[Tesla truck]

fareastwarriors · Post by **fareastwarriors** » Fri Nov 22, 2019 1:27 pm

[Moved into a new thread from: Talk me out of buying a Tesla Model 3 --admin LadyGeek]

Wow that "truck" is ugly.

I kept hoping Elon was kidding and bring out an actual truck but nope.

And the broken windows!

stoptothink · Post by **stoptothink** » Fri Nov 22, 2019 1:45 pm

fareastwarriors wrote: ↑Fri Nov 22, 2019 1:27 pm Wow that "truck" is ugly.

I kept hoping Elon was kidding and bring out an actual truck but nope.

And the broken windows!

Has there ever been a Tesla reveal that wasn't a total disaster?

hightower · Post by **hightower** » Fri Nov 22, 2019 1:47 pm

I personally like how it looks. It's just shocking because it's so different than anything on the road today. With that being said, they'll probably soften the appearance before production actually begins.
And if pricing is really what they say it will be, I'll probably be buying one. May even go for the triple motor version for that 500 mile range!

NewPhoneWhoDis · Post by **NewPhoneWhoDis** » Fri Nov 22, 2019 2:37 pm

Logged into Bogleheads for the Tesla bashing. Was not disappointed.

TomatoTomahto · Post by **TomatoTomahto** » Fri Nov 22, 2019 2:51 pm

hightower wrote: ↑Fri Nov 22, 2019 1:47 pm I personally like how it looks. It's just shocking because it's so different than anything on the road today. With that being said, they'll probably soften the appearance before production actually begins.
And if pricing is really what they say it will be, I'll probably be buying one. May even go for the triple motor version for that 500 mile range!

I had been considering getting a beater pickup for a number of uses, on and off the property. If they can hold close to those prices, I might be a buyer. Already have a charger.

squirm · Post by **squirm** » Fri Nov 22, 2019 2:54 pm

fareastwarriors wrote: ↑Fri Nov 22, 2019 1:27 pm Wow that "truck" is ugly.

I kept hoping Elon was kidding and bring out an actual truck but nope.

And the broken windows!

It's the Aztec's less attractive cousin.

I'm not sure how this is suppose to be used as a truck with high the bed sides. Impossible to lift anything out or in of the bed from the sides.
Why the need for bullet proof windows and panels is beyond me, maybe for bragging purposes? A niche product, I guess.

I like Tesla's and recommended their cars until they started nerfing their batteries, but this demonstration last night was just a total disaster. Even if you're a fanboy you'd have to admit it was bad.

fareastwarriors · Post by **fareastwarriors** » Fri Nov 22, 2019 3:23 pm

squirm wrote: ↑Fri Nov 22, 2019 2:54 pm
fareastwarriors wrote: ↑Fri Nov 22, 2019 1:27 pm Wow that "truck" is ugly.

I kept hoping Elon was kidding and bring out an actual truck but nope.

And the broken windows!
It's the Aztec's less attractive cousin.

I'm not sure how this is suppose to be used as a truck with high the bed sides. Impossible to lift anything out or in of the bed from the sides.
Why the need for bullet proof windows and panels is beyond me, maybe for bragging purposes? A niche product, I guess.

I like Tesla's and recommended their cars until they started nerfing their batteries, but this demonstration last night was just a total disaster. Even if you're a fanboy you'd have to admit it was bad.

It was my first time watching a product reveal. It might be my last.

Bad product, bad presentation, bad presenter.

With that said, I'm still holding on to my Y reservation.

jdb · Post by **jdb** » Fri Nov 22, 2019 3:26 pm

Made a reservation for the Cybertruck. By the time it is built I will be more than ready to trade in my boring Chevy pickup. But I will be sure to get the upgraded windows. I think pickup trucks now on market are ugliest vehicles, rectangular boxes with no imagination. I like the futuristic look and the 500 mile range with trimotor AWD. Good luck.

