Tesla ute revealed

The weirdest Tesla EV ever designed has finally been revealed and it looks like something out of a sci-fi movie. A very low-budget sci-fi movie.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk previously stated the Californian EV-maker’s first ute will look a bit futuristic, and he wasn’t wrong.

The design of the Cybertruck – or Cybrtrk, as it’s being marketed – looks as though a school kid designed it and the live stream reveal got interesting when Musk’s minions hit the vehicle with sledgehammers to demonstrate how strong its ultra-hard cold-rolled steel alloy is.

The windows are made of “transparent metal glass” according to Musk, as the reveal appeared to be more of a showcase for new space-age materials than a bona-fide truck to take on the Ford F-150.

Even so, he stated that “trucks have been basically the same for 100 years,” and argued that “we need sustainable energy now. If we don’t have a pick-up truck we can’t solve it.”

We’re guessing this isn’t the truck to do it, however.

Few technical details were given for the Tesla Cybrtrk, but Musk said all models would come standard with adaptive damping and air suspension, both adjustable on the fly, offering the highest ground clearance of any truck on the market – about 400mm.

He also said the Tesla will offer the best approach, departure and ramp-over angles of any ute. “You can basically do the Baja rally in this thing,” said Musk.

Payload is listed at 3600 pounds (1632kg) in the six-foot rear bed and each Tesla ute will come standard with AutoPilot and 150kW fast-charging capability, plus options for 110- and 220-volt onboard charging.

And the towing weight is quoted as an incredible 6.35 tonnes!

According the hype, there will be three versions, offering a driving range of 250 miles (400km), 300 miles (480km) and 500 miles (800km).

But perhaps the biggest news is pricing, which Tesla announced will start from $US39,900 ($A58,780) in North America.

Whether the weird-looking ute will get to these shores is doubtful – in fact whether it goes into full production at all is questionable given the problems Tesla is having filling orders for its Model 3.