Tesla Suffers Broken Glass Mishap During Chaotic Cybertruck Launch

Tesla's live demonstration of the Cybertruck's indestructible windows didn't appear to go entirely to plan. A metal ball managed to shatter the glass.

By Agence France-Presse | Updated: 22 November 2019 18:55 IST

Tesla Suffers Broken Glass Mishap During Chaotic Cybertruck Launch

Photo Credit: Frederic J. BROWN / AFP

Tesla Cybertruck was unveiled on Thursday, at a very chaotic launch

Highlights

Tesla CEO dared staff to hit the vehicle with sledgehammers
He showed a video of cybertruck withstanding bullets shot from a 9mm gun
The armoured glass smashed when one employee threw a steel ball

The big reveal of Tesla's electric pick-up went embarrassingly wrong when the supposedly impact-proof windows smashed, leaving a flustered Elon Musk to flounder through the rest of his presentation in front of a badly damaged vehicle. The Tesla co-founder unveiled the all-electric battery-powered Tesla Cybertruck in California on Thursday, daring staff to hit the vehicle with sledgehammers and showing a video of it withstanding bullets shot from a 9mm gun.

But the demonstration of the vehicle's indestructible windows didn't appear to go entirely to plan after one assistant threw a steel ball bearing at the truck -- only to see the armoured glass smash.

An expletive could be heard at the Tesla Design Center and as his assistant laughed nervously, Elon Musk said: "Well, maybe that was a little too hard."

Tesla Cybertruck Unveiled, the Company's First Electric Pickup Truck

A second attempt fared little better however, and another window was left badly damaged.

"It didn't go through," said a clearly uncomfortable Elon Musk, who was forced to push on through the remainder of the chaotic launch with the two smashed windows in full view.

Elon why????? Why would you throw the metal ball at the window of the Cybertruck?? ???????????????? pic.twitter.com/rTpsTcy1xk
— Kirk Cumberbatch (@saltandlightTX) November 22, 2019

The industrial-looking Cybertruck -- covered in the same steel alloy Elon Musk plans to use for his SpaceX rocket -- will have a starting price of $39,900 and can go from 0 to 100 kilometres (62 miles) per hour in about three seconds, the Tesla chief executive claimed.

No date has been given for its release but analysts said it would not be ready before the end of 2021 at the earliest.

Tesla dominates the global electric car market and has an especially firm grip on the United States.

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