Tesla pick-up truck to follow the Model Y in 2019

Khodrocar - Tesla CEO Elon Musk has once again confirmed the firm's plan to build its first all-electric pick-up truck. Tesla's primary focus remains on the Model S, Model X and Model 3 EVs but the Model Y crossover will come next, closely followed by the as-yet unnamed truck. Speaking to Tesla owners on Twitter, Musk said: "I promise that we will make a pickup truck right after Model Y".

In the same Tweet he revealed he has "had the core design/engineering elements in my mind for almost 5 years. Am dying to build it." Intriguingly, Musk followed that up with another tweet that said the Tesla pick-up would be similar in size to the Ford F150: "Maybe slightly bigger to account for a really gamechanging (I think) feature I’d like to add".

The Ford F150 is a full-size US market pick-up truck that measures well over 6m long in its longest guises. It's substantially bigger than the 'one-tonne' pick-ups we get in the UK so Tesla's truck is likely to be targeted at the US where larger trucks are big business with the F150 selling over 800k units in 2017. In fact, the Ford F-150 has been America’s best selling vehicle since 1981.

Tesla Pick-up 2019 launch date?

Musk last brought the Tesla pick-up to our attention with a tweet confirming the commercial vehicle will be ready in 2019. His comment, posted on Twitter on April 13 said: "Pickup truck unveil in 18 to 24 months" – though no further detail was revealed.

We expect the pick-up to share its underpinnings with the Model X SUV, as well as offering an identical range of powertrains. That means it should offer performance unlike any other pick-up on the market. Despite weighing almost 2.5 tonnes, even the basic Model X will sprint from 0-60mph in around six seconds, while an all-electric range of 220 miles should be plenty for most prospective owners. 

However, being a commercial vehicle, it’s likely to be priced below the Model X, which currently has a starting price of £85,335 for the 75D version. For it to compete with diesel rivals, Tesla would need to price its pick-up closer to £30,000, though that’ll inevitably be confirmed in due course. Many competitors offer multiple bodystyles including single and king-cab variations, though Tesla is expected to stick with the popular double-cab setup.

In terms of carrying capacity and load volume, the Tesla is likely to match models like the Nissan NP300 Navara, which offers a 1,000kg pay load. Like the Model X SUV, we expect the Tesla pick-up to be four-wheel drive only, using the brand’s Dual Motor technology powering the front and rear wheels. We’ve no word on towing capacity, but given the fact that even the basic Model X has 525Nm of torque that isn’t likely to be a problem.