Tesla Cybertruck Prototype Spotted Driving Through Hawthorne, California

Unlike other Tesla reveals, the debut of the Cybertruck was actually fun because Elon Musk didn’t expect the driver’s window to shatter from throwing a steel ball. The quirky electric pickup is nothing more than a prototype for the time being, and as mentioned in a previous story, there’s a lot to redesign until Tesla kicks off series production.

The design of the Cybertruck isn’t expected to change too much from the working prototype, and that’s alright because the straight-edged silhouette helps with durability and towing capacity. Fixing a dented body panel should also be easy, but have you ever wondered how sizeable the newcomer is when compared to a half-ton pickup?

Instagram user @chicago_roy, a.k.a. “the guy that filmed the #teslacybertruck driving on the streets of Hawthorne, CA,” can answer this question. Spotted out on public roads, the Cybertruck looks massive even when compared to the Tesla Model X following it. The clip shown by Elon during the premiere also reveals that the Ford F-150 SuperCrew is shorter and narrower than the e-pickup promising 500-plus miles of range.

Tesla describes the exterior shell of the Cybertruck as an exoskeleton, and every component is designed for strength and endurance. Ultra-Hard 30X Cold-Rolled stainless steel and Armor Glass are only two of the highlights, along with 100 cubic feet of bed storage. No fewer than three powertrain and battery options are available to order, and the all-wheel-drive Tri Motor promises more than 14,000 pounds of towing capacity.

Remember when Ford used to make the F-150 Lighting and Dodge had that Viper-engined Ram truck? Tesla is bound to obliterate both of them, as well as the F-150 Raptor and upcoming Rebel TRX, with a zero-to-60-mph acceleration of less than 2.9 seconds.

Ordering the full self-driving option for $7,000 “will secure your price as it increases in the future” according to the U.S. configurator, but don’t expect Tesla to go overboard with this claim. After all, Elon did tweet that “you should be able to buy a really great truck for $49k or less.”