I recently went to SF from the UK and use Waymo every day for 2 weeks - Great to have a drink and not worry about getting back. Also nice to not have to drive and worry about traffic laws.
@james2450Ай бұрын
This ties into something I’ve been pondering about. I feel our conceptions of automotive luxury have shifted. In the 90s a luxurious car interior aspired to replicate the experience of a gentlemen's club, with connolly leather, walnut panelling, and pile carpet. Now maybe “luxury” is characterised more by light, space and seamless digital integration. In the mobile telecoms industry I think about how Nokia set out their stall with solid and accomplished industrial design. Then touch-screen smartphones came along, and the dials, weighted buttons and rocker switches of feature phones disappeared. The front of the phone became a seamless, flat screen, and the characteristic and memorable aspects of the experience increasingly became the software defined and delivered. Recently I heard an executive from Aston Martin saying it was one of their design objectives for one of their current vehicles to be put on the Concours at Pebble Beach in 50 years time, and for none of the technological touch-points in the car (i.e. screen and dials) to look dated. That is a really interesting design challenge if taken on with sincerity. Also for the current crop of EVs, it’s still quite uncertain how long their operational life spans will actually be. And with that uncertainty it presumably becomes harder to make the investment of deep craft and attention to detail. Can you think of any examples from the budget end of the market, where a manufacturer managed to build in delightful details or rituals? Or maybe where the vehicle developed a beautiful patina of use over the years? I feel it’s something the French manufacturers do well. The Citroen Ami interior is delightfully spartan.
@GolLeeMeАй бұрын
How about Subaru? Surely their consistent message around AWD qualify them as adding value to the customer experience.
@Clewsy10Ай бұрын
Oooh lovely. A new episode. AND LOOK AT THE TOPICS!!!!! Another letter from Mrs Trellis of North Wales incoming.......
@Clewsy102 ай бұрын
Oh great. Now we'll get subscriptions for things like switches. FFS.
@GolLeeMe3 ай бұрын
The S point on the curve was supposed to be the take off point for the market. We are there (almost) right now. Questioning the whole strategy is good. Materials to make EVs on any scale, that would suit the transition from ICE is difficult to contemplate, so roll on new energy sources. Personally, it’s scarier than climate change to contemplate this. What are we doing with new energy vehicles? Affordable is key, and equivalence in all segments just so. If Hyundai and Kia can deliver lower priced vehicles that really offer an alternative equivalent, then that will be a turning point. Your comments on PHEVs are spot on for now. PHEVs are expensive, complicated and yet in context they make perfect sense, at least here in Australia. I don’t think any public education program on EVs will fast track acceptance enough to meet the transition we need. Here in Oz people are more switched on to the EV offer than what they might be given credit for. I certainly think they know and I am not an expert. What about those who want to keep a product for 15 years? We already need something different.
@banovsky4 ай бұрын
So glad you took my question earnestly - one thing I’m reminded of is how the dealer experience at many brands is under pressure to be “premium” but I’m wondering if that aspect could move to the charging aspect of the brand’s infrastructure. Which would then free up the dealer to be somewhere you’d never really want / need to hang out at.
@banovsky4 ай бұрын
Awesome episode and YES, AUDI BOOTH FOOD!!! On public days they’d let you in if you showed ‘em your Audi keys
@Clewsy104 ай бұрын
With the Neue Klasse X is dreadful. If you remove the badge and gave it a Chinese name, no one would question that nor would they really think it was a BMW. The side panels are from a Kona. BUT I am glad that there's a lot of glass. Other than that, its a hard fail for me on the exterior. Like Drew, I like the materials and colours. You will be shocked, SHOCKED to hear my dislike of the dash, broken iPad and the full width projection nonsense.
@Clewsy104 ай бұрын
I agree with Drew on the tactile switches, and how car brands could use this moment to bring back controls that mark them out (whether in a way it operates or the choice of what can be operated via a physical switch/dial). Interiors look 'decontented' when these are removed and as Drew says, who feels special stabbing at a screen? Where is the low level joy of a really well executed dial, switch or button, when using a screen?
@iamsuperflush4 ай бұрын
I love thinking about vehicle designs as characters and Joe's description of the Renault Magnum alongside the image reminds me so strongly of the Iron Giant.
@james24504 ай бұрын
Actually that was the clearest and most coherent explanation I've yet heard of why Apple wouldn't bother bringing it's own vehicle to market. Yes, it's raw economics, but you don't get to be the world's most valuable company without being masterful at that. I guess the other interesting aspect is the total addressable market for a given vehicle. When you approach the $100k mark that trails off massively. One thing I found interesting recently was Harry Metcalfe's appraisal of the UK EV market. He highlighted the glut of +£100k executive EVs (Audi, Porsche Taycan, BMW). They've pretty much exclusively been bought up by company directors looking to write off large tax bills. But the depreciation on these cars is savage, and the dealerships don't want to touch them as used products. You're left with a very lopsided market, where the need for practical EVs at a more affordable price-point remains unmet. It seems to me that Tesla's success in recent years is attributable in large part to a) the creation of vehicles which could address a mass market (model 3 and Y), and their ability to massively scale up production volumes. As a distant observer one thing I find quite astonishing is their jump from producing <100k vehicles in 2016, to 1.3mn in 2022.
@james24505 ай бұрын
Automated driving tech seems to be following a motif common to the arrival of other new technologies: Phase 1 (Hype phase): The evangelists told us it would change the world and make everyone employed in driving redundant almost overnight. Okay good luck with that. Phase 2 (Underwhelm): We were chronically underwhelmed that the actually existing tech was *nothing* like what was claimed. Phase 3 (Frog in water): Then, like the frog in gradually heating water, we sort of looked the other way while functional scope of automated driving quietly expanded. And now Waymo!
@james24505 ай бұрын
I enjoyed seeing a street parked Rivian R1S in the background - only in San Fran!
@Clewsy105 ай бұрын
Considering what I went through today, the timing of this show is spooky and perfect.
@iamsuperflush5 ай бұрын
I had this thought and perhaps that financial environment in which it would be applicable has since passed, but it seems the most relevant end to this chapter of the Jaguar business would be an acquisition by Waymo, after which they would cease producing vehicles for public consumption and only make i-Paces for self-driving.
