Electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla opened up reservations for its all-electric Cybertruck – not expected to go into production until late 2021 – in China for 1,000 Chinese yuan (Dh517.50).
Unveiled in November last year, the unconventional-looking vehicle marks the company's first foray into pick-up trucks, a market dominated by Detroit car makers Ford and General Motors.
“The top three selling vehicles in America are pick-up trucks. To solve sustainable energy, we have to have a pick-up truck," Tesla's billionaire chief executive Elon Musk said while unveiling the vehicle at a media event in Los Angeles last year.
Tesla, whose Model 3 sedan is the world's top-selling electric car, first opened reservations for Cybertrucks in the US in November for $100 (Dh367).
Within a week, Mr Musk tweeted that there were 250,000 reservations for the vehicle.
Tesla said that potential Cybertruck buyers in China can also book the full self-driving (FSD) package, which is currently not available in its vehicles, for $9,000 (Dh33,030). The same package has been advertised in the US for $8,000.
It said that by reserving the FSD package for trucks now, they can protect themselves from potential price increases for the technology when it becomes commercially available.
Tesla is offering three models of Cybertrucks.
The cheapest, a single motor and rear-wheel drive version, will sell from Dh146,433 and production is expected to begin in late 2022, the company said.
The mid-range model, with a dual-motor, all-wheel drive, will be priced at Dh183,133. The top-of-the-range truck, priced at Dh256,533, will have three electric motors and all-wheel drive.
Production for dual- and tri-motor trucks will start late next year, the company said.
Tesla is yet to announce the location where the trucks will be built.
In March, Mr Musk said the company was scouting several possible locations for Cybertruck production and was planning to build them somewhere in the middle of the US.
The market for electric trucks is heating up.
GM is planning to build a family of electric pick-up trucks, due to go on sale in autumn next year. It aims to invest $8 billion by 2023 to develop electric and self-driving vehicles.
Ford is planning to sell electric versions of its popular F-150 pick-up trucks in 2022. In April last year, it invested $500 million in start-up Rivian, which is planning to build its own electric pick-up beginning later this year.
Tesla led the EV market in the third quarter of last year, taking 20 per cent of the global share, according to Hong Kong's Counterpoint. It was followed by Chinese car makers BAIC Group and BYD Auto, who held 10 per cent and 9 per cent respectively.
The company’s shares have more than doubled since January 15, when they were trading at $518.50. They closed last week at $1,208.66, making it the most valuable car company in the world, valued at over $224bn.
The California-based company said it delivered nearly 88,400 vehicles in the first quarter of this year to March 31, beating expectations.
Analysts had expected about 79,900 deliveries during the period, according to a poll by FactSet, a Connecticut-based financial data and software company.
Tesla is also planning to offer an option to add solar panels to the roof of Cybertrucks that would provide a charge for about 24km per day.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
THE SPECS
Engine: AMG-enhanced 3.0L inline-6 turbo with EQ Boost and electric auxiliary compressor
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 429hp
Torque: 520Nm
Price: Dh360,200 (starting)
THE BIO
Age: 33
Favourite quote: “If you’re going through hell, keep going” Winston Churchill
Favourite breed of dog: All of them. I can’t possibly pick a favourite.
Favourite place in the UAE: The Stray Dogs Centre in Umm Al Quwain. It sounds predictable, but it honestly is my favourite place to spend time. Surrounded by hundreds of dogs that love you - what could possibly be better than that?
Favourite colour: All the colours that dogs come in
More on animal trafficking
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Company Profile
Company name: NutriCal
Started: 2019
Founder: Soniya Ashar
Based: Dubai
Industry: Food Technology
Initial investment: Self-funded undisclosed amount
Future plan: Looking to raise fresh capital and expand in Saudi Arabia
Total Clients: Over 50
Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
The Disaster Artist
Director: James Franco
Starring: James Franco, Dave Franco, Seth Rogan
Four stars
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
GRAN%20TURISMO
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Neill%20Blomkamp%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20David%20Harbour%2C%20Orlando%20Bloom%2C%20Archie%20Madekwe%2C%20Darren%20Barnet%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
U19 WORLD CUP, WEST INDIES
UAE group fixtures (all in St Kitts)
Saturday 15 January: v Canada
Thursday 20 January: v England
Saturday 22 January: v Bangladesh
UAE squad
Alishan Sharafu (captain), Shival Bawa, Jash Giyanani, Sailles Jaishankar, Nilansh Keswani, Aayan Khan, Punya Mehra, Ali Naseer, Ronak Panoly, Dhruv Parashar, Vinayak Raghavan, Soorya Sathish, Aryansh Sharma, Adithya Shetty, Kai Smith
RIDE%20ON
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Larry%20Yang%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStars%3A%20Jackie%20Chan%2C%20Liu%20Haocun%2C%20Kevin%20Guo%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
MATCH INFO
What: Brazil v South Korea
When: Tonight, 5.30pm
Where: Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae
