The electric pickups didn’t really stand a chance, but in keeping with their ethos it was all about the spectacle
- Two Cybertrucks were unveiled at the Orlando Air Show in a race with an acrobatic EA-300 aircraft.
- Of all the air show performers, the Teslas were probably the least interesting part.
- The show continues in various locations for several weeks.
Cars land at air shows more often than you think. They are often used as replacement demonstration vehicles to bridge the time between aviation demonstrations. Of course, the cars are mostly hot rods or jet trucks. In this case, the organizers put together a pair of Tesla Cybertrucks. And instead of just filling time, they had the pickups compete in a “race” against a plane.
The aircraft is an EXTRA EA-300, flown by Mike Goulian. It is essentially designed for acrobatics, but still reaches a top speed of 213 mph (342 km/h). This makes it much faster than the Cybertrucks and the video of the race actually starts after it has already passed the pickups. Still, the MC of the event tries to upgrade the Teslas as much as possible.
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“Now him [Mike Goulian] “I passed them very quickly, but look at this… look at these two Cybertrucks accelerating to over 140 mph (225 km/h),” he says as they race down the runway. Interestingly, the Tesla Cybertruck has a top speed of just 130 mph (209 km/h), so we’re not sure if these were modified in some way or if the speaker simply got his facts mixed up.
In any case, it seemed to be less of a spectacle than almost any other appearance at the show. According to organizers, the show includes the Blue Angels, an F-22 Raptor demo team, a P-51D Mustang and even a B-25 bomber.
Don’t get us wrong. The Cybertruck looks more runway-appropriate than any other pickup truck. It’s definitely edgier and more reminiscent of an F-22 than anything from Ford, Chevy or Dodge. At the same time, it’s a little strange that at a show like this, not just one, but two are used as protesters.
Of course, those who want to watch a Cybertruck lose a race to an airplane can do so again at several other shows throughout the year. The next one will take place on May 11th and 12th in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Of course, you’ve just seen what’s going to happen at this trade fair, at least as far as the Cybertrucks are concerned. In short: always bet on the plane.