Analysts, Gamers, and Blade Runner's Artistic Director React To The Look of Tesla's Cybertruck (businessinsider.com) 293
Syd Mead, the artistic director on Blade Runner says Tesla's new Cybertruck "has completely changed the vocabulary of the personal truck market design."
Or, for another perspective, "Tesla's Cybertruck looks weird... like, really weird," wrote Toni Sacconaghi, a senior equity research analyst at the global asset management firm AllianceBernstein. "Add a little bit of dirt, and you could even say it gives off a retro-future vibe a la Mad Max."
That's from a Market Insider article citing Wall Street analysts they say "aren't buying the futuristic design of Tesla's new electric pickup truck." For example, Dan Levy of Credit Suisse, who wrote "amid the radical design for Cybertruck, it's somewhat unclear to us who the core buyer will be." "We do not see this vehicle in its current form being a success," Jeffrey Osborne of Cowen wrote in a note on Friday, adding that he doesn't see the Tesla brand or the Cybertruck design "resonating with existing pickup truck owners...."
Still, the Cybertruck's design wasn't unanimously disliked by Wall Street. The design "will be a hit with the company's fanatic EV installed base globally as Musk & Co. are clearly thinking way out of the box on this model design," Dan Ives of Wedbush wrote in a Friday note....
[And] "While styling will always be subjective, we believe the unique and futuristic design will resonate with consumers, leading to solid demand," Jed Dorsheimer of Canaccord Genuity wrote in a Friday note.
The article also quotes Toni Sacconaghi of Bernstein as saying that the "really futuristic, like cyberpunk Blade Runner" design "is too bad, because its on-paper specs are insane."
But IGN reports there's another group commenting enthusiastically on the Cybertruck's looks: gamers. Unlike anything else we've seen from Musk's line of vehicles before, the Tesla truck resembles something you'd see in an old video game set in the future or sci-fi flick from the late '90s to the early 2000s.
Of course, gamers all over the internet couldn't help themselves from sharing images, making memes, and drawing comparisons to look-alikes we've seen in games, TV shows, and movies... According to the internet, the Tesla Cybertruck either hasn't finished rendering yet or is made of some very dated graphics. Either way, it takes us back to the days where we got to experience the famous low-poly Lara Croft.
Or, for another perspective, "Tesla's Cybertruck looks weird... like, really weird," wrote Toni Sacconaghi, a senior equity research analyst at the global asset management firm AllianceBernstein. "Add a little bit of dirt, and you could even say it gives off a retro-future vibe a la Mad Max."
That's from a Market Insider article citing Wall Street analysts they say "aren't buying the futuristic design of Tesla's new electric pickup truck." For example, Dan Levy of Credit Suisse, who wrote "amid the radical design for Cybertruck, it's somewhat unclear to us who the core buyer will be." "We do not see this vehicle in its current form being a success," Jeffrey Osborne of Cowen wrote in a note on Friday, adding that he doesn't see the Tesla brand or the Cybertruck design "resonating with existing pickup truck owners...."
Still, the Cybertruck's design wasn't unanimously disliked by Wall Street. The design "will be a hit with the company's fanatic EV installed base globally as Musk & Co. are clearly thinking way out of the box on this model design," Dan Ives of Wedbush wrote in a Friday note....
[And] "While styling will always be subjective, we believe the unique and futuristic design will resonate with consumers, leading to solid demand," Jed Dorsheimer of Canaccord Genuity wrote in a Friday note.
The article also quotes Toni Sacconaghi of Bernstein as saying that the "really futuristic, like cyberpunk Blade Runner" design "is too bad, because its on-paper specs are insane."
But IGN reports there's another group commenting enthusiastically on the Cybertruck's looks: gamers. Unlike anything else we've seen from Musk's line of vehicles before, the Tesla truck resembles something you'd see in an old video game set in the future or sci-fi flick from the late '90s to the early 2000s.
