Elon Musk has always been one to make grand projections and, hey – if he can make good on even a handful of his brash promises then the future of the transportation industry – on earth, below ground and in out space – should be interesting.
The latest comments from the visionary entrepreneur have to do with a pet project he’s been teasing for a while now – a Tesla pickup truck model. And in true Elon fashion, he’s not downplaying a single thing about it as we get closer to its release.
In Musk’s recent interview with Ride the Lightning podcast, he promised the new model truck would be priced below $50,000, which is a strong competitive play in the ultra-pricy truck segment. He also said the Tesla pickup would be a superior sports car to a Porsche 911 and better in its “truck-like functionality” than the F-150.
The comments really hit at Ford twice, because the maker of the F-150 is technically in the electric pickup market too – albeit indirectly, following a $500 million investment in electric vehicle maker Rivian. Rivian’s soon-to-be-released electric pickup, by the way, is reportedly to be priced in the $70,000 range. On top of that, Ford suggested at the most recent Detroit Auto Show that an electric F-150 was in the brand’s future, though the company had little detail to offer as far as a game plan.
So while Tesla has a lot going for it here, one thing that might get in its way is the look of this new vehicle, with a design Musk himself admitted some might find offputting. He described it as “sci-fi” and, if you look at some of these renderings, you might agree. But we careful: Tesla has actually only released a teaser image at this point that’s comprised of lines and light. Anything you see on the web is just speculation by industry enthusiasts who are chomping at the bit to imagine the real thing.
