Tesla Pickup Truck

[purplewalt]

One thing I noticed about the rendering by McHoffa is the cab and the bed are designed as one large piece of sheet metal: there is no vertical "joint or gap between the cab and the bed...
Typically, the cab is its own unit, and the bed is separate, with the very few exceptions (previous versions of Honda Ridgeline comes to mind, 2017 Ridgeline, there is a gap there).

The Ridgeline also has/had it's own unique storage compartment in the bottom of the bed.
Don't know about extra storage in the 2017 model.

Pick up and SUV market is HUGE in Texas.
I would guess over half the vehicles here are one or the other.

 

[neroden]

In most of the US, pickups are definitely "lifestyle" vehicles designed to advertise how self-consciously "rural" and "country" and "rugged" the buyer (who is typically a sedentary office worker) is.

Don't think about the market as a practical market. The practical market is much smaller. For the practical market (carpenters, plumbers, etc) the finanical benefits of an electric pickup will mean they'd go for a Tesla pickup as soon as they can afford it. The bigger market is the "attitude" market, and I bet Tesla could get a lot of that if they positioned the pickup right in marketing terms.

 

[wdolson]

In most of the US, pickups are definitely "lifestyle" vehicles designed to advertise how self-consciously "rural" and "country" and "rugged" the buyer (who is typically a sedentary office worker) is.

Don't think about the market as a practical market. The practical market is much smaller. For the practical market (carpenters, plumbers, etc) the finanical benefits of an electric pickup will mean they'd go for a Tesla pickup as soon as they can afford it. The bigger market is the "attitude" market, and I bet Tesla could get a lot of that if they positioned the pickup right in marketing terms.

I agree. A lot of those status pickup buyers like the big noisy pickup and they will be a tough sell on a dead quiet high economy pickup. Probably close to half the pickup market are for trade use when you look at both individuals and corporate use. Every city, utility, and many other businesses have a fleet of pickups that are running all day every day. An electric pickup would be an easy sell for those uses if the return on investment was quick enough. Even if it cost a bit more than an ICE pickup, if it was a lot cheaper to run, the cities and those businesses would jump at them.

When I was at Boeing in the late 1980s and early 1990s Boeing had a fleet of electric pickups that were ubiquitous in the factories. They weren't street legal and were small, but Boeing used them because they were cheap to run as well as no toxic fumes inside the buildings.

 

[McHoffa]

In most of the US, pickups are definitely "lifestyle" vehicles designed to advertise how self-consciously "rural" and "country" and "rugged" the buyer (who is typically a sedentary office worker) is.

Don't think about the market as a practical market. The practical market is much smaller. For the practical market (carpenters, plumbers, etc) the finanical benefits of an electric pickup will mean they'd go for a Tesla pickup as soon as they can afford it. The bigger market is the "attitude" market, and I bet Tesla could get a lot of that if they positioned the pickup right in marketing terms.

I can tell you that in the area I live, a quiet electric truck would be a VERY tough sell to the average consumer. Contractors might love it for work trucks, but the average Joes in this area purposefully make their trucks louder and dirtier (coal rollers).

 

[neroden]

Thanks for both of your thoughts. I think you both have a point that the lifestyle pickup buyers are going to be a hard market, since they're being intentionally loud, dirty, and inefficient. I wonder how Tesla could target them? Maybe if the electric pickup had insanely high hauling capacity, and Tesla did stunts to demonstrate this, that would provide the needed braggadocio aspect?

I'm thinking something like using it as an impromptu tractor replacement, towing another pickup truck, felling a tree (with an electric chainsaw, naturally) and hauling that in the bed, that sort of stunt...

The work pickup market will probably go electric much quicker.

 

[EV-lutioin]

Interesting thread, just today, a passenger in my MX said, "Dude I love this car, if Tesla made a pick up I would definitely buy one". Lots of potential in the truck biz, but Tesla has its hands full right now with the Model 3 et al.

 

[tga]

IMHO, you're grossly oversimplifying the pickup market. It's not just contractors and coal-rollers. Plenty of "weekend warriors" need/use the functionality, but don't necessarily want to pollute/stink up the neighborhood.

 

[Model 3]

I think you both have a point that the lifestyle pickup buyers are going to be a hard market, since they're being intentionally loud, dirty, and inefficient. I wonder how Tesla could target them?

Ignore them. Tesla should concentrate on fleets and the professional marked. When the lifestyle-customers sees that the professional marked uses BEV trucks they will eventually start to consider doing the same.

