Read on Twitter
Some thoughts on insane design of the @tesla #cybertruck, which I initially (like everyone?) thought was awful:
I don't think the polarizing design, unlike what some suggest, is based on some attempt to just make a new design for the sake of being different, or to be edgy, or cuz @elonmusk just wants to tap into cyberpunk fans or is preparing for mars rovers etc etc
(maybe @elonmusk does want to tap into his sci-fi geekdom, but think was driven by engineering/cost first, blade runner look was nice side benefit)
I'm guessing given the choice of having a more traditional looking truck w/ best-in-class specs at a very high price point, and a polarizing design w best-in-class specs at a mass market price point, he chose mass mkt https://twitter.com/Juxebox_/status/1197934713782059008?s=20
Per @MT_Reynolds & @MotorTrend, paintless SS exoskeleton offers huge manufacturing savings over traditional body-on-frame truck design, and the (what most find) ugly triangle shape helps w/ aerodynamics https://www.motortrend.com/news/tesla-cybertruck-electric-pickup-engineering-manufacturing/
"...with the $200 million paint shop getting an auditor's line drawn through it"
Seems like many think this may not be a final design or Tesla should chop off the back parts (sail pillars) to make it look better https://twitter.com/RafaSandovalR/status/1197912148594372611?s=20
But as @BurnsM93 explains in TC, sail pillars not only help with aero, but critical to heavy towing capacity for the exoskeleton design vs traditional trucks where stress is on frame underneath https://techcrunch.com/2019/11/22/heres-why-the-tesla-cybertruck-has-its-crazy-look
Musk has said if this truck flops they can always build a 'normal' truck later. I don't think this was due to him just demanding to first fulfill a personal cyberpunk fetish or something
We're just not far enough down the battery cost curve to be able to build a profitable traditional-looking truck at mass-market prices. See: @Rivian @bollingermotors & any other electric car
So instead we have the #Cybertruck: incredible world-beating truck specs at an incredible (for electric) price, but with an insane & polarizing design that looks like a joke
It's got issues for sure, but as someone who once studied engineering, i kind of love it. Engineering over marketing. @Gfilche @seanmmitchell @GerberKawasaki @wintonARK @vincent13031925 any thoughts?