@benmoorhouse885 ай бұрын
18:40 👍
@banovsky5 ай бұрын
The guy on the street segment was awesome 👏
@james24506 ай бұрын
So much food for thought again in this episode - thank you 🫶 The Kia concepts, particularly the interiors look to be something of a progressive standout. It's refreshing to see automotive design aiming to create multi-use environments which are minimal, durable, and intelligently feminine, but not a thoughtless 'let's turn it into Barbie's RV'. It reminds me quite a bit of the way Arrival were designing their vehicle interiors, up to and including the sonic palette of alerts and background ambiances. I heard that on the Tokyo metro each station has it's own arrival and departure melodies which are unique to the station while conforming to a uniform sonic template. I guess ambience can and should be within the scope of design, and these vehicles are no longer just a means of getting from A to B; they're our mobile offices, love nests, social spaces. The tactful, nuanced side of Kia needs to have a word with the megalomaniacal 'let's reformat the world's infrastructure' side! I think potentially the most significant trend you’ve remarked on is the shift away from an app based model toward a language driven communication via ai assistant. Devices like the Rabbit R1 feel like a, currently weak, but hugely portentous signal which might point towards an utter transformation of the tech landscape in 5-10 years. I'm reminded somewhat of the thinking behind Windows’ Metro OS 12 years ago. The demos seemed to suggest an interaction paradigm beyond apps where the user issued general commands then the OS tapped ancillary app capabilities to meet them, which at the time I thought was quite fresh and prescient. It’s not as if app market places crowded with 14 different digital spirit levels from as many developers was ever a model built around refined user experience: it emerged because it was profitable. I can imagine a future where there user submits practically all of their commands and queries via an ai assistant, and as they do so I imagine there will be increasingly less visibility and scrutiny of the software providers. Did Figma allow me to produce this drawing? Did Strava track my heart rate on the treadmill? We are less and likely to know, and perhaps this will lead to a kind of 'Amazon-webservice-isation' of software provision where the brands and narratives of the providers aren't visible, and user preference, to the extent that it is exercised, is guided by speed, low costs and ubiquitous access. For a future episode I would like to see Drew go behind the scenes at an Android or iOS developer conference. What’s the vibe there, what are the preconceptions and biases, how are they thinking about automotive?
@Clewsy106 ай бұрын
Hahaha! The "Oh dear, we've had a couple of ales" episode we all need to go through as podcasters. I cut a very long and angry rant about the pricing of a certain car manufacturer as I was well into my fourth pint a few years ago. With Alan being in the US now I podcast in the middle of the day, our shows are VERY sober now.
@charlesh99026 ай бұрын
Really enjoy listening to your conversations guys, keep it up!
@GolLeeMe6 ай бұрын
I wonder what is the percentage of drivers who would really utilise the benefits of AI in a vehicle? Is it pulling in travellers by their noses, or is there real demand both now and into the future? Synonyms aside, is it WISE to do this now? Mobile homes and caravans don’t solve the issue of place so much as a home. Anywheres will be convinced but I think for the majority, a cave is a haven.
@Clewsy106 ай бұрын
Beat you Mr Banovsky. 🤣
@banovsky6 ай бұрын
Hey I was sleeping 😅
@DUCKSAREEVILLLLLLLL6 ай бұрын
If you're buying a Tesla, Audi, BMW, or MB, you're not buying any of these cars for economics. If you really wanted to save money or even the environment, you'd buy a used car with low miles. Stop kidding yourself.
@Harshharsh1116 ай бұрын
It’s the fastest truck on the planet,, looks cool af. Sturdy, it turns heads, yes it looks like a big toy and this is the point for this EV
@brightmangroup10037 ай бұрын
oooh i can feel the Musk hate flow through the both of you
@davidl.beckwith48367 ай бұрын
Franz says he came up with the design and presented it to Elon who immediately liked it.
@ianmcleod88987 ай бұрын
I don't believe we are comparing apples with apples. The UK and Europe distance to travel don't come within a bee's whoop see compared the vast distances that Australia has. Unless you live on the borders of a given state in Australia you can travel 8 hrs plus before even get close to a border. So what can work in the UK and or Europe will not work here. As for a used car market to get folk in who cant afford the over the top price tag for new will never happen here in my opinion. What used car yard will give and honest condition of a used battery to a buyer who knows nothing about charging batteries. The dealer wont care if the first time you charge and the battery dies through either it was on its last legs or through just your inexperience of charging an ev. It would be better if you just throw your money into the street, at least that will help some one else in some way cause the electric car will not save the planet. We would be better to get houses off the grid but our governments wont do that because then the power companies will lose money. Wouldn't that be a shame?
@litvinenkoalexander53317 ай бұрын
My Opel Zafira was made in 2005. Still working. I cannot imagine that tesla or any other ecar will serve during 20 years.
@davidhancock917 ай бұрын
EVs just don’t stack up In Australia , as shown by the sales figures. There seems to be a lot of Tesla’s on the road, so there are people drinking Elon’s Kool-aid. Telsa are very expensive and ordinary build quality, plus Elon exaggerating/ lying about his products, I would never buy one. The battery life thing is still up in the air, and outrageously expensive to replace. Count me out of the experiment.
@atlaspath58037 ай бұрын
8% profit per car as profit when sold. The battery needs to be replaceable like the NIO models. The battery is a consumable part like petrol is. The issue is cost to get a EV, cost to replace the battery packs, then infrastructure will occur because there is the volume of sales. Aptera is the solar car solution so there is no issues to get a EV in sunny parts of the world!
@Tangopassion17 ай бұрын
You Guy's are so wrong, 65% don't want to Buy, Fuck if Tesla gets 35% of the World's Customers it is way enough, The Pickup Market alone is way too small for the Cybertruck, people will buy it as an SUV, as Pick Up Truck, as Race car, this is for everyone not just for the Plummers of the World. If you saw the first buyers at the Event, one Older Woman, one Older Man, some young ones. And the Guy in Your Video is sure not a Macho Type, everybody will End up in a Tesla.
@DimitarStanev2 ай бұрын
35% of the world's customers :D This thing can't even be certified for Europe. Even if it could pass regulations, nobody outside the US buys such oversized vehicles you need a special license to operate. Also what does that say about Tesla's supposed mission to save the world, aiming to sell a massive 3ton vehicle to people who don't even need it?
@mkygod7 ай бұрын
I feel like its priced very competitively for what it does, especially when taking into account all the innovations it has. The base model is cheaper than a base Model S, and the Beast version costs less then an S Plaid. The price range for the entire Cybertruck model line is near identical to the F150 Lightning model line. The AWD version of the Cybertruck costs less than its other closest competitor, the Rivian R1t .
@_Mutineer7 ай бұрын
OMG, Please stop the semi-woke philosophical hand-wringing. It's a Vehicle boys, nothing more. And as such (and as you eventually get around to), it is a tour-de-force of technology which needs to be acknowledged and applauded. The Munro videos that have come out in the last few days since this episode, with Sandy interviewing the responsible engineers and then getting a behind-the-scenes look at the forming techniques for the HFS, blew my Engineering mind. A LOT of REALLY smart folk contributed to this product and props to Elon for allowing unfiltered access to the team. Oh, and on a side note re: Elon, I find it refreshing to see a guy with true FU money actually saying FU and meaning it. Don't bet against Elon.
