Dive Brief:
- Tesla CEO Elon Musk said in a Twitter exchange last week that after the Model Y, Tesla will develop a pickup truck "similar" in size to the Ford F 150, "Maybe slightly bigger to account for a really gamechanging (I think) feature I'd like to add," The Wall Street Journal reported.
- Despite Musk hinting at the specs of a new vehicle, Tesla is still scrambling to finish Model 3 production, delaying the Model Y and automated semi development.
- In the Twitter exchange, Musk said he "promised" to develop the pickup right after the Model Y (which was announced last summer).
Dive Insight:
A Tesla pickup, especially if automated like the forthcoming semi, could truly be "gamechanging" for American car manufacturing by giving companies like Ford and Chevrolet a run for their money, but only if Tesla can deliver.
The question then, is whether Tesla's supply chain is up for the task. From supplier troubles to "production bottlenecks," Tesla has really struggled to roll out its much-anticipated Model 3, forcing the company to delay its production plan of 5,000 models a week until March of this year.
That means we won't be seeing the Model Y or automated semi for a while, despite 3PLs'confidence in Tesla's semi model, which means we won't be seeing a pickup truck anytime soon, either.
If Tesla can work out the bugs in its supply chain, then a pickup could ramp up the competition with established American automakers. Until then, supply chain agility and efficiency will prevent Tesla from truly shaking up the auto market.