Elon Musk Is MOST Excited About The Tesla Pick-up Truck — What Do YOU Think It Needs To SUCCEED?

It has to do what an F150 can do and it won't be able to do that, so this is a moot point.

It needs to be able to do what a Ram 1500/F150/Silverado can do AND do it with a single daily charge.

Or will the EV pickup be more comparable to midsizers such as Colorado, Ranger, & Tacoma? Even still...same as above. But I wouldn't blame them if Tesla does the Ridgeline route. It'll be easy for the EV to play the upscale game.

The truck pictured is more like an Ford F650 ie based on a much bigger truck platform than an F150. It will never get made as it is monstrous in size and serves no real purpose whatsoever beyond being big. Stick with the Semi idea and use it for short halls running on big batteries.

Does nobody notice that there is a full size pick up truck in the BED of the Tesla Monster Truck? Look closely.

That is artistic license and is trying to convey that the F150 has been scooped. Most industry reports say this will indeed be more normal pickup sized. The Tesla pickup and the Tesla semis are two entirely different products.

It won't be as large as what is pictured. That is a Truck version of the Semi, which is not what the Semi Truck will be. Only confirmed info is:

- It will be slightly larger than a F150 (not dramatically larger like the photo)
- AWD and air suspension will be standard
- Will look futuristic like something out of Blade Runner
- Will have a long-range option greater than 300 miles

What will the range be under full load? Time out of service to charge batteries could be an issue too for commercial trucks.

@mdarringer, curious to know why you think that? As long as it has 4 wheels, AWD, a comparable bed size to pull things in, drives around like a vehicle with the normal mechanics/amenities, and has usable range/HP/torque, why couldn't it do what a F150 does?

The F150's range is essentially infinite with down time ONLY for fill ups. The Tesla will have LONG down time for charges. Pulling a travel trailer or a horse trailer will dramatically kill an EV's range. EV will be the answer but not any time soon.

Supercharging will be a challenge with a trailer, wonder if it will support the Semi's megacharger system, the stations will be larger as they are designed for Semi trucks and charge at 4-8x the rate of the current superchargers.

The range I think will start at 200 miles with a 75 kWh battery and go up from there.

Whoever comes to market first with an all electric pickup truck that has 200+ mile range when loaded or pulling a trailer (300+ mile range when not) and fast charging capability of adding approximately 100 miles of range every 20min for long roadtrips...they will have brought a gamechanger to the truck market. Why get a gas or diesel truck when you can have the instant power and torque from a 300hp electric motor plus have a "fuel" bill of about 70% less and not have to worry about oil changes, transmission oil changes and issues, no more tuneups or belts/hoses wearing out, etc. Whoever gets this truck to market in the next couple of years (probably GM or Tesla or a startup company) will change the whole game.

Are you stupid? A 200 mile range is NOT adequate. Sure you can fast charge, but you do realize that deteriorates the battery far faster than slow charging right? You clearly know NOTHING about how pickups are used. You're probably another douchebag on Elon's payroll the SanJoseDriver, EVsNow, jozie, and several others (same person??).

My Tacoma with its tiny gas tank, thirsty V6, and fat all-terrain tires had a 200-mile range and it was enough to drive up and down the East Coast.

Supercharging has a marginal impact on the battery at the current charging rates. Tesla no longer recommends not doing this consistently, and many who live in apartments will only be supercharging as their sole source of fueling up. It'll be fine for a truck, and a bigger pack allows for even faster charging with less of a negative impact. If they put a 200 kWh battery on the truck (which I think they will as an upgrade), the range could be 500 miles with no load, 300+ loaded. If that can be charged in 30-40min, it will destroy the top-end of the truck market.

Could be a hit for local commercial applications, such as home builders, lawn care, etc. Anywhere loads or daily mileage fit the electric capacity along with nighty charging at home base.

Obviously MDarringer does nothing but drive the F150 back and forth across the country continuously...only stopping to fill up on expensive gasoline (I wonder when oil changes, and all the other maintenance is accomplished?). In reality, most people would love a very low maintenance truck with at least 200 miles on a single charge when loaded, that can fast charge (which doesn't damage today's liquid cooled battery packs at all) on a roadtrip to get them the rest of the way to a destination. Charging overnight will fill the battery back up and ready to go wherever they want to go the next day. Not that hard of a concept to grasp: Instant power and torque for towing/hauling, very low cost of ownership (both in fuel costs and maintenance costs), and a blast to drive with great acceleration, regenerative braking, and low center of gravity with the battery pack under the cabin & truck bed. Gamechanger...the prospect of which obviously touches a nerve with some people who like to think their inefficient and expensive to operate trucks can compete in the marketplace with an all electric truck that will most likely be available within the next 2 to 3 years (Tesla, GM and/or one of the startup companies like Atlis).

