Elon Musk's latest creation will soon be driven on the roads of the UAE, with the first three-tonne electric Tesla Cybertruck due to arrive in Dubai this month.
The battery-powered full-sized vehicle is expected to turn heads when it arrives from the Tesla Gigafactory in Austin, Texas, as it will be the first one to be seen in the Emirates.
About 2,000 of the space-age vehicles rolled off the production line in late November last year, with the vehicle only being available for customers in North America.
One of those vehicles is now being sold in Dubai after it was purchased by a private dealer who procures rare technology to be traded on resale markets.
The Tesla Cybertruck is advertised for sale on Dubizzle for Dh520,000 – considerably more than the starting price for the entry-level model in the US of about Dh300,000 ($81,000).
The electric vehicle has a range of about 510km and accelerates from 0 to 100kph in 2.6 seconds due to its 854 horsepower and all-wheel drive capability.
Autonomous driving
The Cybertruck also has a self-driving capability with autopilot.
Kirill Sosnovyi, whose company Connect AI imports rare technology into the UAE for resale, expects the Cybertruck to become a common sight in the Emirates.
“I'm sure that, here in Dubai, it will become really popular,” he said. “We have some Cybertrucks in our hands in the US, and we are bringing this model here by plane, to arrive later this month.
“I have not driven the Cybertruck myself yet, but I think the most interesting thing is that the market price is really crazy. There is big demand for the truck.”
A rear-wheel-drive version of the Cybertruck, with a starting price of about $62,000, is not yet in production, meaning the current line-up of vehicles only includes the more expensive AWD and Cyberbeast models.
Mr Musk said Tesla aims to produce about 250,000 vehicles a year from 2025, despite claims of issues producing enough batteries to keep up with demand.
Official launch
An official Tesla launch of the Cybertruck in the UAE is not expected until later this year. Until then, Mr Sosnovyi expects specialist traders to cash in.
“The Dubizzle channel helps get clients, but our main business is to bring the Cybertruck by order,” he said.
“We can bring it really fast or we can bring it here much cheaper if people are prepared to wait.
“It's possible to bring the Cybertruck at around the original price, but I think not until around December or maybe January next year.
“The dual motor version will cost around Dh900,000 by ordering in advance, but if you want the Cyberbeast – the most powerful version, it's really rare with maybe just one or two cars available for around Dh1.17 million.
“There is crazy demand right now and it will be huge in the future when people will see it on the road.
“I'm sure it will become as popular here as the Nissan Patrol.”
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Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
It’ll be summer in the city as car show tries to move with the times
If 2008 was the year that rocked Detroit, 2019 will be when Motor City gives its annual car extravaganza a revamp that aims to move with the times.
A major change is that this week's North American International Auto Show will be the last to be held in January, after which the event will switch to June.
The new date, organisers said, will allow exhibitors to move vehicles and activities outside the Cobo Center's halls and into other city venues, unencumbered by cold January weather, exemplified this week by snow and ice.
In a market in which trends can easily be outpaced beyond one event, the need to do so was probably exacerbated by the decision of Germany's big three carmakers – BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi – to skip the auto show this year.
The show has long allowed car enthusiasts to sit behind the wheel of the latest models at the start of the calendar year but a more fluid car market in an online world has made sales less seasonal.
Similarly, everyday technology seems to be catching up on those whose job it is to get behind microphones and try and tempt the visiting public into making a purchase.
Although sparkly announcers clasp iPads and outline the technical gadgetry hidden beneath bonnets, people's obsession with their own smartphones often appeared to offer a more tempting distraction.
“It's maddening,” said one such worker at Nissan's stand.
The absence of some pizzazz, as well as top marques, was also noted by patrons.
“It looks like there are a few less cars this year,” one annual attendee said of this year's exhibitors.
“I can't help but think it's easier to stay at home than to brave the snow and come here.”
Credits
Produced by: Colour Yellow Productions and Eros Now
Director: Mudassar Aziz
Cast: Sonakshi Sinha, Jimmy Sheirgill, Jassi Gill, Piyush Mishra, Diana Penty, Aparshakti Khurrana
Star rating: 2.5/5
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FIRST TEST SCORES
England 458
South Africa 361 & 119 (36.4 overs)
England won by 211 runs and lead series 1-0
Player of the match: Moeen Ali (England)
What went into the film
25 visual effects (VFX) studios
2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots
1,000 VFX artists
3,000 technicians
10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers
New sound technology, named 4D SRL
Final scores
18 under: Tyrrell Hatton (ENG)
- 14: Jason Scrivener (AUS)
-13: Rory McIlroy (NIR)
-12: Rafa Cabrera Bello (ESP)
-11: David Lipsky (USA), Marc Warren (SCO)
-10: Tommy Fleetwood (ENG), Chris Paisley (ENG), Matt Wallace (ENG), Fabrizio Zanotti (PAR)
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
Destroyer
Director: Karyn Kusama
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Toby Kebbell, Sebastian Stan
Rating: 3/5
UAE release: January 31
England squad
Joe Root (captain), Alastair Cook, Keaton Jennings, Gary Ballance, Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper), Ben Stokes (vice-captain), Moeen Ali, Liam Dawson, Toby Roland-Jones, Stuart Broad, Mark Wood, James Anderson.
Unresolved crisis
Russia and Ukraine have been locked in a bitter conflict since 2014, when Ukraine’s Kremlin-friendly president was ousted, Moscow annexed Crimea and then backed a separatist insurgency in the east.
Fighting between the Russia-backed rebels and Ukrainian forces has killed more than 14,000 people. In 2015, France and Germany helped broker a peace deal, known as the Minsk agreements, that ended large-scale hostilities but failed to bring a political settlement of the conflict.
The Kremlin has repeatedly accused Kiev of sabotaging the deal, and Ukrainian officials in recent weeks said that implementing it in full would hurt Ukraine.
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Virtuzone GCC Sixes
Date and venue Friday and Saturday, ICC Academy, Dubai Sports City
Time Matches start at 9am
Groups
A Blighty Ducks, Darjeeling Colts, Darjeeling Social, Dubai Wombats; B Darjeeling Veterans, Kuwait Casuals, Loose Cannons, Savannah Lions; C Awali Taverners, Darjeeling, Dromedary, Darjeeling Good Eggs
Defending champions
World Series: South Africa
Women’s World Series: Australia
Gulf Men’s League: Dubai Exiles
Gulf Men’s Social: Mediclinic Barrelhouse Warriors
Gulf Vets: Jebel Ali Dragons Veterans
Gulf Women: Dubai Sports City Eagles
Gulf Under 19: British School Al Khubairat
Gulf Under 19 Girls: Dubai Exiles
UAE National Schools: Al Safa School
International Invitational: Speranza 22
International Vets: Joining Jack
The Two Popes
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Jonathan Pryce
Four out of five stars
