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Tesla Pickup To Make Its Debut On November 21

The Tesla pickup truck will make its official debut on November 21st during a special event in California near the SpaceX rocket factory, company CEO Elon Musk confirmed in a tweet sent out last week.

In the same tweet, the inventor and executive also referred to the Tesla pickup as the ‘Cybertruck’ and later said the planned debut date was reminiscent of the film Blade Runner, which was set in November 2019. Musk previously said that he thought the so-called Cybertruck was Tesla’s “best product ever.”

Tesla is targeting a starting price of less than $50,000 for its first-ever pickup truck. It will likely come standard with a dual-motor setup, making it all-wheel drive, and will also have “incredible functionality from a load-carrying standpoint,” according to Musk. The entrepreneur has also claimed the truck will “look pretty sci fi.”

Tesla teaser image for the ‘Cybertruck’

The Tesla pickup will eventually go up against the fully electric GMC truck that General Motors is working on, along with other pickups like the electric Ford F-150 and Rivian R1T. It’s not clear when the GM electric pickup may arrive, though company president Mark Reuss previously said that bringing it to market would take some time. The truck will go into production at the GM Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly plant, as per the automaker’s new national agreement with the UAW, where it may be built next to other large electric vehicle offerings from the automaker, including an electric Hummer SUV.

By all accounts, GM will be late to the electric pickup party – though this perhaps isn’t such a bad thing when you consider that U.S. charging infrastructure still leaves much to be desired and that the real demand for an electric pickup is still a bit of an unknown. The rollout of the Tesla pickup, along with other offerings like the Rivian R1T and electric Ford F-150, may allow GM to gauge interest in such products and plan its own launch accordingly.

We’ll have full details on the Tesla pickup truck once they become available later this month.

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Source: Ford Authority

Sam loves to write and has a passion for auto racing, karting and performance driving of all types.

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Comments

  1. I am a Tesla fan. This truck will either once and for all showcase that EV’s are here for ever or it will be a huge letdown.
    This stands to be the first product by Tesla that might not blow everyone away. What I mean buy that is what capabilities this Pickup will have.
    If Elon wasn’t full of you know what when he said it will beat the Ford F-150 as far as Truck things are concerned and handle like a base Porsche 911, this might blow every other vehicle out of the water. I honestly do not see this as been just an ok vehicle. It will either Break the internet and solidify that the Future is 100% EV’s or it will be a huge DUD and normal Pickup Truck Drivers wouldn’t be caught dead in it.
    There is so much riding on this not just for Tesla but whether Battery vehicles will become King of the road no matter what vehicle is driven in the future.
    Elon has been downright giggly every time he talks about this Truck so who knows what this thing will be.
    I am very excited to see what is in store for everyone to witness. Like I said it will either be the GOAT of Pickup Trucks going forward or a complete DUD and Ford, GM, and Ram can breathe a HUGE sigh of relief and take longer to introduce an EV Truck. Now if this thing comes out and basically Sh*ts on all current Pickup Trucks then GM, Ford, and Ram are in serious Trouble. It is crazy to think just how much this one single vehicle can completely swing the whole Auto Industry one way or the other. I guarantee that GM, Ford, and Ram are praying Elon unleashes a complete Dud. This has the chance to literally break the Internet just as the C8 did.
    I honestly see this as been on either side of the Spectrum. Either the Absolute Best or a Complete Dud. I do not see a Middle Ground type of thing at all.
    Either Elon and the Tesla Team succeed in blowing the minds of Real Truck owners or they simply don’t even move the needle at all. That is my opinion.

