It seems that a Tesla pickup truck will follow hot on the heels of the Tesla Model Y; exciting times for electric vehicle fans indeed! The Tesla pickup truck has been rumored for some time, but it has now been officially confirmed by the inimitable CEO of the company, Elon Musk.
Twitter chat
Responding to the comment of a Tesla follower on twitter, Elon Musk indicated his absolute commitment to a Tesla pickup truck. “I promise that we will make a pickup truck right after Model Y,” Musk wrote. This means that the portfolio of vehicles available under the Tesla banner is expanding, illustrating the ambitious plans of the company going forward.
It seems that the Tesla pick up truck has been in the pipeline for quite some time, as Musk also indicated that the company has been planning this vehicle for nearly five years. “Have had the core design/engineering elements in my mind for almost 5 years. Am dying to build it,” Musk outlined to his Twitter followers.
With the Tesla Model Y expected to release towards the end of 2019, or possibly early in 2020, this suggests that the Tesla pick up truck will arrive at some point in 2021. The possibility of this vehicle has been somewhat overshadowed by sexier releases from Tesla, but it could be an extremely productive niche for the corporation.
The Tesla success story has undoubtedly been one of the most significant in business, with its stock increasing 10-fold in value over the last five years. Nonetheless, the city felt that Tesla was slightly overvalued at its peak, and its share price has pulled back slightly over the last few months. Some still suggest that there is more hype from this corporation than substance, but the achievements of Tesla definitely shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Tesla position
With the electric car niche expected to grow stratospherically in the coming years, Tesla is obviously extremely well-placed to be a major player in this commercially valuable market. Other major car manufacturers will also produce electric vehicles, but Tesla has both the expertise and manufacturing base required to seriously expand its operation.
The Tesla pickup truck is another indication that the company is intending to break into the mainstream. While pick up trucks are not necessarily massively popular in the European market, they remain a staple of the US auto trade. With Tesla having created an impressive supercharger network in the United States, its penetration into the mainstream car marketplace continues with aplomb.
Musk stated that work on the Tesla pickup truck will begin as soon as the Tesla Model Y is in the can, and there is no doubt that a vehicle of this nature that doesn’t require fuel will be potentially popular. This is particularly true as pickup trucks tend to be significantly less fuel efficient than standard vehicles, meaning that an electric version could attract consumers and also be good for the environment.
This is a potentially fertile niche for Musk and Tesla, considering that, in 2016, the Ford F-150, the Dodge Ram, and the Chevrolet Silverado were the three top-selling vehicles in the United States.
Competition looming
There is no clear schedule of when this vehicle will be made available, but other manufacturers such as Workhorse Group and VIA Motors have already released electric trucks that feature traditional engines as a backup. Ford has also been tinkering with an all-electric F-150, as the major manufacturer continues to expand its electric operation.
The announcement of the Tesla pickup truck will intensify anticipation of the Tesla Model Y as well. The Model Y is a a compact crossover SUV that will be absolutely targeted at the mainstream car-buying audience in the United States in particular. This vehicle will build on the successes of Tesla thus far, as the electric manufacturer continues to consolidate its strengthening market position.
Nonetheless, Tesla still faces challenges to establish itself as the truly mainstream producer that Musk envisages. The company enjoyed significant production line slowdowns during 2017, as cash flow and financial difficulties plagued production. The company in fact reported losses in every quarter in 2017, underlining just how challenging the auto market can be. Although the city believes that the revenue generation potential of Tesla is high, this is still undoubtedly worrying for a company that needs to continually generate new vehicles and revenue streams.
Autonomous problems
Tesla has also experienced challenges with its autonomous vehicle capabilities, which will be worrying even as the Tesla Model Y and Tesla pickup truck loom on the horizon. This is particularly significant, as Musk and Tesla have already made a strong commitment to self-driving cars, yet it is far from certain that the technology will be in place at the date promised by Tesla.
With Tesla autonomous technology having already been involved in a fatal crash in 2016, the National Transportation Safety Board ruled that company made errant claims regarding the abilities of its Autopilot system. This is obviously worrying considering that safety is the major concern related to self-driving cars.
Tesla has been working hard on backup hardware for its autopilot system, but there will definitely be technical challenges ahead for the corporation, and probably negative headlines as well. Eventually, the idea is that every vehicle produced by Tesla will be at least partly autonomous, but it seems unlikely that the Tesla Model Y and Tesla pickup truck will be able to deliver this feature at this juncture.
Idle boast
Musk boasted that a Tesla would be sent from “a parking lot in downtown LA to a parking lot in downtown NY without touching the controls by the end of the year.” But this definitely seems like an idle boast!
Regardless of the problems that Tesla has encountered, the future looks bright for the company with two exciting new vehicles on the horizon.
