since the genesis of the idea in 2019. The first deliveries began in December 2023.
What is the Cybertruck like?
With its stainless steel body and sharp angles, the Cybertruck doesn’t look like the pickups from Ford, General Motors and RAM, which dominate the US market.
It’s an attempt to radically redefine the concept of what a pickup truck is. Has the ability to tow nearly 6,500 kilos, and accelerate faster than a Porsche 911. Besidesthe doors open automatically when the driver approaches.
Its price is US$100.000 for the top of the range version. It is Tesla’s first all-new passenger vehicle in more than three years.but it came long after other automakers started selling battery-powered pickup trucks.
Its very particular design led to criticism and doubts about whether the model is prepared for work like traditional pickups. At the time, Musk responded with videos in which the Cybertruck is used to transport steel and drag machinery on a construction site. “It’s an incredibly useful truck. “It’s not just a grandiloquent display,” Musk said at the time, adding: “Like me.”
First publicly displayed in 2019, the Cybertruck suffered production delays stemming from its odd design and choice of stainless steel instead of the lighter steel or aluminum typically used in cars and trucks. For this reason, sales were delayed for more than two years, and Musk warned investors that Tesla may not be able to produce the truck in large volumes until 2025.
“There will be enormous difficulties in reaching production volume with the Cybertruck and making the Cybertruck cash flow positive”the businessman declared last October.
The pickup market is very important in the United States, where 2.5 million units are sold per year. It is a key segment for the profits of Ford, GM and Stellantis, owner of RAM, Jeep and Chrysler.
In the United States, pickup trucks are often sold as luxury vehicles. Many wealthy Americans buy Ford F-150s with 18-speaker sound systems and heated steering wheels.
Tesla says on its website that A 4×2 version of the Cybertruck will sell for US$61,000, but from 2025. Versions starting at US$80,000 and US$100,000, the most expensive, are now available.
For analysts, the first buyers of the Cybertruck will probably be collectors y technology fansbut they see little attractiveness in the model for corporate fleet operators, such as public service companies or construction companies.
