Elon Musk has a back-up plan. The Tesla CEO says that his company will build a more conventional pick-up truck if the their upcoming Cybertruck fails to catch on with consumers.
Referring to the Cybertruck as a “futuristic battle tank,” Musk detailed his backup plan should sales of the unconventional electric truck flop. In an interview with Automotive News, Musk said Tesla will simply build a “normal” pick-up truck if the Cybertruck turns out to be a massive failure.
Muck added that Tesla did no market research prior to designing and unveiling the Cybertruck. They spent no time talking to owners of pick-up trucks about what they find appealing in a vehicle. Tesla simply made a truck that the company thought “was awesome,” according to Musk. He acknowledged its unconventional, sci-fi appearance. Will anyone actually buy it though?
Musk stressed that if the Cybertruck falls flat, Tesla build a more typical fully electric truck. Production of the Cybertruck is scheduled to start in 2021. Tesla plans to build it at a new Gigafactory located in Austin, Texas.
Initial indications are that the Cybertruck is likely to be a hit with consumers. As of the end of March this year, the Cybertruck had racked up 622,000 pre-orders from the public. Three quarters (76%) of the pre-orders were from the U.S., while 10% came from Canada, according to Tesla. However, you can place a pre-order for as little as $150, so it’s unclear how may buyers are serious about following through when the truck hits production.
Prices for the electric pickup start at $39,900 for the single-motor model and $69,900 for the tri-motor version.
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