Of course, gamers all over the internet couldn't help themselves from sharing images, making memes, and drawing comparisons to look-alikes we've seen in games, TV shows, and movies... According to the internet, the Tesla Cybertruck either hasn't finished rendering yet or is made of some very dated graphics. Either way, it takes us back to the days where we got to experience the famous low-poly Lara Croft.
it's basically a wedge (Score:4, Informative)
wedge designs were popular in the late 1960s from italian design bureaus for concept cars
lancia stratos zero
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
i don't know what a "vocabulary" is when it comes to cars but if a bunch of lines with an apex counts, there you go
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If you look at the start of Elon Musk's presentation you'll a Lotus Esprit at top left just after he says the word "inspiration".
(and it's the first car I thought of when I saw it)
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Re:it's basically a wedge (Score:5, Informative)
Presumably the vocabulary is "does not meet EU safety standards for pedestrian collisions".
It's just a prototype, the final design will be different. This one doesn't have wing mirrors or cameras. The single cyclops front headlight is illegal in the EU. The marble dash will need to be some kind of veneer do they can get an airbag in there. The steering wheel is stupid and also not legal in the EU.
Re:it's basically a wedge (Score:4, Interesting)
Presumably the vocabulary is "does not meet EU safety standards for pedestrian collisions".
It's just a prototype, the final design will be different. This one doesn't have wing mirrors or cameras. The single cyclops front headlight is illegal in the EU. The marble dash will need to be some kind of veneer do they can get an airbag in there. The steering wheel is stupid and also not legal in the EU.
We call them "concept cars". run a concept up the flagpole and see who salutes. This oone does have a slightly different angle in that it is itended to go into production at some point (most concept cars aren't)
But while it is a bit strange looking, apparently a lot of people have put in reservations:
FTA"That's from a Market Insider article citing Wall Street analysts they say "aren't buying the futuristic design of Tesla's new electric pickup truck." For example, Dan Levy of Credit Suisse, who wrote "amid the radical design for Cybertruck, it's somewhat unclear to us who the core buyer will be."
As a start, perhaps they could poll those folks who have made reservations.
"We do not see this vehicle in its current form being a success," Jeffrey Osborne of Cowen wrote in a note on Friday, adding that he doesn't see the Tesla brand or the Cybertruck design "resonating with existing pickup truck owners...."
Well, the existing pickup truck owners have taken the humble pickup to something more resembling a over the road tractor in their zeal for huge vehicles. It has reached the point where they are downsizing now because the next step would be placing a truck bed on a Kenworth or Mack.
My point is, there is a whole market out there for pickups that aren't 10 mile per gallon behemoths that don't fit into parking spaces and need a ladder to get into. I myself had a Chevy S-10 FWD Pickup before they fell to the trucks on steroids disease.
The coal rollers will still be able to buy their "Prius Killers", and spend their retirements on fuel if they wish.
I'll be looking forward to seeing how the final version looks. One thing is for certain - check the prices of current Pickups and you'll see that the Tesla is in the ballpark.
Re: it's basically a wedge (Score:3)
You know, imagining this thing hitting a pedestrian, I kind of imagine it hits the person, they go rolling up the hood, over the windshield, and are deposited in the bed. Works as intended?
Re:it's basically a wedge (Score:5, Insightful)
The last I looked they had 136,000 pre-orders in two days. For a small company that's a lot of "want", how many cars did Lambourgini sell last year? 5750. Maserati? 37,338 (their all-time record). There is definitely a market for it, whether the EU is excluded from that market or not is unimportant to Tesla, as you noted.
Re:it's basically a wedge (Score:5, Funny)
For example, Dan Levy of Credit Suisse, who wrote "amid the radical design for Cybertruck, it's somewhat unclear to us who the core buyer will be."
Boys aged between five and eight would be my first guess. Once Musk puts a robot grappling arm on it.
Re:it's basically a wedge (Score:5, Interesting)
The market is the 90% of pickup truck owners who never put anything heavier than moving boxes and a hideabed into theirs, and whose vehicles never leave the asphalt. The people who haul horse trailers and fill the box with landscaping rock? Not so much, but they're really very much the minority in the light truck market.
