If there’s a bridge between the consumer and the commercial side of road transportation, it’s the pickup truck. US sales are healthy in this segment, and everyone wants a piece, including Tesla Inc. with the touted Tesla Pickup truck.
As many advantages as Tesla has with its reputation in the EV segment and its superior technology, there are an equal number of challenges that the Tesla Pickup will have to face sooner or later. Among these is pricing and power. While Musk is confident of the latter, how about the former?
Let’s look at everything we know so far about Tesla’s foray into the light commercial truck segment.
First of all, it’s going to be massive. Possibly as big as the F-150, America’s most popular pickup truck by a mile. The F-150 measures 209-251″ L x 80-86″ W x 75-79″ H. By comparison (2025 models), The F-150 is about 9 inches taller than the Toyota Tacoma and nearly 5 inches taller than the Chevy Colorado.
So the Tesla pickup is very likely going to be around the same size as the F-150 from Ford. Maybe higher because Musk said there would be a step that automatically folds out.
Second, despite the classic pickup form factor, it will be an ideal family car because it can seat 6 people inside the spacious cabin. But it will also be perfect for tradespeople and as a recreational vehicle because it will be able to tow up to 300,000 lbs (150 tons) behind it. That sounds incredible but even the Model X has pulled as much as 125 tons, or 250,000 pounds, of dirt from a Boring Company tunnel.
No real surface is perfect, but it did pull about 250,000 lbs of muck rail cars out of a tunnel pic.twitter.com/wlKbLwd0f7
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) 22 March 2018
As a matter of fact, the Model X has even pulled a Boeing 787-9 with a kerb weight of around 297,000 pounds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzaxPL6Yh08
Third, it can fit Andre the Giant. That’s big by any standards because the mild-mannered (outside the ring, that is) WWF pro is 7’4″ tall! So there’s going to be head room and leg room to spare even if you’re well over 6 feet.
Fourth, the range is currently expected at 400 to 500 miles, but that could (and probably will) go up by the time it releases. Musk loves to do that.
Fifth, the all-wheel-drive Tesla Pickup truck will have a 240V power supply for using power tools on the go. That’s going to be a huge feature for tradespeople always looking for a power outlet wherever they go.
Sixth, it’s going to be fast and quick. Acceleration time is expected at under 6 seconds from 0 to 62 mph.
Seventh, there will be self-leveling suspension as a standard feature. No unseemly gait when fully loaded, basically. Could be pneumatic.
Eighth, although the Model X and Model S have a platform that’s limited to 125 kWh of energy capacity, the Tesla truck will probably have a new platform with a higher energy capacity cap.
Ninth, it will be a Dual Motor All-Wheel-Drive (AWD).
Tenth, the truck is going to have lockers. Important for those valuable power tools – don’t want to leave them lying around on the bed of the truck.
And there you have it. The only thing remaining is to see what price point they’re going to launch it at and when it might come.
The Powerhorse W-15 will come in at around $52,000, so that’s as good a guess as any. Tesla can’t price it as a premium model and expect mainstream truck enthusiasts to pay that much when they can get an F-150 for under $30,000. They’ll definitely have to pay a premium because of the Tesla branding, but it will be interesting to see what Tesla does on the pricing front.
As for the launch date, we suspect it’s going to be alongside the Model Y. As we said in an earlier piece, the Model Y is critical from a profitability angle, while the Tesla Pickup will give the company an entry into a huge and growing market segment that they haven’t touched yet. I invite you to read that article:
