# First teaser pic: the Tesla Pickup Truck



## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1106714774694297601


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## Love (Sep 13, 2017)

I can't make sense of the image... help! 
Thanks @garsh for posting!


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## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

Yep, that's how I interpreted the image.


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## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

@Lovesword, I keep chuckling every time I look at your cyberpunk truck driver.


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## Love (Sep 13, 2017)

garsh said:


> @Lovesword, I keep chuckling every time I look at your cyberpunk truck driver.


He's hype! Who wouldn't be, driving in a Tesla pickup!!? 😉
I drew a different version so that Tesla can compete with Ford.








The windshield wipers are my favorite.


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## dburkland (Nov 12, 2018)

garsh said:


> __ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1106714774694297601


My bet is that is the back of the truck but either way I'm pumped to see what the finished design looks like


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## webdriverguy (May 25, 2017)

dburkland said:


> My bet is that is the back of the truck but either way I'm pumped to see what the finished design looks like


So this makes their line up S3XYR


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## Jay79 (Aug 18, 2018)

I guess they can't call it the Model T for truck so Model R will work...lol


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## webdriverguy (May 25, 2017)

Jay79 said:


> I guess they can't call it the Model T for truck so Model R will work...lol


I am more excited for this truck


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## Love (Sep 13, 2017)

Some people in various places are saying you have to rotate the image. I think where they're getting that from is the picture shared during the Semi event, which I think was intended as a joke as Elon had said something to the effect of "we could even use the semi platform to make a truck."
So here is the picture rotated a bit, the image shown at the semi event, and a picture I found online that I'm not sure of its origin (Tesla itself?)






















Personally I hope the Tesla pickup has a more traditional pickup appearance to it. And I'm not sure why they'd release a teaser image you'd have to rotate so... eh, just fun to speculate and chat about it which is my point to posting this. 😁


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## Dangermouse (Apr 27, 2016)

Lovesword said:


> Some people in various places are saying you have to rotate the image. I think where they're getting that from is the picture shared during the Semi event, which I think was intended as a joke as Elon had said something to the effect of "we could even use the semi platform to make a truck."
> So here is the picture rotated a bit, the image shown at the semi event, and a picture I found online that I'm not sure of its origin (Tesla itself?)
> View attachment 23394
> View attachment 23396
> ...


Best explanation I've seen. Fits everything Elon has been eluding to.

Owners will need to get used to explaining why it doesn't fly...and why they look so much like Earthlings.


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## gary in NY (Dec 2, 2018)

I'm gonna have to break out my Blade Runner DVD and see if that sheds any light on this image.


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## John (Apr 16, 2016)

Blade runner images. Various movie iterations.


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## John (Apr 16, 2016)

Peoples' guesses. Notice the tendency to take one Blade-Runner-y aspect of the truck and try to blend with a more traditional profile on the other end.
Haven't seen and end-to-end concept yet that fully embraces the style.


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## swanson21 (Mar 5, 2019)

I'm thinking sharing similar lines as the Honda Ridgeline when looking at the teaser image.


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## Bryan Baker (Aug 21, 2016)

My hypotheses on the Pickup question.

Hypothesis #1: it's going to look A LOT like the Tesla Semi.

Look at the similarity between the S and the X: great.
Look at the similarity between the 3 and the Y: even greater, AND better (Y is much better looking than the X).
Thus, the Pickup will look at least as much like the Semi as the rest of the platform sharers. And this boxy-BladeRunner image, square and bright on one side and triangular on the other, must be something else. Elon is messing with us, misdirecting us, on purpose. For a purpose.

Elon already released a design sketch of the Pickup during the Semi reveal that directly supports this line of thinking.
Elon said in a Tweet that a teaser image was imbedded in the Model Y presentation "about a minute in."
The only thing that it could be around that time just looks like a closeup of a headlight on the Tesla Semi. Next two images after that are full body shots of the Tesla Semi.
So either that headlight is really of the Pickup and is indistinguishable from the Semi, or Elon is seriously throwing us off on purpose.

