'Bring it on', Elon Musk replies to Ford VP's challenge

Ford Vice President Sundeep Madra challenged Elon Musk to a fair tow battle between the F-150 and Tesla's Cybertruck after Musk took a swipe at Ford at the unveiling of the latter, prompting a quick reply from the tech visionary.

Ford Motor Co.

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11:09 15/11/24

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Tesla Motors Inc

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At the launch event for the Cybertruck, Musk had played a video of the new Tesla model pulling an F-150 in what Musk had called a “head-to-head” contest.

But some observers were unconvinced, including Madra, who on Monday tweeted: “Hey @elonmusk send us a cybertruck and we will do the apples to apples test for you”.

According to TechCrunch, the video was questionable since the Cybertruck was dramatically heavier, particularly in the rear-end. Also, the Ford used in the test appeared to be in two-wheel drive mode and running on older tires.

Scientist Neil deGrasse Tyson also tweeted saying “A badass @Tesla looking like it’s doing a badass thing. But if the @Ford F-150 is RWD **with no payload** then weight on the Rear Axle is greatly reduced, offering only mild traction for the Tesla to overcome. This contest is more about the Physics of Friction than Engine Power.”

This would mean it is at the mercy of the Cybertruck because it is not using all its potential power.

Elon Musk was quick to respond to the challenge, tweeting “bring it on”.