@DimitarStanev2 ай бұрын
Automotive manufacturers have massive responsibilities, you'd think we should hold one like Tesla to an even higher moral standard. Musk saying he wants to save the world with a massive bulletproof, overweight bunker on wheels, who is he saying FU to exactly?
@disgardens43407 ай бұрын
There are no affordable EVs in the US really. When we get an EV that will compare to my $22,000 Hyundai in range and quality I think things will change.
@dougdiamond57747 ай бұрын
I have literally never desired another vehicle more. To me it is absolutely beautiful, both in engineering and design.
@miketran89877 ай бұрын
People are reading too much into this. All of musk companies and their technologies are for him to colonized Mars. Don’t know why but he has this fixation of Mars. Starship, Starlink, EV/batteries (need power on Mars, no fossil fuel), Boring tunnels(better to live and move under ground into radiation in the surface), Tesla Bots to build colonies, TwitterX (town hall communications on Mars )and Neurolink. Oh year, his brother Kimble in into vertical farming. Cybertruck is built for Martian terrains.
@rainersta70737 ай бұрын
It needs an obligate EV charge station with at least 4 plugs at every gasstation. And in Germany, charging prices got too high in 2023. EV's have still a lot of negative points....these have to be compensated by low charging price. Meanwhile you drive cheaper with a gasoil car...especially in Winter.
@rainersta70737 ай бұрын
It needs an obligate EV charge station with at least 4 plugs at every gasstation.
@wolfgangpreier91607 ай бұрын
To borrow Elons words: F..K esthetics! I need a clean, efficient work platform for transporting my goods and employees to my customers. Gimme a vehicle with the lowest TCO fitting my use cases and i'm immediately buying it. Currently that is the new Fiat Ducato/Toyota Proace Max with 110kWh battery and the Cybertruck. Nothing else on the market fit And please: No more fossil! I am a electrician, i do not really care about fancyful tech or design or esthetics. It must work, be safe, secure, speedy. affordable and available.
@RicViperskylogs7 ай бұрын
These guys are clueless But great fun! LETSGOBRANDON!
@briandblack7 ай бұрын
I'm sensing Drew isn't a fan of Elon...
@kenbob10717 ай бұрын
I think your video will age like a stale turd.
@MarkLauzonTheStoneGuy7 ай бұрын
Omg stop sniveling it’s painful. Some of us, that use trucks, get EVs. We have trucks. They get dented and fxcked up on job sites. That form factor makes perfect sense. Cybertruck is future tech today. And it will be safer because it will actually be aware of its surroundings. Watch
@alanlight77407 ай бұрын
LOL - I am always amused when I see designers who see design as little more than aesthetics. Not that aesthetics aren't important, but there is _so much more_ to design than that. And the CT is design that accomplishes multiple purposes in multiple fields. The aesthetics of the CT are almost an afterthought. Much respect to Franz and his team for making a utilitarian vehicle look as good as the CT does. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if they did it under protest, but they still did a great job with the material they had to work with. So, what are some of the purposes of the CT? - it should accelerate the transition to the electrification of transportation. - it should meet the needs of most pickup truck owners as they actually use their trucks. - it should be like the Swiss Army knife of trucks - able to serve its basic functions well while also being able to serve most functions adequately in a pinch. - it should push other manufacturers to speed up their production of electric pickup trucks and SUVs without being so competitive that the other manufacturers don't have any chance of competing. - it should contribute to the feasibility of a robotaxi network. - it should protect its occupants from various hazards. - it should serve the mission to expand consciousness to other planets. - it should be easy to service and repair. - it should be easy to modify and customize. - it should be affordable - if not at first, then after production is ramped up. This is not an exhaustive list, but it's a good start. Let's look at these one by one: - it should accelerate the transition to the electrification of transportation. One of the biggest barriers to electrification is skepticism from the general public. One can argue efficiency and environmentalism all day, but a substantial part of the public - at least half - simply doesn't care. A substantial subset of these will even go out of their way to be inefficient and to pollute just to demonstrate their contempt for such goals. How do you convince this part of the population to go electric? You're not going to do it with a "sensible" vehicle. You do it my making such a badass truck that it makes all their existing vehicles look like weak, pathetic, out-of-date toys for little girls. Bullet-resistant panels. Aggressive aesthetic. Horsepower. Torque. Acceleration. Ready to go offroad. High payload capacity. Capable of things their wimpy little wagons couldn't dream of. - it should meet the needs of most pickup truck owners as they actually use their trucks. For years the legacy auto makers have been listening to the "truck guys" as to what they wanted from a truck. That in itself wasn't wrong, but presuming that this is what most buyers wanted was a mistake. Many buyers just wanted a big car that would allow them good visibility on the road (a high point of view looking _over_ traffic) and enough mass to keep their family safe in an accident. Government efficiency standards made traditional cars too small to be safe, but gave greater allowances to trucks - so customers migrated to trucks. Customers wanted some of the utility of a truck when they needed it, but don't actually use it as a truck most of the time. The bed is usually empty. Three quarters never tow anything, and almost all the rest only tow two or three times a year, and most of that short distances. Most will never need a flatbed, service body, or other special case modifying or replacing the bed. So those should not be the primary focus. The primary focus should be a roomy cabin that can easily accommodate at least five big adults, plus cargo space for tools or gear. - it should be like the Swiss Army knife of trucks - able to serve its basic functions well while also being able to serve most functions adequately in a pinch. Of course, just because the primary focus should be on passengers doesn't mean that the CT shouldn't be able to do truck things too, when it needs to. It should have enough payload and cargo capacity to carry furniture, major appliances, and ordinary construction material. It should have enough towing capability for most use cases. It should be able to go easily offroad on farms or construction sites. It doesn't need to be able to go _anywhere,_ but it _should_ be able to go virtually everywhere that people regularly go. - it should push other manufacturers to speed up their production of electric pickup trucks and SUVs without being so competitive that the other manufacturers don't have any chance of competing. American legacy manufacturers in particular now rely on pickup trucks and SUVs for almost all their profits. The electrification of transportation will require all the players to fully engage. If the CT were _too_ competitive, the legacy truck manufacturers wouldn't have a chance. Therefore it is a good thing that the CT doesn't do _everything_ that a traditional truck can do. This leaves a niche where the legacy manufacturers can still make a profit and hopefully survive. - it should contribute to the feasibility of a robotaxi network. A robotaxi network can make electrified transportation more affordable for ordinary people. It would allow a greater proportion of road miles to be electric even of EVs make up only a small proportion of all vehicles on the road. One robotaxi might replace as many as five privately owned vehicles, but this can only happen if the network is convenient enough and reliable enough that people are willing to use it. One reason many households own a pickup truck is for those occasions when they need to transport something that will not fit in a car. Furthermore, over 90% of vehicles on the road at any given time have only one person in the vehicle, and most of the rest have only two persons in the car - so it would generally be more efficient if passengers were in smaller cars ... but people know that they might need to run by the school to pick up their kids after work, or for one reason or another pick up passengers or cargo on the fly. They will not use robotaxis - and they certainly will not give up even one of their cars - if they can't be sure that they can get an appropriate vehicle when they need it. Having just a small proportion of such a network consist of a multi-purpose light truck will meet almost all such requirements and increase confidence in the system. The tough panels will also be a great idea for vehicles used by random members of the public, who might not be so careful with a vehicle that doesn't belong to them. - it should protect its occupants from various hazards. Dead customers are not repeat customers. Also, it's just nice to keep passengers safe as much as is feasible. - it should serve the mission to expand consciousness to other planets. The CT is not only pushing the technology that could be used offworld, it is also pushing _manufacturing techniques_ that would be _relatively_ easy to implement off world. It will still be difficult, but even simply reducing the complexity of manufacturing will be a huge plus. The stainless steel is also no accident. It is the same alloy developed for SpaceX's _Starship._ An alloy that would likely be very expensive for SpaceX to acquire if there were not another big customer ready to purchase large amounts of it while driving down costs through economies of scale. - it should be easy to service and repair. Whether offworld or just out in the boondocks, having a vehicle that is easy to service and repair makes things easier on everyone. - it should be easy to modify and customize. Those straight lines are largely the result of the manufacturing techniques required for the material, but they also make it relatively easier for amateurs to customize their vehicle. The stainless steel can be welded to. - it should be affordable - if not at first, then after production is ramped up. Affordability requires simplicity of manufacturing and scale, among other things. As I said, this is not a comprehensive list - yet note that aesthetics is not even on the list.