Elon tweeted an image shortly after of a weird, boxy, brightly lit, tapered into a triangle on the opposite side.
Lovesword's explanation can be shoehorned into my hypothesis. the boxy BladeRunner could be the Tesla Semi's windshield, just rotated to throw us off. But then it has some seriously beefy A-pillars, which can't possibly make it to production (visibility). So...
The boxy BladeRunner image has gotta be some kind of accessory, like a trailer, with the hitch on the triangular end. Sure, the end is too bright, but lights can be turned down.

What's the purpose of the misdirection?

Hypothesis #2: The boxy BladeRunner pic isn't the Tesla Pickup at all, rather it's a 'Tesla Trailer,' and the reveal of a new product.

Tesla Trailer won't have a cab at all, carrying cargo only and zero passengers. A bed only.
It'll have its own powertrain, be autonomous.
It'll 'hitch' electronically, and not physically, to any Tesla you already own.
You'll be able to "convoy" them, having two or more trailers in a row electronically hitched to the Tesla you already own.
If this is true, the bright light on the boxy front end of the Trailer is the front--where the bright light is legal and helpful--and the back triangle is a taper for aerodynamics.
Tesla Trailer? Tesla Bed? 'Bed' works better with the S3XY theme.

Hypothesis #3: Both Hypothesis #1 and Hypothesis #2 are true.


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## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

Bryan Baker said:


> Hypothesis #3: Both Hypothesis #1 and Hypothesis #2 are true.


I think you're WAY overthinking this. 

This truly is a picture of the front of the pickup. Elon has specifically said that this is a picture of the pickup. He has also specifically said that it has a bladerunner style. There's no reason for misdirection here.


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## gary in NY (Dec 2, 2018)

Well, I watched Blade Runner again ( I can remember seeing it in the theater back in the day). So, the truck is going to fly, have vertical opening doors, have lots of tech and yet be extremely utilitarian (not luxurious), and only seat two (the police version anyway). All that aside, there is a certain design style that I think he is going for that you can see in the movie.

Front or back view? Lots of discussion. Tesla has not produced a vehicle with the aerodynamics of a brick (think Ford F150), so I find it hard to see that as the front. But I don't think I've ever seen a teaser picture of the rear of a new vehicle either. 

We may have to wait until November to find out (Blade Runner takes place in November 2019). Back in 1982, that seemed far enough in the future for all those things to be possible. Maybe it should have been set in 2079, after AI has taken over, the climate has been destroyed, etc, etc.


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## Bryan Baker (Aug 21, 2016)

garsh said:


> I think you're WAY overthinking this.
> 
> This truly is a picture of the front of the pickup. Elon has specifically said that this is a picture of the pickup. He has also specifically said that it has a bladerunner style. There's no reason for misdirection here.


Of course I'm overthinking it. Isn't that the whole point of these forums and why we find them so entertaining? That label is proof of success of my post. 

Additionally, if you have to put an image in photoshop, rotate it almost 90 degrees, ignore the lack of wheel wells, ignore the triangular shaped opposite end, and ignore the slant of the rain directly contradicting said rotation--that's some big league over-thinking. Mental gymnastics that strains credulity. Fun, yes. Realistic? Nope.

And as far as Elon specifically saying it's a picture of the Pickup, I think he referred to it as a teaser and not 'a pic of the truck'. There's enough difference there for misdirection.


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## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

Bryan Baker said:


> And as far as Elon specifically saying it's a picture of the Pickup, I think he referred to it as a teaser and not 'a pic of the truck'. There's enough difference there for misdirection.


I think that even that statement is overthinking things.


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## Bryan Baker (Aug 21, 2016)

garsh said:


> I think that even that statement is overthinking things.


YES! Another commendation from an illustrious moderator! Woo hoo


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## Headwind (Aug 12, 2017)

John said:


> Peoples' guesses. Notice the tendency to take one Blade-Runner-y aspect of the truck and try to blend with a more traditional profile on the other end.
> Haven't seen and end-to-end concept yet that fully embraces the style.


I think that image on the left is gonna be pretty close. Id be in on that too. As far as the "blade runner" angle goes, Im viewing it as more a state of mind than a detailed design philosophy. Im super excited for this for sure.


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## Rusty (Sep 9, 2017)




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## Rusty (Sep 9, 2017)

Just keeping up with the possibilities.