Re:it's basically a wedge (Score:5, Interesting)
The market is the 90% of pickup truck owners who never put anything heavier than moving boxes and a hideabed into theirs, and whose vehicles never leave the asphalt. The people who haul horse trailers and fill the box with landscaping rock? Not so much, but they're really very much the minority in the light truck market.
The funny thing is how busy the "truck people" are moving the goalposts, step by step.
"It's bed is too small." - It's two feet longer than the Rivian's, and matches the middle of the F150's three options.
"It has insufficient towing capacity." - It's got (up to) 3,000 pounds more than Rivian, and more than double the highest F150's capacity.
"It lacks mount points in the bed." - It has T-slots throughout the bed and sidewalls, letting you put mount points anywhere.
"I can't access things in the bed over the high sidewalls." - Lifting anything significant over sidewalls four feet off the ground isn't practical, but a built-in ramp is. Also, with 4 inches of suspension lowering, this may actually be incorrect.
"It has insufficient cargo capacity." - An F150 (same bed length) has 62 cuFt of space while the Cybertruck has 100.
"It lacks utility." - Other than doing literally everything existing trucks do, plus having a built-in air compressor and 110V and 220V power jacks. "It's not aerodynamic." - Turns out, it is. The sloping rear negates cabin-back drag. The available range is massive for an EV, and cheapest price-for-range.
"It's not safe for pedestrians." - The front of an F150 isn't and more designed for survivability.
"There are no crumple zones." - Yes, there are, in front of the frunk.
Look truck folks.. it's got more power, more capacity, more utility, more ability, more durability, more clearance, and more options than existing trucks. And looks like an Lamborghini Countach. Get over the horror.
Re:it's basically a wedge (Score:4, Funny)
Unlike my pickup, it lacks easy access to change the oil filter.
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It's almost as if you nothing about this truck.
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So nothing stated was actually wrong.
Apart from the bits about pulling boats, the bits about hauling trailers, the bits about carrying bikes/four wheelers, etc.
The bed length is the same as a medium length F150 so calling it "useless" is also wrong.
In fact I don't think there's one thing that's right .
It's ugly!!! (Score:3)
So ugly, that EVERYBODY's talking about it.
Marketing win.
Also it isn't half as ugly as a Fiat Multipla and that thing sold, too.
Re: It's ugly!!! (Score:2)
Just have this truck made in one of the former Czech republics, wait for the BBC Top Gear episode to fill it up with water and show folks that it's watertight, let the Italians make another cheesy spaghetti Mad Max 2000 flick with their backlot pack of extras, and Elon puts out even more of his signature pocket blowtorches. Guess I'll be taking out my Halloween outfit for another go
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>"So ugly, that EVERYBODY's talking about it. Marketing win."
That is certainly true. I suspect when they finally start making, years later, it might be "toned down" some. Hard to say.
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The old saying "no such thing as bad publicity" isn't 100% true, the ugly truckling certainly got them a lot of publicity but when time comes to pony up the 40+ grand, people need to actually like it.
As you say, the'll most likely tone done the design for production. While I like the overall direction they went with, my main issues with the design are:
a) The triangular profile of the passenger cabin/bed just looks wrong. If you look at the much more pleasing DMC-12, the roof is flat and not pointy. It was p
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> Also it isn't half as ugly as a Fiat Multipla and that thing sold, too.
I would say it's more equivalent to a Pontiac Aztec. It even has some of the same features that sold really well. Wait...
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The Fiat Multipla was a function-over-form car. That's basically what you get when you try to optimize for interior over exterior volume. In that regard, it was really well designed, and it explains its success in Italy, despite its ugliness.
The Cybertruck looks like it was deliberately made ugly, rather than a result of designers not giving a fuck.
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Not having seen it in person, much less driven it, I wouldn't dare judge this cars merits in terms of function.
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The thing is it isn't ugly. But it challenges our expectation on what a truck looks like which can be simplified as =#__ which we can see a a truck (or a duck).
Unlike automobiles the basic design of a truck has been fairly standard. Perhaps bigger in some areas, but you look at a 1950's corvette vs a 2019 corvette it is a very different looking body. But if you look at a 1950's Ford pickup truck with a 2019 Ford pickup truck it looks basically the same.
