The recent Los Angeles Auto Show 2018 looks to be pressuring Tesla to push their schedule for the Tesla pickup. While the electric vehicle company is enjoying good sales of its current sedan and van-type vehicles in the present, it seems a competitor has taken the lead for now in the pickup market.
According to Car Buzz, electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian recently unveiled the new Rivian R1T during the Los Angeles Auto Show - definitely beating Tesla to an announcement for the Tesla pickup. Rivian's announcement of the R1T makes them the first electric vehicle manufacturer in the market to come out with an electric pickup. But Rivian's decision to create an electric pickup is not an idea that Tesla has yet to consider.
Tesla chief executive officer Elon Musk has already expressed interest in creating a Tesla pickup for the company's product line as early as last year but Rivian had simply beaten them to the punch during the LA Auto show. As Car Buzz notes, the recent unveiling of the Rivian R1T has opened the floodgates for Elon Musk to re-explore the Tesla pickup
According to the publication, Elon Musk has recently expressed a renewed interest in producing a Tesla pickup in response to a question on Twitter. The question was initially posed to Elon Musk's earlier post about Tesla vehicles being bought by more customers despite some customers' lack of belief in climate change.
When can I order my pickup truck? — larry (@lgebman) December 11, 2018
I'm dying to make a pickup truck so bad ... we might have a prototype to unveil next year — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 11, 2018
Elon Musk opens up in his Twitter post that he has always wanted to pursue the production of an electric pickup and Tesla may be ready to unveil their prototype for a Tesla pickup by next year. Musk's promise of a 2019 unveiling of the Tesla pickup prototype agrees with his previous statements that the Tesla pickup would be launched after the Tesla Model Y goes into production by 2020, as noted by Car Buzz.
Car Buzz notes that Tesla fans can expect the Tesla pickup to be a six-seater vehicle with a range of around 800 kilometers. The publication also notes that the vehicle may include features such as a suspension that can dynamically adjust based on the vehicles current load. The publication also notes that Elon Musk has promised in the past that the Tesla pickup - if ever it actually goes into production - will feature a futuristic design reminiscent of vehicles in science fiction movies such as "Blade Runner."
