OT: Details of the Tesla Motor’s WhiteStar sedan emerges.

[cooperthedog]

LarryTheRenter:

Why invest all the time and money in nuclear (given the inherent risks) when it is still a finite resource (uranium, thorium, etc.)?

The only viable long term solution is to use the virtually endless supply of renewable energy provided by solar/hydro/wind/etc. This would break our dependence on oil, foreign or otherwise, as well as reduce carbon emmissions and avoid any nuclear accidents.

Drilling for more oil in ANWR and in coastal regions will only supply a fraction of what we currently consume and will not come anywhere near breaking our dependence on foreign oil. Of course, if you run a domestic integrated oil company and are paying $130 a barrel in the open market for oil to refine – the thought of drilling new wells in the US at a cost of $5-10 barrel would result in huge margins & profits, even if it doesn’t affect global (much less US) supply that much. That is why the current administration, oil industry, and the thinktanks & talking heads that pander to them push such an agenda.

[svelte]

Any see the Tesla Cybertruck unveil?

Holy s&&t!

https://jalopnik.com/a-deep-look-at-the-design-of-tesla-s-cybertruck-1839993654

This obviously a niche vehicle as it won’t be widely accepted in the foreseeable future.

It definitely makes a statement.

I doubt it will ever hit the $40K starting price either.

[outtamojo]

I hit your link but something seems wrong with my display.
It doesn’t seem to be rendering polygons correctly and makes the truck look it’s from minecraft or something. Oh wait, article says that’s really how it looks.
If the E F 150’s and Silverados come out looking like regular trucks the cybertruck is toast, imo.

[Coronita]

This truck is so obnoxiously ugly….I like it and put a deposit for it.

When I first saw the video with the millennial coworkers, I was like WTF. but after talking to them about it, they convinced me, that it’s a great vehicle.

it’s big, it’s ugly, it has great acceleration, and it gets get mileage. it’s a cross over between a Delorean and the Warthog from the video game Halo.

It looks like a vehicle you would drive at the end of the world, like Mad Max..It’s the perfect vehicle for a lot of doomsayers here on Piggington that think the world is ending, I’m surprised more people here dont like it.

But back to the virtues of this vehicle. Dent resistant steel panels unpainted. You never need to buy collision insurance again. It’s going to be difficult to dent the panels, and there’s no paint to repaint
You probably need to increase liability coverage for the damage to do to other cars, lol. There’s also Nno need to worry about people smashing your windows to steal stuff out of the car (they will fix that bulletproof glass that shattered). and this is the perfect vehicle to drive on la freeways because now you can safely cut people off and cut into lines without worrying about road rage and someone pulling out a gun to shoot you. People will notice you and won’t run into you. It can haul a bunch of crap, you can put a solar panel on the rear and let it be self charging. And given how straight lines the body is (no curves) it’s probably going to be fairly cheap to manufacture. Unlike these fancy Tesla model S and model 3 with rounded curve body lines.

This is basically a barebone truck that has the utility of a minivan and truck and has the mileage of a good EV.

sold!

[svelte]

I’m not saying I hate it – there are very few cars I hate.

I admire that they did something different – I’m all for variety.

But it is not something I would ever buy, in the same way I’d never buy a Hummer. And I think most truck buyers would never consider buying it either.

It is basically a work of art, whether it is good art or bad art is in the eye of the beholder.

It is definitely form over function.

I noticed how they showed the video of it pulling a F-150 uphill in a tug of war event…seems legit to me given the likely weight and torque of the cybertruck.

At the same time, I notice there was no mention of how it does in mud or sand – that same weight that helped in the tug of war will become a severe liability in those conditions.

Not sure I agree with you on the ease/lack of repair. Delorean owners report that scratches are hard to repair and repairs are very noticeable due to the lack of paint. And that seam where the tailgate meets the side of the bed? That looks like an alignment nightmare.

Given that the Tesla fanbase is filled with greenie eco-weenies, this seems like a very curious choice of implementations. Something that big and heavy will use a lot of electric resources and, no matter how that is generated, it is not the most efficient use of those resources. How is his base going to get behind this without looking two-faced?

But again, glad to see someone try something truly different. I like seeing Hummers zipping around because they are different and the cybertruck will no doubt catch my eye around town too.

We are going to the LA auto show in a few days and would love to see this there. I’m hopeful!

[spdrun]

But if people are going to buy a large EthYooVee or pickup truck anyway, wouldn’t you rather it be electric than fossil-fooled?

[outtamojo]

Mount a machine gun in the bed and you will be the envy of urban warlords everywhere.

[svelte]

[quote=flu]As a small start-up with limited resources, developing a new engine for the WhiteStar would obviously be problematic. Tesla Chairman Elon Musk let slip in an interview with Fox Business News that the company has reached a technology deal with German giant Daimler (formerly of DaimlerChrysler infamy). Without any official comment from Telsa yet (we'll update you when we here something), one possible scenario for the deal is that Daimler will provide engines for the range extended WhiteStar. Daimler has always struggled to make money from Smart and the micro-car builder has a 1.0L three cylinder engine that might make a good range extender. If Daimler supplied 10,000 or so of those engines to Tesla, it could help drive down Daimler's costs. The other possibility is that Tesla might be licensing battery management technology to Daimler, but that scenario seems less likely.[/quote]

The above was the situation just eleven short years ago.

