Tesla to Produce Pickup After Model Y Rollout

Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed that a pickup truck will be the the company’s next product following the Model Y crossover. In fact, he says he’s “dying to build it.”

Production of the Model Y is slated for 2019. The vehicle is expected to share architecture with the Model 3, which is expected to help bring the vehicle to market faster.

Musk has previously hinted that a Tesla pickup will be a miniature version of the semi truck the company debuted earlier this year. During the Semi unveiling, Musk showed a sketch of a “pickup truck that can carry a pickup truck.”

“By the way, you will actually be able to drive that with a normal driver’s license,” he said at the event. “It’s kind of wrong, but I like it.”

In a tweet Tuesday, Musk said he’s been thinking about the core design and engineering for a pickup for five years.

https://twitter.com/x/status/945713737729634304

“I promise that we will make a pickup truck right after Model Y,” he wrote. “Have had the core design/engineering elements in my mind for almost 5 years. Am dying to build it.”

Further, he said the pickup will be similar in size to a Ford F-150 or slightly larger due to a “gamechanging” feature.

https://twitter.com/x/status/945729229001334784

 

 

[mongo]

A six-seat pickup?

@mikevbf

Can do it with bench front and rear seats. No transmission tunnel to deal with.

Or three row with adjustable bed/ cabin delimiter.

 

[bhtooefr]

Reply to a comment from the Market Action thread:

A six-seat pickup?

It's always been aimed at the full-size American pickups, which all have six-seat configurations with room to spare (all of the extended/double/quad/mega cab configurations nowadays are 5/6 seat depending on whether the front seats are a bench with a fold-down center seat to form the center console, or buckets with a fixed center console).

 

[Merrill]

I saw an article with a picture of the new pickup and it looks like the semi, Elon says he does not care if anyone buys it, why would you make something that no one buys.

 

[mongo]

I saw an article with a picture of the new pickup and it looks like the semi, Elon says he does not care if anyone buys it, why would you make something that no one buys.

Was that the pickup in pickup art from the Semi reveal?

Authors write the book they want to read, no reason engineers can't do the same (assuming you have some sort of income to pay the bills).

 

[Merrill]

Was that the pickup in pickup art from the Semi reveal?

Authors write the book they want to read, no reason engineers can't do the same (assuming you have some sort of income to pay the bills).

Yes, but the article is from today. Just give me an F-150 type two wheel drive 8 foot bed 1/2 ton with the front end of the Model X. Start with this base model and go from there, we do not need a blade runner weird truck.

 

[mongo]

Yes, but the article is from today. Just give me an F-150 type two wheel drive 8 foot bed 1/2 ton with the front end of the Model X. Start with this base model and go from there, we do not need a blade runner weird truck.

Just checking if there were new Tesla sourced renderings. Image reuse by the media doesn't increase my minimal belief that the semi-reveal image is the design intent.

 

[alseTrick]

Just checking if there were new Tesla sourced renderings. Image reuse by the media doesn't increase my minimal belief that the semi-reveal image is the design intent.

No. It was the same image as the Semi reveal. Here are Musk's quotes about the pickup's design:

”I’m personally super-excited by this pickup truck. It’s something I’ve been wanting to make for a long time. And I’ve been iterating sort of designs with Franz ... It’s like I really wanted something that’s like super-futuristic cyberpunk. Which, if it doesn’t ... if I’m weirdly like ... if there’s only a small number of people that like that truck, I guess we’ll make a more conventional truck in the future. But it’s the thing that I am personally most fired up about. It’s gonna have a lot of titanium.”

When asked why he’s personally most excited about the pickup truck, the CEO said:

“Well I can’t talk about the details, but it’s gonna be like a really futuristic-like cyberpunk, “Blade Runner” pickup truck. It’s gonna be awesome, it’s gonna be amazing. This will be heart-stopping. It stops my heart. It’s like, oh, it’s great.”

Musk said he doesn’t know, or care, if many people will buy his pickup truck, at least not the first version he envisions building:

You know, I actually don’t know if a lot of people will buy this pickup truck or not, but I don’t care. I mean I do care, eventually, you know. Like sure, I care. We wanna get gasoline, diesel pickup trucks off the road.

If he truly thinks it's possible that his vision for the pickup might be a bit too unconventional and that it might not sell well, I hope shareholders force the company to reconsider its direction on the pickup. The pickup market is too large and important to introduce a dud.

That said, I won't rule out the possibility that the pickup will actually look good and be able to convert many ICE pickup owners. Also, no chance the pickup in the early rendering is what they actually release. A pickup truck large enough to fit a traditional pickup in its bed? Uh, not happening.

Elon Musk doesn’t care if people buy his ‘Blade Runner pickup truck’

Link to the original interview: Elon Musk: The Recode interview

 

[mongo]

No. It was the same image as the Semi reveal. Here are Musk's quotes about the pickup's design:



If he truly thinks it's possible that his vision for the pickup might be a bit too unconventional and that it might not sell well, I hope shareholders force the company to reconsider its direction on the pickup. The pickup market is too large and important to introduce a dud.

That said, I won't rule out the possibility that the pickup will actually look good and be able to convert many ICE pickup owners. Also, no chance the pickup in the early rendering is what they actually release. A pickup truck large enough to fit a traditional pickup in its bed? Uh, not happening.

Elon Musk doesn’t care if people buy his ‘Blade Runner pickup truck’

Link to the original interview: Elon Musk: The Recode interview

Given the number of concept cars that other OEMs come out with for shows, I think Elon will be ok as long as the frame/ drive train/ pack/ suspension can be used for a conventional version.

 

[Barklikeadog]

No. It was the same image as the Semi reveal. Here are Musk's quotes about the pickup's design:



If he truly thinks it's possible that his vision for the pickup might be a bit too unconventional and that it might not sell well, I hope shareholders force the company to reconsider its direction on the pickup. The pickup market is too large and important to introduce a dud.

That said, I won't rule out the possibility that the pickup will actually look good and be able to convert many ICE pickup owners. Also, no chance the pickup in the early rendering is what they actually release. A pickup truck large enough to fit a traditional pickup in its bed? Uh, not happening.

Elon Musk doesn’t care if people buy his ‘Blade Runner pickup truck’

Link to the original interview: Elon Musk: The Recode interview

durability, capability, reliability and huge range >>>> looks

 

[Blup85]

+1 for making the pickup a f150 killer, but not a mongoloid truck. My Nissan Titan has 160k and I'm hoping it lasts 3 more years to get me in a Tesla Truck. Just give me the torque of a MX with a 160kw battery, and towing capacity of 13k+. That spec seems doable now. Those specs and a 30 AMP 240v plug and you got yourself a winner!

 

[Barklikeadog]

+1 for making the pickup a f150 killer, but not a mongoloid truck. My Nissan Titan has 160k and I'm hoping it lasts 3 more years to get me in a Tesla Truck. Just give me the torque of a MX with a 160kw battery, and towing capacity of 13k+. That spec seems doable now. Those specs and a 30 AMP 240v plug and you got yourself a winner!

what kind of range do you need? I often make 500mi each way trips and having 720 miles of range is f'n out of this world great.

 

[Blup85]

I would think 250 miles of REAL range while towing would be a good fit, given the supercharger network density, and I can't be in a truck with my kids for more than 2-3 hours before I start loosing my mind. Plus, if your towing a trailer to an RV park, you charge the truck overnight while your RV is plugged in to your 30 amp plug on the truck

 

[AudubonB]

I don't espouse violating one of TMC's dictums against double-posting, but what I wrote earlier today on the Market Action thread may be lost to those viewers here who are too wise ever to descend into the "Investor" sub-forum, so here it is:

To Mr Musk:

For quite a few years now, I have been sitting with my typing-fingers firmly locked, not commenting publicly about the long hours other pickup trucks users and I have spent arguing about the drawbacks of the many erstwhile very popular vehicles currently on the market, and detailing the vast improvements possible were a non-legacy manufacturer to create one using an EV platform. These improvements encompass but are not limited to suspension, handling, capacity, flexibility of platform use, efficiency and longevity.

We unanimously and with not even a shred of doubt believe a well-designed, appealing, durable and truly functional electric pickup would so overwhelmingly capture that sector of the North American, Australian and parts of the Latin American, African, Asian and European markets that it would firmly cement the fortunes of its manufacturer, enabling it ever thereafter to enter any other manufacturing endeavors as an incontrovertibly colossal presence.

We also well understood the tenuousness of Tesla's early years, and the appropriateness of bringing to market other vehicles first, and patiently have been experiencing - either vicariously as genuinely disinterested observers or absolutely for those of us with significant amounts of our wealth tied up in Tesla stock - those years.

With that, it was with the utmost shock - sand poured into our stators - to learn you recently said

"You know, I actually don’t know if a lot of people will buy this pickup truck or not, but I don’t care."

A lot of us, sir, DO care, and we have entrusted you to guide through design and production one that will meet and exceed the exigencies of the market. We care as truck users, we care as investors, and we care as shepherds of the earth. Please assure us your extemporaneous comment occurred as the result of a poorly-reflected quip rather than as a representation of your role as Chief Product Architect.

Thank you.

 

[Merrill]

I don't espouse violating one of TMC's dictums against double-posting, but what I wrote earlier today on the Market Action thread may be lost to those viewers here who are too wise ever to descend into the "Investor" sub-forum, so here it is:

To Mr Musk:

For quite a few years now, I have been sitting with my typing-fingers firmly locked, not commenting publicly about the long hours other pickup trucks users and I have spent arguing about the drawbacks of the many erstwhile very popular vehicles currently on the market, and detailing the vast improvements possible were a non-legacy manufacturer to create one using an EV platform. These improvements encompass but are not limited to suspension, handling, capacity, flexibility of platform use, efficiency and longevity.

We unanimously and with not even a shred of doubt believe a well-designed, appealing, durable and truly functional electric pickup would so overwhelmingly capture that sector of the North American, Australian and parts of the Latin American, African, Asian and European markets that it would firmly cement the fortunes of its manufacturer, enabling it ever thereafter to enter any other manufacturing endeavors as an incontrovertibly colossal presence.

We also well understood the tenuousness of Tesla's early years, and the appropriateness of bringing to market other vehicles first, and patiently have been experiencing - either vicariously as genuinely disinterested observers or absolutely for those of us with significant amounts of our wealth tied up in Tesla stock - those years.

With that, it was with the utmost shock - sand poured into our stators - to learn you recently said

"You know, I actually don’t know if a lot of people will buy this pickup truck or not, but I don’t care."

A lot of us, sir, DO care, and we have entrusted you to guide through design and production one that will meet and exceed the exigencies of the market. We care as truck users, we care as investors, and we care as shepherds of the earth. Please assure us your extemporaneous comment occurred as the result of a poorly-reflected quip rather than as a representation of your role as Chief Product Architect.

Thank you.

Ditto that

 

[mongo]

I don't espouse violating one of TMC's dictums against double-posting, but what I wrote earlier today on the Market Action thread may be lost to those viewers here who are too wise ever to descend into the "Investor" sub-forum, so here it is:

To Mr Musk:

For quite a few years now, I have been sitting with my typing-fingers firmly locked, not commenting publicly about the long hours other pickup trucks users and I have spent arguing about the drawbacks of the many erstwhile very popular vehicles currently on the market, and detailing the vast improvements possible were a non-legacy manufacturer to create one using an EV platform. These improvements encompass but are not limited to suspension, handling, capacity, flexibility of platform use, efficiency and longevity.

We unanimously and with not even a shred of doubt believe a well-designed, appealing, durable and truly functional electric pickup would so overwhelmingly capture that sector of the North American, Australian and parts of the Latin American, African, Asian and European markets that it would firmly cement the fortunes of its manufacturer, enabling it ever thereafter to enter any other manufacturing endeavors as an incontrovertibly colossal presence.

We also well understood the tenuousness of Tesla's early years, and the appropriateness of bringing to market other vehicles first, and patiently have been experiencing - either vicariously as genuinely disinterested observers or absolutely for those of us with significant amounts of our wealth tied up in Tesla stock - those years.

With that, it was with the utmost shock - sand poured into our stators - to learn you recently said

"You know, I actually don’t know if a lot of people will buy this pickup truck or not, but I don’t care."

A lot of us, sir, DO care, and we have entrusted you to guide through design and production one that will meet and exceed the exigencies of the market. We care as truck users, we care as investors, and we care as shepherds of the earth. Please assure us your extemporaneous comment occurred as the result of a poorly-reflected quip rather than as a representation of your role as Chief Product Architect.

Thank you.

Other things he said:

Which, if it doesn’t ... if I’m weirdly like ... if there’s only a small number of people that like that truck, I guess we’ll make a more conventional truck in the future. But it’s the thing that I am personally most fired up about.

No, it’s gonna be ... Like, I think this is the kinda thing the consumer would want to buy, even if they don’t normally buy a pickup truck.