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## JWardell (May 9, 2016)

In the latest Ride the Lightning Episode, Elon confirms the teaser is the _front_ of the truck


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## gary in NY (Dec 2, 2018)

I heard the podcast this morning. Since it is the front, and he says it's pretty sci-fi, maybe the image in post #24 is accurate.


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## Headwind (Aug 12, 2017)

JWardell said:


> In the latest Ride the Lightning Episode, Elon confirms the teaser is the _front_ of the truck


I just find that so disturbing. Im so excited about the truck. Apparently hesaid it would be like the difference between a horse-drawn carriage and a car...and not to expect it to look like a truck. Just hard to imagine, so I guess its back to the drawing board!


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## gary in NY (Dec 2, 2018)

Headwind said:


> I just find that so disturbing. Im so excited about the truck. Apparently hesaid it would be like the difference between a horse-drawn carriage and a car...and not to expect it to look like a truck. Just hard to imagine, so I guess its back to the drawing board!


Musk was pretty clear that he wanted a revolutionary, not evolutionary, design. Initial designs were deemed "too traditional". He also said it won't be "for everyone", and that it should come in at around $50K.


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## $ Trillion Musk (Nov 5, 2016)

My guess is that there will be an entire Tesla pickup line (no pun intended) with the smallest truck being the size of a Ford F-150 and the largest being the truck that can fit a full size pickup in its truck bed. Tesla will probably use these for their mobile service fleet as well.


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## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

$ Trillion Musk said:


> My guess is that there will be an entire Tesla pickup line (no pun intended) with the smallest truck being the size of a Ford F-150 and the largest being the truck that can fit a full size pickup in its truck bed. Tesla will probably use these for their mobile service fleet as well.


Maybe eventually. But short term (5 years), we'll be lucky if they're manufacturing and selling just a pickup.

Keep in mind that the picture of a Tesla truck with a full size truck in the bed was a "what if" exercise - one where they created a pickup truck based on the Tesla Semi. I think that would be awesome, and a subset of people would be clamoring to buy such a beast. But that would be more of a halo-vehicle like the Roadster - it wouldn't be a mass-market vehicle. Given the high price and small quantities that would sell, it's probably not worth Tesla's effort to develop such a thing.

But again - it would be really, really awesome if they did.


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## GateFather (Nov 1, 2018)

Headwind said:


> I think that image on the left is gonna be pretty close. Id be in on that too. As far as the "blade runner" angle goes, Im viewing it as more a state of mind than a detailed design philosophy. Im super excited for this for sure.


Given that Elon confirmed the original teaser image is the front, I think the image here will be more like what we'll see with a cab in the middle of two equal or almost equal sized beds.


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## GDN (Oct 30, 2017)

All of these concepts scare me just a bit. As a traditional pickup owner and knowing many many pickup owners, if this first pickup is meant to win over some of that crowd it can't be that far form traditional, they just won't embrace it. If it is far from traditional, just know that a different crowd will have to embrace it first and it will be a slow road to wide adoption. 

From the quip's I'm hearing (I need to go watch/listen to the interview) they have no intention of tackling the current US pickup lineup front with this first model. While that crowd might be ready for some change, they aren't ready for drastic change. 

Look at the evolution of the pickup. For 80 years the basic look and concept hasn't changed. Engine up front, cab, bed. Sure we've tweaked each one of those a thousand ways and added every creature comfort, but it's the same basic pickup and design. If you think this is an easy crowd to please or change you are wrong. This is rivalry unlike you've seen or experienced. 

This will be interesting and I hope successful, but if it is radical, it won't get wide US adoption very quickly.


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## John (Apr 16, 2016)

If anyone's alarmed by the thought that Tesla Truck will be too weird looking, refresh your memory of the hordes of people—many on this forum—who essentially said, "That CAN'T be the Model 3 interior, it must not be the final version. That bolted on screen, the lack of dedicated speed display... it must have a HUD!"

Hey, I did my share of HUD advocacy. (Eventually I drove an I-PACE with a HUD and quickly had to figure out how to turn it off. Annoying.)

Change is uncomfortable.

As a product designer, I totally sympathize with the sentiment "If we can't make something that advances the state of the art, let's not spend our time just making another version of the same old thing."

Hell, yes: move trucks forward. Clean slate. 

Don't be a better Ford F-150. 

