Cybertruck Designer Asserts Tesla’s Stainless Steel Pickup is Far from an Experiment

Tesla’s Chief Designer, Franz von Holzhausen, affirmed on Thursday that the distinctive and polarizing design of the Cybertruck serves a strategic purpose in enhancing the Tesla brand. Speaking at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, where Cybertruck models are being added to a Tesla exhibit, von Holzhausen emphasized that the Cybertruck is far from an experiment.

“Love it or hate it, it’s a conversation starter, and it gets people talking about the brand,” remarked Tesla’s Chief Designer. The angular and unconventional design of the Cybertruck has undeniably sparked discussions and debates within the automotive community and beyond.

Despite facing delays, the Cybertruck has finally made its debut with a starting price of $60,990. Notably, this is over 50% higher than the figure initially touted by CEO Elon Musk in 2019. Additionally, the Cybertruck offers a smaller range than originally promised, marking both a departure from initial projections and a milestone in Tesla’s journey toward reshaping the electric vehicle market.

But it is drawing interest from people who have never owned a truck, with some potential owners queuing up for it at some Tesla showrooms, von Holzhausen said.

“Just because it looks different doesn’t mean that it can’t be potentially a high volume vehicle,” he added, saying the pick-up measures up to the performance of traditional rivals. “There seems to be this air of doubt.”

“We’re bringing people into the market that never would have owned a truck before,” von Holzhausen said. “And so I don’t think it’s an experiment.”

The Cybertruck, characterized by its distinctive stainless-steel exterior and sharp angles, is a result of both engineering necessity and design inspiration, according to Tesla’s Chief Designer, Franz von Holzhausen. The unconventional design, with its angular aesthetics, stems in part from the material itself, as traditional presses struggle to bend steel into curves. Inspiration for the Cybertruck’s bold design also draws from iconic sources, including the Lamborghini Countach and Lockheed’s F-117 Stealth Fighter jet.

Von Holzhausen highlighted the intriguing design philosophy, stating, ‘It looks like it shouldn’t do what it does, yet intelligent engineers figured it out,’ referring to the F-117 Stealth Fighter. Additionally, the design team at Tesla found inspiration in the aggressively angular Lamborghini Countach and the iconic car-turned-submarine from the 1977 James Bond movie “The Spy Who Loved Me,” a vehicle now owned by Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

Despite the Cybertruck’s bold design and unique features, its launch has not been without its share of challenges. Notably, during the 2019 launch event, von Holzhausen threw a metal ball at the truck, unintentionally shattering two of its fortified glass windows. However, recent events have shown improved durability, with von Holzhausen successfully testing the windows with a baseball at a subsequent event.

In response to a recent viral video depicting the Cybertruck struggling to pull a Christmas tree up a slope, von Holzhausen defended the vehicle. He emphasized the positive experiences, stating that his kids love being picked up from school in the Cybertruck, and he has even been mistaken for Elon Musk by onlookers while driving it.