So, anyway, that’s personally I’m most excited about. But like I said, it could be just like, okay, I weirdly like it and other people don’t. That’s possible. But we’re gonna make it anyway, and then we will just have a niche audience, I don’t know. But if it does, then we’ll make a more conventional pickup truck.

My take:
He likes the truck, it's different. He thinks people will like the truck, but he's ok if it turns out that others don't like it, because he is gaga over it. And if people don't like it, they'll make something more conventional...

Sounds good to me.

Edit: I mean people could hate it for not having a big grill....

 

[purplewalt]

I have a 4 door 5 foot bed right now and it barely fits my garage. That also is the most popular configuration currently sold in trucks (for just that garage reason!). Anything bigger than that is, IMO, a huge mistake for Tesla. You can save some room in the front but not 4 feet, maybe 2 feet but even so that would look awfully strange. If I can't park in the garage, I cannot charge a truck, not to mention parking a guaranteed over 100k truck outside is just asking for trouble.

Definitely agree.

Pickups for the masses have to be functional, and if it cannot be parked inside, a lot of buyers will be turned off.

If the truck is too tall (above 8'-6" or so), it cannot even fit inside a commercial parking garage due to its height.
Garage doors in residences are even LOWER.

Ford went out of their way when they designed the original Excursion to be too tall for people's garages at home, Ford WANTED it to be parked outside, so it could be shown off to their neighbors. (Sierra Club blasted it because of its terrible fuel economy, they called it the Ford Valdez).
Eventually (at end of 2005) Ford reworked some things and figured out too tall a truck won't and CAN'T sell (in cities) due to that obstacle.
I probably don't need to remind everyone about the number of Excursions that caused unfortunate damage to the vehicle or the garage openings when they tried to pull in the first time.
Momma and the kids want the Pickup to be in the garage when it is raining and the cold, not trying to load up out in the elements.

So, kindly evaluate the ENTIRE Pickup market, adapt the design from the get-go to be versatile enough to be parked inside a garage at home and used to go downtown and park in those garages.
Or have an designed albatross from day one.

Domestic garages have certain lengths also.
So the new truck needs to fit in THOSE basic parameters also.
Just fundamental pragmatic thinking here.

And there are already a HELL of a lot of Pickups in North America, the market is established.
Just Build a viable winner from day one.

 

[Sunlight]

I haven't read every contribution re the pick-up truck but have picked up the idea of a van being a useful vehicle and good seller.

I'm not familiar with the USA market but here in South Africa just about every pick-up/truck - 'Bakkie' ('Small Tray' - as they are called here!) - whether it is single or double cab is fitted with a canopy from functional to flashy. This turns them into multi-purpose vans/station wagons/campers etc.

If an electric truck has the battery pack as its chassis then even with decent ground clearance, it will have a lower tray floor for easier loading and usefulness as a van. And a huge frunk - starts to sound very practical!

Make a van option or fit canopies.... Once the rolling chassis is sorted then multiple options show their hands.

I like the idea of a variable length deck but whether that functions reliably with all the crap that can put in the back like sand sounds tricky to me.

 

[bhtooefr]

Replying to a post from Market Action:

Edit: another viable pathway would be to also make an F-150 class pickup truck on the Model Y manufacturing lines. The F-150 is already a unibody design (like most other trucks at that price level) and the Y is likely going to be unibody as well.

F-150 is not unibody, for what it's worth. It's an aluminum body on a steel frame.

The Honda Ridgeline is the only unibody pickup currently sold in the US market (well, you could buy one of the unibody-with-frame-rails vans and put a bed on it, but they're not sold that way here), and it's based on the Pilot crossover... and it's derided as a minivan (which, it does also share a platform with the Odyssey, so it's not entirely wrong... it is worth noting that it's FWD-based, though, too). It's currently the worst-selling pickup in the US market (2501 sales in October, vs. 20,534 for the Tacoma (its closest in-class competitor), and 70,438 F-Series (best-selling pickup in the US market)).

In any case, while Tesla may be taking chunks out of the car market, cheap gas has absolutely handed a lot of the car market to pickups and SUVs/CUVs... that said, Tesla making a Model X or Y-based pickup will likely not be received all that well in the US market.

Replying to another post from Market Action:

And it's irrelevant because unless Elon and Tesla have been deliberately misdirecting us, we know that it's going to be some sort of six-figure titanium luxury sports amphicar all-in-one worksite unimog. The market size for these will not even remotely resemble that of the F-150.

