It is a futuristic object that stands out in the automotive landscape. Faced with rivals already positioned in this market, Elon Musk wants to regain control with the launch of Tesla's first electric pickup truck on Thursday, December 30.

Four years after showing off the first images of his Cybertruck, the entrepreneur will unveil the angled vehicle at an event at the company's headquarters in Austin, Texas, at 20 p.m. GMT, which will mark the delivery of the first example.

The car is a cross between a model from the movie "Blade Runner" (1982) and the "Wet Nellie", an amphibious vehicle inspired by the Lotus Esprit, seen in "The Spy Who Loved Me" (1977), according to Elon Musk.

"This is another historic moment for Tesla and Musk," said Dan Ives, an analyst at Wedbush Securities. "This launch is important to fuel the vision of a growing group."

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Often considered a pioneer, the manufacturer is entering an electric pickup market already occupied, notably by its rival Rivian, but also General Motors and Ford. More than 18 months ago, the latter launched the F-150 Lightning, the electric version of its best-selling model in the United States.

Very popular with American customers, pick-ups are cars on which manufacturers make some of the highest margins. While Tesla has yet to disclose a retail price, many, including CFRA's Garrett Nelson, are talking about $50,000 for the base version, which is equivalent to the F-150 Lightning. The Cybertruck has a range of 400 to 800 km depending on the model and a towing capacity of more than 6 tons.

"It looks cool, but it's extremely difficult to build"

For the analyst, this launch presents "a much higher risk" than for the other cars of the Texas manufacturer, although he acknowledges that Elon Musk "managed to calm expectations" after announcing his newborn with much fanfare. In particular, the entrepreneur estimated that sales of the Cybertruck could be significantly lower than those of the other models in the range, due to its atypical appearance, even though the order book has already exceeded one million.

Elon Musk plans to reach a production of 250,000 units in 2025.

"We dug our grave with the Cybertruck," the billionaire joked last month. "The Cybertruck is a special product, one that you rarely see and that is very difficult to launch on the market, to sell in quantity, to prosper," the 50-year-old described.

The body of the vehicle is made of stainless steel plates, used to ensure its strength. "It looks cool, but it's extremely difficult to build," according to Art Wheaton, a transportation industry expert at Cornell University.

The academic doubts that this Cybertruck will ever generate considerable sales, because of its "divisive" design. But he sees the promise of a niche product, sufficiently differentiated to enhance the image of the Tesla brand, citing, as an example, Chevrolet's Corvette. "It's a way to attract attention," he says, for its owners but also for the Texas manufacturer.

For Elon Musk, this is an opportunity to turn a page after a new controversy in mid-November. The owner of X (formerly Twitter) had then relayed an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory on the platform.

Earlier this week, the businessman travelled to Israel, where he visited Kibbutz Kfar Aza, which was attacked on 7 October by fighters from the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, accompanied by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"We don't think the Tesla brand has been negatively impacted," Ives told AFP, "but it's a delicate balance for Elon, who is walking on a tightrope."

With AFP

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