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Transportation Technology

Tesla Pickup Truck To Cost Less Than $50,000, 'Be Better Than F150', Says Elon Musk (electrek.co) 426

Elon Musk has made some interesting new comments about the upcoming Tesla Pickup truck, including a first hint at the starting price, which he aims to keep under $50,000, and some of the functionality. From a report: During an appearance on Ride the Lighting podcast this weekend, Musk made some new comments about the upcoming electric pickup truck. He confirmed that Tesla is aiming to keep the starting price 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."

As for the capabilities of the Tesla pickup truck, the CEO is aiming for high standards: "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."

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Tesla Pickup Truck To Cost Less Than $50,000, 'Be Better Than F150', Says Elon Musk

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  • by goombah99 ( 560566 ) on Monday June 03, 2019 @11:04AM (#58700828)

    Making the cab aerodynamic will mean I can't wear my cowboy hat or have room for the gun rack. Who want's a truck without those amenities?

    • by Nidi62 ( 1525137 )

      Making the cab aerodynamic will mean I can't wear my cowboy hat or have room for the gun rack. Who want's a truck without those amenities?

      In my truck I keep my baseball cap (actually caps, plural, right now, and one is even camouflage) on my dashboard, and the guns go either on the back seat (my pickup, like any real pickup, has bench seats both front and rear) or in the fold down center armrest. Right now the only thing in that though is a knife that has a seat belt cutter and window breaker for emergencies. That's how us suburban rednecks roll.

  • by sinij ( 911942 ) on Monday June 03, 2019 @11:07AM (#58700846)
    While Tesla are pushing innovation in automotive sector, this truck is at least 5 years out and base $50K base mode won't be available at the release time.

    Plus, it will be hilarious to see Silicon Valley bearded hipsters try to design a rugged work truck. I suspect it will be rather lumbersexual instead of being able to haul lumber.
    • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

      by Nidi62 ( 1525137 )

      Plus, it will be hilarious to see Silicon Valley bearded hipsters try to design a rugged work truck. I suspect it will be rather lumbersexual instead of being able to haul lumber.

      Most people who drive pickups don't actually use them for work anyway. Especially those $70k+ F250 quad cabs on lift kits.

      • Re: (Score:2, Informative)

        by Anonymous Coward

        [Citation Needed]

        • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

          by Anonymous Coward

          [1] Open your eyes.

        • As a though experiment, the people using a truck for real work. Will try to keep business expenses down to increase profit. Paying for a truck that is too big for their needs is just not profitable.

          If their need is for a bigger truck, they will often go much bigger, the F250 range is too big for normal use, and two small for Large hauling.

          But perfect for guys who want to show they are a Manly Men.

        • Re:2025 and $100K (Score:4, Interesting)

          by sexconker ( 1179573 ) on Monday June 03, 2019 @11:57AM (#58701310)

          [Citation Needed]

          California. Drive anywhere in California and you'll see 3 types of trucks.

          Old, beat up, and dirty trucks that people use for work.
          Newish, cleanish, modified (custom equipment) trucks that the city, utilities, etc. use for work.
          New, shiny, giant modified trucks (flashy rims, a body lifted 12-24 inches higher than stock) that idiots use to commute or kill people (the lift kit means any collision results in the engine slamming into the head of the victim).

        • Re:2025 and $100K (Score:5, Interesting)

          by Ed Tice ( 3732157 ) on Monday June 03, 2019 @12:45PM (#58701640)
          More than 80 percent of full-size pickup owners expect to tow cars or trailers, 61 percent are contractors or plan home improvement projects and 48 percent plan to tow or haul a motorcycle or ATV, Cox Automotive reports. https://www.freep.com/story/mo... [freep.com]
      • I miss suvsux.org ^^
    • Re:2025 and $100K (Score:5, Insightful)

      by saider ( 177166 ) on Monday June 03, 2019 @11:17AM (#58700966)

      I don't see a battery truck being able to pull a trailer over any kind of practical range. My gas truck mileage is cut in half pulling the scout trailer. I just hit the gas station and 10 minutes later I'm back on the road.

