“Hey, everyone, I need you to clear the area,” sounds like a smart move for testing a new vehicle under a barrage of bullets.
The vehicle in question is Tesla’s Cybertruck, which CEO Elon Musk handed over to the first customers at a special event at Gigafactory Texas on Thursday.
During the 30-minute presentation, Musk enthusiastically promoted Tesla’s fully electric pickup. The event included several short videos showcasing different features of the new vehicle.
To showcase the toughness of the Cybertruck’s exterior, Tesla teamed up with firearms experts who fired a variety of bullets at the side of the truck.
Later that Thursday, Tesla posted a video on social media providing a behind-the-scenes look at the bullet test. This included the final 30-second segment that was shown during Thursday’s live stream.
Tesla started the test with a Tommy gun before moving on to a Glock, an MP5SD submachine gun, and a shotgun.
Upon close inspection, the shotgun (not shown in the presentation video) did the most damage. A double hit on the same spot caused the window (which was down at the time and therefore behind the door) to crack. However, the shot didn’t seem to penetrate the interior of the vehicle.
All in all, the exterior held up well, mostly showing impact craters but not much else.
When asked a few years ago about the need for bulletproof glass on a pickup truck, Musk replied in his distinct style, stating: “Because it’s badass and super cool.”
If you missed Thursday’s Cybertruck delivery event and want to watch it, here’s how to see a replay.