Although, there were two reasons for Tesla going from the Roadster to the S to the 3.

The first was capital, absolutely.

The second was perceptions - making an electric sports car was critical to erase the memory of things like the CitiCar. Then, making a long-range, fast-charging sedan with world-beating acceleration was critical to prove that an EV could do everything, and do it at least as well if not better than an ICE car. Then, bring it to the mass-market.

The thing is, there's still perceptions that have to be fought in the truck space. Sure, Teslas are fast, but how well do they tow? How tough are they? Those are, for the truck space, unanswered questions. So, the Semi both acts to directly electrify a segment in need of it, as well as fixing those perceptions. Then, move down to a Class 6 truck that may share a lot with the Semi (also, Class 6 for personal use is a thing that happens for those who are very much compensating for something - companies convert the F-650 to pickups, and International had the XT line of Class 6 pickups that came out right in the midst of the Hummer craze). Then move from there into the Class 2a (half-ton)/2b (3/4 ton)/3 (1 ton) space.

 

[KarenRei]

Replying to a post from Market Action:



F-150 is not unibody, for what it's worth. It's an aluminum body on a steel frame.

The Honda Ridgeline is the only unibody pickup currently sold in the US market (well, you could buy one of the unibody-with-frame-rails vans and put a bed on it, but they're not sold that way here), and it's based on the Pilot crossover... and it's derided as a minivan (which, it does also share a platform with the Odyssey, so it's not entirely wrong... it is worth noting that it's FWD-based, though, too). It's currently the worst-selling pickup in the US market (2501 sales in October, vs. 20,534 for the Tacoma (its closest in-class competitor), and 70,438 F-Series (best-selling pickup in the US market)).

In any case, while Tesla may be taking chunks out of the car market, cheap gas has absolutely handed a lot of the car market to pickups and SUVs/CUVs... that said, Tesla making a Model X or Y-based pickup will likely not be received all that well in the US market.

Replying to another post from Market Action:



Although, there were two reasons for Tesla going from the Roadster to the S to the 3.

The first was capital, absolutely.

The second was perceptions - making an electric sports car was critical to erase the memory of things like the CitiCar. Then, making a long-range, fast-charging sedan with world-beating acceleration was critical to prove that an EV could do everything, and do it at least as well if not better than an ICE car. Then, bring it to the mass-market.

The thing is, there's still perceptions that have to be fought in the truck space. Sure, Teslas are fast, but how well do they tow? How tough are they? Those are, for the truck space, unanswered questions. So, the Semi both acts to directly electrify a segment in need of it, as well as fixing those perceptions. Then, move down to a Class 6 truck that may share a lot with the Semi (also, Class 6 for personal use is a thing that happens for those who are very much compensating for something - companies convert the F-650 to pickups, and International had the XT line of Class 6 pickups that came out right in the midst of the Hummer craze). Then move from there into the Class 2a (half-ton)/2b (3/4 ton)/3 (1 ton) space.

I do disagree with this, although I think you've been taking a more reasoned approach than people in the other thread.

Re, unibody: It will be unibody. It pretty much has to. With EVs, efficiency is range, it's cost, it's charge time... it's everything. Going with unibody vs. body-on-frame is the low-hanging-fruit of efficiency.

Honestly, I don't think the debates about a Tesla truck will ever focus on body-on-frame vs. unibody. They're going to be, "it's electric and electrics suck and aren't real trucks!" vs. "it's so convenient and so powerful that it makes your truck look like a joke"

Halo cars are absolutely important, and you're right to point that out. But Tesla already has a halo truck: Semi. They don't need two halo trucks.

 

[electracity]

I saw an article with a picture of the new pickup and it looks like the semi, Elon says he does not care if anyone buys it, why would you make something that no one buys.

The photos shown so far questionable as far as what they will actually produce. The pickup needs to seat three across in two rows and fit in a garage. The photos don't fit that spec.

One tricky aspect is the bed, where current pickup buyers clearly prefer horizontal sides. The Honda Ridgeline was designed with (presumably) more aerodynamic angled sides which were unpopular. Honda finally gave up and now has conventional sides to the bed.

The big question here is if a "cyber punk pickup that people may not buy" should be Tesla's third affordable vehicle. I think what Musk has shown and said about the pickup shows a lack of clarity. Whatever Tesla delivers it has to be the first of several truckish vehicle variants that are expected to sell in volume.