Smash it.


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## gary in NY (Dec 2, 2018)

It would seem that the first iteration of the truck is not intended to convert the mainstream truck crowd, but to satisfy Musk's design aspirations. Sean Mitchell's recent video on the truck pieces together just about all of his comments on the truck, and Musk says several times that this is going to be completely different. Either way, it will most likely be out of my price range for my second knock around utility vehicle ('03 Tacoma), but I'm interested nevertheless.


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## webdriverguy (May 25, 2017)

John said:


> If anyone's alarmed by the thought that Tesla Truck will be too weird looking, refresh your memory of the hordes of people-many on this forum-who essentially said, "That CAN'T be the Model 3 interior, it must not be the final version. That bolted on screen, the lack of dedicated speed display... it must have a HUD!"
> 
> Hey, I did my share of HUD advocacy. (Eventually I drove an I-PACE with a HUD and quickly had to figure out how to turn it off. Annoying.)
> 
> ...


HUD will never come to any of the tesla cars. Elon has confirmed this. When they are moving to full autonomy adding HUD to cars is pointless.


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## Headwind (Aug 12, 2017)

garsh said:


> Maybe eventually. But short term (5 years), we'll be lucky if they're manufacturing and selling just a pickup.
> 
> Keep in mind that the picture of a Tesla truck with a full size truck in the bed was a "what if" exercise - one where they created a pickup truck based on the Tesla Semi. I think that would be awesome, and a subset of people would be clamoring to buy such a beast. But that would be more of a halo-vehicle like the Roadster - it wouldn't be a mass-market vehicle. Given the high price and small quantities that would sell, it's probably not worth Tesla's effort to develop such a thing.
> 
> But again - it would be really, really awesome if they did.


That image really made me flip when they projected it. I think it represents a picture of a normal truck behind the Tesla pick up, and not that the Tesla pickup has a bed that can hold a full size pickup. That would not just make it a beast, but nearly un-driveable on most surface streets.

Then I continue to look at that image and cannot see any component of the teaser image.

At 49k, Im pretty much in for one so I can retire my wife's CRV in due course. I expect it to be very unusual.


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## John (Apr 16, 2016)

Don't underestimate the value of press, even if it's people mocking a design.


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## Headwind (Aug 12, 2017)

John said:


> Don't underestimate the value of press, even if it's people mocking a design.


Ive been wondering if this might look a lot more like an airplane tow truck.


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## $ Trillion Musk (Nov 5, 2016)

GDN said:


> All of these concepts scare me just a bit. As a traditional pickup owner and knowing many many pickup owners, if this first pickup is meant to win over some of that crowd it can't be that far form traditional, they just won't embrace it. If it is far from traditional, just know that a different crowd will have to embrace it first and it will be a slow road to wide adoption.
> 
> From the quip's I'm hearing (I need to go watch/listen to the interview) they have no intention of tackling the current US pickup lineup front with this first model. While that crowd might be ready for some change, they aren't ready for drastic change.
> 
> ...


I have to agree on every point you make. Although I feel more excited than scared knowing that this will be the most-Elon vehicle yet. (We'll shall soon find out how eccentric his taste is.) Even if it fails to captivate most of the typical truck buyers, I have a hunch that it will be some sort of retro prepper vehicle that will attract a lot of urban techies and non-truck buyers.

I might actually ditch the Model Y for the Pickup if it's not much longer of a wait.


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## GDN (Oct 30, 2017)

$ Trillion Musk said:


> I have to agree on every point you make. Although I feel more excited than scared knowing that this will be the most-Elon vehicle yet. (We'll shall soon find out how eccentric his taste is.) Even if it fails to captivate most of the typical truck buyers, I have a hunch that it will be some sort of retro prepper vehicle that will attract a lot of urban techies and non-truck buyers.
> 
> I might actually ditch the Model Y for the Pickup if it's not much longer of a wait.


But at the price point he has noted (could be the bottom end with expensive models topping out 30K more possibly) this must be another large mass market vehicle. To continue on a path to having a big solvent company making money he must continue to have large volume vehicles. The numbers have to be a several hundred thousand per year. If it is low volume it will have to be priced like the new Roadster.

