Tesla EV pickup truck!
 

Elon Musk/Tesla is planning to make an EV pickup truck. Not a commercial delivery truck, too small of a segment but bigger ambitions, they are targeting best selling vehicle - Ford's F-Series. They see a production start in 5 years. Not a fashion pretender, like a crossover Honda Ridgeline, but a down 'n dirty working class towing-capable all-time full-torque worker.

Tesla Will Make A Pickup Truck

Huh... that'll be interesting. The torque will be there, but I wonder what towing a 15K - 20K lbs load up a long grade would do to the batteries...

I saw that story and thought about towing for a moment. Then laughed because almost nobody uses trucks for actually hauling stuff.

Maybe targetting something more modest, such as the compact trucks, they could do better.

The first adopters would not be the dirt-under-the-nails trades; regular plumbers, carpenters, contractors, etc. but most likely by high-end real estate brokers in their designer heels and socially-minded celebrities. Owing some halo effect for their fashionable eco-conscious and faux-hardworking image.

Basically it would have to be more targetted at the Cadillac Escalade and Lincoln Navigator.

Gawd, remember when douchebag realtors and arrogant mortgage brokers were the first to drive around the neighborhood in Hummer H2s.

What a buyer does with it is irrelevant... if the specs of the Tesla truck are intended to compete with the Ford F-series (per Musk's comment:
), then it will need to be able to tow up a grade without the thermal trips cutting the power part way up.

Now if what Musk meant was that it will look like the F-series but not have the capability (for towing, hauling, etc), then I agree that it would be "faux-hardworking image" folks that'll buy it... though if it is known that the truck can't work hard, then maybe not...


Maybe, but both of those still have the ability to tow the same as their less fancy counterparts. Whether they are used to do so doesn't matter.

With a pack that is big enough to haul around a truck for a good amount of miles, towing and power output won't be an issue. The pack will be designed for sustained output of whatever it has. As we know, Tesla isn't afraid of putting a large battery pack in a vehicle.

With luxury pick ups, I can't help but think of the blackwood:

Lincoln Blackwood - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Well - if the Germans could power at full size U-boat submerged for 24 hrs. on batteriet during WWII, (and later for that matter) a truck should not be impossible. (Water makes more resistance than air)
Pelenty of room for batteries, and a rigid frame, but the wight will reduce load capacity somewhat.

Tesla truck?

Model S is a Sedan...
Model X is a Crossover...

So a Truck will be a Model.... T?

Tesla is going to compete against Ford with a Model T?

Really?

NICE!! Talk about the world coming full circle lol

Seems like an interesting idea, Maybe the batteries will be packed under the hood much like an engine, and the rear will be special built with the motor directly attached to it...thus giving a better weight distribution since the motor will probably weigh as much or more than a new 6speed auto trans.

Either way, don't think tradesmen will adopt it quickly, but since most trucks sold in USA are NEVER used to haul much of anything, I'm sure the suburbs will love an electric truck.

Speaking of luxurious; what ever happened to the Luxury Zap PU?

Tesla will have to add an auxilliary battery pack to power the 50,000 watt faux straight pipes simulator.

Am I the only one hoping they make it a diesel hybrid? Like a Volt sort of idea. Then at least you could get the diesel noise to go along with your dually truck ha ha

The drivetrain of the sub allowed for a lot more slip than the drivetrain of the truck would... plus I believe the operating parameters (ambient temps, grades, loads, etc) of the truck will be significantly broader than the sub's... so that is probably not a valid comparison.

I agree it's not impossible, but if the truck is going to be rated comparable to an F-series truck (which can tow its own weight and then some), then it seems like battery management will be a bit more complicated than on a passenger car.

reading up on the sub, just because it is interesting:
Type XXI Electric Boats
372 cells 44 MAL 740 (33900 Ah)

for use in the type XXI
Type XXI Elektro boats - U-boat Types - German U-boats of WWII - Kriegsmarine - uboat.net

recharged in 3-5 hours via snorkel once every 2-3 days. could go 340 miles @ 5 knots submerged.

I'd like to see a Tesla truck in the Camping World Truck Racing series (part of Nascar). During pit stops, the Tesla would swap battery packs, rather than refuel with gasoline. Nascar would need to come up with the equivalent of a restrictor plate for Daytona and Talladega. Maybe some extra resistors strapped to the motor controller.