@DimitarStanev7 ай бұрын
It's amazing what mental gymnastics people are ready to go through to justify the existence of this thing as a mainstream product. You implying that Tesla made it deliberately less competitive is hilarious. Imo what the Cybertruck is very good at is showing that Musk doesn't give a F about Tesla's implied 'missions'. If you wanna sell a big ass ostentatious bunker on wheels, at least don't pretend you're here to save the planet. Main customers are going to be Tesla fans, people getting out of a Model 3 and S and dailying this thing because they wanna feel like they're in Blade Runner. Apparently dystopian worlds are something to aspire to now. A 3ton+ 900hp stainless steel wedge mincing pedestrians and everything in its path is not the future of transportation. Best thing it can do is at least start a conversation about pedestrian safety regs in the US. 'it should be easy to service and repair.' - this one made me chuckle. No Tesla has been particularly good on that front and I expect stainless steel panels aren't gonna make it any easier. I bet the insurance would be quite high. These are disposable products as most EVs. Imagine the thought of many of these running around as robotaxis, how absurd is that?
@alanlight77407 ай бұрын
@@DimitarStanev - LOL - Tesla has never wanted to be a monopoly, because it is not healthy for anyone (even the monopoly in the long run) to allow monopolies. Also, governments tend to dislike and punish monopolies. So it's better to allow some space for competitors to survive. And for U.S. auto manufacturers, they painted themselves into the pickup truck corner a long time ago. There's much more to ease of service and repair than body work, but it's hard to imagine body work easier to work on than flat, unpainted stainless steel panels. Sandy Munro's recent discussion with a number of Tesla executives gave some hints on this. As one example, the electric motors used for steering are all identical. Two per wheel, eight in total, many manufacturers would have made a separate right and left one for each wheel, and probably different ones for front and rear steering - but having them identical reduces complexity and makes it easier to scavenge parts or swap parts around if necessary as required, to keep things running. They consulted with mechanics as to how to make it easier to do repairs. While some existing Tesla fans will buy this truck, a lot of guys who would have never considered an EV before are going to buy it as well. They're going to want it precisely for all the reasons that you hate it. As for "saving the world" - because of the inherently greater efficiency of EVs, the CT will still be a better choice than any ICE vehicle - and for every ICE pickup truck it replaces it will be like taking _at least_ two or three ICE sedans off the road. The energy used isn't really an issue. We aren't building any new coal power plants, and the biggest sources of new capacity are renewables. Even using existing coal power these will be cleaner than anything they replace - and most of all the CTs will not be causing air pollution in populated areas. It's a win all the way around - in the real world. Obviously not in the limited imaginations of the ignoramuses that make up the majority of the environmentalist movement, but the question here is whether we want real improvements or virtue signalling. BTW, the lower hood means much better visibility for the driver, and in case of an impact will mean less likelihood of damage to vital organs. Combine that with active systems for collision avoidance and I expect we'll find that this will be the safest truck for pedestrians. The best collision is the one that never happens.
@kbmblizz19407 ай бұрын
The pickup 🛻 as lifestyle, more than utility is the dominant vehicle segment in N Amer. Thus the proliferation of $75k msrp Rams etc. And there will be a portion of real businesses that can justify the Cybrtrck based on fuel $, on-site AC power, 👀 stand-out advertising...maybe niche. But even 25% of a big untapped segment will be more than Tesla can produce initially. Remember Tesla has many cost lowering innovations that can compensate for the higher hardened SS panels. It's toughness, paint scratch proof exterior appeals to many who do see value in it.
@macgyverfever7 ай бұрын
All I know is I'm tired of form seducing me into spending thousands of dollars for limited function. Some people will want CT because they want more than just a vehicle with 4 wheels that dies in 150-200k miles with rust spots.
@epcalderhead7 ай бұрын
Your comment about it not being a truck struck a cord, as that's also how I'm viewing the Cybertruck. I see it as a big car with a HUGE and SECURE trunk that will be incredibly SAFE against idiot drivers. I've never wanted or needed a truck. My plan for a CT is to tour North America in one. It sounds comfortable to drive in as well on long trips. I won't have to worry or care about it like I would with a normal car due to the stainless steel. The look has grown on me over time. I don't see driving one around town to get groceries.
@AndrewSienx7 ай бұрын
From the European point of view, the problem or stupidity is a truck car form. It is a cultural thing, which is useless for business and useless or excessive for private use. The CT is a truck with the least amount of stupidity as a truck. It's electric, durable, safe for occupants and pedestrians - in comparison to all other US trucks. I like the apocalyptic idea. Elon Musk tries to address all main doom factors with his companies. CT is a kind of emotional distraction. Fortunately it can be used as a prototype for useful and efficient tech for lower tiers of population. He just used his first trick from Tesla. Let the rich and crazy pay for the tech dev first.