Jesus you're a pathetic tool.

We have an F150 in the fleet and we use it to trailer dealer trade vehicles. To do the dealer trade with the dealers I typically trade with, using your magical Tesla miracle would mean that I have an employee who has to stop to recharge BEFORE getting there. That down time is costing me money.

You clearly ARE a paid Tesla troll.

I see no support for your statement that "Most people" would love such a vehicle - How did you do the polling to determine it to be true? (Hint - you didn't and it has no support)

The problem with these vehicles remains infrastructure.
1 - We still do not have enough electric generation capacity to recharge the Vehicles.
2 - All Batteries are damaged from recharging - and eventually will need replacement - your statement that there is NO damage at all is simply NOT TRUE AT ALL
3 - WE still do not have sufficient charging stations - when we have as many charging stations as there are Fuel Pumps in gas stations around the country - we still will have the problem of time.
4 - In many Metro Areas - they already have reached daily generation limits and are blacking out portions of the cities during periods of high loads.
5 - FOR delivery vehicles - on routes - 200 miles might cover most of a day - and then the vehicle better be near a charging station - that is available - always at the time YOU need it to be (A wait at a gas station is minutes - not a charging time of the vehicle in front of you) AND - Charging time is down time that costs money
6 - As far as your claims of a low center of Gravity - one of the main advantages of a truck is MORE GROUND CLEARANCE - and raising the batteries to allow for that will certainly not help handling

Did you ever use a truck for its intended purpose - maybe on a farm. On the farm - if I run out of gas - I can go get a tank - to get the Truck moving again - there is no such similar option for an EV except to TOW the vehicle to the charging station OR have a very LONG extension cord (Which will not transfer enough power anyway) Not a hard concept to grasp.

ANd I would also have to have a charging station for EACH vehicle I owned to charge them ALL overnight - IF I had a fleet of trucks - I might need to build a power generating plant to have enough power for them - and when you factor in the Space I would need to have protected(For dozens of charging stations) - the cost might not be competitive


SO far - we have yet to see EVs actually priced with gross margins similar to other trucks. The fact is = based on the cost of producing them - both the Base model 3 and the BolT should have an MSRP somewhere around $48-50,000 and go up from there. But I would suspect that bringing a Properly Priced Light Pick-up would be near astronomical.

Amen @ TomM

For delivery vans, they would typically charge at the warehouse. A 200-mile vehicle only takes a few hours to charge. You can easily have a bunch plugged in at the same time and reduce their charging load based on your electrical situation. I can charge two cars at full speed simultaneously with no issues in a normal garage, I imagine a warehouse will have much greater capacity.

Also regarding generation, the need for more plants will be offset by grid storage which can easily add 50% extra capacity on all existing plants without the need for peakers and extra long permitting as well as solar + battery packs. There were already some days in CA last summer where energy became "free" on the utility market because solar generation exceeded the grid's ability to handle all of the incoming energy. Power literally had to be dumped :/

Tesla also just released something called a PowerBank: https://electrek.co/2018/11/05/tesla-shared-powerbank/

This lets a community all share in grid storage without any modifications to each individual home. Perfect for HOAs where a lot of people are buying solar. BTW, most of the rebates have dried up for Solar in CA, but I still see new systems going up. Not sure if it makes economic sense yet unless you use a lot of energy, but as panel prices come down, solar will help regulate prices and add capacity.

an electric el camino!

Wow, you assume a lot and only make an ass out of yourself. Bitter much? An EV truck will be out by either GM, Tesla, another manufacturer (or all of the above) in a couple years and run circles around your gas guzzler at a much lower operating cost.

non sequitur?

Well @mdarringer I didn't expect to be commented on the way you did with a simple open question to understand your point of view on this topic. Clearly you know nothing about me otherwise you wouldn't have commented the way you did. Go ahead and keep kissing the asses of those who clearly have no interest in alternative options to your dumbass F150 stuffing you with a paycheck.

There was NOTHING "simple" about your supposedly "open" question. It was a loaded question.

You asked a question with a foregone conclusion and then provided the answer you wanted to hear. That isn't asking a question; that's pontificating.

If you wanted my reaction, you would have asked the question and left it that that. But you did not want my answer and everyone can see that.

You are being disingenuous and trying the play the victim which underscores that you are not at all genuine in your interaction.

I saw through your BS and nailed you to the cross.

Go ahead and play the victim little boy snowflake.

