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Elon Musk Confirms Tesla Pickup Truck Coming 'After Model Y' (electrek.co)
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has confirmed that a Tesla pickup truck is coming "right after Model Y." He said that he already has "the core design/engineering elements" in his mind and wants to bring it to market right after Model Y. Musk later added that the Tesla pickup will be "similar in size" or "slightly bigger" than a Ford F150 "to account for a really gamechanging (I think) feature I'd like to add." Electrek reports: Musk had previously confirmed that Model Y, a small SUV or crossover built on the Model 3 platform, would be Tesla's priority once Model 3 production is ramped up. That's why it was surprising for Tesla to unveil the next generation Roadster at the Tesla Semi event since the vehicle was expected to come out after Model Y, which has yet to be unveiled. At the same event, Musk also released the first image of a Tesla electric pickup truck, but some people still think it's a joke. He claimed that it was a smaller version of Tesla Semi and "a pickup truck that can carry a pickup truck." While it sounded like a joke, Musk had previously mentioned his intention to leverage work on the Tesla Semi to create a Tesla pickup truck.
They need to meet production goals for the model 3 before they can move on to other things, really.
Take the cheese to sickbay, the doctor should see it as soon as possible - B'Elanna Torres, "Learning Curve"
Can we wait on the Tesla news until it's less than 2 years out?
Your ad here. Ask me how!
Huh? Electric vehicles are torque monsters which is *exactly* what you'd want in a pickup truck.
We'll have Tesla models S 3 X Y...
Yeah, electric motors are the superior form of propulsion for vehicles. Any vehicle. The energy storage system is what is sorely lacking.
More likely he is simply someone with non-trivial requirements and isn't a total blithering fanboy. It's not enough to slap the right logo on the thing. It actually has to be fit for purpose. Once you get away from the "big city", an EVs anemic range and lack of infastructure quickly becomes a likely show stopper. This is even more true for smaller non-cargo trucks that could end up in all sorts of interesting places.
A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
Pickup trucks are about American steel and brawn, tugging a boat and your gun rack into the woods.
First of, Anonymous Coward, if you're talking about "buy American" then a Tesla is way wicked more American-made than a Ford F150.
...and as for "tugging a boat and your gun rack into the woods" you're probably describing about 5% of pickup truck owners. The only thing most pickups 'tug' is their owners' fat asses down to the Dunkin' Donuts.
How is he going against all empirical evidence if he did 0 market research to develop empirical evidence?
Your statement doesn't make a whole lot of fucking sense.
Beware of the Leopard.
You might not want it to be your only vehicle, but an electric pickup might do quite well as a farm truck and in the construction industry. There are also a LOT of status symbol pickups in the city.
Did you RTFA, Anonymous Coward?
When Tesla begins using its new 2170 battery cell, which for Model 3 is expected to happen in the second quarter of this year, its vehicles will be 95% made in the US, making them the "most American" cars available.
Panasonic continues to produce battery cells in Japan and elsewhere, but will be steadily expanding production at the Gigafactory in Nevada. Tesla also plans to source much of the raw materials in those cells from the US. The company is believed to be developing a source of lithium at Silver Peak, not far from the Gigafactory, and Nevada lawmakers have proposed new tax incentives aimed at increasing lithium production in the state.
Pickup trucks are often sold where they aren't practical or needed to people who want the 'tough' image that comes with one.
I think there will be a big job convincing them electric is 'tough'. On the other hand, maybe they won't care so long as the shell looks like a classic pickup, because that is usually all they really want anyway.
Since then, a company called Bollinger has come up with an all electric SUV (that is really reminiscent of old Land Rovers or maybe a LEGO version of a Jeep). Jalopnik had a good article on it with a focus on the "front trunk" Something like that in a pickup truck could very well be a game changer and since Bollinger isn't nearly as well known as Tesla, Elon's outfit could easily garner credit for the invention in the public perception.
I need a wheelchair van for my son. Help me get the word out. https://www.gofundme.com/wheelchair-van-for-jj
Hey Elon, you can sell your horribly overpriced snake oil to the gullible "app" crowd but it's not going to work on TRUCK people.
I'm a truck person. My vehicle is a Ford F350, w/ a 6.7L diesel. My other car is a Nissan Leaf -- all electric.
Pickup trucks are about American steel and brawn, tugging a boat and your gun rack into the woods.
Actually, it's mostly Chinese steel, but yeah, my truck tugs a boat to the lake, a camp trailer to the woods, and a gun or three everywhere. Of course, my Leaf also hauls a gun everywhere, too.
Electric simply has no place, outside of a super-niche toy for .... Whom exactly? The people who have the $ to drop on a Tesla (rich liberals and techie wimps) likely aren't driving a truck in the first place.
I deposited $1K to reserve a Model 3, which is far from a "super-niche toy". My Leaf is fairly "niche"; its niche is "running errands around town and commuting" which isn't actually such a small niche. The Model 3 isn't niche at all, it's a solid performer that meets the needs of 90% of new sedan buyers.
As for pickups, I've been talking about how awesome an electric pickup would be for years. The torque and power of electric are ideal for trucks. Big, heavy, expensive batteries fit right in to big, heavy, expensive pickup trucks -- one-tons diesels like mine start at about $60K, decently-equipped, and weigh six tons. Range while towing heavy loads will be an issue. Mine has a 37-gallon tank which gives it 600 miles of range under "normal" conditions, not because anyone needs 600 miles of range, but because when you're hauling 10,000 pounds behind it that range is cut in half. BUT, pickups also have another advantage: a bed, which is an ideal place to put an ICE generator on those occasions when you need to extend the range. Which, frankly, isn't all that often. I'd like a generator with built-in jacks that I can back under and lower in place.
I do think an F150 replacement is the wrong angle, though. Working down from the semi is the right way. Big work trucks are expensive, heavy and require lots of torque. An electric can meet the needs of a work truck, and no one will bat an eye at a $60-80K price tag. The little half ton can come later as battery prices continue falling.
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How many trillion $ did we spend on the gulf wars?
So you only hate certain subsidies.
Fun fact
The only person confirmed not worse than Hitler:
Hitler!
A pickup needs to be cheap?
$50k+ pickups are common. Ford F250 SuperDuty Supercap with diesel engine starts at $44k
Tesla isn't going to be aiming at the stripper F150 market
"I don't see what being liberal has to do with it. I'm a die-hard liberal,"
That's then why your truck doesn't have any truck-nuts, your hick-factor is too low. :-)
He's a liberal. The nuts are on his wife's truck
Pain is merely failure leaving the body
Torque is EVERYTHING. If you aren't making the torque, you aren't pulling the load. IC engines don't make significant torque until they're well into the power band. Electric motors make 100% of their torque at 0 rpm, and it tapers off linearly until max rpm. Imagine being able to control a truck pulling a heavy load as if you were pulling feathers. Acceleration responsiveness you could dream about at 0 or 65 mph. It's not all about raw available power, but the ability to apply power quickly and accurately. If you've ever operated a truck with a sloppy pedal and slow spooling big diesel engine you know the pedal/brake dance when backing up, and the agony of smashing the pedal and waiting 3-4 seconds for actual power to start. Electric motors are going to replace the final drive mechanism of every land vehicle. It just makes sense.
Once you get away from the "big city", an EVs anemic range and lack of infastructure quickly becomes a likely show stopper.
Because there are no use cases for light trucks anywhere within 50 miles of a "big city" (where "big" is probably defined as 50k people)? You're absolutely right, there isn't any kind of construction work anywhere near population centers.