The Testa Truck isn't necessarily ugly, but challenge
Back to the future gone bad (Score:2)
As I commented before, for me the Cybertruck gives me a kind of retro future vision vibe.
As if in Back to the future they would have chosen a pickup truck as a futuristic vehicle (in 1985).
My worst nightmare is that Micheal J. Fox would be replaced by fat belly Joe Sixpack "1.21 jiga **burps* watt's that?"
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maybe it's a US thing at the time ("US" != "world", you now... here in Brazil pickups wasn't very popular at the time)? And about Delorean [wikipedia.org]?
SUV SUX (Score:2)
Pre-orders at 150k+ (Score:3, Informative)
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Marketing directors at Ford/GM will be shitting pineapples at midnight meetings right now.
Re:Pre-orders at 150k+ (Score:5, Informative)
200k as of this morning.
FYI, the reason it's so fast is because they kept the polygon count down.
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More likely because they are only asking for $100. The Model 3 was $1000 which is enough to make people think twice before doing it.
The $100 pre-order price was designed to ensure they got a lot of pre-orders and build up the hype. I imagine a lot of them will cancel when they see the price of the spec they want.
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How many of those are multiple orders from same person? I've already see quite a few people stating they pre ordered several configs.
Comment removed (Score:5, Informative)
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I would say that the pre-order number is a very good proxy for demand.
I wouldn't. At only $100 to pre-order, refundable. Heck, I could order a few hundred myself and it would mean nothing. I wouldn't put it past Musk fanbois each ordering hundreds of them FTTB - to make it look good, and and maybe raise the share price.
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And if you believe the price will still be 40,000 at product launch, I have a bridge to sell you.
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That just illustrates how few of those pre-orders were turned into sales. 400k pre-orders and 250k cars shipped. You have been able to buy a Model 3 without a pre-order and have it shipped within a few weeks for most of this year.
In other words some small fraction of those pre-orders turned into sales and the rest are just people buying them normally after launch.
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I had 2 pre-orders for Model 3s from the day of the unveil.
I canceled the first when I bought a Model S a year later. I canceled the 2nd when I bought a Model X last year.
So neither of my pre-orders turned into sales of the Model 3.
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In fact, sales are DOWN 40% in the US.
Because ~40% of the cars made are being shipped overseas.
Comment removed (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Pre-orders at 150k+ (Score:4, Interesting)
"Ugly" and Cheap (Score:3)
For actual truck buyers, the $50K model can move as much as as a 350-sized truck and for substantially less money. With (probably) less maintenance and definitely less fuel costs. You should see what a fuel pump costs to replace in a Chevy diesel.
Actual working men are going to want to pocket that difference. Who knows about Dallas commuters.
The "X/Y" construction is responsible for a good chunk of that cost savings. Tesla isn't losing money on this and "form-follows-function" is a big part of it.
Diesel should be banned! (Score:2)
The cost of it is way larger than the cos in gas station: https://friendsoftheearth.uk/c... [friendsoftheearth.uk]
Looks more "knight rider" to me... (Score:3)
definately an 80s vibe suffused though the whole thing, but it looks more "Knight rider meets robocop" than mad max or blade runner.
Thats it! Its a 6000 SUX! Only Electric!
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No WAIT! I was WRONG!
It's totally from Buck Rogers in the 25th century!!
F-150 (Score:5, Interesting)
It was pointed out that people who buy the Ford F-150 keep going back every few years to buy a Ford F-150. They don't buy the other trucks that look like the F-150, which is just about all of the rest of them.
So why should Tesla try to enter the market with something that looks like the F-150? If other non-Ford truck makers are finding the market hard, then Tesla will find it harder to get into.
So they make something that stands out among all trucks, something entirely different. It many not appeal to F-150 drivers, but F-150 drivers are likely not the target audience here.
It's a risk. Time will tell if it pays off or not. However, they do have 200,000+ preorders for it in the first 48 hours, and it's 2 years from rolling off the line. And that's without any advertisements or paid endorsements. So they have done something right.
