Elon Musk calls Cybertruck a 'futuristic battle tank', has a plan if it flops

Tesla had generated an enormous buzz in November of 2019 when it had taken the covers off of the Cybertruck, its electric pick-up which claimed to have unparalleled capabilities and an electric heart. It was touted as a vehicle with the performance credentials of a sports car and the towing might of a pickup. Its rather unconventional design divided opinions right at the center but there was just no stopping all the talks, claims, discussions and debates. True, the Cybertruck was like nothing else seen before and CEO Elon Musk is aware that Tesla may be in uncharted territory with it and at the end, it could make for gold or glub. In a recent interview, he admitted that there was no market research which backed the Cybertruck but in case it failed to have its intended impact, he has a back up plan in place.

According to the interview published in Automotive News, Musk reportedly touched upon the thought process that went into the Cybertruck. "We just made a car we thought was awesome and looks super weird. I just wanted to make a futuristic battle tank — something that looks like it could come out of Blade Runner or Aliens or something like that but was also highly functional," he said.

Asked about what would happen if the vehicle becomes a flop, Musk reportedly said that a more conventional truck would be the next step. "There's lots of normal trucks out there that look pretty much the same; you can hardly tell the difference. And sure, we could just do some copycat truck; that's easy. So that's our fallback strategy."

The Cybertruck, Tesla's first electric pickup truck, is seen in this undated handout picture.

For those who have been following Tesla and especially Musk, it is hardly surprising that the EV maker has taken a completely unconventional approach when it comes to the Cybertruck. Tesla has been known for being unconventional and Musk's rather eccentric style have often been questioned by critics. And yet, the California-based company is at the pinnacle of the EV world and has made established auto players re-look at their conventional ways of product development and of doing business. Musk is one of the richest people in the world and there appears no stopping him.

The Cybertruck has the potential of charting the future course for Tesla in the times to come. Official release of the vehicle is slated for late 2021 and such is the popularity that even the Dubai Police has made a booking. But Cybertruck - to be manufactured at Tesla's next facility in Texas - alone may not decide the fate of Tesla, a company that is marching forward in a fast-changing automotive world.