PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 2, 2023--

Tesla will offer a “beast mode version” for its much anticipated Cybertruck once it is rolled out by the end of this year, Elon Musk has said. In his latest interview with Joe Rogan on Tuesday, Mr Musk expressed hope that the “beast mode” version of the vehicle will be able to go from zero to 60 mph in under three seconds. The multibillionaire owner of X/Twitter had earlier said the Cybertruck will also get “performance” and “kicks ass” versions. However, Mr Musk did not elaborate on the other features that will be included in these versions of the electric vehicle (EV). He also reiterated that the Cybertruck, expected to launch in November, will have bulletproof steel panels and an option for people to purchase bulletproof glass. “You can make anything bulletproof if you want, but the glass has to be very thick to be bulletproof, so it can’t go up and down,” Mr Musk said. During the interview, Mr Rogan tried shooting an arrow at the vehicle’s stainless steel body. The projectile caused a small dent on the side of the Cybertruck model. Mr Musk said upcoming demonstrations will show the Cybertruck is bulletproof. The Tesla titan said one demonstration will have the vehicle being shot at with a Tommy gun, a 45mm shotgun and a 9mm gun. “Trucks are supposed to be tough, right?” he said. The bulletproof nature of the truck, dubbed “an armoured personal carrier from the future”, has been the subject of intense hype ever since it was unveiled. Mr Musk’s first demonstration of the toughness of the Cybertruck in 2019 had become a misfire as the window of the vehicle immediately smashed after he invited an audience member to throw a small metal ball at it. “Oh my f***ing god. Well, maybe that was a little too hard. It didn’t go through, so that’s a plus... room for improvement,” Mr Musk exclaimed, later adding on social media that prior testing before the event had compromised the window. “Sledgehammer impact on door cracked base of glass, which is why steel ball didn’t bounce off. Should have done steel ball on window, *then* sledgehammer the door,” the Tesla chief had said. Last month, Mr Musk dampened hopes that the Cybertruck will revive profits for the company in the near future. He announced in an earnings call that it will take at least 18 months for the truck to become profitable. “There will be enormous challenges in reaching volume production with Cybertruck and making the Cybertruck cash flow positive,” the Tesla titan told investors and analysts. “The blood, sweat, and tears that will be required to achieve that is just staggering,” he said. Read More Kamala Harris arrives in the UK ahead of AI safety summit X now valued at $19bn – less than half of what Elon Musk paid for it Elon Musk slammed by Israel for offering to send Starlink to Gaza Elon Musk says X posts with misinformation are ‘ineligible for revenue share’ Twitter adds video calling – and lets strangers ring you Elon Musk was ‘almost in tears’ on Tesla earnings call, analyst claims

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WhatsApp has said warnings about cyberattacks targeting Jewish people are a hoax with no basis in reality. The Meta-owned platform has debunked several messages widely circulating on social media platforms that warn Jewish people will be the target of cyberattacks through forwarded messages. But WhatsApp communications manager Emily Westcott told The Independent that the forwarded messages, which have been widely shared on the platform as well as across other social media including X/Twitter, are a hoax. The clarification comes amid the ongoing conflict in Israel after an unprecedented surprise attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas on Saturday. The hoax messages said clicking on pictures of the fighting shared on WhatsApp as a file called “Seismic Waves CARD” would quickly enable phone hacking if opened. Crypto influencer Scott Melker, who has nearly a million followers on X, was one of the users who shared the false warning. “Do not open it, it will hack your phone in 10 seconds and cannot be stopped in any way,” Mr Melker’s post on his verified X account falsely claimed. Ms Westcott pointed out that the same rumour circulated after an earthquake struck Morocco last month that left nearly 3,000 people dead and thosands more injured. In the aftermath of the devastating earthquake, messages began circulating on social networks that photos of the quake shared in a file named “Seismic Waves CARD” on platforms would enable hackers to access one’s phone if opened. “The file is called Seismic Waves CARD, don’t open it or see it, it will hack your phone in 10 seconds and it cannot be stopped in any way. Pass the information on to your family and friends,” the false message had read. WhatsApp also told the fact-checking site Snopes that these messages were “false”. Another Italy-based fact-checking website, Bufale.net, also said the purported “hack” was a hoax. The recent use of the same message adds to the steep levels of misinformation and disinformation being spread following the conflict in Israel. Elon Musk, the multibillionaire owner of X, has also come under heavy criticism for the spread of misinformation on his platform over the attack. The Tesla titan pleaded with X users on Sunday to try and stick to the facts and “stay as close to the truth as possible”. Old videos are being repackaged and circulated on X as if they are from the most recent attack on Israel. One such widely shared video, that falsely claimed to show a Hamas militant shooting down an Israeli helicopter, was later found to be a clip from a video game. Another clip of Israel bombing a Gazan office tower that was shared widely was found to be from fighting that actually occured in 2021. X has not immediately responded to The Independent’s request for comment. Read More Huge crowd chants ‘free Palestine’ in front of Israel’s London embassy Aid groups scramble to help as Israel-Hamas war intensifies and Gaza blockade complicates efforts More than 10 Britons feared dead or missing as Netanyahu exacts revenge on Hamas X introduces limits to prevent non-paying users from replying to posts New discovery is ‘holy grail’ breakthrough in search for aliens, scientist say Earth hit by a huge solar storm that would devastate civilisation, trees show

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