@mdarringer You are such an asshole. Im amazed you can even see through that shit you call a brain that lives between your two eyes. Enjoy your tiny mindset and that shit paycheck you receive from your republican backed payroll.

You are so pathetic is hurts. You get a 2x4 whacked upside your ass and you start crying. When you seek to bully someone--as you did--and you get your ass handed to you, then you should just go be quiet in the shame of your butt kicking.

All electric trucks, that will be on the market in the next few years by more than just one manufacturer, along with the robust commercial fast charging stations (Electrify America sites, ChargePoint sites, EVgo, etc)...these trucks will make the gas guzzlers uneconomical and will push these antiquated & inefficient internal combustion trucks out of the market.

You make a case but your timeline is way off - by about 20 years.

AS I have repeatedly stated - we DO NOT have the electric generating capacity to fuel all these cars = even if they ONLY reach 5% of the market - and some metro areas - they are already maxed out. Currently it takes 15-20 YEARS to get all the permits you need to build new generating plants - even if it only took 10 years - you still have to build the plants too.

THe charging stations you mention do not come close to making available charging when and where you need it. Even 2 hour charges are downtime - and LOTS of these trucks run around the clock in some fleets (With different drivers) Add in waiting for the NEXT AVAILABLE charger - and the downtime costs might exceed the savings over Diesel.

ANd the real cost of the Vehicles may also be a problem as well.

Yes - for some - it may be a viable solution - It is NOT for the fleet of trucks MY company operates - also not for the Company cars our reps drive - where a Hybrid makes the most sense.

ANd that is what people forget about - there are other options - and for each individual circumstance - the PURE EV may not be the best one. After all - today -they are available - yet 95% of the people do not buy them.

@mdarringer, it is so comedic watching you get worked up over simple comments such as this. You expose your ass like no one I have ever encountered before. I love it. I hope I can cross paths with you one day and really see you for what you are worth. Probably not much

Continue playing the victim, dimwit.

@mdarringer, im not the victim. You are. Just watching you shows me how much of a victim you are to me. My new hobby will be trolling you going forward. Thanks for starting this with me. I can't wait to continue this.

Bring it. You'll just get nuked and look stupid.

@mdarringer. We will see. I guess this is welcome to Autospies. I've spent some time reading your comments in other threads and can see how your life revolves around the needless criticizing and belittling of others. Shows how insecure you are hiding behind a website and comments. I am sure you are a little person no different than your dick sucking of Trump.

People like mdarringer know they are small minded and are fearful of change. Even people like this may come around once they see the tremendous operating cost savings of EV trucks when these trucks become available in the next couple of years.

You just betrayed yourself. You're playing the same-person-new-profile BS.

@PRBolt, an EV is typically double the cost of a comparable ICE. Where is the magical savings? A truck would unlikely to be amortized over the course of its operational life. Then you factor in the cost of electricity in California that is most likely NOT to come from solar and the supposed energy cost per mile advantage shrinks considerably. Now factor in Tesla's utter lack of knowledge in designing an OTR truck and the financial risk to going with the Tesla is business suicide.

mdarringer, like I said, you are small minded and can't fathom that there are many people who think you are full of BS. Maybe you are projecting on to me what you are doing - I suspect that you have multiple profiles and deflect by accusing others of doing so. I have one profile and speak for only myself.
EV trucks, just like other current EV vehicles, will save a tremendous amount in operaing costs. With EVs regularly getting over 4miles/kW, and electricity costing an average of 12cents/kW, EVs' "fuel" costs run around $2.50 per 100 miles of range! Compare that to a vehicle getting 20miles per gallon and you're looking at least $15.00 per 100 miles (and that's w/ gas only at $3/gal!). Even if you double the price of electricity, for fast charging station convenience, the price per 100 miles is only around $5.00 per 100 miles!
The money saved just in fuel cost is in the 60% to 70% range...that's not to mention the huge reduction in maintenance costs (no oil changes, no transmission oil changes, no tuneups, no belts or hoses, etc, etc)

Factor in that the EV is double the price of admission and the advantage goes poof! Factor in down time for charging and that is a major business cost. You also falsely assume there are no maintenance costs to a Tesla, but that isn't remotely honest.

You clearly know nothing about business or how costs in business work, but as the socialist you obviously are you're no doubt praying for total government ownership of business.

As for what people think of me here, I couldn't care less. My self-esteem isn't dependent on the opinions of people on a discussion board. if yours are then you're really screwed.

The Tesla Pick-up Truck — What Do YOU Think It Needs To SUCCEED?