One of the reasons for the design (especially the flat panels) is due to the 30X steel used on the body, which is very very hard, and stronger than titanium (which was the initial choice for the body). So hard that it breaks a stamping press. To fold it the have to deeply score it on the other side. So simplified design means a simplified manufacturing process, which means lower costs, although they do now need to think about how to build such a line.
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It was pointed out that people who buy the Ford F-150 keep going back every few years to buy a Ford F-150. They don't buy the other trucks that look like the F-150, which is just about all of the rest of them.
So why should Tesla try to enter the market with something that looks like the F-150? If other non-Ford truck makers are finding the market hard, then Tesla will find it harder to get into.
So they make something that stands out among all trucks, something entirely different. It many not appeal to F-150 drivers, but F-150 drivers are likely not the target audience here.
It's a risk. Time will tell if it pays off or not. However, they do have 200,000+ preorders for it in the first 48 hours, and it's 2 years from rolling off the line. And that's without any advertisements or paid endorsements. So they have done something right.
One of the reasons for the design (especially the flat panels) is due to the 30X steel used on the body, which is very very hard, and stronger than titanium (which was the initial choice for the body). So hard that it breaks a stamping press. To fold it the have to deeply score it on the other side. So simplified design means a simplified manufacturing process, which means lower costs, although they do now need to think about how to build such a line.
I drive an F-150. I want an electric truck. I will not be buying a cybertruck. The Rivian R1T is closer, but the bed is tiny and the lines look awkward. It looks like all they did was take an SUV and cut the roof off the cargo compartment, which never looks good (see the Explorer Sport Trac or the Jeep Gladiator). Guess I'll have to hope the new Bronco looks halfway decent and the electric version isn't ridiculously expensive.
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When you do price comparison, spec out a F150 or F250, Super Crew Cab, 6.5 feet bed, 3500 lb pay load, 13000 lb tow package, and a lockable hard bed cover not plastic fabric. Compressor, 120V, 240V. You can run tools
I agree- not for current truckies... (Score:4, Funny)
It doesn't look enough like a freight train. Where's the big, impressive, manly, grill? Where's the trailer hitch that sticks out the back, ready to knee-cap inattentive pedestrians and destroy brick walls when you back it into parking spaces? How are you gonna hang truck nutz on it? How are you gonna roll coal with it? How are you going to piss people off when you park it in a charging space? Where will you put your tobacco spit cup?
The damn thing probably backs into parking spaces automatically...
I like it (Score:3)
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Re:I like it (Score:4, Informative)
It's not so much that it's "too thick to stamp" (I worked in a stamping mill after high school that stamped out some amazing stuff), it's the material doesn't respond to normal tooling to make soft corners. Try to deform it sufficiently to make a soft corner and it will crack and tear since it's not sufficiently ductile. If they want to use that particular type of stainless steel then the "origami" folding is the only way to do it. It's that thick in part because if you want to attach welds that don't leave burn marks on the outside that's what is necessary. They seem to have selected the material and worked backwards for some reason.
Gangsters? (Score:2)
According to this YouTube video [youtube.com], the vehicle's exterior will stop a 9mm round fired from a handgun - gangsters ought to love that..
On the more law-abiding side of things, its stainless steel exoskeleton laughed off a sledgehammer blow that caused not far south of a kilobuck's worth of damage to a traditional pickup truck door. So while it is ugly, (according to the traditional domestic truck aesthetic), it seems pretty practical. Plus that 80's SF-style ugliness, along with its toughness, might just appeal
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As long as the gangsters don't throw rocks at the window.
Syd Mead (Score:2)
Before starting his own company he worked for Ford in the advanced styling department. He knows a thing or two about automotive design.
That doesn't mean I like the design, though.
Designed for Military use (Score:2)
Instead of going from Military->Consumer like the Hummer and Jeep thoug
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LOL. "Bullet proof windows". Too stupid.
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Stealth is about more than just shape; the materials matter too. I suppose it might have a smaller radar signature than a normal truck, but it's still a big steel box.