02nz · Post by **02nz** » Fri Nov 22, 2019 3:32 pm

fareastwarriors wrote: ↑Fri Nov 22, 2019 1:27 pm Wow that "truck" is ugly.

I kept hoping Elon was kidding and bring out an actual truck but nope.

And the broken windows!

It's so ugly even the designer decided to smash the windows!

I like the Model 3 but the truck is ... something else.

iamlucky13 · Post by **iamlucky13** » Fri Nov 22, 2019 5:01 pm

NewPhoneWhoDis wrote: ↑Fri Nov 22, 2019 2:37 pm Logged into Bogleheads for the Tesla bashing. Was not disappointed.

This is objectively legitimate bashing, because it's about a primarily subjective matter.

I think it's ugly, too. And the interior might be even worse than the exterior.

I'm very much a function over form person, but at some point, I have to draw a line on form, and that design definitely crosses it. Function-wise, however, it's clear the people who designed it don't know the difference between a pickup bed and a large trunk.

For the types of compromises they decided to make in pursuit of something distinctive looking, they should have hired this guy (concept art from a Tesla fan, not from Tesla itself):
https://www.behance.net/gallery/7890996 ... _published

Simple press-brake formed body panels will help with tooling and production costs, I suppose. That at least makes sense for a company dealing with cash concerns.

And to be sure, I'm positive quite a few people will be very happy with it, because I'm sure it will be fast and comfortable, and bad bed design notwithstanding, it still provides a lot more cargo room than a Model X.

TimeRunner · Post by **TimeRunner** » Fri Nov 22, 2019 5:04 pm

Some folks who bought the Gen 1 Honda Ridgeline truck later decided that a slide-in camper would be nice, and then realized it wouldn't work. Wonder if the Tesla truck has the same problem. EDIT: ...due to the sail pillar (google it and read down-thread).

stoptothink · Post by **stoptothink** » Fri Nov 22, 2019 5:10 pm

TomatoTomahto wrote: ↑Fri Nov 22, 2019 2:51 pm
hightower wrote: ↑Fri Nov 22, 2019 1:47 pm I personally like how it looks. It's just shocking because it's so different than anything on the road today. With that being said, they'll probably soften the appearance before production actually begins.
And if pricing is really what they say it will be, I'll probably be buying one. May even go for the triple motor version for that 500 mile range!
I had been considering getting a beater pickup for a number of uses, on and off the property. If they can hold close to those prices, I might be a buyer. Already have a charger.

If the specs and pricing are not fantasyland, it would be the best value in the full-size truck segment by a mile.

CULater · Post by **CULater** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 8:29 am

[Title was "I'm thinking DeLorean, aren't you?", see my post below (next page). --admin LadyGeek]

New Tesla.

I just couldn't help being reminded of this thing in it's day:

Has the Cult of Tesla finally gone too far?

Cyclesafe · Post by **Cyclesafe** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 8:50 am

It's hard to imagine that the typical truck buyer is going to like the new design. IMHO it will appeal to urban hipsters until the next best thing comes around. After that they will be an eyesore like the AMC Gremlin of old and the Pontiac Aztec. Major fail.

The outer glass interlayer of the laminated glass Musk was demonstrating obviously will shatter when struck hard enough. The difference is that the polyvinyl butyral plastic holding the laminate together will tenaciously hold the shards. Just like a modern windshield, as the technology is the same.

Musk's brilliance has been that he has heretofore been able to leverage new technology to even better address the needs of his intended customers. If his target base is people who just want to haul stuff he should have made it better suited for that purpose.

Cheez-It Guy · Post by **Cheez-It Guy** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 8:53 am

I don't think that's the target base on this initial offering.

anonsdca · Post by **anonsdca** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 8:58 am

Cheez-It Guy wrote: ↑Sat Nov 23, 2019 8:53 am I don't think that's the target base on this initial offering.

