The Tesla Pickup Truck is without a doubt one of the most fiercely anticipated electric vehicles of all time. While the first 6 months of 2019 have had plenty of dramatic moments, it seems likely things are just starting to heat up for CEO Elon Musk’s Palo Alto, California based imprint.
Musk gently stoked the fires of anticipation for his brand’s pickup when he shared some production specs for the vehicle such as 400-500 miles of range per charge, dual motor all-wheel drive powertrain with dynamic suspension, and a towing capacity of, wait for it, 300,000 lbs. These are outrageous figures and would likely prove as disruptive to America’s surging pickup truck market as Tesla has been to the global automotive industry as a whole.
The Tesla Pickup Truck is Going to be Outrageous
Earlier this month, while appearing on the Ride the Lightning Podcast, Musk upped the ante when he confirmed his plans for the forthcoming Tesla Pickup to start under $50,000.
“We don’t want it to be really expensive. I think it got to start at less than $50,000 – it’s got to be like $49,000 starting price max. Ideally less. It just can’t be unaffordable. It’s got to be something that’s affordable. There will be versions of the truck that will be more expensive, but you’ve got to be able to get a really great truck for $49,000 or less.”
Later in the podcast he went a little further. Instantly images of Blade Runner, Terminator, Minority Report and many other sci-fi classics came to mind when he likened the pickup’s design to something one might see on the silver screen.
“It’s got to have incredible functionally from a load carrying standpoint, look amazing – but it won’t look like a normal truck. It’s going to look pretty sci-fi. That means that it’s not going to be for everyone- like if somebody just wants to have a truck that looks like trucks have looked like for the last 20 to 40 years, it’s probably isn’t for them.”
Currently, an ever expanding array of artistic renderings have sought to capture what Musk might have meant by that. At this time, it’s not quite certain what he means when he says that “some people may not think it looks like a pickup truck”. There has been endless hype around a design aesthetic which Musk was quoted as describing as “cyberpunk.”
Check out this video with Tesla Pickup Truck Renders by Emre Husman:
Check Out this Video with Tesla Pickup Truck Renders by The Sketch Monkey:
Elon Musk has also suggested that the Tesla Pickup could ultimately prove to be as disruptive and transformative to the industry as the shift from horse drawn carriages to cars was many decades ago.
Musk even suggested that the Tesla Pickup would perform like a precision made, German sports car:
“It’s going to be a truck that is more capable than other trucks. The goal is to be a better truck than a [Ford] F-150 in terms of truck-like functionality and be a better sports car than a standard [Porsche] 911. That’s the aspiration.”
While 2019 saw Tesla Motors struggle to deliver as many cars as it hoped, the brand continues to gain in strength based on the strength of its products and audacity of its vision.
The first 6 months of 2019 have seen the release of the $35,000 Model 3, the rise of Sentry Mode, the release of the Model Y, the announcement of the new Roadster and the release of The Supercharger V3. With 6 months in 2019 left, here’s a taste of what’s to come from the Tesla.
Updated Interior Designs for the Model S and Model X
Early in 2019, the Model X and Model S by Tesla were updated with more efficient motors and a more dynamic suspension system. To close out the year, it seems extremely likely both Tesla’s flagship sedan and SUV will receive interior tweaks as well.
Tesla Electric Motor Designer Konstantinos Laskaris explained the logic behind adapting technology from the Model 3:
“It’s well known that permanent magnet machines have the benefit of pre-excitation from the magnets, and therefore you have some efficiency benefit for that. Induction machines have perfect flux regulation and therefore you can optimize your efficiency. Both make sense for variable-speed drive single-gear transmission as the drive units of the cars.
So, as you know, our Model 3 has a permanent magnet machine now. This is because for the specification of the performance and efficiency, the permanent magnet machine better solved our cost minimization function, and it was optimal for the range and performance target.
Quantitatively, the difference is what drives the future of the machine, and it’s a tradeoff between motor cost, range and battery cost that is determining which technology will be used in the future.”
Tesla first revealed an interest in redesigning the Model X and Model S’s interiors back in July of 2018. Since then, some pictures have been released showing similar high end interior materials to what is currently found in the Model 3. The pictures also seem to show a very large touch screen which has been added.
Both the Model S and Model X saw vast redesigns of their exteriors in 2016, the interiors have only received minor updates since they were launched in 2012.
Keep your eye out for news about redesigned Model S and X interiors to close out 2019.
Tesla Batteries Designed with Maxwell Technology
Tesla is invested heavily in all kinds of energy storage devices. That’s why when the company recently acquired Maxwell, it seemed very clear that they had set their sights on improving the dry electrode technology.
By the end of 2019, do not be surprised to hear about major announcements about new battery technology which is expected to be rolled out in several Tesla cars including the Model S and Model X.
Though it does not have an official date scheduled yet, a big battery announcement is expected at the annual Tesla Battery and Powertrain Investors day later this year.
Consumer batteries produced by Tesla using technology from Maxwell will likely hit shelves around the world by the end of this year, if not in early 2020. The company is planning to dramatically innovate consumer battery technologies to improve efficiency, longevity, and energy density, while also lowering costs.
Insure My Tesla: Here Comes Tesla Insurance
Tesla Insurance has been building steam over the last couple of years. Initially launched in Australia and Hong Kong, the product has recently expanded into North America. For the last few months, there has been a steady stream of buzz around an expanded Tesla Insurance product reaching the market.
As recently as May of 2019, Tesla had planned to release its new insurance offering. CEO Elon Musk pushed this back however apparently because he hoped to complete a strategic acquisition before releasing further details to the public.
A big Tesla insurance announcement is definitely due before the end of the year.
The Tesla Submarine Car
At a recent Tesla Shareholder Meeting, Elon Musk did not back down when asked about whether or not his company would eventually release an aquatic car:
“Funny you should mention that… we do have a design for a submarine car like the one from The Spy Who Loved Me.”
Musk has been interested in a project like this ever since childhood. He even spent $866,000 to purchase one of the Lotus Esprits used in the Bond movie.
“It was amazing as a little kid in South Africa to watch James Bond in ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’ drive his Lotus Esprit off a pier, press a button and have it transform into a submarine underwater. I was disappointed to learn that it can’t actually transform. What I’m going to do is upgrade it with a Tesla electric powertrain and try to make it transform for real.”
Check Out the Submersible Lotus Espirit from The Spy Who Loved Me:
This idea has long been a part of Tesla lore as well. Back in 2015, the brand released a Lotus Esprit Easter Egg which could be accessed by typing the code “007” into the technician login screen for the Model S. After inputting the code, the Model S image on the dash would be replaced by the iconic British car featured in the Bond film.
At this time, it is really unclear if Tesla will eventually release a car that drives underwater. It’s a fun idea and likely a concept that would receive tons of hype.
Could 2019 be Tesla’s Best Year Yet?
Between 2013 and 2019, Tesla has recorded phenomenal sales growth. The company has gone from shipping 20,000-30,000 cars a year to delivering the same number per month. That’s absolutely epic and it seems more than likely that 2019 will be Tesla’s best year yet.