Manoli Katakis Tesla has teased the idea of an electric pickup truck for a few years now, but CEO Elon Musk decided to offer a few clues as to what we should expect from unconventional automaker’s first true utility vehicle.
In true Tesla fashion, it’s not going to be a pickup truck like we understand them today. Musk said in an interview with the Ride The Lightning podcast that the pickup will look very science-fiction. Specifically, the outspoken Tesla chief said to expect a “Blade Runner” kind of truck.
He added if someone wants a truck in the traditional sense, as pickups have stuck to a pretty standard recipe over the past three decades, the Tesla pickup won’t be for he or she.
If someone is looking for a pickup with purported performance better than a Porsche 911, Musk told fans to be all ears. Yes, Musk claimed the Tesla pickup truck will rival the Porsche 911—a hallmark German sports car. Though we’re sure he’s talking forward acceleration only, and not cornering abilities.
Not only will the truck act like a sports car, it’s going to be a better truck than the standard bearer Ford F-150, too, he said.
Most of the conversation is very general with few specifics, but Musk did dip into one area that counts: cost. He said the electric-car company targets a price of no more than $50,000 for a base model of the unnamed pickup truck. Here is where Musk perhaps hit a nail on the head.
While Ford will gladly sell buyers a sub-$30,000 pickup, the majority of trucks sold in the U.S. cost far more and easily hover around $50,000 for a popular crew cab model with options. Should Tesla figure out how to bundle a base model with options for under $50,000, it may have a shot.
Of course, there will be more expensive versions, the billionaire CEO added.
Tesla kicked off talk of an electric pickup truck years ago, but since then, legacy automaker rivals have climbed aboard. Ford has been most outspoken about an electric F-150 coming in the future, while General Motors recently confirmed it, too, will have a battery-electric pickup in the future.
Tesla shouldn’t discount the wildcard in the deck, either. Rivian, another startup electric car maker, plans to start production of its R1T electric truck next year. The company has already earned hefty investment from Amazon and Ford itself, after passing on a deal with General Motors.