@lookingoutpodcast7 ай бұрын
The idea of letting the rich pay for the development of the advanced technology and the flowing it down into cheaper models to have massive mainstream impact is one of the things I really admire about Tesla. If the thinking and tech here makes an innovative affordable model 2 more of a reality then it’s something I could really applaud. Let’s see how it plays out!
@davemiller61217 ай бұрын
It doesn't sound like you guys have ever driven a Tesla. If you have you may have a different view of its safety features, and for its future improvements without it even leaving your driveway.
@lookingoutpodcast7 ай бұрын
Yes, drove a model s a long time ago and more recently a plaid. And have recently driven 3s and Ys. They’re extremely impressive and appealing in many regards so I do get it, but while the adas systems are impressive most of the time they definitely have their limitations.
@treborheminway38147 ай бұрын
The debates over the design are way over dramatic imo. You either like it or you dont. Who really cares. I really don't factor in the CEO when buying a car or truck. I also don't care about the marketing. Time will tell regarding sales. The market will speak for itself. If you feel someone is taking advantage of that, then welcome to competitive reality. If you are offended or confounded by it, don't buy it. Simple enough. Maybe many will feel the same. I feel that the new technologies are cool and may work, but I will again wait to let the bugs get sorted out.
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I recently went to SF from the UK and use Waymo every day for 2 weeks - Great to have a drink and not worry about getting back. Also nice to not have to drive and worry about traffic laws.
This ties into something I’ve been pondering about. I feel our conceptions of automotive luxury have shifted. In the 90s a luxurious car interior aspired to replicate the experience of a gentlemen's club, with connolly leather, walnut panelling, and pile carpet. Now maybe “luxury” is characterised more by light, space and seamless digital integration. In the mobile telecoms industry I think about how Nokia set out their stall with solid and accomplished industrial design. Then touch-screen smartphones came along, and the dials, weighted buttons and rocker switches of feature phones disappeared. The front of the phone became a seamless, flat screen, and the characteristic and memorable aspects of the experience increasingly became the software defined and delivered. Recently I heard an executive from Aston Martin saying it was one of their design objectives for one of their current vehicles to be put on the Concours at Pebble Beach in 50 years time, and for none of the technological touch-points in the car (i.e. screen and dials) to look dated. That is a really interesting design challenge if taken on with sincerity. Also for the current crop of EVs, it’s still quite uncertain how long their operational life spans will actually be. And with that uncertainty it presumably becomes harder to make the investment of deep craft and attention to detail. Can you think of any examples from the budget end of the market, where a manufacturer managed to build in delightful details or rituals? Or maybe where the vehicle developed a beautiful patina of use over the years? I feel it’s something the French manufacturers do well. The Citroen Ami interior is delightfully spartan.
How about Subaru? Surely their consistent message around AWD qualify them as adding value to the customer experience.
Oooh lovely. A new episode. AND LOOK AT THE TOPICS!!!!! Another letter from Mrs Trellis of North Wales incoming.......
Oh great. Now we'll get subscriptions for things like switches. FFS.
The S point on the curve was supposed to be the take off point for the market. We are there (almost) right now. Questioning the whole strategy is good. Materials to make EVs on any scale, that would suit the transition from ICE is difficult to contemplate, so roll on new energy sources. Personally, it’s scarier than climate change to contemplate this. What are we doing with new energy vehicles? Affordable is key, and equivalence in all segments just so. If Hyundai and Kia can deliver lower priced vehicles that really offer an alternative equivalent, then that will be a turning point. Your comments on PHEVs are spot on for now. PHEVs are expensive, complicated and yet in context they make perfect sense, at least here in Australia. I don’t think any public education program on EVs will fast track acceptance enough to meet the transition we need. Here in Oz people are more switched on to the EV offer than what they might be given credit for. I certainly think they know and I am not an expert. What about those who want to keep a product for 15 years? We already need something different.
So glad you took my question earnestly - one thing I’m reminded of is how the dealer experience at many brands is under pressure to be “premium” but I’m wondering if that aspect could move to the charging aspect of the brand’s infrastructure. Which would then free up the dealer to be somewhere you’d never really want / need to hang out at.
Awesome episode and YES, AUDI BOOTH FOOD!!! On public days they’d let you in if you showed ‘em your Audi keys
With the Neue Klasse X is dreadful. If you remove the badge and gave it a Chinese name, no one would question that nor would they really think it was a BMW. The side panels are from a Kona. BUT I am glad that there's a lot of glass. Other than that, its a hard fail for me on the exterior. Like Drew, I like the materials and colours. You will be shocked, SHOCKED to hear my dislike of the dash, broken iPad and the full width projection nonsense.
I agree with Drew on the tactile switches, and how car brands could use this moment to bring back controls that mark them out (whether in a way it operates or the choice of what can be operated via a physical switch/dial). Interiors look 'decontented' when these are removed and as Drew says, who feels special stabbing at a screen? Where is the low level joy of a really well executed dial, switch or button, when using a screen?
I love thinking about vehicle designs as characters and Joe's description of the Renault Magnum alongside the image reminds me so strongly of the Iron Giant.
Actually that was the clearest and most coherent explanation I've yet heard of why Apple wouldn't bother bringing it's own vehicle to market. Yes, it's raw economics, but you don't get to be the world's most valuable company without being masterful at that. I guess the other interesting aspect is the total addressable market for a given vehicle. When you approach the $100k mark that trails off massively. One thing I found interesting recently was Harry Metcalfe's appraisal of the UK EV market. He highlighted the glut of +£100k executive EVs (Audi, Porsche Taycan, BMW). They've pretty much exclusively been bought up by company directors looking to write off large tax bills. But the depreciation on these cars is savage, and the dealerships don't want to touch them as used products. You're left with a very lopsided market, where the need for practical EVs at a more affordable price-point remains unmet. It seems to me that Tesla's success in recent years is attributable in large part to a) the creation of vehicles which could address a mass market (model 3 and Y), and their ability to massively scale up production volumes. As a distant observer one thing I find quite astonishing is their jump from producing <100k vehicles in 2016, to 1.3mn in 2022.
Automated driving tech seems to be following a motif common to the arrival of other new technologies: Phase 1 (Hype phase): The evangelists told us it would change the world and make everyone employed in driving redundant almost overnight. Okay good luck with that. Phase 2 (Underwhelm): We were chronically underwhelmed that the actually existing tech was *nothing* like what was claimed. Phase 3 (Frog in water): Then, like the frog in gradually heating water, we sort of looked the other way while functional scope of automated driving quietly expanded. And now Waymo!
I enjoyed seeing a street parked Rivian R1S in the background - only in San Fran!
Considering what I went through today, the timing of this show is spooky and perfect.
I had this thought and perhaps that financial environment in which it would be applicable has since passed, but it seems the most relevant end to this chapter of the Jaguar business would be an acquisition by Waymo, after which they would cease producing vehicles for public consumption and only make i-Paces for self-driving.