      This is for the suburbanites competing with their neighbor's Georgia Cadillac. It will be better than a Model S for trips to Lowes. That's about the only benefit I see.

      • by lgw ( 121541 )

        I don't see a battery truck being able to pull a trailer over any kind of practical range.

        Depends on what you mean by "practical range", but I'd expect it to haul a trailer a couple hundred miles if the Tesla Semi is any sign. It's just a question of weight, and pickups aren't expected to be light.

        Now, if you're one of those crazy people who's idea of a fun day is to spend 8 hours driving to get their boat in the water for 4 hours, then I don't think Tesla has a play there. Competitors might eventually though, as an electric drivetrain plus a 40 hp generator gives you the best of both worlds.

      • I don't see a battery truck being able to pull a trailer over any kind of practical range.

        The amount of weight you pull is actually far less relevant than its aerodynamics.

        My gas truck mileage is cut in half pulling the scout trailer.

        This is because in a normal truck, every time you accelerate and you convert fuel to accelerate the trailer, that energy is subsequently lost to heat when you brake. With an electric truck almost all of that energy is retained since regenerative braking turns all the kinetic energy in the trailer back into electrical that is stored in the battery. The engines operate in reverse as generators to charge your battery and slow you at the same time - with regenerative braking you can get your energy back with 95% efficiency.

        Weight will still be an issue if the route involves a net gain in elevation. But, on average, 50% of one-way routes will be a net decrease in elevation. So overall weight is not a huge issue. It's drag that kills you. The truck can be designed in such a way that the aerodynamics of the truck actually work better with a trailer behind. I'm excited to see what Tesla comes up with for drag-reduction for towing.

      • by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

        By 2025 batteries will be much lower cost per Watt than they are today, so if you need range you will be able to get it.

    • Right now they're designed by portly aging East-Coast millionaires, so I don't think the Cali-Hipsters will have any more problems then those guys at bridging the conceptual leap.

    • by lgw ( 121541 )

      Plus, it will be hilarious to see Silicon Valley bearded hipsters try to design a rugged work truck. I suspect it will be rather lumbersexual instead of being able to haul lumber.

      Most pickup trucks aren't very functional, at least when it comes to hauling lumber. Four-door pickup trucks with 5.5' beds are very common. If used for work, there will be a "toolbox" taking up the front 1.5' of the bed, leaving about 4' of bed to work with. This is often perfectly functional for the actual job, as the guy needs to get himself, maybe a small crew, and his tools to the work site. Actual lumber or sheetrock or whatever comes on a heavy truck.

      Most of what people use pickup trucks for would be better served by an SUV on the same frame, but that's the wrong social signalling. Tesla has yet to be seen as anything but a rich hipster's toy, and they'll struggle to overcome that. A pickup is the right way to go to overcome their image, but I'm skeptical. They are at least a US company, so they go that going for them.

      • by EvilSS ( 557649 )

        Most of what people use pickup trucks for would be better served by an SUV on the same frame, but that's the wrong social signalling.

        It's also quite a bit more expensive in most cases. Trucks are expensive enough, but the SUVs based on their frames are even more expensive, especially at the lower tiers. Just look at the F150 (starts around $30K, well equipped for around $40K) vs the Expedition (starts at $52K).

      • Re:2025 and $100K (Score:5, Interesting)

        by samwichse ( 1056268 ) on Monday June 03, 2019 @12:06PM (#58701366)

        I feel like bollinger pretty well nailed the utility possibilities of an electric truck:

        https://bollingermotors.com/bo... [bollingermotors.com]

        Notice the "frunk" is actually a front tail gate letting you put long lumber all the way through between the passengers. Also, the easily repaired flat body panels.

        • Re:2025 and $100K (Score:5, Insightful)

          by eth1 ( 94901 ) on Monday June 03, 2019 @02:15PM (#58702430)

          Notice the "frunk" is actually a front tail gate letting you put long lumber all the way through between the passengers. Also, the easily repaired flat body panels.