What is the target base? Hard for me to believe anyone would want that? I am curious to know what types of folks would. That just looks like some moon rover.

dwickenh · Post by **dwickenh** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 9:08 am

Just another sign that Musk is loving himself, not the stockholders.

Kenkat · Post by **Kenkat** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 9:12 am

It looks like a DeLorean and a Pontiac Aztec got together and had a baby.

keystone · Post by **keystone** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 9:25 am

When I saw the thread title, I thought the OP was going to ask if they should pre-order a new DeLorean. I was really looking forward to that discussion.

https://www.delorean.com/pre-order-form.php

JoMoney · Post by **JoMoney** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 9:37 am

Elon must have got a new designer. It's truly the "Car truck of the future"

Wricha · Post by **Wricha** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 9:50 am

My initial thought it was is a bad knock off of an el Camino (which itself was awful). DeLorean is also a good bet.
I don’t think I’d buy a bulletproof vest from Musk.

7eight9 · Post by **7eight9** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 9:53 am

When my wife saw it she pronounced it "kawaii". I don't think cuteness is necessarily a positive attribute in a pickup truck.

Orbuculum Nongata · Post by **Orbuculum Nongata** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 10:01 am

CULater wrote: ↑Sat Nov 23, 2019 8:29 am New Tesla.

I just couldn't help being reminded of this thing in it's day:

Has the Cult of Tesla finally gone too far?

Horrible. I’d take a DeLorean, Hummer, Gremlin, Aztec, etc. over this any day.

nisiprius · Post by **nisiprius** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 10:25 am

The biggest question I have is how could they have bungled the "unbreakable glass" demo so badly?

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with their glass. I'm saying there was something very wrong with their presentation. Something like "no rehearsal."

I see one news story calls him Musk's "assistant," so this isn't a case of "who knew the audience member had been a major league pitcher?"

Now, let's suppose the truth is that the glass is "bulletproof" in the sense that the glass itself breaks, but the plastic laminate holds. Not bad at all. They could have staged that dramatically. They could have put a dummy in the driver's seat, maybe a twin of the one that "drove" the Tesla Roadster in space, and fired an actual bullet at it.

(Anyone else old enough to remember the TV commercial, possibly for floor wax, that showed bullets being deflected from a fighter jet canopy, with the slogan "like jet-age plastic, so tough that bullets bounce off?")

In other words, what we have is someone--I would assume Musk--willing to take the risk of a live demonstration, in front of cameras, of trying something that hadn't actually been tried before. In this case, a definite misjudgment.

Just like the premature launch of the Tesla "smart summon" feature.

A demonstration of a man who sails a bit too close to the wind--a bit too willing to take risks with the untried, or the insufficiently tested.

RickBoglehead · Post by **RickBoglehead** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 10:28 am

My opinion is that it's ugly. I'd use another term, but it would be edited by the moderators.

This clearly will have a very narrow niche that it appeals to. I am a pickup owner, and love the price he's targeted, but that's one ugly vehicle.

I would agree that it's not likely going to be well received by the investing public or shareholders. After the announcement, the stock dropped pretty significantly, Elon's Net Worth fell $770,000,000.00.

To me, the launch was botched. They hit the truck with a sledge, knowing it would not dent. GREAT!

Then they threw steel balls at the side windows to demonstrate they were "bulletproof", because the target market is the cartel? When the first window shattered, that wasn't enough, they did it again and shattered the second window. THAT made his credibility drop and the market reacted, IMO.

Teague · Post by **Teague** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 10:54 am

Delorean? Nah, the Delorean had a mix of angles and curves, a bit odd but it had some genuine style. This thing looks like a metal shop project by a creative middle school student with welding skills.

On the upside, these will make for a great art installation half buried in the sand next to a desert highway. Or maybe gardeners will use them as a modern planter.