18:40 👍
The guy on the street segment was awesome 👏
So much food for thought again in this episode - thank you 🫶 The Kia concepts, particularly the interiors look to be something of a progressive standout. It's refreshing to see automotive design aiming to create multi-use environments which are minimal, durable, and intelligently feminine, but not a thoughtless 'let's turn it into Barbie's RV'. It reminds me quite a bit of the way Arrival were designing their vehicle interiors, up to and including the sonic palette of alerts and background ambiances. I heard that on the Tokyo metro each station has it's own arrival and departure melodies which are unique to the station while conforming to a uniform sonic template. I guess ambience can and should be within the scope of design, and these vehicles are no longer just a means of getting from A to B; they're our mobile offices, love nests, social spaces. The tactful, nuanced side of Kia needs to have a word with the megalomaniacal 'let's reformat the world's infrastructure' side! I think potentially the most significant trend you’ve remarked on is the shift away from an app based model toward a language driven communication via ai assistant. Devices like the Rabbit R1 feel like a, currently weak, but hugely portentous signal which might point towards an utter transformation of the tech landscape in 5-10 years. I'm reminded somewhat of the thinking behind Windows’ Metro OS 12 years ago. The demos seemed to suggest an interaction paradigm beyond apps where the user issued general commands then the OS tapped ancillary app capabilities to meet them, which at the time I thought was quite fresh and prescient. It’s not as if app market places crowded with 14 different digital spirit levels from as many developers was ever a model built around refined user experience: it emerged because it was profitable. I can imagine a future where there user submits practically all of their commands and queries via an ai assistant, and as they do so I imagine there will be increasingly less visibility and scrutiny of the software providers. Did Figma allow me to produce this drawing? Did Strava track my heart rate on the treadmill? We are less and likely to know, and perhaps this will lead to a kind of 'Amazon-webservice-isation' of software provision where the brands and narratives of the providers aren't visible, and user preference, to the extent that it is exercised, is guided by speed, low costs and ubiquitous access. For a future episode I would like to see Drew go behind the scenes at an Android or iOS developer conference. What’s the vibe there, what are the preconceptions and biases, how are they thinking about automotive?
Hahaha! The "Oh dear, we've had a couple of ales" episode we all need to go through as podcasters. I cut a very long and angry rant about the pricing of a certain car manufacturer as I was well into my fourth pint a few years ago. With Alan being in the US now I podcast in the middle of the day, our shows are VERY sober now.
Really enjoy listening to your conversations guys, keep it up!
I wonder what is the percentage of drivers who would really utilise the benefits of AI in a vehicle? Is it pulling in travellers by their noses, or is there real demand both now and into the future? Synonyms aside, is it WISE to do this now? Mobile homes and caravans don’t solve the issue of place so much as a home. Anywheres will be convinced but I think for the majority, a cave is a haven.
Beat you Mr Banovsky. 🤣
Hey I was sleeping 😅
If you're buying a Tesla, Audi, BMW, or MB, you're not buying any of these cars for economics. If you really wanted to save money or even the environment, you'd buy a used car with low miles. Stop kidding yourself.
It’s the fastest truck on the planet,, looks cool af. Sturdy, it turns heads, yes it looks like a big toy and this is the point for this EV
oooh i can feel the Musk hate flow through the both of you
Franz says he came up with the design and presented it to Elon who immediately liked it.
I don't believe we are comparing apples with apples. The UK and Europe distance to travel don't come within a bee's whoop see compared the vast distances that Australia has. Unless you live on the borders of a given state in Australia you can travel 8 hrs plus before even get close to a border. So what can work in the UK and or Europe will not work here. As for a used car market to get folk in who cant afford the over the top price tag for new will never happen here in my opinion. What used car yard will give and honest condition of a used battery to a buyer who knows nothing about charging batteries. The dealer wont care if the first time you charge and the battery dies through either it was on its last legs or through just your inexperience of charging an ev. It would be better if you just throw your money into the street, at least that will help some one else in some way cause the electric car will not save the planet. We would be better to get houses off the grid but our governments wont do that because then the power companies will lose money. Wouldn't that be a shame?
My Opel Zafira was made in 2005. Still working. I cannot imagine that tesla or any other ecar will serve during 20 years.
EVs just don’t stack up In Australia , as shown by the sales figures. There seems to be a lot of Tesla’s on the road, so there are people drinking Elon’s Kool-aid. Telsa are very expensive and ordinary build quality, plus Elon exaggerating/ lying about his products, I would never buy one. The battery life thing is still up in the air, and outrageously expensive to replace. Count me out of the experiment.
8% profit per car as profit when sold. The battery needs to be replaceable like the NIO models. The battery is a consumable part like petrol is. The issue is cost to get a EV, cost to replace the battery packs, then infrastructure will occur because there is the volume of sales. Aptera is the solar car solution so there is no issues to get a EV in sunny parts of the world!
You Guy's are so wrong, 65% don't want to Buy, Fuck if Tesla gets 35% of the World's Customers it is way enough, The Pickup Market alone is way too small for the Cybertruck, people will buy it as an SUV, as Pick Up Truck, as Race car, this is for everyone not just for the Plummers of the World. If you saw the first buyers at the Event, one Older Woman, one Older Man, some young ones. And the Guy in Your Video is sure not a Macho Type, everybody will End up in a Tesla.
35% of the world's customers :D This thing can't even be certified for Europe. Even if it could pass regulations, nobody outside the US buys such oversized vehicles you need a special license to operate. Also what does that say about Tesla's supposed mission to save the world, aiming to sell a massive 3ton vehicle to people who don't even need it?
I feel like its priced very competitively for what it does, especially when taking into account all the innovations it has. The base model is cheaper than a base Model S, and the Beast version costs less then an S Plaid. The price range for the entire Cybertruck model line is near identical to the F150 Lightning model line. The AWD version of the Cybertruck costs less than its other closest competitor, the Rivian R1t .
OMG, Please stop the semi-woke philosophical hand-wringing. It's a Vehicle boys, nothing more. And as such (and as you eventually get around to), it is a tour-de-force of technology which needs to be acknowledged and applauded. The Munro videos that have come out in the last few days since this episode, with Sandy interviewing the responsible engineers and then getting a behind-the-scenes look at the forming techniques for the HFS, blew my Engineering mind. A LOT of REALLY smart folk contributed to this product and props to Elon for allowing unfiltered access to the team. Oh, and on a side note re: Elon, I find it refreshing to see a guy with true FU money actually saying FU and meaning it. Don't bet against Elon.
Automotive manufacturers have massive responsibilities, you'd think we should hold one like Tesla to an even higher moral standard. Musk saying he wants to save the world with a massive bulletproof, overweight bunker on wheels, who is he saying FU to exactly?