As for the "bullet proof" panels, a design that can only stop ordinary handgun rounds isn't worth much to the military. Handguns are popular in civilian contexts only because rifles and other proper weapons are too large, scary, illegal, or just inconvenient when people aren't really expecting to use them. For anything else (war, hunting, SWAT
B.C. & A.C. (Score:2)
I can’t look at current vehicle advertisements anymore. After CYBERTRUCK they look like they are _all_ in a past that got us to AGW.
Thank you Elon. You’ve split reality in one deft move.
Bang for the Buck Looks. (Score:3)
EVs are fundamentally different. There is no weight penalty. The kinetic energy is not wasted as heat in the brakes, but recharges the battery to slow the vehicle down. Impact? There is no serious weight penalty on economy. 4000 lb Model 3 is more efficient than carbon fiber body 2000 lb BMW i3.
There is no power penalty either. Engine rated for high max power, like 300 HP and 400 HP have very poor fuel economy. But electric motor efficiency band is extremely wide. The 280 HP Model 3 motor out performs all the 120 HP to 150HP vehicles from BMW and Nissan.
The cyber truck comes with the same 6.5 feet bed, 2 feet deep and is closable and lockable by shutters! Stainless steel exoskeleton is a monocoque construction without the bed rails. ICEV 5 liter V8, has heavy pistons in reciprocating motion sitting on one end of the truck. Followed by a heavy transmission. It needs the rail to distribute the load and the entire cab is a non load bearing addition, eating into the payload. Cybertruck's battery is a passive non moving thing, heavy but uniformly distributed and easy to mount and manage. This is the secret of its low price. Motors are cheap. Battery is the only expensive component, and its price is falling. Tesla is going to make this exoskeleton with origami folding technique and robotic welds. Wait for Sandy Monroe to do a tear down and he will speak the language Detroit understands to explain how Tesla did it.
3500 lb pay load, (vs 1000lb to 1500 lb for F150). 13000 lb towing (vs 7000 lb for F150). Built in air compressor, 120V, 240 V outlets. Lockable bed. Ramp built into tail gate. Rust proof body. All for 50,000$. 12,000$ cheaper than F150 spruced up to this level of crew cab, tow and pay load packages. We are not talking TCO here. Off the dealers' lot this truck is going to be cheaper than comparable F150.
Looks? No fleet manager cares for looks. Expect all the fleet owned trucks to be cybertrucks in the future.
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Stealth marketing opportunity (Score:2)
A billion dollars worth of exposure. (Score:2)
ICE, ICE, Baby (Score:2)
Kidding...
Great offer (Score:2)
Room for 6. Great range. More space than a model Y (possibly even more than a model X). Same price as the base model Y.
It sounds like a great car even if you don't need a pick up truck.
I don't understand why they can't make a cheaper model X based on this. I don't need the bullet proof glasses, air suspension, off road tires, but I want space and I want it to be cheap. I don't care if it's not fast or luxurious.
Design evolution entropy (Score:3)
First Tesla Roadster: gorgeous, but it was a re-motored Lotus
Model S: OK, looks amazingly similar to a Maserati Quattroporte or Jaguar XF, but still very attractive and good looking
Model X: Huh. You chose design cues from the ugliest BMW on the market, the X6. I mean, I guess it's OK, but really? A fat-around-the-middle S?
Model 3: WTF? A duck bill up front? Pudgy tail? Did someone want to insult Donald Duck? Really, Disney should NOT be a car inspiration
Cybertruck: Someone's really gone off the deep end. Picasso meets the Canyonero. Just - no. No. Really. No.
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I'm sorry, but you seem to be one of the 5% of truck owners who actually use the fucking thing.
The other 95% of truck owners (especially American yuppies roughing it in the concrete jungle they never leave) like to brag about towing capacity and ground clearance, while never dreaming of actually getting their beautiful $50,000 vehicle dirty.
Hope that clears things up as to the "target" audience here.
