Why Tesla's Cracked Cybertruck Window May Have Been A Shrewd Marketing Move

Tesla Inc TSLA and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk presented the Cybertruck, a much-anticipated all-electric pickup, on Thursday in what could be described as a clever marketing ploy.

Cracking The Cybertruck's Window 

The first 9 minutes of th Cybertruck presentation went on without a hitch. 

“Trucks have been the same for a long time, like 100 years. We need something different, and we need sustainable energy now. So I present to you the cybertruck,” Musk said Thursday before the vehicle was presented onstage.

Musk and his chief designer then threw a metal ball at the vehicle’s driver-side window. Musk showed off the strength of the new cybertruck by having its door beaten with a sledgehammer and the window glass struck with heavy metal balls.

The truck can tow up to 14,000 pounds. 

“You want a truck that’s really tough, not fake tough. You want a truck you can take a sledgehammer to, a truck that won’t scratch, doesn’t dent. What else can we do with this truck?” the Tesla CEO said. 

Tesla's chief designer Franz von Holzhausen turned up with a metal ball.

“Franz could you try to break this glass, please?” Musk said.

Holzhausen replied: "You sure?" 

Musk said: "Yeah!"

Holzhausen threw the ball, creating a spiderweb of cracks in the window.

The Tesla CEO said "oh my f---ing god!" and added: "maybe that was a little too hard?"

Musk The Stuntman

Musk is known for headline-grabbing behavior, from the famous “funding secured” incident to smoking marijuana on Joe Rogan's podcast. 

And don't forget the Boring Company “flamethrowers” that raised $10 million after all 20,000 units sold out, despite warnings from the Home Office and U.S. politicians.

The CEO is responsible for overseeing all product design, engineering and manufacturing of the company's electric vehicles.

Thursday's presentation very well could have been a perfect PR stunt performed by Musk and his team that gives them a reason to come back with a new and improved version of the Cybertruck. 

Price Action

Tesla shares were trading down 5.78% at $334.33 at the time of publication Friday. 

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Screenshot via The Guardian on YouTube.