          You mean "... the "frunk" is actually a front torpedo tube letting you carry long objects that will pass all the way through anyone you hit.

      • Re:2025 and $100K (Score:5, Insightful)

        by rockmuelle ( 575982 ) on Monday June 03, 2019 @12:20PM (#58701476)

        Most of what people use pickup trucks for would be better served by an SUV on the same frame, but that's the wrong social signalling.

        Really, most of what people use pickup trucks for would be better served by a minivan. They can comfortably seat 6-8 adults, with no step-ups to get in and out. There's enough cargo space in the back for tools (and with folding seats, you can give up 1-2 seats for significantly more cargo space). Most of them can haul a light trailer (think lawn or carpentry tools). They get decent gas milage. They're $20-30k cheaper than your average truck (which just makes business sense).

        Set aside social signaling and there's no reason for trucks or SUVs to exist at all. Just sayin'...

        • by Pascoea ( 968200 ) on Monday June 03, 2019 @01:04PM (#58701818)

          Set aside social signaling and there's no reason for trucks or SUVs to exist at all. Just sayin'...

          Really? You can't think of a single reason? Ever try and tow a 16' boat with a minivan? Good luck.

    • Re:2025 and $100K (Score:5, Insightful)

      by jellomizer ( 103300 ) on Monday June 03, 2019 @11:27AM (#58701066)

      I haven't seen a useful truck out of Detroit in a while.
      Remember as a Kid, someone called your Action Figures, Dolls and your whole world changed.
      Pickup Trucks today are just oversized Luxury Cars, Like the type that Grandma drives. Just marketed so Young Guys full of Testosterone feels manly and powerful for driving it.
      I live in a rural area, and oddly enough the Contractors, and Farmers seem to drive smaller Nissan and Toyota Pickup trucks, (or the smaller older models of the F150) Because they want a truck that you put a bunch of crap in the back, drive to your location and unload it. For most farmers, they don't even take the truck off road, they have tractors for that, that will handle deep mud much better, they drive it on the road, to the driveway (often packed dirt).

      When I drive to the Suburbs, Then there are people with the Big F150's and Rams with 1-1.5foot radius wheels. Polished and clean, and with an empty bed.

      Lumber isn't that heavy, so just as long as the bed it long enough to hold it 8" is usually enough, as 12" boards will hand out, but over half of the boards are inside the bed, it works out fine.

    • Comment removed (Score:4, Insightful)

      by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) on Monday June 03, 2019 @11:27AM (#58701072)
      Comment removed based on user account deletion
      • The identity politics is really pissing me off in general.

        I drive a Prius C.
        Why, my commute is over 30 miles over a well managed road. I don't want spend a lot of money on Gas.

        While I am not a climate denier, I am not a "greenny beading heart liberal". It was a car suited for my needs and my budget.

        Now sometimes I will get a Pickup Truck intentionally cut me off. (One time there was a Pickup truck that cut me off, that had a bumper sticker that say, I cut off Priuses) Just because somewhere they were told

    • Yeah, those $!#! Silicon Valley hipsters. I'm sure Chevy and Ford only let REAL MEN with REAL BEARDS and REAL GUNS and REAL CATTLE and...uh...POWERTOOLS design their pickup trucks.

      I bet their design studios are just full of men in beat up jeans and t-shirts drinking beer and dreaming up REAL TRUCKS.

    • Re:2025 and $100K (Score:4, Interesting)

      by Excelcia ( 906188 ) <slashdot@excelcia.ca> on Monday June 03, 2019 @12:13PM (#58701426) Homepage Journal

      Plus, it will be hilarious to see Silicon Valley bearded hipsters try to design a rugged work truck.

      Know what would be funnier, is seeing Detroit try and come out with a rugged work truck for once.

      But fair enough, maybe there's something to what you say. After all, Elon is known for putting his foot in it now and again. But then every scientist and engineer in every national space program on the planet laughed him out of meetings too when he said the cost of materials for space launch craft is several orders of magnitude less than the cost of the craft, so he ought to be able to sort that shit out. They laughed. They chucked him out of meetings. He shrugged and then just got busy.