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That explains it. From what I can see less than 100k pickups are sold in the UK per year. In the US roughly 250k pickups are sold per month, and it's not because we're doing so much more work: most of those are personal vehicles. The number of US truck owners who have never scratched the (unlined) bed of their truck would amaze you.
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Re:It is useless as a truck (Score:4, Informative)
2. Right in the specs - it can tow 7 tons.
3. There's no 3.
4. Lucky you! Tesla has a network of Supercharger stations in Europe: https://supercharger.info/ [supercharger.info]
5. What are you talking about? Tesla already has a recycling network in Europe.
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What remains to be seen is if it passes any EU safety standards. That single light is an immediate fail, although quickly solved by some duck tape ;-)
It also remains to be seen if they even bother selling it in Europe. The "truck" market in the US is so big, it's probably enough to sustain the production line. The truck market in the EU is considerably smaller, as most people don't buy them as status symbols (although if I'm honest, they might start if it does really look like this when it goes to market).
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What remains to be seen is if it passes any EU safety standards. That single light is an immediate fail, although quickly solved by some duck tape ;-)
It also remains to be seen if they even bother selling it in Europe. The "truck" market in the US is so big, it's probably enough to sustain the production line. The truck market in the EU is considerably smaller, as most people don't buy them as status symbols (although if I'm honest, they might start if it does really look like this when it goes to market).
1. It is a USA spec through and through.
2. If you do kayaking in remote locations, especially in Eastern Europe and in the mountains you need one. Nothing else can get to the launch point with all the load and the equipment required. Ditto if you need something to do actual building or agricultural work. When I went to buy my new one, all used examples on the forecourt had > 20k miles per year on the clock. Mileage when going from field to field clocks ridiculously fast even in a small country like the
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1. Right in the specs - payload capacity of 1600kg. I.e. for the rear bed.
Range with full load?
2. Right in the specs - it can tow 7 tons.
Range with 3.5 tons? If it can tow it to the end of the driveway, it can f*ck off. Example for 1 and 2. One of my regular trips during the summer - from my summer house to where we usually boat and fish and back.
From here:https://goo.gl/maps/nyDSg3cZJ4rdnw3J8
To here: https://goo.gl/maps/xn5SiC1inx... [goo.gl]
With two boats, camping equipment, bicycles, etc. It is only 101 km, but with 10 degree gradient on both ends, 1600m altitude difference and the first and last 10 miles are offroad. On
Re:It is useless as a truck (Score:5, Informative)
1,5 tonnes in the bed in all 3 versions. 50% more than a F150 with the heavy-duty package.
The 3 versions are 3,4t, 4,5t and 6,4t, respectively.
It's an EV. They develop max torque from 0 RPM. Gradients are not an issue.
It's an EV. Most "braking" is done via regen, not physical brakes. Physical brakes are for emergencies, not downslopes or normal slowdowns.
Depends heavily on the payload (not just the weight, but the shape as well). Give a more precise payload and I should be able to give you a rough estimate.
41cm max ground clearance. 35 degree approach angle. 28 degree departure angle. Literally armoured heavily enough to take sledgehammer blows and 9mm bullets. The skin is the frame. No need to "breathe" when going through water.
The long-range version should have a longer WLTP range than a V8 F-150 - I estimate about 925km for the EPA->WLTP conversion, vs. 808km for the F-150. Of course, WLTP ranges for EVs aren't very realistic. Real-world range should be about the same when not towing. When towing, the F-150 should get somewhat longer range, as ICE engines get more efficient the more load they're under.
Charge rate is 250kW. On the long-range version it should maintain that up to 60% or so before beginning taper. If we assume 370Wh/mi, it should do 0-60% (300 miles EPA / somewhere around 555km WLTP) in 24 minutes (e.g. a meal stop). Throw in the occasional 5-10 minute rest break as well if you want to space your meals out.
You drive a lot? In Europe? Let's say you average 12l/100km at €1,50/l fuel and 30k km/yr (I'd have to know more about you to know if these numbers are realistic for you). This would mean paying €5400 per year in fuel, or €27000 over five years (forget maintenance!)
