Tesla Pickup Challenge: Can Elon Musk’s Truck Beat Ford, GM?

Tesla CEO Elon Musk finally gave a more definitive timeline as to when the public can finally get to see the mysterious Tesla pickup. In a tweet, Musk said the Tesla pickup, now being referred as the Tesla Model B, will most likely be launched by November.

As with other Tesla vehicles, the announcement caused a lot of excitement. Ever since Musk showcased an obscure teaser of the pickup, interest on the new utility vehicle has been gaining ground. In a Twitter survey conducted by Autowise a few months ago, it showed that the interest in the Tesla brand exceeded that of the F-150 in over 26 states in the U.S.

According to a report, the data was gathered using geotagged information and was used to create a “map” courtesy of TrendsMap. The result came after Musk conducted a podcast interview with Ride The Lightning wherein he discussed what to expect from the electric utility vehicle.

The result is quite telling, considering Tesla has nothing to show for its pickup aside from a teaser that doesn’t really say anything concrete about the vehicle. The interview did provide some exciting details about the vehicle which was once described to have a “cyberpunk” look. This included a surprising price range of around $50,000.

“We don’t want it to be really expensive. I think it’s got to start at less than $50,000, it’s got to be like $49,000 starting price, maximum, ideally less. … It’s got to be something that’s affordable. There will be versions of the truck that are more expensive, but you’ve got to be able to get a really great truck for $49,000, or less,” Musk told podcast host Ryan McCaffrey.

But is the hype over the Tesla pickup enough to compete with pickup giants Ford and General Motors? According to a report, both companies do not seem to be in a hurry to actually compete in the electric pickup arena, which is understandably being dominated by Tesla and new player, Rivian.

The report pointed out that this could work against the more established brands in the long run, especially now that the two younger companies are offering something quite appealing to the market. Aside from Tesla’s cyberpunk claim, Musk also said that the Tesla pickup will have the functionality of the Ford F-150 and the speed of a Porsche 911. The Rivian, on the other hand, will be decked with so much luxurious features that the report described it “like a full suite of Patagonia outdoor gear with wheels.”

However, both Ford and GM appear to be not fazed by Musk’s truck. Ford even showed Tesla that it can overpower its claim of towing 300,000 pounds of weight by letting its electric Ford F-150 pull a load that’s roughly 1.2 million pounds.

In an earlier report, a Ford executive even reiterated that the car company is ready to face challenges brought forth by its competition.

“We have dominated this segment, it’s the best-selling truck for 42 years. We think combining Built Ford Tough with electrification exemplifies all of those attributes customers love. We want to build on the leadership we have had,” Ford chief product development officer Hau Thai-Tang said on Yahoo Finance’s “The First Trade.”

Ford and GM are at an obvious advantage when it comes to building pickup trucks. But when it comes to building electric vehicles, Tesla can definitely hold its own in the competition. How the market will react can initially be seen once the Model B is launched this November.