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.

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. :mad:

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

"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.

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.

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.

Ram (formerly Dodge Ram) is offering a turbo v6 diesel in the 1500 pickup in 2014. That's a bit smaller than the Cummins and should idle quieter. I believe Jeep is offering the same diesel in the 2014 Grand Cherokee. The diesel is not standard equipment in either vehicle, so it will cost you a few grand.

Back to the original topic, I don't see how an electric truck would be practical for those actually using them for truck purposes. Contractors would want something able to go longer distances, to other work sites. People that want to haul toys often go long distances and climb steep grades.

What this really sounds like is a truck for those that like to commute in a truck, but don't want to appear guilty of crimes against mother earth.

I've been following those threads, but a 1500 is still a large truck, and any new vehicles will have particulate filters, catalysts, urea tanks, etc, etc bolted on to them. It's a move in the right direction, but I won't be a buyer. I'm not a fan of any of the big 3 trucks, I just happened get my truck very cheaply at state auction. I'd especially stay away from Jeep, and have been relieved now that my Liberty is sold and gone.

All diesels nowadays are quieter than my pre-common-rail rattle can. My truck of choice based on what is offered now in the US would be a 2003 Cummins. It had common-rail, but did not have any of the emission stuff that is now required.

That's what it looks like.

While they're more efficient with electric drive, it all boils down to how clean your electricity really is.

While it may be seen as more polluting, it's actually less poisoning.

None of the particulate filters really filter or eliminate the soot.
They all make the particles smaller, and thus more harmful.
Plus you can run into a $h!tload of troubles with them.

Usually we tend to repeat the US's errors in Europe.
This is your chance NOT to repeat ours : don't buy into the clean-diesel lies !

It doesn't have to be an Iveco Daily. I just wanted to say that an Iveco Daily type pick-up would be more practical. An American company (Tesla) could also produce a truck without a gigantic snout/grille. This has no influence on price.

Besides that it is also available as a tractor unit with a higher towing capacity:
http://images.autoline-fr.be/s/tract...0477584200.jpg
The cargo capacity of the Daily goes up to 4200 kg.
For people who actually need such a vehicle for work purposes, it is more important than the towing capacity.

Americans with a complex could buy a truck that looks like this Daily version:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...co_40.10WM.jpg

Switzerland has a significantly higher GDP per capita than the US. Yet, I don't see many pick up trucks. Or if I do they look like this with construction workers driving it:
http://www.nutzfahrzeuge-wolfsburg.d...es/header8.jpg

I also wonder what merits an electric truck would have.
This company is selling 18 ton electric trucks: E-FORCE
And it is currently being used by a brewery and a grocery chain.
At least there are some applications where an electric truck can be useful.

Or if you prefer, a 1960s Ford Falcon pickup.http://www.westcoastfalcons.com/scff/visitors/poiry.JPG

I love these old trucks. But the driveway's full! TMP!

Still, for %99.999 of truck owners, a trailer hitch on an efficient car would be way better. Single occupant over-sized, under-utilized bricks with relatively tiny payloads are already everywhere.

About the towing differences between Europe and American trucks, it is not about their abilities but about the regulations of their native market.
In Europe, anything over 3.5 tons require a dedicated license.
So manufacturers optimise their vehicle based on this regulation.

Bigger US trucks should compare to actual trucks (wich speed is limited to 70 mph too)

Vomit me an ocean...
Why even bother?
That has to be the pickup most likely to do the least amount of actual truck work of any truck on the market.

This is the problem with a battery powered vehicle pulling a trailer up a hill:

Power needed to get over hills, power you lose with elevation - Diesel Place : Chevrolet and GMC Diesel Truck Forums

Ignore the part about the thin air.
A truck pulling a trailer up a 5% grade could easily require 150 horse power just to maintain speed. Now an electric motor can easily produce that kind of power and likely be able to keep cool but the batteries putting out over .1 mega watts for an extended period of time and then going on to another hill or finishing the trip is where my doubts are.

Agreed, I like my DPM big enough to see.

If you can see it, smell it or taste it that means it not getting deep down inside your lungs.