Ever since Elon Musk mentioned making “a new kind of pickup truck” in Tesla’s revised master plan the internet has been alight with speculation on the design. Step back, I’ve got this figured out.
What do we know about the hypothetical electric-powered pickup? Well so far nothing, including its actual viability or whether Musk will simply stop answering questions about it at some point.
Truck Trend has probably put the most effort into analyzing a potential Tesla Truck design (they want it to be called “Model U”) with a whole big render gallery and write-up.
Truck Trend’s analysis speculates that the pickup will have a low load-tray and a highly useful “frunk” like the one our own Jason Torchinsky imagined a few years ago.
Automotive illustrator Theo Chin cooked up a render as well. So did TopSpeed:
I noticed a common thread between all these fantasy trucks– they all look like the Honda Ridgeline with a Tesla face.
A Honda Ridgeline.
With a Tesla face.
It’s so simple.
The Ridgeline has been such a popular platform for unsolicited “Tesla truck” concepts because it speaks to the same “non truck owner-friendly” mentality that most of us expect Tesla to.
Prevailing lore is that a Tesla pickup will be low and sleek, to focus on practicality. I hope they’re dreaming a little bigger. Or smaller. What about a Sambar-sized EV, Elon?