Jalopnik’s hilarious mockup of the future Tesla pickupU.S.-based electric car company Tesla has announced that it will make a half-ton pickup to rival the best-selling Ford F-150.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk made the announcement during a Q&A at Business Insider’s Ignition event. Musk said the company would likely make the truck within the next five years.
Musk made the announcement in response to a question asking whether Tesla would make a fleet vehicle for companies like FedEx or UPS since commercial fleets are heavily exploring the opportunities hybrid vehicles and alternative fuels offer.
Musk said it would make a pickup instead because the market opportunity for commercial trucks is much smaller. Musk said the aim would be to create a truck like the F-150 due to its popularity.
That Musk pointed to the F-150 specifically for inspiration could just be a tip of the hat to the overwhelming front runner in that market. Or, more importantly, it could mean that Musk takes the segment seriously and wants to produce a truck with a lot of power and towing capability.
For what it’s worth, the Tesla’s Model S sedan has shown that its electric motors are capable of a lot of power. The Model S puts out 416 horsepower and 443 lb.-ft. of torque. And that torque is seen nearly instantaneously off the line, unlike in a fuel-powered vehicle.
Powered byAnd we’d be remiss if we neglected to point out the hilarious and awesomely bad mockup Jalopnik put together of the future truck. It combines the backend of a Chevy Silverado 2500 and the front end of Tesla’s Model X crossover.