If the plan is this pickup will be large volume. It has to appeal to the masses. I'm a pickup man - I love pickups. I'm not going to drive a Tundra or a Ridgeline. I want a pickup or I'll take my car. The majority of the pickup owners are in that boat.

So typing that last paragraph made me think - it could very well be the small pickup crowd he is going after. World wide they could still sell several thousand per year. Maybe they aren't going after or building the half ton and bigger true work trucks which I typically want to think of.

Just hoping they put the right vehicle together and it works. I'm not against them in any way, we just all have a little different idea of what market they are truly going after here.


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## $ Trillion Musk (Nov 5, 2016)

In the Kara Swisher interview Elon hinted that if the current design doesn't sell then they would eventually produce a more conventional design. This current "futuristic cyberpunk" design is more of a personal thing for Elon...


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## John (Apr 16, 2016)

I for one think it will not look like a traditional pickup because, well, Elon said so.
I think it will be very aerodynamic.
I do NOT think it's intended for the light truck crowd that uses a truck as their car, because he talked about 240V tools and towing capacity.
I think it will look like this, in truck form:


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## $ Trillion Musk (Nov 5, 2016)

Some interesting thoughts about the Tesla Pickup which make it next level compared to current Teslas. Could Elon be secretly developing a Mars rover?


+Love this Bladerunner rendition of the Model S.


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## Love (Sep 13, 2017)

As long as Franz von Holzhausen is employed/a leader at Tesla, I just can’t see them putting out an ugly vehicle. Hopefully he’s involved with this product as everything he’s done there so far has been nothing but amazing.


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## Dr. J (Sep 1, 2017)

Lovesword said:


> As long as Franz von Holzhausen is employed/a leader at Tesla, I just can't see them putting out an ugly vehicle. Hopefully he's involved with this product as everything he's done there so far has been nothing but amazing.


I'm thinking something along these lines:


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## Love (Sep 13, 2017)

Dr. J said:


> I'm thinking something along these lines:


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## GateFather (Nov 1, 2018)

GDN said:


> But at the price point he has noted (could be the bottom end with expensive models topping out 30K more possibly) this must be another large mass market vehicle. To continue on a path to having a big solvent company making money he must continue to have large volume vehicles. The numbers have to be a several hundred thousand per year. If it is low volume it will have to be priced like the new Roadster.
> 
> If the plan is this pickup will be large volume. It has to appeal to the masses. I'm a pickup man - I love pickups. I'm not going to drive a Tundra or a Ridgeline. I want a pickup or I'll take my car. The majority of the pickup owners are in that boat.
> 
> ...


My guess is the difference between the base and top model will be much more than $30k. I'm basing this on the fact that the Model 3 starts at ~$40K for base but goes up to ~$69K. If the smallest sedan they make is almost $30K difference, I bet the pickup base to loaded will be at least $50K difference. There's much more room for a bigger battery and more hardware features in a pickup, organization in cab(s), etc. (look at some of the rivian stuff for reference).


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## GDN (Oct 30, 2017)

$ Trillion Musk said:


> In the Kara Swisher interview Elon hinted that if the current design doesn't sell then they would eventually produce a more conventional design. This current "futuristic cyberpunk" design is more of a personal thing for Elon...


I think what you are saying is exactly what I'm worried about. I agree with further comments that to date Tesla and Franz have turned out nothing short of incredible beautiful designs. Tesla just doesn't need a big hiccup right now. I get that Elon is brilliant and and overall this company has already done things no one thought possible, but lets face the music, what do you want - a futuristic cyberpunk personal vendetta design from Elon that fails or do you want the most kick ass Teslafied (EV and tons of technology) somewhat traditional looking pickup that might just kick ass and take names and get wide spread adoption.

You want niche, go with niche and likely fail, you want widespread adoption and the knife in the hear of the traditional automakers go with a somewhat modern design that will win that crowd over and sell. Then tweak and modify and redesign over the years.

I want success like none other for Tesla, but you can't completely ignore what the best selling vehicles in america look like.

