When Formula 1 made its way to Austin, Texas, in October, Elon Musk couldn't help but bring Tesla's Cybertruck along to show off at the event.
Austin is the home of the car brand's Texas Gigafactory, where the elusive all-electric pickup is being manufactured, and Musk took the opportunity to get some eyes on a vehicle that has been shrouded in mystery.
S.E. Robinson Jr. (@SERobinsonJr) posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, footage of Musk behind the wheel of the much-anticipated model.
NEW footage of Elon at the F1 race today in Austin, TX. Cybertruck looking super clean and mean. We call this free advertising. I still think Tesla needs to set up CT tailgate parties for NFL and big NCAA games. Thoughts?
— S.E. Robinson, Jr. (@SERobinsonJr) October 22, 2023
📹 by tt u/aroonmelane pic.twitter.com/Ls2PCIqO6J
After the company missed a previously expected delivery date around the end of 2023's third quarter, Musk revealed in an October earnings call that deliveries will begin reaching Cybertruck reservation holders at the end of November.
Despite Musk saying that over 1 million reservations have been made for the zero-tailpipe-pollution pickup, it's still not exactly clear what customers will be getting.
Tesla has provided some details, such as a 500-mile range on a single charge and the claim it can reach 60 miles per hour from standing in 2.9 seconds, but exact specifications are unclear.
That's why sightings, like the one at the Austin Grand Prix, create such a buzz of excitement, and comments on X demonstrated just that.
"That has been the best place to show the [Cybertruck]," one X user said. "He beat the whole of F1 with it."
"This is the most impressive roaming billboard on the planet for the foreseeable future," added another.
The sight of the Cybertruck at an F1 event is a little bit ironic. According to a 2019 environmental sustainability report, Formula 1 said it creates over 256,000 tons of carbon dioxide pollution every season — from the dirty fuel needed to power the cars themselves, as well as the pollution caused when sending the vehicles, drivers, and teams all over the world, among other factors.
The Cybertruck, meanwhile, will produce no pollution when out on the road.
Formula 1 has said it intends to reach net zero by 2030, with measures including reusing, recycling, or composting 100% of waste materials at events, in addition to fan incentives for greener travel options — such as public transport, walking or cycling — when coming to races.
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