Things We Saw Today: Elon Musk Thinks This Is Why the Cybertruck’s Disastrous Window Mishap Occurred

The Internet had a schadenfreude field day after the presentation of Tesla’s electric pickup “Cybertruck” took an unexpected turn. While demonstrating the supposedly “bulletproof” windows for all the world to see last week, designer Franz von Holzhauslen twice threw a steel ball at the windows, which shattered on impact (twice). This eventful unveiling caused Tesla’s stock to plummet nearly 7%. Now Tesla CEO Elon Musk says he knows why it happened.

CNN picked up on Musk’s weekend Tweet reply, wherein he offers an explanation for the Cybertruck shattered windows affair:

On Sunday night, Musk offered an explanation. Shortly before von Holzhausen threw the steel ball at the windows, he had hit the truck’s door with a big sledgehammer. That was to demonstrate the strength of the truck’s body panels. But the impact from the blows of the sledgehammer had also slightly damaged the glass, Musk said.

I mean … I’m sure this is definitely part of what happened. But if this is the case, shouldn’t the various scenarios have been extensively tested beforehand? I’m no engineer, but maybe mix up the sequence of steel balls/sledgehammer before rolling this guy out on the international stage? And should it really be so simple to damage the truck, which prides itself on toughness, and thus compromise the glass’s integrity? People had questions.

I hate myself because I still enjoy the look of this preposterously-named truck. I blame a lifetime spent steeped in science fiction and also Mad Max: Fury Road.

(via CNN, image: FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images))

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What did you see out there today, cybertruckers?

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Kaila Hale-Stern

Kaila Hale-Stern (she/her) is a content director, editor, and writer who has been working in digital media for more than fifteen years. She started at TMS in 2016. She loves to write about TV—especially science fiction, fantasy, and mystery shows—and movies, with an emphasis on Marvel. Talk to her about fandom, queer representation, and Captain Kirk. Kaila has written for io9, Gizmodo, New York Magazine, The Awl, Wired, Cosmopolitan, and once published a Harlequin novel you'll never find.

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