Electric Pickup Roundup: Musk Says Tesla's Cyberpunk Truck is Months Away

[Ty_McMahan]

The electric pickup market is starting to take shape and there seems to be a steady stream of developments making headlines from both startups and the auto giants. One of the most highly-anticipated items to watch is the debut of Tesla’s pickup. It sounds like it’s receiving final touches. Replying to a Twitter follower anxious...
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[Kmartyn]

Will believe it when I see it. Musk’s timelines have a way of drifting. Though it would be awesome if Tesla could take the lead with a solid platform in this area.

Ford seems to be hedging their bets. They have done some of their own development work, invested in Rivian to get access to their technology, and done a deal with Volkswagen to get their platform. The electric F150 they are teasing now, may just be an interim offering.

 

[Jeff Hudson]

"Ford seems to be firing up the marketing efforts for an electric pickup. In a recent stunt, the automaker used its F-150 electric prototype to pull 10 double-decker rail cars over 1,000 feet. The rail cars are loaded with 42 gas-burning F-150s, weighing in at more than 1 million pounds."

Ford's latest F-150 EV commercial is impressive both in its performance and the timing. Not to rain on Ford's parade but I wonder if that truck in the commercial was modified specially to perform the things it did, i.e., Is it geared similarly to what will be eventually sold?

 

[AlvinShen]

Considering upgrading and trading in my Model X. But this pickup probably isn’t coming out till 2021. Wish to be proven wrong.

 

[willow_hiller]

Ford's latest F-150 EV commercial is impressive both in its performance and the timing. Not to rain on Ford's parade but I wonder if that truck in the commercial was modified specially to perform the things it did, i.e., Is it geared similarly to what will be eventually sold?

There have been a couple of investigations into the physics of the electric F150 ad, but the general conclusion is that due to the coefficient of rolling resistance of a train, it takes about 2000 lbs of towing force to move a train that weighs 1.25 million lbs.

 

[Jeff Hudson]

it takes about 2000 lbs of towing force to move a train that weighs 1.25 million lbs.

If this is true then this is well within the current F-150 towing capabilities. Towing Capacity of the 2019 Ford F-150

 

[mongo]

If this is true then this is well within the current F-150 towing capabilities. Towing Capacity of the 2019 Ford F-150

Guiness book of world records has a guy pulling 500,000 lbs (two locomotives) with his teeth (not as far or as fast, mind you).

 

[willow_hiller]

If this is true then this is well within the current F-150 towing capabilities. Towing Capacity of the 2019 Ford F-150

This is where I learned about rolling resistance and the F150 ad

 

[MichaelP90DL]

Just don't make it too weird looking.

 

[Yinn]

Considering upgrading and trading in my Model X. But this pickup probably isn’t coming out till 2021. Wish to be proven wrong.

That's how I feel, maybe 2022. If it was coming out 2020, I feel like they would have taken my deposit money already.

 

[Fred42]

Just don't make it too weird looking.

It can't look like a normal pick-up because they are so unaerodynamic. A Tesla needs to be aerodynamic. I think the objective is to cloak good aerodynamics in cyberpunk cool.

 

[Crush]

Will believe it when I see it. Musk’s timelines have a way of drifting. Though it would be awesome if Tesla could take the lead with a solid platform in this area.

Ford seems to be hedging their bets. They have done some of their own development work, invested in Rivian to get access to their technology, and done a deal with Volkswagen to get their platform. The electric F150 they are teasing now, may just be an interim offering.

Re drifting timelines - Here is the data about Musks timelines....

Since 2006, beginning with the first generation Roadster launch, of 31 Elon Musk promises,

16 we're late by an average of 225 days.

15 were ahead or on time on average of 55 days.

Two were canceled, the Tesla minibus and full self driving coast-to-coast PR trip.

Like Elon says - “ I always deliver what I say, just maybe not in the timeframe that I say it.”

 

[mongo]

Two were canceled, the Tesla minibus and full self driving coast-to-coast PR trip.

One could say coast to coast is delayed until such time as the entire fleet can do it...

 

[hill]

There have been a couple of investigations into the physics of the electric F150 ad, but the general conclusion is that due to the coefficient of rolling resistance of a train, it takes about 2000 lbs of towing force to move a train that weighs 1.25 million lbs.

It's even more fake than that. You could have one of any football lineman on an extremely low geared bicycle, & it would create enough torque to do the same stunt, tho it would take longer for the guy to cross the finish line.

 

[Yinn]

Re drifting timelines - Here is the data about Musks timelines....

Since 2006, beginning with the first generation Roadster launch, of 31 Elon Musk promises,

16 we're late by an average of 225 days.

15 were ahead or on time on average of 55 days.

Two were canceled, the Tesla minibus and full self driving coast-to-coast PR trip.

Like Elon says - “ I always deliver what I say, just maybe not in the timeframe that I say it.”

So let’s eliminate the cancelled ones. Does it come out to an average of late by approximately 150 days?

 

[imjustdave]

So would this announcement with no real date given be counted? Honestly when I hear months a think 24 36 48? Those are months right?

I hate to say it but I suspect the truck will just be a new body on a S or X frame and more Honda truck like then big 3 truck that can actually do real work, which for a lot of people need it to do well over being a cool EV.

 

[Marsontherocks]

"Ford seems to be firing up the marketing efforts for an electric pickup. In a recent stunt, the automaker used its F-150 electric prototype to pull 10 double-decker rail cars over 1,000 feet. The rail cars are loaded with 42 gas-burning F-150s, weighing in at more than 1 million pounds."

Ford's latest F-150 EV commercial is impressive both in its performance and the timing. Not to rain on Ford's parade but I wonder if that truck in the commercial was modified specially to perform the things it did, i.e., Is it geared similarly to what will be eventually sold?

Actually not that impressive, as it really isn't a problem dragging that on metal surface, and metal wheels, just like you can see it's using a regular towing rope...it's not like it was dragging it uphill or anything, so you only need to get it rolling, and the rest is "easy" (a e-Golf or Leaf could most likely do the same, as EVs per principle have a huge torque.

 

[muleferg]

"Guiness book of world records has a guy pulling 500,000 lbs (two locomotives) with his teeth (not as far or as fast, mind you)."

I had the pleasure of meeting this man,Joe Ponder who lived in Love Vally, NC. about 30 minutes from me. It was a Cowboy town. and he owned a leather shop.
My next Tesla, a pickup will replace my F150.

 

[mongo]

"Guiness book of world records has a guy pulling 500,000 lbs (two locomotives) with his teeth (not as far or as fast, mind you)."

I had the pleasure of meeting this man,Joe Ponder who lived in Love Vally, NC. about 30 minutes from me. It was a Cowboy town. and he owned a leather shop.
My next Tesla, a pickup will replace my F150.

Joe Ponder set a lot of records, but this one is currently held by Velu Rathakrishnan of Malaysia since 2003. He also broke his own recond in 2007 with a 297.1 ton train car pull.

 

[Jeff Hudson]

One could say coast to coast is delayed until such time as the entire fleet can do it...

I believe you to be essentially correct.
One could say coast to coast is delayed until such time as every HW3 equipped Tesla with FSD purchased can do it...