In case you missed it, the Cybertruck is a more popular meme than it is as a truck, so it seems like Tesla is going back to the drawing board to try and build a truck that will appeal to its wider fanbase.
A report from Electrek says that Musk originally anticipated the Cybertruck to ramp up to sell 500,000 per year, but so far, it’s barely selling at a rate of 20,000 per year, making it a pretty big flop for the automaker. In the U.S., Ford sells around 700,000 F-150 trucks per year and even more globally.
Lars Moravy, Tesla’s VP of vehicle engineering, spoke at a recent event hosted by Tesla owners and investors. At the event, Moravy said the company has always talked about making a smaller pickup, but it’s thinking more about using it as a self-driving delivery vehicle rather than another mass-market attempt.
“We always talked about making a smaller pickup,” Moravy said. “I think in the future, as more and more of the robotaxi comes into the world, we look at those options and we think about, OK, that kind of service is useful not just for people, but also for goods.”
The one thing that’s still unclear is whether the company is looking to make a smaller truck, or just a smaller Cybertruck that keeps the same angular design.
What is disappointing is that Tesla seems fully committed to the Robotaxi plan and is thinking about designing more self-driving cars instead of typical cars for drivers like the Model Y, the company’s last success.
Notably, the comment comes as smaller, more affordable trucks are poised to take over the auto market. First, there’s the Slate truck, a small EV pickup that trades bells and whistles for a barebones experience to help get the price down. Backed by billionaire Jeff Bezos, Slate has already garnered over 100,000 reservations. Further, Road and Track reports that compact pickups are growing in popularity as people turn away from ever-growing, massive full-sized pickups.
All the recent interest in smaller, cheaper trucks, coupled with the notable splash of the Slate truck’s promise, could have Tesla scrambling to maintain its hold over the North American EV market.
Image source: Tesla
Source: Electrek
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