I’m sure I’m not the first person to realize this1, but Elon’s brother’s Instagram post of the Cybertruck launch made it so clear…
Tesla isn’t building the Cybertruck for consumers. They’re building it for Mars.
Kimbal’s caption on his post reads:
Go Tesla! The #Cybertruck is the future. Built for any planet, bullet proof and rugged enough to go any where. I’m so proud of the entire team at Tesla, especially my brother.
– @kimbalmusk (emphasis mine)
Did you catch that?
Built for any planet.
It all makes sense now. Sure, Elon thinks the Cybertruck is cool and badass and a great option for those who can afford it. But it was never about making a consumer truck.
He’s building a vehicle that he can send to Mars on his SpaceX BFR!
That’s why the design is so unconventional. It was never about beating Rivian or the Ford Lighting. It looks like it was designed for another planet because it was!
It all just makes sense now. The bulletproof glass – sure, cool on earth and helpful for VIPs (or zombie apocalypse preppers) who want some extra protection, but pretty necessary for a little red planet with less atmosphere and more space projectiles.
I haven’t been paying enough attention to the recent Cybertruck design changes, but I wouldn’t be surprised if a version of the Cybertruck is vacuum sealed and pressurized.2
It’s quite genius, really. Design a vehicle for outerspace and let your fans fund it.
Nice job, Elon.