JPH · Post by **JPH** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 11:22 am

I'm thinking what kind of a load would I haul in that thing?

anonsdca · Post by **anonsdca** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 11:24 am

JPH wrote: ↑Sat Nov 23, 2019 11:22 am I'm thinking what kind of a load would I haul in that thing?

Moon rocks or dead people after urban warfare.

susze · Post by **susze** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 11:25 am

If you can get past the looks the specs are better than Rivian and F150 at the current time. Yes its still a beta/prototype but on specs they have mostly delivered historically. But I think Elon did say they would do a more traditional look if it bombed.

susze · Post by **susze** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 11:26 am

If you can get past the looks the specs are better than Rivian and F150 at the current time(and yes many unknowns like mirrors and range in full load). Yes its still a beta/prototype but on specs they have mostly delivered historically. But I think Elon did say they would do a more traditional look if it bombed.

WildBill · Post by **WildBill** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 11:32 am

Howdy

I just ordered two. I love how it looks. And I am basically a redneck and squarely in the middle of the buyer demographic.

And if you don’t think people will buy a pickup that can outhaul an F 150 and outrun a Porsche, then you don’t know Arkansas.

W B

5th_Dimension · Post by **5th_Dimension** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 11:40 am

Here is an article explaining why the bed design looks that way.

https://techcrunch.com/2019/11/22/heres ... razy-look/

runner3081 · Post by **runner3081** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 11:50 am

anonsdca wrote: ↑Sat Nov 23, 2019 8:58 am
Cheez-It Guy wrote: ↑Sat Nov 23, 2019 8:53 am I don't think that's the target base on this initial offering.
What is the target base?

1) People who want to be flashy
2) People who want to be different
3) People who want attention

Cheez-It Guy · Post by **Cheez-It Guy** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 11:51 am

anonsdca wrote: ↑Sat Nov 23, 2019 8:58 am
Cheez-It Guy wrote: ↑Sat Nov 23, 2019 8:53 am I don't think that's the target base on this initial offering.
What is the target base? Hard for me to believe anyone would want that? I am curious to know what types of folks would. That just looks like some moon rover.

People buy all kinds of stupid-looking crap all the time, just because it's trendy. UGG boots come immediately to mind. It's a successful launch in that everyone is talking about it. I mean, I wouldn't buy it, but Silicon Valley and even Wall Street or lawyer types probably would. You need to be someone with (outwardly) a lot of confidence. Basically, someone who doesn't even realize that everyone else already thinks they are a complete d-bag jerk. Honestly, I don't find the design any more offensive than any of the gargantuan pickup trucks already driven by your typical redneck who can't afford their vehicle, but buys it anyway AND usually modifies it to make it even more annoying and impractical. Jacked up suspension, super-loud exhaust, rolling coal, hanging truck nuts, etc. In fact, at least the Cybertruck is significantly LESS offensive from an environmental standpoint. I already make an immediate character judgement about people who drive giant trucks for no good reason. Beyond that, their continued blind loyalty to the giant truck segment has distorted the market to the point that it's nearly impossible to get a practical late model small pickup truck anymore. Just look at the new Ford Ranger. It looks more like a slightly smaller F-150. Ridiculous!

So, I think the goal is to generate buzz and to have a subset of people who buy it as a status symbol of sorts to help push mass-market acceptability. You don't think truck buyers are influenced by what other people drive? That actually seems to be the key factor. Got to get a bigger and stupider-looking truck than my neighbor! Give it time. If Tesla made a truck that looked comparable to other trucks on the market, then what's the differentiator? Electric, yes, but do you think that matters AT ALL to the typical giant truck buyer? They just want something to help with their Napoleon complex.

The glass breaking was unfortunate. I'm sure they tested it beforehand. A human throwing a ball bearing is not repeatable in the same way as a lab test. You have adrenaline, force, angle of approach, strike location, etc. If you watch the whole presentation, or even highlights, they had more of a controlled drop from height onto a pane of glass which didn't break, versus normal window glass which shattered. Additionally, each pane of glass may be a bit different. Just because they tested one beforehand which didn't break is no guarantee that a live demo wouldn't break. Virtually every major company that does these sort of press unveiling events has had some manner of live demo snafu. Check the YouTubes! It will be forgotten, and they will fix it before production models are ready. That's just something for the internet to fixate on for a while.