Look how far Tesla has come since then, with the Model S, Model X, and Model 3 all out and on the road. That’a pretty impressive for a startup.

I get very frustrated with Elon, but his record speaks for itself.

[Hobie]

With the electric drive eliminating the rear axle, I was hoping it would have some kind of hydraulic lowering bed feature. Handy to some. It will look strange as a real work truck with a ladder rack.

Notice it is missing the side mirrors? Adding them on will definitely change its look.

But, it screams to be vinyl wrapped. Its perfect as a rolling billboard. Every tattoo, bail bond, etc. shop will be getting one of these.

They will never sell to a Dodge Ram diesel guy, but I think it will have good sales.

[burghMan]

[quote=Hobie]With the electric drive eliminating the rear axle, I was hoping it would have some kind of hydraulic lowering bed feature. Handy to some. It will look strange as a real work truck with a ladder rack.

Notice it is missing the side mirrors? Adding them on will definitely change its look.

But, it screams to be vinyl wrapped. Its perfect as a rolling billboard. Every tattoo, bail bond, etc. shop will be getting one of these.

They will never sell to a Dodge Ram diesel guy, but I think it will have good sales.[/quote]

Interesting point about the side mirrors, especially since a tow vehicle needs mirrors that stick out farther than normal.

America has a massive truck culture, people that buy trucks because that’s what men drive. Even women buy them as a symbol of masculinity. Most of these buyers don’t even use their trucks as trucks and the specs don’t really matter, as long as it looks tough. These buyers need a big chrome grill and a loud engine. The Tesla won’t be penetrating that market for a long time.

Another huge segment of the market is fleet vehicles that are purchased in bulk by corporations and government. With some modifications, Tesla could have some success selling into those markets if they can show that the total cost of ownership is lower over the long term.

I’m not ordering one, but I am keeping an eye on it. I tow a camping trailer and I’m interested in understanding how range is affected with a load. The lack of chargers in remote locations could also be an issue (will there be charging stations in Bishop or the canyonlands of Southern Utah?) I do like the high clearance. The offroad specs look better than any mainstream truck. It has potential, but for people that actually use a truck as a truck, there are many unanswered questions about the Tesla.

[spdrun]

The base version will have one electric motor — so there’s still an axle. The motor will be hooked up to a differential and axle or independent suspension.

The most expensive version will use three motors, so this could mean an axle in front and two in-wheel motors in rear. But from Tesla’s past designs, in-wheel motors aren’t all that likely.

[Coronita]

I’m guessing the lack of mirrors is because it will be replaced with cameras, which will be very interesting when it comes to regulations.

A decent vinyl wrap will cost $2000-4000 for a car like this. Not worth it because vinyl wraps aren’t as durable as people think they are. Same with PPF.

I think with bare metal look that doesn’t leave dent, leave it as is. Maybe get spray on plasti-dip, or go for that camouflage look…

It’s not meant to look nice. It already isn’t. I wonder if you can fit a miata in that bed ,lol…

[burghMan]

I don’t think cameras can replace tow mirrors because you need something that has an angle that can see behind the length of the trailer. Cameras would still to have to stick out the side of the vehicle. I don’t believe that tow mirrors are required by law, but anybody that does any significant amount of towing will want them. It would be a dealbreaker for me if it did not have them. Mirrors are an example of something where style and function don’t always align. We are used to seeing big mirrors sticking out the side of standard, boxy trucks but they might not look good at all on the Tesla. Other functional accessories like running boards may also be a challenge.

The bed size is comparable to short bed F-150, slightly larger if I recall the details. Overall it seems to be able to do the same jobs that the big three “1/2 ton” models can do, and likely better.

[Myriad]

[quote=outtamojo]Mount a machine gun in the bed and you will be the envy of urban warlords everywhere.[/quote]

So Toyota will still be the preferred brand for ISIS?

[Coronita]

[quote=burghMan]I don’t think cameras can replace tow mirrors because you need something that has an angle that can see behind the length of the trailer. Cameras would still to have to stick out the side of the vehicle. I don’t believe that tow mirrors are required by law, but anybody that does any significant amount of towing will want them. It would be a dealbreaker for me if it did not have them. Mirrors are an example of something where style and function don’t always align. We are used to seeing big mirrors sticking out the side of standard, boxy trucks but they might not look good at all on the Tesla. Other functional accessories like running boards may also be a challenge.

The bed size is comparable to short bed F-150, slightly larger if I recall the details. Overall it seems to be able to do the same jobs that the big three “1/2 ton” models can do, and likely better.[/quote]

have you checked out the camera system in the Chevy Bolt? It’s pretty remarkable

[Author]

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