Ford VP Challenges Tesla to Cybertruck vs. F150 Tow Test, Elon Musk Accepts

By
Jon Heltzel
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During their launch, Elon Musk shared a video of a Tesla Cybertruck pulling a Ford F-150 uphill showing apparent domination of tow strength.

However, controversy soon followed when many including renowned scientist Neil deGrasse Tyson pointed out the test was not exactly “fair.”

DeGrasse Tyson tweeted:

A badass looking like it’s doing a badass thing. But if the F-150 is RWD **with no payload** then weight on the Rear Axle is greatly reduced, offering only mild traction for the Tesla to overcome. This contest is more about the Physics of Friction than Engine Power.

This led to Ford VP Sunny Madra calling out Elon Musk to send them a Cybertruck so they could do a fair “apples to apples test.”

https://twitter.com/sundeep/status/1198988235252199424

Not shying away, Musk replied “Bring it on.”

WATCH:

Within a day of launch, Musk boasted that 146k Cybertrucks have already been pre-ordered.

He then updated this to 200k a single day later.

Per CNBC, what Musk calls an order isn’t actually an order, but rather just a pre-order. At $100, the Cybertruck pre-order demands an even smaller commitment than what’s been required for other Tesla vehicles. Fans had to put down $1,000 for the Model 3 in March 2016, and for the Model Y, they currently have to pay $2,500.

Musk’s tweets appeared to juice the stock price early on Monday, lifting it as much as 3.4% from Friday. But the rally didn’t last, and the stock closed up 1% at $336.34, trailing the broader gains in the S&P 500 tech index.

In the fine print on Tesla’s “Design Your Cybertruck” webpage, below a “Place Order” button, Tesla notes, “By clicking ‘Place Order’ I agree to the Cybertruck Pre-Order Agreement.” The company explains that the Cybertruck pre-order payment just covers processing costs and is not considered a deposit for the vehicle.

This article first appeared on TheConservativeOpinion.com 

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