    Reply
    1. the last time tesla swung for the fences with a sci-fi design, it was the falcon doors on the x and that turned out to be a complete dud. if tesla is smart, they will keep musk’s arrogance at bay and remember the lessons they learned from that vehicle.

      and i think this truck isn’t going to make or break tesla or evs. that would be china. but i wouldn’t be surprised if this truck was the starting point for a line of commercial vehicles like delivery vans, garbage trucks, etc …

      Reply
      1. Curious to ask why you consider the Falcon Doors a Dud?
        Two of my friends have a Model X and both love those doors. Especially when loading the kids and they get no rain or snow on them. You can literately walk under the door and right up to the interior seat. The sensors are amazing when the doors open and realize objects near them. They are by far the best rear doors ever produced. They work in wide open space and in tight spaces.
        Now as far as the “Cyberpunk Truck” I wasn’t speaking on specific features to be honest. I am saying that if Tesla blows the competition (meaning current ICE Trucks) out of the water with utility, functionality, and power that will make Current ICE Truck owners stand up and take notice, they will forever change the Auto World. If they barely beat ICE Trucks or even worse have less functionality and power, it will be a huge Dud. That was my point. It is almost insane to think how this one single project can completely change the Landscape of Legacy Auto Makers. If Tesla succeeds with the Pickup Truck they will have changed not just the Car segment which they already have done so but now the Truck segment as well.
        GM, Ford, and Ram will definitely be rooting against Elon and Team Tesla on the 21st. They desperetly need this to be a Dud as they cannot afford to lose Truck sales and even worse have their current customers asking why they are not producing EV Trucks to match the Tesla Truck as Luxury Makers are being asked now by current customers where is your Tesla fighter.
        GM, Ford, and Ram cannot afford to allow Tesla to seriously enter the hotly contested Truck segment. Truck owners can easily say they will not drive a Full Size Toyota or Nissan as they are not American but they will not be able to say that about a Tesla Truck.
        Lets see what happens. Like I stated above this will either be a complete Game Changer and forever shift the landscape of Legacy Auto Makers or it will be a Dud and GM, Ford, and Ram will have bought themselves a lot more time to milk huge profits out of their ICE Trucks. That was the point I was trying to make.

        Reply
        1. i think musk himself said the falcon doors were a mistake. it was a lot of work for very little benefit except the cool factor which quickly dissipated. and i’d be very surprised if those falcon doors appeared on any tesla product for the foreseeable future.

          Reply
          1. You are correct as Elon now has said they should have keep the model less complicated to avoid many of the issues they have had.

            Also many are now finding out that they can not add a roof rack as they can on the competitors.

            Reply
          2. That I agree with.
            Too complex and costly but as far as Functionality is concerned they are great.
            I wonder if/when Tesla redesigns the Model X if they will utilize standard doors or are their customers telling them they prefer to keep the Falcon Doors.

            Reply
  2. The money here would do more good with a new gen S model. Get it up and running bringing the money it once was back in.

    This truck here would just be a novelty. The market at this price in this class is going to be limited.

    The next question is how long till it reaches production. It has taken years to go from photo to show car. Will they have to presell a couple years worth to start production?

    Tesla discovered the segment for high end EV sedans and they need to get back to the core money making segment. This will help drop the cost of the items for the other models.

    Reply
  3. I think if done correctly this so called “Cyberpunk” Pickup truck will have the same ability within Tesla to basically print money for the company just as the Ram 1500, Ford F-150, GM Twins print money for them. Also if done correctly this vehicle might have the chance to blow this whole EV thing completely out of the water. If this Truck comes out and blows the other 1500’s away, then EV’s will be here to stay and they will get here much faster. That is my point. This is why I think it’ll either Rock the World or just be a Dud. I do not see something in between to be honest.
    Now as far as the Model S and X is concerned, rumors are they will get Three Motors by summertime and the Model 3 batteries that are much lighter. So that will mean the Model S and X will get quicker and with more range. As I have been saying nobody in the EV World is close to Tesla at all. Tesla on the 21st if the Truck is great will basically get to tell the whole entire World that they are here and they are not going anywhere any time soon. They are no longer a Niche Company as the CEO from The VW Group has recently stated.

    Reply
  4. I am very curious to see if lets say the Tesla Pickup Truck (or any EV Truck) is Far Superior in Functionality, utility, and power if it will move the needle at all for “True ICE Truck” lovers.
    I am not a so called Pickup Truck person so I am asking everyone here that is if it will make a difference if you can get more functionality, utility, and power with an EV Truck would you switch? I am assuming the survey would be on the NON Work Truck owners. As an EV Pickup would most likely be priced too high as of right now. So the $40,000 to $70,000 Pickup Truck owner would be the ideal market for said Survey.
    Very curious to see what the results would be.
    Maybe Alex and the GMA Team can make a Survey. I’d honestly really love to know.