      But honestly, you know what it really is? Its the daisy chain of rusted out boxes and broken struts that I've experienced out of Detroit. I see more moxy, gumption and verve from a California tranny than I see in a Detroit one. Why is that? Because for two generations they've had no competition. A 25% truck tariff for 55 years has killed innovation dead. So ya, I'd be ready to see what Elon's team of fucking demon hipster chicks comes up with for their definition of rugged because I'm not particularly impressed with Detroit's.

    • by leonbev ( 111395 )

      Yeah, nothing that Elon Musk promises ever seems to come in on time or on budget.

      Put me down for 2023 and a $70,000 starting price for the "Model T" or whatever the truck ends up being called, assuming that Tesla is still in business as an independent company by then.

  • Nope. As a former 911 owner and current Tesla owner - performance alone doesn't make a sports car. I really like the Model S I have, and I really like the 996 I used to have too (and later a 987.2). Different cars completely though, despite similarities in speed.
    • Nope. As a former 911 owner and current Tesla owner - performance alone doesn't make a sports car. I really like the Model S I have, and I really like the 996 I used to have too (and later a 987.2). Different cars completely though, despite similarities in speed.

      Yep, I wish Tesla would start making the Roadster sports car model again, THEN we could talk.

      Frankly, I"m not interested in a family car with > 2 seats....anything other than that is NOT a sports car, IMHO.

      Hell, even if I could get a Roadster,

      • by lgw ( 121541 )

        Sports cars with 2 seats don't sell. Sports cars with "vesstigal back seats" that aren't actually useful for anything (what we used to call a "2+2") sell well. Heck, what 2-seaters are actually available new these days (sub $100k) - the 370Z, the TT, and ... the Miata?

        • BMW Z (discontinued but coming back), Corvette, Porsche Boxster. My first thought was that no pickup could be a better sports car than a Porsche -- but then I remember Porsche now makes SUVs, so it isn't really Porsche any more.

      • They are going to be making the Roadster again soon ("soon" in Musky time, obviously).

        Huge modern cars and SUVs can have really impressive performance numbers but ultimately they achieve this by overcoming the enormous weight and/or high center of gravity with ridiculous amounts of power, tire and fancy suspension wizardry.

        But as everyone should know, the best way to improve a car is to add lightness. The Lambo Urus is impressive, for an SUV, but next to something like an 812 Superfast with a simple NA, RWD

  • Musk or Trump? (Score:4, Insightful)

    by bkr1_2k ( 237627 ) on Monday June 03, 2019 @11:10AM (#58700876)

    Is it me or does that sound like a tweet from Trump more than a statement from a CEO of a tech company?

    • Re:Musk or Trump? (Score:4, Insightful)

      by ZiakII ( 829432 ) on Monday June 03, 2019 @11:39AM (#58701176)

      Is it me or does that sound like a tweet from Trump more than a statement from a CEO of a tech company?

      No it sounds like a tweet from a Narcissist

      • Wait a sec... How many vehicles is Tesla trying to build? So far the S, X, 3 are in production, planned are a semi-tractor, roadster and now a pickup? Sounds like a recipe for shortchanging design and build quality on all the products. Tesla is really more like Porsche in terms of demand, but unlike Porsche which is a successful, profitable product line. But Porsche level sales don't come close to supporting the market cap Tesla has today.

        Tesla is beginning to look like Apple under Sculley and Amelio. I h
      • by jimbo ( 1370 )

        Well, he has achieved a hell of a lot more in life than I have. He has even got several large achievements under his belt, where some other big achievers are one shot cannons. So, I'll allow him an inflated ego..

        Now the good thing here is that he did not made a price promise, like he did on the car. He merely set a target they're aiming for.

    • I had exactly the same thought.
  • by crunchy_one ( 1047426 ) on Monday June 03, 2019 @11:10AM (#58700880)

    The goal is to be a better truck than a [Ford] F-150

    • At that price, thier competing against a F-250 diesel for people who need truck performance (Heavy towing/loads/ + towing and loads off road. And some of those have a 54 Gallon tank, so you're competing with a 800 mile range unloaded/ 500 mile w/ 10,000 lb trailer. .

      • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

        At that price, thier competing against a F-250 diesel for people who need truck performance (Heavy towing/loads/ + towing and loads off road. And some of those have a 54 Gallon tank, so you're competing with a 800 mile range unloaded/ 500 mile w/ 10,000 lb trailer. .

        500 mile range on 54 USG/200 litres with a 10,000lb trailer? Is that the kind of dogshit vehicles you design over there? My 44 tonne / 97000lb semi truck will only use 150-160 litres/40 US Gallons doing the 360 mile run I've got to do tonight including going over some quite high hills. That is a 53ft long, 8ft wide, 14ft high 97000lb vehicle getting the same MPG as a F250 pulling a 10,000lb trailer.

      • for people who need truck performance

        95% of that people really don't need it....

    • If it can't outperform my Cummins, then I'm not interested in your toy, Elon. And yes, I use my truck for work. And pull a trailer. For other stuff I've got a used prius. And NO, I value my time too much to rent a truck.
  • I can see wanting a tow vehicle in 5 or 6 years, and I'd much rather it be electric. There shouldn't be any issue with towing capacity, and my range needs are relatively modest. I hope that by the time I want to buy one, I'll be able to choose between a Tesla, Rivian and an electric F-150.

    Better than F-150 is pretty vague, though - better at what exactly? Almost certainly the max tow weight could be higher in an electric truck, but that's not the be all and end all of things.

    • Towing capacity is limited from by the frame, suspension, and transmission, than by engine power or torque. I'm going to guess 3,500 lbs will be the rating.

  • Will the truck be able to be used as a robotaxi? That will be great! It will pay for itself (and more).

  • Ok, be better than an F150? WHICH F150 are we talking about? There are about a billion different configurations of F150s with every feature you can imagine. Base price of an F150 is about $28,000 and they go all the way up to around $70,000 for a fully pimped out model. Saying the truck is better than an F150 depends heavily on how you define better and which F150 you are comparing to.

    I'm certainly curious what Tesla has in mind. I drive a pickup at least some of the year and my current one has nearly

  • The BS has distinctly outstayed its welcome.
  • by SethJohnson ( 112166 ) on Monday June 03, 2019 @11:27AM (#58701070) Homepage Journal
    I'd like to see a tailgate that flips all the way down without hitting the bumper so I can load heavy objects into the bed without having to reach over the horizontal tailgate.

    Since this thing is charging overnight, how about holsters in the cab for charging my impact driver batteries at the same time? Also, the truck could charge them while in the field away from electricity. Can I run a welder off this truck battery? Probably risks not making it back home, but that would be very cool.

    And while I'm here commenting on a slashdot post about the cost of pickup trucks, might I recommend nobody pay insane retail prices for F150s?!? The used market is full of 6-year-old gently-used 4x4 F150s in top trim options for $10k-$15k cash.
    • I'd like to see a tailgate that flips all the way down without hitting the bumper so I can load heavy objects into the bed without having to reach over the horizontal tailgate.

      The Honda Ridgeline's tailgate can swing open like a door (it also flips down). Opening like that, you don't need to reach over it to put something in the bed, which is, indeed, very nice.

    • The mitsubishi mini truck is the truck for you. Very easy to load and unload. With the right tires will carry 1,000 lbs through a foot of snow or 8" of mud. Only catch is that it's not built for the demensions of a typical american.

  • Availability (Score:5, Interesting)

    by ebyrob ( 165903 ) on Monday June 03, 2019 @11:29AM (#58701086)

    Maybe they should sell some model 3's at $35,000 first.

  • by ilsaloving ( 1534307 ) on Monday June 03, 2019 @11:29AM (#58701088)

    I'm curious to know if *anyone* takes him seriously at this point. He's managed to establish a fantastic reputation of making huge promises but not coming close to delivering. Whether it's via massive delays, seriously scaled back features, or both, the used toilet paper we use each morning holds more value than Musk's word.

