Tesla's electric Cybertruck, Elon Musk's take on a pickup truck, was unveiled to much fanfare, and debate, last week. Now Musk claims he has already hooked 200,000 interested customers.
Preorders on the truck, which is scheduled to hit the production line in two years, began last Thursday. The 200,000 sign-ups Musk tweeted about have so far only placed a down payment to reserve a spot in line for the vehicle.
Musk, who has been talking about the Cybertruck for some time, called it "an armored personnel carrier from the future." But some of the features on the demo model didn't quite live up to expectations at the unveiling.
During the "Armor Glass" demonstration, Tesla's chief designer Franz von Holzhausen hit the frame with a sledgehammer to prove it wouldn't cause a dent. He then threw a metal ball at the supposedly shatterproof glass windows, which shattered, not once, but two separate times. In response to the mishap, Musk shared a video, which he says was filmed before the launch, that shows the windows surviving a hit from a metal ball.
Shares of Tesla ($TSLA) fell after the truck's windows shattered on stage Thursday, but rose early Monday again after Musk tweeted "200k," referring to the deposits Tesla received for the Cybertruck. Over the weekend Musk also tweeted that most people involved in preordering indicated that they would opt for the highest pricepoint triple-motor option at $69,900 or the mid-priced dual-engine option. At the time, he said only 17 percent of preorders were for the cheapest, single-motor option.
The unconventionally-shaped truck is made from cold-rolled stainless steel, matching SpaceX's Starship rocket, which is another Musk venture, and Tesla says its most powerful model will be able to tow 14,000 pounds.
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Spain's government has fined Airbnb 64 million euros or $75 million for advertising unlicensed tourist rentals. The consumer rights ministry announced the fine on Monday. The ministry stated that many listings lacked proper license numbers or included incorrect information. The move is part of Spain's ongoing efforts to regulate short-term rental companies amid a housing affordability crisis especially in popular urban areas. The ministry ordered Airbnb in May to remove around 65,000 listings for similar violations. The government's consumer rights minister emphasized the impact on families struggling with housing. Airbnb said it plans to challenge the fine in court.
Roomba maker iRobot has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, but says that it doesn’t expect any disruptions to devices as the more than 30-year-old company is taken private under a restructuring process. iRobot said that it is being acquired by Picea through a court-supervised process. Picea is the company's primary contract manufacturer. The Bedford, Massachusetts-based anticipates completing the prepackaged chapter 11 process by February.
Serbia’s prosecutor for organized crime has charged a government minister and three others with abuse of position and falsifying of documents related to a luxury real estate project linked to U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. The charges came on Monday. The investigation centers on a controversy over a a bombed-out military complex in central Belgrade that was a protected cultural heritage zone but that is facing redevelopment as a luxury compound by a company linked to Kushner. The $500 million proposal to build a high-rise hotel, offices and shops at the site has met fierce opposition from experts at home and abroad. Selakovic and others allegedly illegally lifted the protection status for the site by falsifying documentation.