    Reply
    1. I have a 2002 cummins, would like to replace it in the next few years with a superduty. The one I have priced out is $42k as a custom order from the factory. All the mechanical upgrades except the diesel. No interior options, vinyl floors, base radio, cloth bench seat, etc. Obviously we haven’t seen the tesla yet but I don’t think it would be anything I would consider. Few reasons.

      First, everything tesla makes is far far far too fancy inside. Power locks and windows is about as much as I want, whereas tesla has literally everything computer controlled. It will break and it will be expensive. If the power window goes out on my Ford, I go to the junkyard and grab a new motor. I want to own a truck for 15 years or more. Not a 2 year lease and then it’s someone else’s problem.

      Second, it’s an EV which inherently means it can’t go on roadtrips. Yes I know there’s charging stations around but I’m in Minnesota, if you go west into the Dakotas, Wyoming, etc there’s squat for chargers. And I don’t want to add 20% time to my trips. I just want to drive.

      Third, it’s the first truck they’ve ever made. It’s not as easy as it seems. For a car, they’re used to transport a person or multiple people from point A to point B on a paved road. That’s it. Maybe carry a bike on the roof if you want to get crazy. And they still aren’t easy to make well. Trucks get used for….everything. The big 3 have made trucks for a long time, their marketing department knows exactly what these trucks get used for, and they’re designed with lots of small features to accommodate the wide range of uses.

      Forth, it’s going to be far more expensive than what I’m currently looking at.

      Fifth, it’s ugly as sin if it’s anything like the renders.

      Sixth, anyone who makes cars in a tent does not care about quality.

      I would be far more likely to replace our small SUV with electric than my truck. We have a 2018 and don’t plan to keep it past the 100k warranty, which should be a couple more years. That would be a much less risky way to buy an EV. I want to like Tesla, an upstart American automotive company is a great story. But Elon is a jack wad and I can’t stand him so if I buy anything electric it won’t be from them. Also, just for full disclosure I’m not the stubborn old man down the street, I’m 26. I don’t think I’m necessarily the normal buyer for my age but those are my opinions.

      Reply
      1. @Ryan
        You make great points. That is what I was wondering.
        I was assuming Tesla or Rivian would not be able to convert WT and or HD Diesel Truck owners.
        Well maybe the ones that purchase the Denali versions and that might be a maybe. I was more so wondering about the Regular Truck Buyer that doesn’t really needs a Truck to be a Truck per say. Like the weekend Warrior types. Your concerns with Charging is extremely valid and that is why our Government needs to join the rest of the First World and sign Legislation that by year XYZ NO more New ICE Cars will be allowed to be sold. I fear that if we just allow the so called Free Market to decide, Coastal cities and bigger cities in General won’t have a problem with Infrastructure but Rural America will be left behind. It might become hard to get either Charging Stations or Stocked Gasoline Stations in the Future.
        We shall see.

        Reply
  5. Just my opinion…
    No matter how great this EV pickup might be, it will take a while before it makes a dent in the Truck world.

    Truck owners are a loyal bunch. Similar to Muscle car owners. It’s a long day waiting in the rain to get them to convert.

    Slowly, but, surely? Even then, their favorite brands will have an EV waiting for them to continue their brand loyalty.

    It’s already in the works.

    Don’t think, the “BIG 3” aren’t already diving deep into the EV arena as far as their bread and butter are concerned.
    That goes for the full-size SUV’s as well.

    Having said that, I’m excited to see Tesla’s effort, as long as it isn’t over-promised, and arrives 2 years after the initial (supposed) roll out date.

    Not holding my breath-considering Elon’s past-blah, blah.

