Musk: Tesla Pickup Will Be Sub-$50K, Better Than the F-150
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Elon Musk has always been one to make grand projections and, hey \\u2013 if he can make good on even a handful of his brash promises then the future of the transportation industry \\u2013 on earth, below ground and in out space \\u2013 should be interesting.
The latest comments from the visionary entrepreneur have to do with a pet project he\\u2019s been teasing for a while now \\u2013 a Tesla pickup truck model. And in true Elon fashion, he\\u2019s not downplaying a single thing about it as we get closer to its release.
In Musk\\u2019s recent interview with Ride the Lightning podcast, he promised the new model truck would be priced below $50,000, which is a strong competitive play in the ultra-pricy truck segment. He also said the Tesla pickup would be a superior sports car to a Porsche 911 and better in its \\u201ctruck-like functionality\\u201d than the F-150.
The comments really hit at Ford twice, because the maker of the F-150 is technically in the electric pickup market too \\u2013 albeit indirectly, following a $500 million investment in electric vehicle maker Rivian. Rivian\\u2019s soon-to-be-released electric pickup, by the way, is reportedly to be priced in the $70,000 range. On top of that, Ford suggested at the most recent Detroit Auto Show that an electric F-150 was in the brand\\u2019s future, though the company had little detail to offer as far as a game plan.
So while Tesla has a lot going for it here, one thing that might get in its way is the look of this new vehicle, with a design Musk himself admitted some might find offputting. He described it as \\u201csci-fi\\u201d and, if you look at some of these renderings, you might agree. But we careful: Tesla has actually only released a teaser image at this point that\\u2019s comprised of lines and light. Anything you see on the web is just speculation by industry enthusiasts who are chomping at the bit to imagine the real thing.
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