Air Force Wants Tesla Cybertrucks For Target Practice—Praises Its Durability, Says No Comparable Vehicle Exists
The U.S. Air Force is purchasing two Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) Cybertrucks for precision-guided weapons testing.
Cybertrucks Do Not Receive ‘Normal Extent Of Damage'
The Air Force Test Center seeks two Cybertrucks to be delivered to the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, The War Zone reported on Wednesday.
"It is likely that the type of vehicle used by the enemy may transition to a Tesla Cybertruck as they have been found not to receive normal extent of damage upon major impact," official documents cited in the report said.
Market Research Found No Vehicles ‘Comparable' To The Cybertruck
The documents also said that extensive market research found no comparable vehicles to the Cybertruck.
The agency said that the Cybertruck's "unpainted stainless steel exoskeleton" as well as the "aggressively angular and futuristic design" as some of the features that set the truck apart from competitors.
"Additionally, its 48V electrical architecture provides superior power and efficiency, a feature that competitors are only beginning to develop," the document said.
Source: SAM.gov
Cybertruck Sales Are Still Lackluster
The news comes as the Cybertruck has proved to be a tough product to sell for Tesla, with the company reportedly delivering over 5,000 units of the pickup truck in the second quarter.
To put it into perspective, the company had planned on producing over 250,000 units of the truck annually, but has delivered around 10,000 to 20,000 units YTD, about 8% of its intended target.
Analysts Criticize Tesla, A Smaller Pickup Truck In The Works?
Analysts have criticized Tesla’s Cybertruck, with Gerber Kawasaki's co-founder Ross Gerber, who owns a Cybertruck himself, saying that it'd be better if the company discontinued the all-electric pickup.
Tesla's Vice President of Vehicle Engineering, Lars Moravy, hinted that a smaller pickup truck could be in the works for the company.
"We’ve always talked about making a smaller pickup," he said before adding that the company is currently working on designs in the design studio.
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