Right, Tesla - a company that has been selling cars in Europe for much of a decade - doesn't know what European laws about cars are ;)
The car is made of stainless. It's not only recyclable, it's highly in-demand. You'll get a significant scrappage premium.
You may be referring to the Tesla Germany battery fire / Tesla won't take it back story. It was fake. [autoundwirtschaft.at] Every last detail of it.
Tesla has recycling partners and takes back scrapped batteries. More to the point, they're working on integrating recycling directly into their next-gen plants so that they don't have to go through external partners (there's so few used batteries available at present though it's not really much of a product stream)
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This does raise an interesting question... most EV chargers that I've seen (in Canada, at least) are usually along the edge of a parking lot or building; I don't think I've ever seen a pull-through. An EV towing a load is going to have an awkward time getting at a lot of chargers without blocking parking for others. I have to assume Tesla's going to have to rethink some of their charging stations to allow for this.
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Yeah, Bjørn Nyland has been talking about this for a while, since he used to tow a lot. They're starting to make more pull-through stalls, but at present they're relatively rare. But at least the issue is recognized. Bjørn often ended up having to take up multiple stalls in order to charge when towing.
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And you can plug a 240V welder into it. And it can power nail guns.
This beast has useful writen all over it.
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Oh man, I hadn't thought about hooking up a welder to it without needing a generator. Love that thought.
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1. How much it can carry. Doubly so in most European countries which will allow business taxation rates and having it as a capital asset on the books only for vehicles capable of carrying at least 1 ton.
3500 pounds of payload. Looking at the Dutch rules for work vehicles, I do wonder if this thing will fit in any of the categories. It might just squeeze into the "double cab w/ closed bed" one.
2. How much it can tow.
The single motor version will tow 7500 pounds.
3. How good it is off-road.
Hard to say. It comes in an AWD configuration, which should be good enough for messy (muddy & unpaved) work sites, but perhaps not to run Paris-Dakar.
4. This is not the case for everyone, but for me there is also the question of range. I actually do 5k mile trips across Europe
Then it's probably not the car for you.
5. Last, but not leas, I bet it is actually ILLEGAL if the Eu car recycling and waste directives are applied strictly as they should. Eu mandates 90%+ of the car to be recyclable.
Several yards here will take a Tesla, and offer parts including batteries. 9
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It will be interesting to see how people react to real-world range numbers. Say the base model is rated at 250 miles, that will be based on a 1-2 passengers and no load. Throw an ATV in there and the extra weight and reduced aerodynamic efficiency is going to cut that range right down.
EV enthusiasts understand that but the average truck owner?
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You don't think putting an ATV on the bed will affect the aerodynamics?
My guess is that the whole reason they have the impractical sloped back, high side walls and roll-back cover is to get better efficiency and a higher EPA range rating that will go to hell the moment you load it with anything.
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I don't think anyone cares much about the reduced efficiency of a fossil pick-up. They do care about an EV one though.
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Mileage while towing is a big deal to truck customers. That's why we not only still have diesel pickups, we have ever more of them. It doesn't affect aerodynamics obviously, but they are much more efficient when loaded.
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"That looks like an exceedingly aerodynamic design to me"
Yeah, so does the Lamborghini Countach, but it's a dog.
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Nope. I haven't submitted a single story about the Cybertruck.
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Yeah, right. All these "anonymous" stories about SpaceX and Tesla are some other Eletrek reject. Such consumerist tech-bro pro-corporate garbage wrapped up in a fake concern about "the environment". Really disgusting stuff.
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Believe whatever you want. If you want to believe I'm the only person on Slashdot who likes SpaceX and Tesla, go right ahead.
FYI, I don't like Electrek, and think that Fred Lambert is a self-interested thin-skinned egoist who has no business running a news site.
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All those flat shiny surfaces will catch the sun at a bad angle and anger fellow drivers. The windshield looks almost flat, and it's huge, one stone and it won't be chipped it will be cracked. And if they go with that 'unbreakable' glass, good luck in an accident and somehow your head hits the windshield.
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Yeah, eight. What "construction job" do you see yourself doing? You are just another tech-bro, which is perfect for this type of junk.