During a live demonstration aiming to showcase the indestructibility of the Tesla Cybertruck, Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, experienced an embarrassing situation.
As he shattered one of the vehicle's windows, his confident behavior quickly faded, resulting in a significant loss and a humorous scene.
Elon Musk smashed Tesla Cybertruck window while proving its indestructibility
The incident, which took place in November 2019, resulted in a reported loss of $768 million from Musk's net worth in just one day.
The Cybertruck, designed to combine the utility of a truck with sports car performance, was launched with great anticipation.
The Tesla Cybertruck was built to be strong, flexible, and powerful. It has a unique stainless steel body that looks like a toy car.
Musk was so sure about its durability that he asked Tesla's design chief, Franz von Holshausen, to try breaking the glass, which was claimed to be unbreakable, during the launch demonstration.
However, things did not go as planned.
When von Holshausen threw a steel ball at the window, it unexpectedly cracked, breaking the glass immediately. A similar fate befell the second window as well.
Despite the mishap, Musk tried to salvage the situation by acknowledging the need for improvement, stating, "A little room for improvement. Alright, let's see... So yeah... We threw wrenches, we threw everything - we even literally threw the kitchen sink at the glass and it didn't break. For some weird reason, it broke now, I don't know why. We'll fix it in post."
The incident drew comparisons to the comical moment when the fictional character Homer Simpson revealed his disastrous car design.
Social media users also humorously likened the Cybertruck to a vehicle from a mid-90s video game.
Tesla's share price decreased 6%, whipping $768 million from the Tesla founder's net worth in just one day
The consequences were not limited to mere jokes, as Forbes reported a staggering drop of 6% in Tesla's share price, resulting in a significant financial loss for Musk.
However, Musk still addressed the incident wisely.
On Twitter, he humorously commented, "Franz throws steel ball at Cybertruck window right before launch. Guess we have some improvements to make before production haha."
He further explained the cause of the mishap, mentioning that the impact of the sledgehammer on the door had weakened the glass, leading to its failure when struck by the steel ball.
This is not the first time a Tesla Cybertruck has been spotted hidden potential mishap.
Lately, Tesla is facing a setback as the deliveries of their highly anticipated Cybertruck have been halted due to a safety issue.
The problem revolves around the accelerator pedal, which has raised concerns about potential accidents.
The issue specifically involves the accelerator pedal cover, which can slip and cause the pedal to jam in a fully depressed position.
A TikTok video shared by a Tesla owner went viral, showing how releasing the brake caused the car to accelerate again.
Although the owner managed to stop the car safely, they highlighted the potential danger for someone prone to panic in such a situation.
Tesla has taken immediate action by issuing a stop-sale order for the Cybertruck while they investigate and resolve the problem. The exact details of the issue and the timeline for a fix remain unclear at this point.
Another mishap regarding the Tesla Cybertruck was washing the vehicle.
A Tesla Cybertruck driver was shocked when their brand new vehicle broke down after washing it.
According to the owner, the vehicle stopped functioning after the wash, and attempts to reset it proved unsuccessful.
Although the truck appeared drivable, the lack of a working display or speedometer made it unfit for the road.
The incident sparked a debate among Cybertruck owners, with some expressing worries about the vehicle's reliability and suggesting that Tesla should prioritize finding a solution.
After contacting Tesla, the owner was informed that this was a known issue with the Cybertruck. Tesla stated that a screen reset, which should normally take two minutes, takes five hours in this case.
