The Tesla Cybertruck did the automotive equivalent of ‘breaking the internet’ this weekend after its extravagant launch was met with a mixture of desire, bemusement, derision and – more importantly – publicity.
Looking akin to a 1980s Lagonda concept car on steroids or something out of the original Total Recall film, the Tesla Cybertruck electric pick-up was openly slated across the motor industry over the weekend. Nevertheless, it doesn’t seem to have dampened enthusiasm given 146,000 orders have reportedly been placed already.
That’s $14.6 million raised in deposits despite its ‘bullet-proof’ windows smashing during a presentation (though the cynic in us reckons that was just for publicity…).
So, what does this have to do with motorbikes?
Well, quietly launched alongside the dystopian (unfathomable) beast was the CyberQuad, an ATV that was used as a prop to demonstrate how the Cybertruck’s flatbed could hold a lifestyle vehicle… or presumably a dead animal.
Elon Musk later confirmed the CyberQuad will be offered as an option on the Tesla Cybertruck, which demonstrates the American start-up phenomenon is beginning to think outside the box with its products to tap into the powersports market.
This isn’t the first time talk of a Tesla motorcycle has surfaced. A rendering of a supposed Tesla motorcycle [pictured] has done the rounds which, though not seemingly official, has prompted a lot of conversations with Musk about whether he sees Tesla switching to two wheels.
For now, the multi-billionaire entrepreneur has dismissed the idea based on his own personal experiences following a crash in his teens, but it hasn’t been entirely ruled out as a business idea. More than likely Tesla will watch how Harley-Davidson’s LiveWire performs before committing itself to developing a rival…
To us, the MadMax-esque Tesla CyberQuad looks far more attractive than the bafflingly retro-futuristic Cybertruck and we can see some of those design traits being adopted on a two-wheel machine that – fortunately – doesn’t look like the above render, which to us appears to be a massive battery on wheels.
Having transcended into Apple-levels of a cult-like following in the lifestyle accessory market, to us a Tesla motorcycle makes a compelling business case – not just for the company but for the advancement of the electric motorcycle market…