If you want proof of what Americans will buy as pickups look no further than Nissan and Toyota for examples. They built small and different pickups for 40 years and they sold some, but they wanted market share, money and profit. What is the only one thing they could ever finally do to win that? It was build the full size half ton pickup that looked somewhat like the traditional pickup has always looked like and then improve on that with design and technology. It is simply the one thing that has even considered making them somewhat relevant in the pickup market. You might want to take that one step further though, go take a look at how pickups are truly used. You're really going to find most of the Nissan's and Toyota's on the paved city streets of the metro areas. Get out and take a look off the city streets, the farmers, the ranchers, the bass fishermen, the working pickups and tell me what you find?


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## John (Apr 16, 2016)

GDN said:


> I think what you are saying is exactly what I'm worried about. I agree with further comments that to date Tesla and Franz have turned out nothing short of incredible beautiful designs. Tesla just doesn't need a big hiccup right now. I get that Elon is brilliant and and overall this company has already done things no one thought possible, but lets face the music, what do you want - a futuristic cyberpunk personal vendetta design from Elon that fails or do you want the most kick ass Teslafied (EV and tons of technology) somewhat traditional looking pickup that might just kick ass and take names and get wide spread adoption.
> 
> You want niche, go with niche and likely fail, you want widespread adoption and the knife in the hear of the traditional automakers go with a somewhat modern design that will win that crowd over and sell. Then tweak and modify and redesign over the years.
> 
> ...


Subtle point here I'd like to make: it's a mistake to try and make a better Ford, Toyota, or whatever. Ford, Toyota, and other already make those. Many of those.

Oh, you say, this one might look like them, but it would be electric.

But it's not like truck owners have been thinking, "I wish my truck was quieter, and less convenient to refuel."

Tesla's best bet is to make something that is really unique. To do things that are what I call 1/0 ("one-zero"). As in "only the Tesla does this." Tesla, yes; others, no. Not "better"-unique.


*Silent high-power electrical outlet* (no loud generator, no smoke, no maintenance, much more powerful than a 12V-powered inverter, 120V and 240V)
*Automation features*
Example 1: you can back your truck and boat trailer into the water, go out on the dock and get in your boat, drive your boat onto your trailer, and summon the truck and boat out of the water up the boat ramp. From the boat.
Example 2: anti-jackknife feature while towing.
Example 3: fleet management software features (already developed for semi), for fleets of work trucks (show all trucks on map, send messages).
Example 4: one driver can platoon two or more pickups when one won't hold enough
*The only truck every owner can fuel themselves* (no tanks, spills, smells, shortages)
Truck is "full" every morning
*Most storage of any truck its size* (front and back)
*The only truck that won't tip over*
*The only truck that handles and accelerates like a sports car*
Stock, no mods necessary; "if you see one of these, do not try to race it, it will win"; videos of pickups beating Ferraris
*Lowest running costs of all trucks*
Best aerodynamics, more efficient electric motors-instead of 13-24 MPG, 100 MPG-equivalent (75% lower operating cost); not shaped like a traditional pickup truck
*Best software features* (by a mile), in a world where the value of things is increasingly found in software; current truck drivers have no idea what they are missing in terms of entertainment, automation of truck features (like suspension), mobile phone features, navigation, safety features (you can't back up over a person or object)
So it's totally different-looking, but it gives you the above. People's minds will change about what a truck should look like. Because the above.

There are other things (like adjustable suspension) that normal trucks could do. But it takes Tesla to do the above. And the above is good stuff.


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## GDN (Oct 30, 2017)

John said:


> Subtle point here I'd like to make: it's a mistake to try and make a better Ford, Toyota, or whatever. Ford, Toyota, and other already make those. Many of those.
> 
> Oh, you say, this one might look like them, but it would be electric.
> 
> ...


I like the way you think and the others in this thread, but remember who seem to have it out for our Superchargers and the iceing that was seemed to be happening a lot a few months back. I know change has to start somewhere, and I'm open to some, but do you go radical and take years to catch on or do you go subtle and get more widespread adoption then bring more radical changes to the table.

The S and X are good examples of this. The first version still retained a dash. If the concept of the 3 had been introduced first it would have been much more radical and slower adoption perhaps. The North Texas Tesla group there are many S owners already complaining and a couple are trading now because they want their dash, and they are already Tesla converts.

I do appreciate and respect the changes you note above (and others suggestions too) but I think it is a very tough road if it is radical.