    Reply
  6. @Zcat
    I agree with you. That is why I would love to see some kind of Survey on this.
    Like Truck owners wouldn’t give up their Trucks lets say if the Tesla Truck only matches their current ones. I think Tesla or any other EV Pickup would have to blow the doors off the ICE Pickup Trucks.
    Like I said I am not a Truck person. I like what they are and I like the money they bring to GM but I would love to know just what kind of utility, functionality, and power it would take for a True Pickup Person to give up their ICE ones for an EV version.
    On a side note, I think it will be easier to get people in an EV version of a Camaro than a Pickup Truck. I could be wrong but that is my opinion.

    Reply
  7. @Momolos-
    Time will tell. I believe, even if the Tesla EV truck is A superior product, as far as being faster and having more towing capacity, I still don’t see more than 2% of “true” truck owners going all in on a change. Especially in rural areas where charging infrastructure is an issue.

    An Electric Camaro?… cringe?

    Reply
  8. I heard George Jetson was looking at it. But mr. Spacley said no raise. The picture isnt good but what you can see is a bad idea for a head on crash. Find a place to put all the ones that dont sell.

    Reply
  9. A recent test of the Model X on Ike Gauntlet nconfirm why an all electric truck have a way to go. The SUV tow performance was good but it had no power range left by the time it was finished.

    Reply
    1. @Guestt
      Different Battery Technology is used on the Model X than on the upcoming Pickup Truck. Nobody is buying a Model X to Tow. They will however purchase a Tesla Truck to tow though.
      Tesla is allegedly using semi Tech for their upcoming Truck and those Semi Trucks can Tow (Remember a Fully Loaded Semi is up to 80,000 lbs) up to 500 miles and some reports are out there stating 600 Miles per Charge.

      Reply
      1. 500 mi’s on flat land and warm weather maybe also it’s Tesla they’ll use the same technology, plus the semi’s range would have little to do with the pickup (semi-tractor = larger vehicle = more battery cap = longer range). I’m not against ev trucks, they just not replacing diesel OTR trucks and f.f. pickups anytime soon.

        Reply
        1. @Guestt
          I politely disagree with that.
          I am in Logistics and believe me Long Haul Rig companies (Not Owner Operators) cannot wait to get EV’s into their Fleets. It will revolutionize OTR and Short Haul Trucking as we know it and Infrastructure.
          Tesla has been using their Semi’s for over a year now. Unless they are completely lying to their Potential Customers, Tesla is getting more than 500 Miles per Charge. Not sure if you are aware but California isn’t all that Flat. Just saying.
          The Tesla Semi will do more to change an Industry than the Niche Tesla Pickup truck.
          I am just wondering what a typical pickup buyer would need an EV Truck to offer them to give up their ICE Pickup Trucks or even if they would at all.
          Semi just need to offer the same capabilities and they will pretty much sell themselves. EV semi’s will save Companies Hundreds of thousands and even Millions depending on Fleet sizes.
          Then there will be the whole Autonomous thing but that be a lot further Down the road for that discussion,

          Reply
          1. I hope so but outside of certain regions an EV OTR truck is not that feasible, especially in blizzard conditions, high desert, swamps, extreme cold/heat, disaster zones, power generation, things that a diesel truck is proven in . The NE Corridor is another good start but can’t imagine many impatient trucker/truck operators to “wait” for the future.

            Reply
            1. @Guestt
              I think you are confusing what a Diesel Rig can do. Semi’s Gel up when it is cold outside all the time. When that happens, companies lose money. Shippers and or Receivers (basically their customers) are not very happy about it. I would think that a carrier rather get so called shorter range with EV’s then to deal with their Fleet Gelling up and you can’t use them when it is cold until you warm them up. They also overheat in the Summer heat while hauling up to 46,000 lbs of Cargo. They are Super slow going up even slight slopes on the road. Ask a Driver to go through the Rockies, they hate it. EV’s will not have that issue.
              EV Semi’s will revolutionize the Semi Market.

              Reply
              1. “Gelling” of course if the truck sits off and still all night in -0 temps and not move you have that but you’re good to go for once you’re warm (and if I’m not mistaken ICE trucks in that climate already have plug-in stations for the heaters to keep the major accessories warm) and not worry about range, that’s not the case for an electric but a regional electric truck would be ideal for this situation.

