Tesla pick-up could start under $75k

Tesla boss Elon Musk has unveiled more grand plans for the EV-maker’s forthcoming pick-up, stating that it will be more functional than a Ford F-150 and more sporting than a Porsche 911.

Musk outlined his aspirations for the forthcoming utility in a recent podcast, but his terminology throughout the chat was decidedly non-committal – regularly referencing the pick-up’s core credentials as goals rather than outright promises.

Musk said during the chat that “you should be able to buy a really great truck for $US49K or less”. Using the new $66,000 Tesla Model 3 as a guide – “US price in AUD plus import duties and sales tax” – that would equate to roughly $75,000 in Australia, as a starting point.

"[The aim is] a truck that is more capable than other trucks," Musk said on the Ride the Lightning podcast.

"The goal is to be a better truck than an F-150 in terms of truck-like functionality and be a better sports car than a standard 911. That's the aspiration."

Better than an F-150 and a 911? We could only speculate Musk is referencing the flagship, hi-po version with that quip...

At $75,000 in entry form, give or take, the Tesla offering would match flagship versions of the Ford Ranger and Volkswagen Amarok on price – even though it would technically be a segment bigger.

That said, Tesla’s more pressing concern could be the forthcoming Rivian R1T utility, which is due internationally in late 2020 and has been slated for Australia thereafter.

Tesla’s utility will be released slightly later based on communication so far. Musk has been spruiking a Tesla pick-up for the better part of six years, and whilst physical evidence of the utility is virtually limited to teaser shots, the Tesla boss has promised a few key headlines along the way.

Of most note, the as-yet unnamed pick-up will offer upwards of 700km in range, accommodate six passengers and will be large enough to squeeze a competitor’s full-size truck in its tray.

The pick-up will offer all-wheel drive courtesy of a dual motor layout, “crazy torque” and suspension that automatically adjusts for load. The pick-up also promises to replace on-site generators by “allowing use of heavy duty 240-volt power tools in the field all day”, according to Musk.

Musk says the new truck will wear “really futuristic-like cyberpunk, Blade Runner” styling.

Time will tell whether Tesla can live up to the rhetoric regarding price, power and range performance. Rivian’s R1T is set to start at about $A100,000 in the US, climbing to about $130,000 for the full-range version.