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Jay Leno Takes the Cybertruck for a Drive and Nothing Breaks

The first proper look at Tesla’s upcoming electric truck, the infamous Cybertruck, unleashed a frenzy of memes and jokes, when the supposedly armored glass on the windows broke during what should have been a demonstration of its strength.
The Cybertruck makes an appearance on Jay Leno's Garage, with Leno at the wheel and Musk riding shotgun 12 photos
Photo: YouTube / CNBC Prime
The Cybertruck makes an appearance on Jay Leno's Garage, with Leno at the wheel and Musk riding shotgunThe Cybertruck makes an appearance on Jay Leno's Garage, with Leno at the wheel and Musk riding shotgunThe Cybertruck makes an appearance on Jay Leno's Garage, with Leno at the wheel and Musk riding shotgunThe Cybertruck makes an appearance on Jay Leno's Garage, with Leno at the wheel and Musk riding shotgunThe Cybertruck makes an appearance on Jay Leno's Garage, with Leno at the wheel and Musk riding shotgunThe Cybertruck makes an appearance on Jay Leno's Garage, with Leno at the wheel and Musk riding shotgunThe Cybertruck makes an appearance on Jay Leno's Garage, with Leno at the wheel and Musk riding shotgunThe Cybertruck makes an appearance on Jay Leno's Garage, with Leno at the wheel and Musk riding shotgunThe Cybertruck makes an appearance on Jay Leno's Garage, with Leno at the wheel and Musk riding shotgunThe Cybertruck makes an appearance on Jay Leno's Garage, with Leno at the wheel and Musk riding shotgunThe Cybertruck makes an appearance on Jay Leno's Garage, with Leno at the wheel and Musk riding shotgun
There were no such incidents during the long-awaited segment of Jay Leno’s Garage with the Cybertruck. That’s the good news.

The bad news is that, for all the months fans have been waiting for this video to be released, it feels slightly anti-climatic. It offers few new details and, despite earlier reports stating otherwise, doesn’t feature the electric ATV known as the Cyberquad.

You can see the full segment below, as it aired on Wednesday on CNBC.

Some takeaways from the video: the vault bed covering system is awesome – and touch-activated. The cover is solid enough to have Musk stand on it without causing a dent, so whatever you’re hauling in that massive vault is protected. As Musk says, you could have a rocket launcher in there, if you’d like – a strange statement, but in keeping with the idea that this e-truck is meant to make its owner apocalypse-ready.

Musk also says that the product-version of the Cybertruck needs to be 5 percent smaller overall, so it could fit into a regular garage. He’s already gone back on this statement (the segment was shot in January 2020), saying he would rather Tesla made another, smaller truck farther down the road than reduce proportions on this one.

Leno got to take the Cybertruck for what feels like a very short spin and then for a drive down the Boring Tunnel. Then, they went up in the elevator, and the two parted ways with Leno saying this had been a bucket list item of his.

Leno doesn’t offer his take on the Cybertruck, other than to say that it drives pretty much like any other Tesla, with instant torque. Considering he’s driving one of the most anticipated releases of the next year, he comes across as very blah about the whole thing. The entire video lacks the oomph of other segments, if you compare.

Another downside is the Cyberquad did not make an appearance, despite reports saying one was taken out with the Cybertruck during shooting. It could be that the footage was cut during editing, but it’s a shame either way.

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About the author: Elena Gorgan
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Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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