                As for the Rockies the TFL Ike test shows probably what happens to an electric when towing (great performance, not much range). Heat?, batteries heat nearly as much as an ICE, but the ICE have an built-in cooling system that won’t effect range but the electric will have to draw power for the fans to cool things down and let’s not forget the HVAC for the drivers.

                As said before it will be a while before an electric will have major advantages over ICE for OTR trucks.

                Reply
          2. The factory I work at is landlocked and we bring parts in from our offsite warehouse a few miles down the street, run semis back and forth 3 shifts/day. Seems like the ideal application for an electric truck, but then I wonder if we would have to buy an extra tractor to be charging at all times since we run 3 shifts for logistics team or if the dwell time at each end would be long enough to keep it charged. As far as OTR, I’m sure some will buy as soon as they can but I see that being a long road until a real meaningful share of the industry is electric.

            Reply
            1. @Ryan
              I agree that it will be a slow ramp up to EV Semi Trucks. I think most bigger firms will get their feet wet first to see how much money it will save them and then go All IN if it makes sense. Semi Trucks break Down a lot. Trust me. EV Semi’s will be a huge benefit to Fleets.

              Reply
  10. The Cold Harsh Reality is that truck buyers are the least active group of buyers demanding EV or Hybrid technology.

    Fleets are interested but the start up cost is too much for right now. Once it comes down Fleets would be the primary entry point here.

    A high priced electric truck would be a novelty car much like the Hummer Electric. High prices for high end buyers in limited numbers. with large chrome wheels.

    The normal truck buyer is looking for a crew cab with good power he can get for under $50K with a decent amount of options. This is where Ram is making up big ground with high incentives undercutting the prices of the others.

    Now this is how it is with the economy being good. If we have a slow down sales will slide till rebates stop the slide and EV trucks has no room for incentives.

    The EV markets will continue to grow but at a slow pace based on what new tech innovations come that could speed it up or cut the cost of batteries.

    Going out declaring that the coming EV can cure poverty and all disease in the world is only going to be under cut by the reality of cost.

    The most important selling point for any vehicle in the future is price. They all are seen as too expensive now and only will get worse as we bring in more tech unless they find a way to cut the cost.

    Reply
    1. Indeed on all points.

      Reply
    2. @C8.R
      I agree with you. Cost is everything in the Auto Industry unless we are discussing Luxury vehicles.
      My only question is if price is somewhat the same, would the Weekend Warrior type switch to the EV Truck regardless if it is a Tesla or GM.If we take Elon for his word, he said the Truck will start at under $50,000 so like $49,999 LOL
      If that will be the case, will people switch when you think of the potential Fuel Savings?
      I would love to see a Survey. I think if this Truck is not a 100% Game Changer on the 21st then FCA, Ford, and GM will have much more time before switching to EV Pickup Trucks. If this thing blows up the Internet then they might be in trouble and will have to make a great not good enough EV Pickup Truck much sooner than they would have wanted too.

      Reply
      1. If you mean weekend warriors like off road people no they will not tie into electric as they will be in places that will never see chargers. They don’t even have power lines for chargers as it is in most trail areas.

        The main people that could be attracted to EV trucks will be those who are suburban people that commute in their trucks.

        Another group will be those who own fleets that want to cut cost but the cost will have to come down first. Right now the numbers are not great enough to invest yet.

        The final group are those Tesla will go after that are similar to the Hummer people. They want the expensive uncommon vehicle that attract attention or portrays an image of affluence.

        Towing will not be a factor. The issue with towing is while they can pull a heavy load they will also use a lot of power fast. Then to replenish it will take time and if they are hauling for a living or trying to get some place they do not want to be charging.

        I expect they all will try to target fleets. They will offer trucks and vans that can run a daily route, they can charge over night and they can price competitive with a Ice vehicle. Batteries still need to improve and get cheaper but they will get there at some point.

        Right now most MFGs are just trying to balance investment into development but not drain the fund on money losers. Even if they break even they will be fine. This is a deal the will evolve over time.

