LOS ANGELES: Tesla’s new electric pickup truck has secured almost 150,000 orders, the company’s chief executive Elon Musk boasted on Twitter, just two days after its big reveal went embarrassingly wrong.
The billionaire Tesla co-founder floundered on stage in California on Thursday when the vehicle’s armored glass windows cracked in a demonstration intended to prove their indestructible design.
But on Saturday Musk tweeted that Tesla had already received 146,000 orders from prospective owners.
“146k Cybertruck orders so far, with 42% choosing dual, 41% tri & 17% single motor,” he wrote.
The demand comes despite the product receiving “no advertising & no paid endorsement.”
The industrial-looking Cybertruck is covered in the same steel alloy Musk plans to use for his SpaceX Starship rocket and will be able to go from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in about three seconds, the Tesla chief executive claimed in his presentation.
He said the entry-level model will have a starting price of $39,900 and a 400-kilometer range, while a deluxe option will be able to travel twice the distance and will sell for $69,900.
No date has been given for its release, but analysts said it would not be ready before the end of 2021 at the earliest.
Its space-age design is unlikely to challenge top-selling models by Ford and other conventional car companies, analysts warn.
Tesla cybertruck orders near 150,000 just days after chaotic launch
Tesla cybertruck orders near 150,000 just days after chaotic launch
- The demand comes despite the product receiving ‘no advertising & no paid endorsement’
- Its space-age design is unlikely to challenge top-selling models by Ford and other conventional car companies
Closing Bell: Saudi main index closes higher at 10,596
RIYADH: Saudi equities closed higher on Tuesday, with the Tadawul All Share Index rising 43.59 points, or 0.41 percent, to finish at 10,595.85, supported by broad-based buying and strength in select mid-cap stocks.
Market breadth was firmly positive, with 170 stocks advancing against 90 decliners, while trading activity saw 161.96 million shares change hands, generating a total value of SR3.39 billion.
Meanwhile, the MT30 Index closed higher, gaining 6.52 points, or 0.47 percent, to 1,399.11, while the Nomu Parallel Market Index edged marginally lower, slipping 3.33 points, or 0.01 percent, to 23,267.77.
Among the session’s top gainers, Al Masar Al Shamil Education Co. surged 9.99 percent to close at SR26.20, while Saudi Cable Co. jumped 9.98 percent to SR147.70.
Cherry Trading Co. rose 4.18 percent to SR25.44, and United Carton Industries Co. advanced 4.09 percent to SR26.46.
Al Yamamah Steel Industries Co. also posted solid gains, climbing 4.07 percent to end at SR32.70.
On the downside, Emaar The Economic City led losses, slipping 3.55 percent to SR10.32, followed by Derayah REIT Fund, which fell 2.92 percent to SR5.31.
Derayah Financial Co. declined 2.13 percent to SR26.62, while United International Holding Co. retreated 1.96 percent to SR155.20, and Gulf Union Alahlia Cooperative Insurance Co. eased 1.92 percent to SR10.70.
On the announcements front, Red Sea International Co. said it signed a SR202.8 million contract with Webuild S.P.A. to provide integrated facilities management services for the Trojena project at Neom.
The agreement covers operations and maintenance for the project’s Main Camp and Spike Camp, including accommodation and housekeeping, catering, security, IT and communications, utilities, waste management, fire safety and emergency response, as well as other supporting services.
The contract runs for two years, with the financial impact expected to begin in the first quarter of 2026. Shares of Red Sea International closed up 0.99 percent at SR34.74.
Al Moammar Information Systems Co. disclosed that it received an award notification from Humain to design and build a data center dedicated to artificial intelligence technologies, with a total value exceeding 155 percent of the company’s 2024 revenue, inclusive of VAT.
The contract is expected to be formally signed in February 2026, underscoring the scale of the project and its potential impact on the company’s future revenues.
MIS shares ended the session 2.82 percent higher at SR156.70, reflecting positive investor sentiment following the announcement.
