Elon Musk says Tesla Cybertruck will have options for Beast Mode, bulletproof windows that can't roll down

Elon Musk unveiled the
Tesla Cybertruck back in 2019.
Reuters

Elon Musk gave more information on the long-awaited Cybertruck release in a new Joe Rogan interview.
The billionaire said there will be a “beast mode version” and a version with bulletproof glass.
Tesla has scheduled a Cybertruck delivery event for November 30.

Elon Musk spilled more details on Tesla’s upcoming Cybertruck during an interview with Joe Rogan.

On his latest appearance on “The Joe Rogan Experience,” the Tesla CEO said the electric pickup truck will be 6,000 or 7,000 pounds depending on the version people buy.

EVs typically weigh more than a traditional combustion-engine vehicle due to the weight of their battery. Musk’s specs for the Cybertruck fall well within the range of a typical EV pickup truck. For comparison, the Ford Lightning weighs over 6,000 pounds and the Rivian R1T weighs over 8,000 pounds, according to their respective owners’ manuals.

Musk also said the company will offer a “beast mode version” of the Cybertruck. Though, he did not specify what would be included in that version of the EV. In September, the billionaire said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that there will be a “performance Cybertruck” and it “kicks ass.”

The Tesla CEO also reiterated on Tuesday that the Cybertruck will have bulletproof steel panels and there will even be an option for people to purchase bulletproof glass for the vehicle, though that variant will pose a major usability tradeoff.

“You can make anything bulletproof if you want, but the glass has to be very thick for be bulletproof, so it can’t go up and down,” Musk said, adding that the bulletproof windows will be immobile.

During the interview, Rogan even tested out the Cybertruck’s exterior by shooting an arrow at the vehicle’s stainless steel body.

In the video, the arrow appeared to partially break against the car’s exterior, leaving a small dent in the side of the Cybertruck.

Joe Rogan shot an arrow at the Cybertruck.
The Joe Rogan Experience

Musk said there will be three demonstrations to prove the Cybertruck is bulletproof, including shooting the vehicle with a Tommy gun, a 45 milimeter shotgun, and a 9 milimeter gun.

“Trucks are supposed to be tough, right?” Musk said.

When Musk first revealed the Cybertruck in 2019 he attempted to demonstrate the vehicle’s “armour glass” windows by having Tesla’s design boss throw a metal ball at the Cybertruck’s window. At the time, the glass immediately broke on contact with the metal ball. Musk later said on social media that a prior test had compromised the window.

“Sledgehammer impact on door cracked base of glass, which is why steel ball didn’t bounce off,” Musk wrote on X. “Should have done steel ball on window, *then* sledgehammer the door.”

While the Cybertruck wouldn’t be the first car to have bulletproof glass windows, it’s an unusual feature for a civilian vehicle. The thick windows can also contribute toward a very heavy vehicle. For example, the 2009 Cadillac Presidential Limousine that former President Barack Obama rode to his inauguration had five-inch windows and eight-inch walls designed to protect him against all manner of weapons and weighed in at about 10 tons.

Musk said on Tuesday that he’s hoping for the “Beast Mode” version of the EV pickup to be able to go from zero to 60 miles per hour in under 3 seconds.

“It looks so odd. You have to see it in the flesh,” Rogan said. “It’s the coolest looking fucking production car that’s ever been made.”

Earlier this month, Tesla said there will be a delivery event for the Cybertruck on November 30. But, Musk has warned it will be difficult to scale production on the vehicle.

“The ramp is going to be extremely difficult. There’s no way around that,” Musk said during Tesla’s earnings call last month. “If you want to do something radical and innovative and somethings really special like the Cybertruck, it is extremely difficult because there is nothing to copy.”