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## John (Apr 16, 2016)

GDN said:


> I like the way you think and the others in this thread, but remember who seem to have it out for our Superchargers and the iceing that was seemed to be happening a lot a few months back. I know change has to start somewhere, and I'm open to some, but do you go radical and take years to catch on or do you go subtle and get more widespread adoption then bring more radical changes to the table.
> 
> The S and X are good examples of this. The first version still retained a dash. If the concept of the 3 had been introduced first it would have been much more radical and slower adoption perhaps. The North Texas Tesla group there are many S owners already complaining and a couple are trading now because they want their dash, and they are already Tesla converts.
> 
> I do appreciate and respect the changes you note above (and others suggestions too) but I think it is a very tough road if it is radical.


Also: they can't make very many anyway. Maybe they can make 100,000 a year in the first two or three years?

Don't need broad truck appeal to do that.

As for the dash (separate topic), Tesla really moved the state of the art ahead, like Apple did with all-glass phones. Yes, I miss buttons. Yes, completely software-controlled buttons is better, all things considered (new types of controls, thousands of types of controls, and take a look at the SpaceX Dragon capsule: big LCD screens, not a shuttle full of buttons and gauges that can't do half as much or be modified... ever).

Tesla: don't appease buyers of other products-move the state of the art ahead.

Tesla will always have my support because of what they did to bring to modern software flexibility to cars, which until Tesla were locked in the digital stone age (despite the token gesture of adding LCDs to do the same old stuff). Only one car has "modern software" like you'd see on your phone or your laptop: Tesla.

Bless them for that.

While initially Model 3 looked too spartan, I now wouldn't buy the current S because of the binnacle. The next S (400 mile range, one screen, 3 motors) is much more attractive to me. More goodness in the same brave direction.

https://techcrunch.com/2007/06/07/the-futurist-we-predict-the-iphone-will-bomb/


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## $ Trillion Musk (Nov 5, 2016)

As Elon also mentioned, some people will want to stick with a horse and carriage at first, but eventually the sentiment will change as EVs proliferate, and people realize a Tesla vehicle’s true value. 

If the Tesla Pickup were to become a flop then at least there will be other traditional looking EV trucks to choose from. It wouldn’t be a total loss for the EV movement IMHO.


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## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

GDN said:


> I like the way you think and the others in this thread, but remember who seem to have it out for our Superchargers and the iceing that was seemed to be happening a lot a few months back.


Trucks sell very well across all demographics. It's how work gets done.

I'm not at all worried about how well it will sell. Looks won't be the most important thing.


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## GDN (Oct 30, 2017)

garsh said:


> Trucks sell very well across all demographics. It's how work gets done.
> 
> I'm not at all worried about how well it will sell. Looks won't be the most important thing.


Agree and some of my posts seem a bit negative about what I'm afraid is coming, they may and I hope they hit it out of the park, I was just hoping it would be similar to and target the tough half ton market. That is where my posts are going, because those are my personal preferences. I believe with the beginning price he has now eluded to there is no way this is a half ton competitor, I think it will be smaller. I'd hope that it is, but not feeling it. I'd love to see this thing knock it out of the ball park and be no more than $65K maxed out without being too radical or too small.


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## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

GDN said:


> ...there is no way this is a half ton competitor, I think it will be smaller.


Really?


__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1011788218734391296


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## GDN (Oct 30, 2017)

garsh said:


> Really?
> 
> 
> __ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1011788218734391296


Good point - it may have the capability and stats correct, but what I mean to infer is I don't think it will be the average person driving a 1/2 ton pickup today buying this truck. Hope I'm wrong, we are all mainly speculating, but there are a few specs he is throwing around. Time will tell and I'm happy to be wrong.


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## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

GDN said:


> I don't think it will be the average person driving a 1/2 ton pickup today buying this truck.


I agree - it won't be. Not at first. Heck, your average person still barely knows what Tesla is. Those who have heard of it often think it's a $200k (and foreign) car.

But if it's a good truck, it will catch on. Businesses in particular will start to purchase them. Many peoples' first time driving an EV will be due to it being a company-provided truck. Once they see how good of a vehicle it is, then they'll want one for their personal use. It's not going to be an overnight success, but it should end up being very successful over time.


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## John (Apr 16, 2016)

I think everyone's thinking, "Oh, truck people will make fun of it."