There are no affordable EVs in the US really. When we get an EV that will compare to my $22,000 Hyundai in range and quality I think things will change.
I have literally never desired another vehicle more. To me it is absolutely beautiful, both in engineering and design.
People are reading too much into this. All of musk companies and their technologies are for him to colonized Mars. Don’t know why but he has this fixation of Mars. Starship, Starlink, EV/batteries (need power on Mars, no fossil fuel), Boring tunnels(better to live and move under ground into radiation in the surface), Tesla Bots to build colonies, TwitterX (town hall communications on Mars )and Neurolink. Oh year, his brother Kimble in into vertical farming. Cybertruck is built for Martian terrains.
It needs an obligate EV charge station with at least 4 plugs at every gasstation. And in Germany, charging prices got too high in 2023. EV's have still a lot of negative points....these have to be compensated by low charging price. Meanwhile you drive cheaper with a gasoil car...especially in Winter.
It needs an obligate EV charge station with at least 4 plugs at every gasstation.
To borrow Elons words: F..K esthetics! I need a clean, efficient work platform for transporting my goods and employees to my customers. Gimme a vehicle with the lowest TCO fitting my use cases and i'm immediately buying it. Currently that is the new Fiat Ducato/Toyota Proace Max with 110kWh battery and the Cybertruck. Nothing else on the market fit And please: No more fossil! I am a electrician, i do not really care about fancyful tech or design or esthetics. It must work, be safe, secure, speedy. affordable and available.
These guys are clueless But great fun! LETSGOBRANDON!
I'm sensing Drew isn't a fan of Elon...
I think your video will age like a stale turd.
Omg stop sniveling it’s painful. Some of us, that use trucks, get EVs. We have trucks. They get dented and fxcked up on job sites. That form factor makes perfect sense. Cybertruck is future tech today. And it will be safer because it will actually be aware of its surroundings. Watch
LOL - I am always amused when I see designers who see design as little more than aesthetics. Not that aesthetics aren't important, but there is _so much more_ to design than that. And the CT is design that accomplishes multiple purposes in multiple fields. The aesthetics of the CT are almost an afterthought. Much respect to Franz and his team for making a utilitarian vehicle look as good as the CT does. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if they did it under protest, but they still did a great job with the material they had to work with. So, what are some of the purposes of the CT? - it should accelerate the transition to the electrification of transportation. - it should meet the needs of most pickup truck owners as they actually use their trucks. - it should be like the Swiss Army knife of trucks - able to serve its basic functions well while also being able to serve most functions adequately in a pinch. - it should push other manufacturers to speed up their production of electric pickup trucks and SUVs without being so competitive that the other manufacturers don't have any chance of competing. - it should contribute to the feasibility of a robotaxi network. - it should protect its occupants from various hazards. - it should serve the mission to expand consciousness to other planets. - it should be easy to service and repair. - it should be easy to modify and customize. - it should be affordable - if not at first, then after production is ramped up. This is not an exhaustive list, but it's a good start. Let's look at these one by one: - it should accelerate the transition to the electrification of transportation. One of the biggest barriers to electrification is skepticism from the general public. One can argue efficiency and environmentalism all day, but a substantial part of the public - at least half - simply doesn't care. A substantial subset of these will even go out of their way to be inefficient and to pollute just to demonstrate their contempt for such goals. How do you convince this part of the population to go electric? You're not going to do it with a "sensible" vehicle. You do it my making such a badass truck that it makes all their existing vehicles look like weak, pathetic, out-of-date toys for little girls. Bullet-resistant panels. Aggressive aesthetic. Horsepower. Torque. Acceleration. Ready to go offroad. High payload capacity. Capable of things their wimpy little wagons couldn't dream of. - it should meet the needs of most pickup truck owners as they actually use their trucks. For years the legacy auto makers have been listening to the "truck guys" as to what they wanted from a truck. That in itself wasn't wrong, but presuming that this is what most buyers wanted was a mistake. Many buyers just wanted a big car that would allow them good visibility on the road (a high point of view looking _over_ traffic) and enough mass to keep their family safe in an accident. Government efficiency standards made traditional cars too small to be safe, but gave greater allowances to trucks - so customers migrated to trucks. Customers wanted some of the utility of a truck when they needed it, but don't actually use it as a truck most of the time. The bed is usually empty. Three quarters never tow anything, and almost all the rest only tow two or three times a year, and most of that short distances. Most will never need a flatbed, service body, or other special case modifying or replacing the bed. So those should not be the primary focus. The primary focus should be a roomy cabin that can easily accommodate at least five big adults, plus cargo space for tools or gear. - it should be like the Swiss Army knife of trucks - able to serve its basic functions well while also being able to serve most functions adequately in a pinch. Of course, just because the primary focus should be on passengers doesn't mean that the CT shouldn't be able to do truck things too, when it needs to. It should have enough payload and cargo capacity to carry furniture, major appliances, and ordinary construction material. It should have enough towing capability for most use cases. It should be able to go easily offroad on farms or construction sites. It doesn't need to be able to go _anywhere,_ but it _should_ be able to go virtually everywhere that people regularly go. - it should push other manufacturers to speed up their production of electric pickup trucks and SUVs without being so competitive that the other manufacturers don't have any chance of competing. American legacy manufacturers in particular now rely on pickup trucks and SUVs for almost all their profits. The electrification of transportation will require all the players to fully engage. If the CT were _too_ competitive, the legacy truck manufacturers wouldn't have a chance. Therefore it is a good thing that the CT doesn't do _everything_ that a traditional truck can do. This leaves a niche where the legacy manufacturers can still make a profit and hopefully survive. - it should contribute to the feasibility of a robotaxi network. A robotaxi network can make electrified transportation more affordable for ordinary people. It would allow a greater proportion of road miles to be electric even of EVs make up only a small proportion of all vehicles on the road. One robotaxi might replace as many as five privately owned vehicles, but this can only happen if the network is convenient enough and reliable enough that people are willing to use it. One reason many households own a pickup truck is for those occasions when they need to transport something that will not fit in a car. Furthermore, over 90% of vehicles on the road at any given time have only one person in the vehicle, and most of the rest have only two persons in the car - so it would generally be more efficient if passengers were in smaller cars ... but people know that they might need to run by the school to pick up their kids after work, or for one reason or another pick up passengers or cargo on the fly. They will not use robotaxis - and they certainly will not give up even one of their cars - if they can't be sure that they can get an appropriate vehicle when they need it. Having just a small proportion of such a network consist of a multi-purpose light truck will meet almost all such requirements and increase confidence in the system. The tough panels will also be a great idea for vehicles used by random members of the public, who might not be so careful with a vehicle that doesn't belong to them. - it should protect its occupants from various hazards. Dead customers are not repeat customers. Also, it's just nice to keep passengers safe as much as is feasible. - it should serve the mission to expand consciousness to other planets. The CT is not only pushing the technology that could be used offworld, it is also pushing _manufacturing techniques_ that would be _relatively_ easy to implement off world. It will still be difficult, but even simply reducing the complexity of manufacturing will be a huge plus. The stainless steel is also no accident. It is the same alloy developed for SpaceX's _Starship._ An alloy that would likely be very expensive for SpaceX to acquire if there were not another big customer ready to purchase large amounts of it while driving down costs through economies of scale. - it should be easy to service and repair. Whether offworld or just out in the boondocks, having a vehicle that is easy to service and repair makes things easier on everyone. - it should be easy to modify and customize. Those straight lines are largely the result of the manufacturing techniques required for the material, but they also make it relatively easier for amateurs to customize their vehicle. The stainless steel can be welded to. - it should be affordable - if not at first, then after production is ramped up. Affordability requires simplicity of manufacturing and scale, among other things. As I said, this is not a comprehensive list - yet note that aesthetics is not even on the list.