        One wild cars is the space program. The investment in the moon and mars could spur faster development in better power systems and batteries. Time will tell.

        Reply
        1. @C8.R
          I agree with your assessment on who will most likely buy EV Trucks first. Now as far as the so called Off-Roaders, it will depend on how many miles that EV Truck will get I would assume. If you get lets say 500 Miles per Charge is that enough for them?
          I am asking as I am not an Off Road expert and would really like to know. Would 500 Miles make you comfortable enough to go out with an EV Truck?

          Reply
  11. Maybe to you, this Tesla truck will be the ideal EV truck, but Ford will beat and outsell Tesla with the F-150 EVin the real world . Ford is the world’s first and largest truck maker, and Tesla will not even dent Ford’s market. And BTW, Ford has already demonstrated the EV F-150 pulling power publicly, while this Tesla truck is a concept until it is produced. And we ALL know how Tesla fails with its production line, behind schedule and bad initial quality. Sorry, your Tesla bubble will bust soon!

    Reply
    1. @Ford Owner
      Well you obviously missed the whole point of this Convo. I am not stating would Pickup Owners give up their Ford for a Tesla, I asked would they give up their ICE Pickup for any EV Pickup.
      Also for the record, the EV F-150 you are talking about was a Concept vehicle. You cannot purchase that right now just like you cannot purchase the upcoming Tesla Pickup Truck. Sorry if that blew your mind.

      Reply
  12. Elon Musk’s playbook is to keep launching new things (and every next thing is supposed to be ‘the thing’). There is some initial sale to be made to fanboys and then it is time for another big reveal. But this way he is able to keep the ball rolling. One has to admire him for that.

    Reply
    1. @SnCA
      I would agree with you if they weren’t selling every vehicle that they can produce right now. And they are mostly doing this selling Sedans that the Media keeps shoving down our Throats that people no longer want but he sure as Heck has figured out how to sell them and sell them at Sticker Prices as well.
      Also the Model Y is a couple of Months away. I do not see how he is fooling anyone. Just a Car company showing off their new vehicles just like GM does and others.

      Reply
  13. I would love to see how many people actually buy this thing.

    Unless it;

    – Costs less than $45k.
    – Can haul at least 1500 lbs.
    – Can tow at least 10,000 lbs.
    – Can go at least 400 miles on a charge or 200 WHILE TOWING.
    – isn’t extremely complicated to fix and easy to ding/dent.

    I don’t think this will make a dent in even the RAM Laramie/Platinum F150/Denali sales. I bet that any color besides white will cost an extra $500 (at least). The main reason people buy trucks is because they’re big, can go almost anywhere and do almost anything and they’re simple. Why do you think RAM and GM are keeping the last gen trucks around? Why are the Taco and Frontier such big sellers? (I personally don’t like either but they do sell). Most truck owners, don’t like the “super techification” of trucks as of recent.

    Reply
  14. @Henry
    I really like the the Specs you came up with.
    Those Specs make perfect sense. I believe I read or heard somewhere that Elon stated the Truck will start under 50K so like $49,999 LOL

    Reply
  15. Tesla is the Apple of transportation, and always will be. Just like Apple computers, Tesla cars are a niche product. The emphasis on proprietary technology and “exclusive” peripherals basically guaranteed that Apple would never be a major player in the personal computer market. That’s not to say they haven’t been profitable there, nor that their products are bad. It’s just, people don’t want proprietary. Most people want a computer that works with every peripheral. Once people realized that Apple wanted to keep everything in house and do things only their own way, people walked away.

    And so it will be with Tesla. They will innovate the market, doing a lot of the initial creative work. But eventually, a horde of competitors will sneak up on them. A new charging standard will emerge, and all the competitors will adopt it. Eventually, there will be more of those chargers than Tesla Superchargers, and they’ll be just as good. People will walk away from Tesla, leaving a little niche consumer base, maybe around 5% of the market.

    The truck will change precisely nothing, even if its awesome, which I’m sure it will be. Just like my Apple II GS was in 1986.

    Reply

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