Newsflash: people have always made fun of every Tesla built, including the one you are driving.

Tesla don't care, y'all.

They will sell every one they make. Don't think of it as a weird mobile. Think of it as a The Ultimate Spaceship Truck.

There are plenty of Tesla owners who also drive a truck. There are plenty of Tesla owners who want something different that stands out. For the same reason Americans like trucks, some will like the Tesla truck. It will get plenty of press.

"Boy, what do haul in that goldarned spaceship truck of yours?"

"Sir, I haul butt."


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## PNWmisty (Aug 19, 2017)

GDN said:


> Good point - it may have the capability and stats correct, but what I mean to infer is I don't think it will be the average person driving a 1/2 ton pickup today buying this truck. Hope I'm wrong, we are all mainly speculating, but there are a few specs he is throwing around. Time will tell and I'm happy to be wrong.


This truck will sell well as long as it's superior at getting work done, more powerful and tougher than a traditional truck, has plenty of ground clearance and sharp approach angles front/rear, easier to load/unload, holds more and has lower running costs. Yes to built-in silent "generator". I think y'all be surprised at how fast the ******** will salivate over the "Bladerunner" pick-up. Half the animosity towards Tesla is that their vehicles are so nice but they are not trucks. Most older men will stick with traditional pick-ups, the younger working crowd will want them in numbers beyond what Tesla is able to push out the door. In 10 years traditional pick-ups will seem old-fashioned and frumpy.

I'm thinking the truck will be very angular and sleek, looking something like a larger, taller, jack-upped version of a Lamborghini Countach. The sides of the bed will extend all the way to the roofline and taper in slightly near the top. There will be a motorized sloping metal (titanium?) roll-up tonneau cover that will disappear into the truck and will turn the bed into a lockable trunk with more interior volume than a traditional bed/tonneau cover but less than a full sized canopy. Long items like ladders, pipes and lumber can be loaded under the already low bed and extend through the "cab" below seating level and out under the frunk. This tunnel will eliminate the need for an upper rack and can be designed to reduce frontal air pressure and the low pressure behind the vehicle simultaneously, increasing highway efficiency when the tunnel is open/not in use.

The advantage of this design is the uni-body chassis of the truck can be designed like an arched steel girder bridge for strength and load capacity while remaining lightweight. The front and rear crumple zones and strong passenger cage coupled with the low center of gravity due to the skateboard battery will make it the safest truck on the market, by far. There will be separate truck bed access doors (opening upwards) to allow the loading of tools/heavy items in the front of the bed at bed level. The front hood will swoop down to the bumper level to allow easy loading of heavy tools and gear in the large frunk.

The bed and the frunk will be constructed of stamped sheet titanium for durability, rust resistance and toughness. No paint necessary. The bed will accomodate 4'x8' sheet products lying flat and there will be various devices built in for cargo control. The adjustable suspension will automatically lower on freeways and for ease of loading, unloading and entry/exit but will rise up for deep snow, water, and off-road capability.

The $50,000 base model (240 miles RWD) will be released two years later and will not come with adjustable suspension, tonneau cover, silent generator or cargo securing devices. It will just be an open truck but will have the cargo tunnel underneath. For the first two years the lowest cost version thhat's available will be $75,000 and the fully equipped Long-Range version (400 mile AWD) will go all the way up to $125,000. The cyberpunk/bladerunner pickup will sell in droves at $75K and up.

I can hardly wait!


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## $ Trillion Musk (Nov 5, 2016)

Here's the Lamborghini look. The angular hood in the first pic resembles the pickup teaser image.


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## John (Apr 16, 2016)

Tesla will not be able to eliminate the biggest downside of owning a truck.

Friends asking you to help them move.


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## $ Trillion Musk (Nov 5, 2016)

Tesla Pickup reveal will likely be in November.

__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1170401244310949888


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## Pinewold (Apr 4, 2016)

If you adjust the contrast and shows on the teaser image you can see the wide flat windshield


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## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

Pinewold said:


> If you adjust the contrast and shows on the teaser image you can see the wide flat windshield
> View attachment 30417


Below the light bar? I doubt it. No point in having a Tesla badge on the roof.

I think that's the picture of the hood over a VERY large frunk.


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