 

[EV-lutioin]

IMHO, you're grossly oversimplifying the pickup market. It's not just contractors and coal-rollers. Plenty of "weekend warriors" need/use the functionality, but don't necessarily want to pollute/stink up the neighborhood.

Agreed, it seems like most pickups are spotless urban cruisers that are actually only used as pickups once in a while. I would think an EV pickup would need to have a integrated (removable) bed shell to improve upon the poor aerodynamics of an open truck bed.

 

[neroden]

IMHO, you're grossly oversimplifying the pickup market. It's not just contractors and coal-rollers. Plenty of "weekend warriors" need/use the functionality, but don't necessarily want to pollute/stink up the neighborhood.

OK, that's fair, I figure they'll shift over even faster than the contractors.

 

[Xenoilphobe]

I would rather have a Land Cruiser - I agree with with comment about a much more diverse market than tradesmen and sedentary office workers - although its interesting that you say that - we have six guys at work all with pickups and they definitely fit your model!

I have a separate "weekend warrior" vehicle for the things and places I would never take my Tesla - (camping on sand bar in Shenandoah river, gathering firewood, etc...)

The ICON 4X4 would be and ideal platform for an electric powertrain

 

[22522]

Pick up trucks are living rooms on wheels. Lots of frontal area (read drag), likely require double decker batteries for useful range.

 

[andrerodpt]

Maybe this was asked before but, considering Tesla is leading the full-autonomy bandwagon, how would a truck (pickup in EU) fare off-road? Give total control to the driver?

 

[Saghost]

Maybe this was asked before but, considering Tesla is leading the full-autonomy bandwagon, how would a truck (pickup in EU) fare off-road? Give total control to the driver?

DARPA's original autonomous car challenge course was completely off road - they expected the cars to pick their own path within a corridor and most of them managed to - several years ago.

Right now, everything I've seen is optional - you can drive the car 100% yourself, or let it drive to different degrees. I imagine it'll stay that way for a long time for personal cars, including off road.

Tesla traction control, smooth continuous torque and regeneration would make the pickup (or even a Model X) a real beast off road, as long as the terrain works for the ground clearance and suspension travel.

 

[theboom1]

DARPA's original autonomous car challenge course was completely off road - they expected the cars to pick their own path within a corridor and most of them managed to - several years ago.

Right now, everything I've seen is optional - you can drive the car 100% yourself, or let it drive to different degrees. I imagine it'll stay that way for a long time for personal cars, including off road.

Tesla traction control, smooth continuous torque and regeneration would make the pickup (or even a Model X) a real beast off road, as long as the terrain works for the ground clearance and suspension travel.

It was completed within confined parameters. No where near the infinite possibilities that people could face in their truck.

But with every thing else I agree with. Though i am hoping that we will always be able to drive when we want with the computer in shadow mode keeping us safe. We need to be able to drive in AT LEAST these two vehicle types: trucks and sports cars, and im hoping it will be a factory option to have the capability in other vehicle types.

 

[wdolson]

Elon Musk has said that he always wants autonomous driving to be an option. Unlike Google, he doesn't want to force drivers to give up the steering wheel.

 

[theboom1]

Elon Musk has said that he always wants autonomous driving to be an option. Unlike Google, he doesn't want to force drivers to give up the steering wheel.

He has? Well that's good.

But why has he also said that self driving cars will be mandatory by the 2040's? (2043 I think he said)

 

[WarpedOne]

Why?
Because by '40 the raw data will clearly prove we humans are not capable of safe driving on public roads.
So the only prudent thing any politician can do is to forbid such folly.

 

[andrerodpt]

Think about it. In 40 years, the human in control will be 1% of the total vehicles on the road.
Imagine all Full Autonomous vehicles "talk" with one another to mitigate accidents.
That 1% will be a risk and a liability. I think no insurance company will what to have anything to do with him.

Fine by me. But let there be circuits where we can get "all crazy" in safety without jeopardizing anyone.

 

[theboom1]

Why?
Because by '40 the raw data will clearly prove we humans are not capable of safe driving on public roads.
So the only prudent thing any politician can do is to forbid such folly.

Think about it. In 40 years, the human in control will be 1% of the total vehicles on the road.
Imagine all Full Autonomous vehicles "talk" with one another to mitigate accidents.
That 1% will be a risk and a liability. I think no insurance company will what to have anything to do with him.

Fine by me. But let there be circuits where we can get "all crazy" in safety without jeopardizing anyone.

But why can't we have the shadow mode where the computer keeps things safe wile your driving like I said? Certain vehicle types we NEED to be able to drive them.

I have an f350 that I tow off-road vehicles, my boat, my tractor, etc. and in many of those situations, a truck with no steering wheel will not work.