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Tesla Cybertruck

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Re: Tesla Cybertruck

#791

Post by twic »

JeremyNT wrote: post #612
sytelus wrote: post #484

Stupid question: what’s up with trucks in urban areas? I understand the utility of a truck in rural/farm setting but never figured why folks want to lug around that pointless empty half while living in cities. Two of the folks I know who owns trucks have used empty halfs probably twice in a year when bringing home some furniture but that too could have delivered free by the store. Again, as I said, stupid question.

In some cases it seems like pure conspicuous consumption. The sheer impracticality of it is a badge of honor. This is not atypical for American consumerism. In fact, I wonder about the Tesla truck's appeal. I feel like the oversized truck's negative ecological impact is one part of its appeal, do does an electric truck actually end up selling? Here in the South, some pickup drivers modify their exhausts to spew toxic…

> Here in the South, some pickup drivers modify their exhausts to spew toxic smoke ("rolling coal") which is clearly not an option with the Tesla...

They could always shoot a hole in the battery pack to do that.

Re: Tesla Cybertruck

#792

Post by ttcbj »

chrissnell wrote: post #42

As a truck guy who has owned a lot of trucks and currently owns a 2017 Ram 2500 CTD 4x4 and a Land Rover Defender 110, I'm telling you right now: this is going to kill it. This is the suburban status item of 2022. I want to buy this right now. This has nearly the towing capacity of my Ram and will smoke my wife's Audi on the track.

I am not sure if this will become a status symbol, but I 100% agree that that is the market it is going for.

I know three people who own a pickup (one in commercial construction, one who is a big animal vet, and one who has a horse farm). This does not appear to be designed for those people at all.

However, I think it could appeal to the same people who wanted a hummer. Driving it is just overtly confrontational. It will be fascinating to see whether there is a market for exactly this though, because Tesla is supposed to be environmentally friendly, and the people who bought hummers clearly didn't care about that (at the time, at least).

Re: Tesla Cybertruck

#793

Post by markkat »

Pxtl wrote: post #639

I'm a child of the 80s. I remember StarFox and the F-117 stealth plane being the neatest stuff ever. The old lambo countache with the faceted shape that was almost starwars-y and was the coolest thing on wheels. I'm nostalgic about those things. So this polygonal look is targeting my demo. ... That is the goddamned ugliest vehicle I've ever seen.

I am of the same demo. I agree it is ugly, but ugly in a good way.

Re: Tesla Cybertruck

#794

Post by drcode »

om3n wrote: post #640
sytelus wrote: post #484

Stupid question: what’s up with trucks in urban areas? I understand the utility of a truck in rural/farm setting but never figured why folks want to lug around that pointless empty half while living in cities. Two of the folks I know who owns trucks have used empty halfs probably twice in a year when bringing home some furniture but that too could have delivered free by the store. Again, as I said, stupid question.

I live in a northern Midwest suburb, in a region that receives a lot of snow in the winter. I have driven older trucks my whole life, in part because of of the 4x4 capability for winter driving. I also enjoy being the guy who keeps a tow strap in the toolbox and hauls people out of ditches. Hard to do that without a heavy 4x4 vehicle. When you have the bed, you realize there are a lot more uses for it than you might…

Like me, you probably live in the vast majority of the Midwest that is as flat as a pancake. I would argue in that scenario 4x4 is not very important: if there's no incline, two wheel drive will work in almost any weather situation.

(sure, on strictly theoretical grounds, having 4 wheel drive, or 10 wheel drive or 1000 wheel drive, if there are no downsides, would always be preferable)

Re: Tesla Cybertruck

#797

Post by mda »

Pxtl wrote: post #639

I'm a child of the 80s. I remember StarFox and the F-117 stealth plane being the neatest stuff ever. The old lambo countache with the faceted shape that was almost starwars-y and was the coolest thing on wheels. I'm nostalgic about those things. So this polygonal look is targeting my demo. ... That is the goddamned ugliest vehicle I've ever seen.

I generally appreciate non curvy designs in many forms. But I agree with you on this, my immediate thought was, "God, this thing is absolutely hideous" Such a missed opportunity.

Re: Tesla Cybertruck

#798

Post by DanGarthwaite »

Two things just occurred to me: 1) The built in air compressor is so it can maintain cabin pressure in space. 2) The shape might have some optimum cylindrical packing arrangement for starship's cargo bay.

Re: Tesla Cybertruck

#799

Post by lojack »

whatshisface wrote: post #678
Pxtl wrote: post #639

I'm a child of the 80s. I remember StarFox and the F-117 stealth plane being the neatest stuff ever. The old lambo countache with the faceted shape that was almost starwars-y and was the coolest thing on wheels. I'm nostalgic about those things. So this polygonal look is targeting my demo. ... That is the goddamned ugliest vehicle I've ever seen.

Tesla doesn't have the manufacturing capacity to sell a truck to everybody, and people that love something are willing to pay more than people who only mildly like something, so it makes sense that they would design a highly polarizing truck that a few people loved but everybody else hated. It's reminiscent of the economic model of fursuit manufacturers.

They made the look polarizing and a bit extreme for free PR. For the first few years after launch, every time it's seen on the road, people will talk about whether they love it or hate it. If they made it look like the F-150, most people wouldn't even notice.
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