4nursebee · Post by **4nursebee** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 11:59 am

Cybertruck/ Delorean truck deserves its own topic heading. Can someone create this and such discussion away from model 3.

I hope I can afford one when it is available

squirm · Post by **squirm** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 12:00 pm

The fanboys will still line up for it regardless. I really would like to see Tesla succeed but the fanboy culture is a turnoff. Watching some of the fanboys YouTube videos on the reveal was funny, it's like they really really wanted to like it but couldn't admit they didn't, so they reverted to saying it'll just grow on them.

Not sure why we need bulletproof windows and panels. Maybe trying to give the urbanites that gangsta image?

This can't be a real work truck with high bed sides like that.

The price points are attractive however if it's anything like the 3, the high end which will probably be close to 100k is the only one that will be available for a while.

GM any Ford don't have anything to worry about.

MBB_Boy · Post by **MBB_Boy** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 12:02 pm

I'm a Tesla owner who has an F150 as well. I had very low expectations for this reveal, and I am still disappointed.

I'm a bit embarrassed to be a Tesla fan, and the cognitive dissonance I see from overwhelmingly positive responses in Tesla forums gives us all a bad name

neilpilot · Post by **neilpilot** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 12:04 pm

4nursebee wrote: ↑Sat Nov 23, 2019 11:59 am Cybertruck/ Delorean truck deserves its own topic heading. Can someone create this and such discussion away from model 3.

I hope I can afford one when it is available

I totally agree viewtopic.php?f=11&t=295797

DW & I test drove a Model 3 yesterday, almost 4 years after we placed a deposit on April fools day 2016 (since refunded). When federal rebate is considered, the Model 3 that was "promised" for 2017 at $27.5k is in Dec19 about $38k. Same car.

Drive was nice, but she decided she prefers a small SUV for higher seating and ease of entry.

lgs88 · Post by **lgs88** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 12:08 pm

I'm a Ford man, but I've got to hand it to Tesla for gutsy design choices. Nobody on the road will mistake it for anything else. GM just announced that it, too, will have a full-size electric pickup out in 2021. That is Tesla's role in the market: they force the majors to get on the ball.

And despite being decidedly quirky looking, I still like it better than the front aspect of the new Chevy full-size pickups!!

squirm · Post by **squirm** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 12:08 pm

They should have rehearsed the reveal and had someone else speak. Musk is not a public speaker. The window episode made for the revealing go from bad to even worse. It was a total disaster.

I was hoping for a pickup for everyday use and utility. I don't need it to be bulletproof and I need reach into the bed. I'll be keeping my gmc, it does what it needs to do good enough.

7eight9 · Post by **7eight9** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 12:10 pm

squirm wrote: ↑Sat Nov 23, 2019 12:00 pm The fanboys will still line up for it regardless. I really would like to see Tesla succeed but the fanboy culture is a turnoff.

Not sure why we need bulletproof windows and panels. Maybe trying to give the urbanites that gangsta image?

This can't be a real work truck with high bed sides like that.

The price points are attractive however if it's anything like the 3, the high end which will probably be close to 100k is the only one that will be available for a while.

GM any Ford don't have anything to worry about.

