Tesla EV pickup truck!

[Daox]

Originally Posted by twinair

I always wondered why Americans need _________________ .

Fill in the blank with almost any ridiculous thing you can think of and you'd be right that we don't 'need' it, but we think we do for some stupid reason or another. Grrr, my pet peeve, American's sense of entitlement.

[Fat Charlie]

I'm a rugged, independent cowboy. Don't tell me what I don't need or don't need when I'm commuting to my cubicle every day.

[twinair]

I didn't necessarily want to criticize Americans, I just wanted to point out that if one wanted to build an electrified Pick-up truck, it should rather be built like an Iveco Daily than a Ford F-150.

After all there are construction workers, gardeners, farmers, snowploughers etc. who can benefit from a pick-up truck, but none of them would need a F-Series type of pick-up truck. If you buy a car for your business you want this tool to maximize benefits and minimize costs (more space, more payload and low fuel consumption) and don't usually care about appeal.
Oh well, I guess the question would be: How can you make a pick-up truck appealing to a 'cowboy' without having to build a car with a long snout and a gigantic grille.

[kach22i]

Did anyone notice the other article off to the side?


Elon Musk Gets All Hopped Up On Pain Meds, Imagines Tesla Pickup
Elon Musk Gets All Hopped Up On Pain Meds, Imagines Tesla Pickup

Here is the original article/announcement.

EXCLUSIVE: Tesla Is Planning To Make A Pickup Truck
http://www.businessinsider.com/tesla...-truck-2013-11

Tesla CEO Elon Musk spoke at Business Insider's IGNITION event in New York yesterday. He made his remarks about the pickup truck during a post-interview Q&A session at the side of the stage.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/tesla...#ixzz2kjGy8VYP

[Smurf]

[Ryland]

I install granite counter tops and we use a Dodge 1500 with the smaller, 5.4L engine, it too can tow it's own weight, but it handles about as well towing that much weight as my civic VX does towing it's own weight!

I agree with the Iveco Daily, or Freightliner vans being a good design, I've seen a few of them as pickup trucks and I'd really like to see the smaller ones as a pickup truck.

Features I'd like to see in a truck would be a smaller cab and hood, I don't need an extra foot of head room! I do want to be able to park in a normal parking space, I also want a truck bed that I, at 6 feet tall, can set stuff in, the sides of our truck bed are shoulder height, that is insane! even the tail gate is to tall if you want to climb in to the truck bed.

So maybe like the Model S, have a truck that adjusts the ride height, when you put it in 4 wheel drive or press the "off road" button the suspension should raise and get softer, the rest of the time it should be much much lower.

I'm also not sure why the tail gates are always at the back, my parents have an old VW truck with the fold down sides, any or all of the sides can be open, very useful if you are parked on a city street and want to unload.

[Christopher Jordan]

More exciting news -

Gas 2 | What is the future of fuel? What's new? What's next? Since 2007, Gas 2 has covered a rapidly changing world coming to terms with its oil addiction.

Maybe someday Tesla PUs will be included by default! :-D

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by twinair

I always wondered why Americans need these pick-up trucks with long snouts.

If I was a construction worker or a marine vessel hauler I would get a more practical Iveco Daily (available with dual cab, tiltable cargo bed, crane and what not) which use space more efficiently and have a higher payload and are more fuel efficient.

1. The Iveco Daily is not offered in the US. That means Americans have to purchase something that is available for purchase.

2. From what I've found, the Iveco Daily is incredibly expensive when compared to pickup trucks. The cheapest I found was $55,000.

3. The Iveco Daily is tow rated at 3500kg. The Dodge Ram 2500 diesel is rated at 8164kg.

4. The Iveco Daily looks sissy. Americans think of vehicles as an extension of their style and personality. Even as a work truck, Americans don't want to be seen as sissy.

5. People tend to buy as much power as they can afford. This is true of people in any country. If Europe enjoyed fuel prices as low as Americans, they would be driving wildly inefficient vehicles.

*Disclaimer- These are generalizations.

[wheelbender6]

"The Iveco Daily is not offered in the US."
When I was in the Philippines, I drove a little Isuzu Turbo-diesel pickup truck and really liked it. Upon return, I was very disappointed when I learned that Isuzu did not plan to import it to the states. Isuzu does still sell light commercial trucks here, without the help of Joe Izusu.

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by Daox

Grrr, my pet peeve, American's sense of entitlement.

Yes, a chip right off of Europe's block. If any geographic location is known for entitlements, it is Europe. Sadly, the US is hot on their heels.

Originally Posted by wheelbender6

"The Iveco Daily is not offered in the US."
When I was in the Philippines, I drove a little Isuzu Turbo-diesel pickup truck and really liked it. Upon return, I was very disappointed when I learned that Isuzu did not plan to import it to the states. Isuzu does still sell light commercial trucks here, without the help of Joe Izusu.

I have lusted for a Toyota Hilux diesel for years. Really, I would buy any truck about the size of a Tacoma with a diesel engine in it. I ended up buying the smallest, most affordable diesel truck offered in the US; a Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins diesel. Yes, the smallest diesel engine in a truck offered in the US is a 5.9L turbo.