    Oh, and don't forget throwing temper tantrums and publicly accusing people of being pedos when they (unintentionally) steal Musks thunder.

  • Comment removed based on user account deletion
  • by jzarling ( 600712 ) on Monday June 03, 2019 @11:42AM (#58701206)
    IMHO the Ford Transit Connect makes a better target - get a foothold on the delivery world, and small service vendor trucks
  • by Altus ( 1034 )

    Honestly I would prefer if they made a light truck like the old Tacoma. They wouldn't have the fuel efficiency issues that have made light trucks less attractive to manufacturers and its a space in the market that is not well served at all. Plus they could probably make it a lot more powerful when it comes to towing than light trucks have been in the past. It seems like the perfect platform for the types of contractors who would thrive with an electric vehicle. Why compete with heavy trucks when you can

    • Honestly I would prefer if they made a light truck like the old Tacoma.

      I wish that small light trucks like the old Tacoma were still made. Modern trucks are huge. I don't need a 5,000 pound truck to take my trash to the dump and haul a lawnmower. :/

  • by ctilsie242 ( 4841247 ) on Monday June 03, 2019 @12:16PM (#58701452)

    As someone who has worked on a ranch, a lot of the pickups there roam the property, then are placed back in one area come nightfall. Because of this, it is a lot more feasible to just plug into an array of chargers, as opposed to using the red-dyed offroad diesel fuel. This way, come morning, just unplug, and you are ready to head to the back 40.

    An electric truck has numerous pluses. Add an inverter, and you now can power that huge welder without needing a loud generator. Electric motors get their HP at 0 RPM, so I can drag the trailer out of the mud in 4L with ease, and without having to use a heavy duty wench to free it from the mud.

    Then there is MPG. Since rural people put a ton of miles on their vehicles, having an EV means not spending huge amounts on fuel

    So, why are not these a reality? For someone in a rural area, electric vehicles would be very useful, and there is plenty of space at the gas stations to add banks of chargers. Not all rural people roll coal.

    • If EV PUT take off, then I suspect welders will be build to run directly off the power pack. Inverting it, just to see it rectified in the Switch-mode supply seems like a waste.

    • Add an inverter, and you now can power that huge welder without needing a loud generator.

      So you spend a day welding out in the back 40 and find out that you can't get your truck home because the battery is dead. No jump start for you, and no throwing a gas can in another truck and taking out to refuel. I guess you have to drive another truck with an inverter and a charger out so you can get enough charge to get home.

      and without having to use a heavy duty wench to free it from the mud.

      I knew there must be a reason to get married. It's not "bring me a sammich" anymore, huh?

  • The Rivian electric truck has a list price of $46,000, so it will be great to have two high quality electric trucks on the market in the US.

    • The Rivian electric truck has a list price of $46,000, so it will be great to have two high quality electric trucks on the market in the US.

      Except this is not a truck really. More like an Ute. Even the old ranchero had a bigger more useful bed.

  • I think it's the right direction for technology, however I'm driving a 2017 pickup (a Chevy Colorado) that only cost $26,000 brand new and has a bigger bed. That's a $23,000 price difference, which buys a whole lot of gas. It'd be at least 115,000 miles before I'd even break even if I assumed that charging the Tesla was free.

    I know that technology pretty much has to be iterative, but this isn't for me quite yet. Get it to $30k to $35k and then my interest is piqued.

  • All that is ever published is towing capacity.

    Stating astronomically high towing capacity without remarking how it will affect range, is pointless.

    I have an average size RV camper that weighs approx 5000-6000 lbs loaded. When I tow this thing, my fuel economy drops from about 25 MPG to under 10 MPG - a 60% reduction. This drop in fuel economy is exactly why pickup trucks carry 90+ L tanks - so that they can tow things a decent distance.

    If towing anything of significance causes the truck to drop from 400 miles range to 160 miles, it is going to pretty much kill this truck as an option for anyone who needs to haul a camper or boat.

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