CEO Elon Musk claimed the car was “bulletproof” against a 9mm handgun. But when he got Tesla’s chief designer to throw a metal ball at one of its armored windows, audible surprise could be heard as the glass smashed — twice.
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/22/tesla-s ... -ball.html

The ability to stop a 9mm isn't overly impresssive. Better than the ability to stop a .22 or a BB but not rising to a level of significant threat protection.
http://www.aurum-security.de/en/standar ... -vpam.html

Other manufacturers such as BMW and Mercedes offer vehicles with significantly greater ballistic resistance.
BMW - https://www.bmw-special-sales.com/en/to ... rview.html
Mercedes - https://media.daimler.com/marsMediaSite ... id=9361616

fareastwarriors · Post by **fareastwarriors** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 12:17 pm

squirm wrote: ↑Sat Nov 23, 2019 12:08 pm They should have rehearsed the reveal and had someone else speak. Musk is not a public speaker. The window episode made for the revealing go from bad to even worse. It was a total disaster.

I was hoping for a pickup for everyday use and utility. I don't need it to be bulletproof and I need reach into the bed. I'll be keeping my gmc, it does what it needs to do good enough.

I'm waiting for the electric F-150.

ohai · Post by **ohai** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 12:17 pm

I'm pretty sure the flat panels design is 90% so it will be cheap to design and manufacture. Anyway, this is just a "fun project" to help Elon Musk stay in the news. Their volume sellers will still be the more normal cars they are already making.

Cheez-It Guy · Post by **Cheez-It Guy** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 12:20 pm

Are we going to pretend that Ford and GM don't have equally devoted truck fanboy bases? Talk about cognitive dissonance. . .

squirm · Post by **squirm** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 12:22 pm

7eight9 wrote: ↑Sat Nov 23, 2019 12:10 pm
squirm wrote: ↑Sat Nov 23, 2019 12:00 pm The fanboys will still line up for it regardless. I really would like to see Tesla succeed but the fanboy culture is a turnoff.

Not sure why we need bulletproof windows and panels. Maybe trying to give the urbanites that gangsta image?

This can't be a real work truck with high bed sides like that.

The price points are attractive however if it's anything like the 3, the high end which will probably be close to 100k is the only one that will be available for a while.

GM any Ford don't have anything to worry about.
CEO Elon Musk claimed the car was “bulletproof” against a 9mm handgun. But when he got Tesla’s chief designer to throw a metal ball at one of its armored windows, audible surprise could be heard as the glass smashed — twice.
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/22/tesla-s ... -ball.html

The ability to stop a 9mm isn't overly impresssive. Better than the ability to stop a .22 or a BB but not rising to a level of significant threat protection.
http://www.aurum-security.de/en/standar ... -vpam.html

Other manufacturers such as BMW and Mercedes offer vehicles with significantly greater ballistic resistance.
BMW - https://www.bmw-special-sales.com/en/to ... rview.html
Mercedes - https://media.daimler.com/marsMediaSite ... id=9361616

You can see in the video the guy who threw the ball went much softer on the second time and still broke the window.

With Elon standing in front with two broken windows behind him trying to sell the thing, it was just a bad scene all around.

Longtermgrowth · Post by **Longtermgrowth** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 12:25 pm

A similar thought ran through my mind when I saw it on the news, but only because of the stainless steel look. It's too ugly for anything else about it to remind me of the DeLorean.

jibantik · Post by **jibantik** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 12:26 pm

Kind of crazy. I think if they just made a simple, regular truck design, with the tesla tech inside it, it would have sold like hot cakes.

JoMoney · Post by **JoMoney** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 12:28 pm

I sure hope the first manned SpaceX mission goes better

jibantik · Post by **jibantik** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 12:32 pm

JoMoney wrote: ↑Sat Nov 23, 2019 12:28 pm I sure hope the first manned SpaceX mission goes better

Let's hope in that case they test the glass before they go live.

David Jay · Post by **David Jay** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 12:36 pm

lgs88 wrote: ↑Sat Nov 23, 2019 12:08 pmAnd despite being decidedly quirky looking, I still like it better than the front aspect of the new Chevy full-size pickups!!

Well, that’s a low bar, the new Chevys are uggg-ly.

In the 5th wheel community (3/4 ton and 1 ton) the consensus is that a lot of dedicated chevy owners will be buying a GMC next time around.