You can always count on Tesla founder Elon Musk to be provocative. Recently he was interviewed and revealed some interesting background to the controversial Cybertruck and its origins. Like this ditty, “We wish to be the leader in apocalypse technology.” Say, what?

There’s more. “I just wanted to make a futuristic battle tank, something that looked like it came out of Bladerunner or Aliens or something like that,” Elon Musk explained. So, do you get the impression Tesla is just one big playground for Mr. Musk? That those within the Tesla empire do his bidding without question? 

“We just made a car we thought was awesome and looked super-weird”

Here’s what he told the podcast Automotive News Daily Drive, “Customer research? We just made a car we thought was awesome and looked super-weird,” explained Musk. “The body panels are bulletproof to a handgun so it’s probably helpful in the apocalypse,” he added. “Let me tell you, the truck you want in the apocalypse is the Cybertruck. We wish to be the leader in apocalypse technology.” 

During the infamous Cybertruck debut last November Musk explained his 30x cold-rolled stainless steel body could withstand a 9mm bullet from a handgun. The demonstration of the bulletproof glass didn’t work out as you’ll remember. But it did leave you with the idea that the whole Cybertruck purpose was to escape some kind of dystopian landscape. 

“Cybertruck option package”

You know that this paramilitary truck idea is on Musk’s mind when the Cybertruck is brought up. In a recent tweet, he teased about a “Cybertruck option package.” Some designers have actually tackled what a military version of the Sybertruck would look like. 

This YouTube dissertation of Jan Peisert’s ideas for how this would take form gives you a great look at imagined military Cybertrucks. There are four variants as well as the background behind each imagination and annotated “blueprints” too. Each is different from the other making for an imaginative presentation. 

The question should be would the military actually consider electrified “battle tanks?” In an apocalyptic future would it be more reliable to count on processing and schlepping in gasoline? Would electricity even be available in instances where the Cybertruck might be in a warzone or other such environment? 

It’s fun to imagine if Musk and company have actually apocalypse technology into account

It might be worth having a Cybertruck that is more of a hybrid with a small auxiliary gas engine in case the juice isn’t flowing. It would give the occupants at least some chance of escaping when the batteries run dry. This is all crazy speculation but fun to imagine if Musk and company have actually taken these scenarios into account? 

As an aside, we like seeing the Cybertruck painted even if it is Army green. We’re already tired of the stainless-steel look while the overall design is slowly settling in. Musk has said in the past that Tesla might have a wrap department that could put anything the customer wanted onto the Cybertruck. Maybe even he is getting a little tired of the shiny silver finish?