It's amazing what mental gymnastics people are ready to go through to justify the existence of this thing as a mainstream product. You implying that Tesla made it deliberately less competitive is hilarious. Imo what the Cybertruck is very good at is showing that Musk doesn't give a F about Tesla's implied 'missions'. If you wanna sell a big ass ostentatious bunker on wheels, at least don't pretend you're here to save the planet. Main customers are going to be Tesla fans, people getting out of a Model 3 and S and dailying this thing because they wanna feel like they're in Blade Runner. Apparently dystopian worlds are something to aspire to now. A 3ton+ 900hp stainless steel wedge mincing pedestrians and everything in its path is not the future of transportation. Best thing it can do is at least start a conversation about pedestrian safety regs in the US. 'it should be easy to service and repair.' - this one made me chuckle. No Tesla has been particularly good on that front and I expect stainless steel panels aren't gonna make it any easier. I bet the insurance would be quite high. These are disposable products as most EVs. Imagine the thought of many of these running around as robotaxis, how absurd is that?
@@DimitarStanev - LOL - Tesla has never wanted to be a monopoly, because it is not healthy for anyone (even the monopoly in the long run) to allow monopolies. Also, governments tend to dislike and punish monopolies. So it's better to allow some space for competitors to survive. And for U.S. auto manufacturers, they painted themselves into the pickup truck corner a long time ago. There's much more to ease of service and repair than body work, but it's hard to imagine body work easier to work on than flat, unpainted stainless steel panels. Sandy Munro's recent discussion with a number of Tesla executives gave some hints on this. As one example, the electric motors used for steering are all identical. Two per wheel, eight in total, many manufacturers would have made a separate right and left one for each wheel, and probably different ones for front and rear steering - but having them identical reduces complexity and makes it easier to scavenge parts or swap parts around if necessary as required, to keep things running. They consulted with mechanics as to how to make it easier to do repairs. While some existing Tesla fans will buy this truck, a lot of guys who would have never considered an EV before are going to buy it as well. They're going to want it precisely for all the reasons that you hate it. As for "saving the world" - because of the inherently greater efficiency of EVs, the CT will still be a better choice than any ICE vehicle - and for every ICE pickup truck it replaces it will be like taking _at least_ two or three ICE sedans off the road. The energy used isn't really an issue. We aren't building any new coal power plants, and the biggest sources of new capacity are renewables. Even using existing coal power these will be cleaner than anything they replace - and most of all the CTs will not be causing air pollution in populated areas. It's a win all the way around - in the real world. Obviously not in the limited imaginations of the ignoramuses that make up the majority of the environmentalist movement, but the question here is whether we want real improvements or virtue signalling. BTW, the lower hood means much better visibility for the driver, and in case of an impact will mean less likelihood of damage to vital organs. Combine that with active systems for collision avoidance and I expect we'll find that this will be the safest truck for pedestrians. The best collision is the one that never happens.
The pickup 🛻 as lifestyle, more than utility is the dominant vehicle segment in N Amer. Thus the proliferation of $75k msrp Rams etc. And there will be a portion of real businesses that can justify the Cybrtrck based on fuel $, on-site AC power, 👀 stand-out advertising...maybe niche. But even 25% of a big untapped segment will be more than Tesla can produce initially. Remember Tesla has many cost lowering innovations that can compensate for the higher hardened SS panels. It's toughness, paint scratch proof exterior appeals to many who do see value in it.
All I know is I'm tired of form seducing me into spending thousands of dollars for limited function. Some people will want CT because they want more than just a vehicle with 4 wheels that dies in 150-200k miles with rust spots.
Your comment about it not being a truck struck a cord, as that's also how I'm viewing the Cybertruck. I see it as a big car with a HUGE and SECURE trunk that will be incredibly SAFE against idiot drivers. I've never wanted or needed a truck. My plan for a CT is to tour North America in one. It sounds comfortable to drive in as well on long trips. I won't have to worry or care about it like I would with a normal car due to the stainless steel. The look has grown on me over time. I don't see driving one around town to get groceries.
From the European point of view, the problem or stupidity is a truck car form. It is a cultural thing, which is useless for business and useless or excessive for private use. The CT is a truck with the least amount of stupidity as a truck. It's electric, durable, safe for occupants and pedestrians - in comparison to all other US trucks. I like the apocalyptic idea. Elon Musk tries to address all main doom factors with his companies. CT is a kind of emotional distraction. Fortunately it can be used as a prototype for useful and efficient tech for lower tiers of population. He just used his first trick from Tesla. Let the rich and crazy pay for the tech dev first.
The idea of letting the rich pay for the development of the advanced technology and the flowing it down into cheaper models to have massive mainstream impact is one of the things I really admire about Tesla. If the thinking and tech here makes an innovative affordable model 2 more of a reality then it’s something I could really applaud. Let’s see how it plays out!
It doesn't sound like you guys have ever driven a Tesla. If you have you may have a different view of its safety features, and for its future improvements without it even leaving your driveway.
Yes, drove a model s a long time ago and more recently a plaid. And have recently driven 3s and Ys. They’re extremely impressive and appealing in many regards so I do get it, but while the adas systems are impressive most of the time they definitely have their limitations.
The debates over the design are way over dramatic imo. You either like it or you dont. Who really cares. I really don't factor in the CEO when buying a car or truck. I also don't care about the marketing. Time will tell regarding sales. The market will speak for itself. If you feel someone is taking advantage of that, then welcome to competitive reality. If you are offended or confounded by it, don't buy it. Simple enough. Maybe many will feel the same. I feel that the new technologies are cool and may work, but I will again wait to let the bugs get sorted out.
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