Keep It Unplugged from Elon Musk

I could be a Tesla Fanboy if Elon Musk would leave.

mdarringer, I couldn't care less what you think, but you do go out of your way to attack people for simply commenting on how something different from the status quo (EV trucks for example) are very viable and doable to push an entire industry forward. The hallmark of a small minded person.

You're the pot calling the kettle black. #hypocrite

If you truly espoused the virtues you accuse me of not having and presumably that you have, you would say nothing, chalking me up to being a mindless idiot.

But because you do just the opposite, you out yourself as a trolling bully.

You also have confused your OPINION with fact when it is merely untested opinion.

You claim it is a FACT that Tesla trucks will save all sorts of money, but there is no proof, only your conjecture.

Your conjecture is not fact.

You also clearly have ZERO awareness of business and your commentary shows that.

By contrast, I am adept at running businesses that prove lucrative and I did not get them there by listening to people pontificate. I use facts, specific, penciled-out analyses and then make a decision. EV pickups and trucks might be viable in 10-15 years as a true replacement, but that most decidedly is not the case today.

mdarringer; My fuel calculation numbers and maintenance cost numbers are based on facts. Bolt EV drivers (like myself who replaced an Impala nearly two years ago with a Bolt EV and I have seen my fuel bill drop nearly $2300 during 24,000 miles of driving on top of near zero maintenance costs - only tire rotations) and other EV vehicle drivers are experiencing similar savings compared to internal combustion vehicles.
Similar cost savings will be realized by EV truck drivers when that vehicle comes out in the next couple of years by either GM, Tesla, or somebody else (or all three).
Again, you really should pay attention to what is said before you go and assume or make up a lot of things on topics that you demonstrate you kow nothing about (like the efficiency and practicality of EV vehicles - to include upcoming EV trucks).

You calculation numbers are based 100% on CONJECTURE because there is ZERO data for any Tesla trucks. You cannot extrapolate that Tesla's trucks will have the same cost per mile as a Tesla S or 3. Thus, you have an OPINION that you have deluded yourself into thinking is a fact because you have numbers that go with vehicles 100% unrelated to what we're talking about.

Sure, you're not buying gas anymore, but to say that you now have $2300 in pocket is not factual either. You conveniently act like electricity is for free. If you live in California, most utilities increase the cost per unit as you increase usage. Granted, your electricity cost even is Taxifornia will be less than gasoline, but your $70K Model 3 is really just the equivalent of a $30K Fusion, so there goes a LOT of your savings. In fact, you're in the hole.

You're the one who has--yet again--been easily refuted.

First - a Chevy Impala and a Bolt are not even vehicles in the same class or even size class - However - ANyone who knows statistics also knows that a single example is NOT statistically significant. Based on Vehicle cost - the Bolt and the Base Model 3 (which cost over $30,000 to produce as noted by a recent investigation) - and at typical gross margins for other vehicles would sell for $48,000 MSRP properly priced- YOUR price has be heavily subsidized by the Car COmpanies and the Federal and state Governments - which would not happen with commercial fleets.

With about 200 of our trucks on the road - many of which go home with their driver - we do not have enough protected parking spaces to build all those charging stations in safe areas (Probably inside) - however a number of our truck service two shifts - and put in more than 500 miles per day - an EV cannot replace those vehicles profitably today. Based on the miles most of these truck are like Police cars and do not last a full year in service. THere is no long term use to amortize a major difference in price - and it would take TWO evs to replace these vehicles

Again - Until there is a Battery Breakthrough - and there is infrastructure to support them (For Example - there are not even 200 Fast Charging Hubs in all of NYC) the EV market is in its infancy - and it will be decades before it all sorts itself out.

mdarringer; Again, you obviously refuse to read and go off of assumptions. I clearly stated that I have been driving a Bolt EV (it's made by Chevrolet, cost me $38K, carries 5 passengers, has more interior room than the Impala, and easily gets me a combined range of 250 miles on a single charge and has a fast charge connector). I have saved $2300 in fuel cost over my Impala these past two years. That means that is what the difference in price for gas vs price for electricity has been for 24,000 miles of driving. My maintenance has amounted to a few tire rotations.
You are completely lacking in any kind of honest dialogue and seems that you are incapable of doing so.

The Truck should get between 2-2.5 miles per kWh, you can compare that to 20 miles per gallon or so of a normal truck and calculate the difference. ~10 cents per mile for a truck EV vs. ~20 cents for the ICE truck.

We can all whine as much as we want (and for some of you that is a staggering amount), but everyone here knows that if Tesla builds it, they will sell every single one they make.

Indeed and facts, poor quality, unethical business practices, and bad consumer ratings be damned.

Has the best consumer ratings of any brand right now for what matters, will they buy again. Porsche is #2.