Hey, now! That's going too far...
This thing is supposedly armor-capable (3mm of 340 Stainless will stop a 9mm round).
Funny thing is, the windows are supposed to be bulletproof as well -- but they broke both side windows fairly easily. Embarrassing -- they apparently tested with all kinds of objects prior, but NOT with the object they used (steel ball) in the reveal.
The question that comes to mind here, is... WHY do non-milspec, consumer-grade pickups need to be armored / bulletproof? Other than for marketing / bragging. If people are shooting at you, you have bigger problems. Or... we've gone full-apocalypse, and the preppers were right. But that means the electrical grid and power generation are bye-bye, so... oops.
As far as colors... if you want anything other than silvery stainless, it'll come via a wrap.
These are full unibody construction. Ouch.
Now for the 'good'...
It's supposedly very tow-capable (there are YT vids of Tesla cars pulling diesel pickups that are deliberately left to block the charging stations, out of those spaces) Figure towing's gotta shorten the range, so I'll wait until some real-world testing is complete before I judge here. SAE spec J2807 is a standardized set of tests that all mfg's now adhere to, and certify against. Guessing Tesla will have no problems qualifying, but let's see. 14K towing will handle 90% or better of RV trailers (exceptions would be the biggest +40ft toy haulers, mainly).
Tesla has been taking a ton of fleet orders for 80,000 lb-capable Class 8 ('semi') trucks the last couple of years (which will also be mode-5 autonomous driving), so I think (?) Tesla will be able to handle non-commercial towing pretty well, especially as time goes on & they get real-world miles on the things.
Single motor (RWD) version will start under $40K USD. Dual-motor around $50K. Fully-loaded 4WD with extended range battery about $65K. If it can handle the jobs that a 3/4 or 1 ton (SRW) can do for that price, it'll sell (even if only to fleets at first,) as those prices substantially beat the Big 3.
All of the internals are tucked up high, behind fully enclosed underbellies; something that Musk personally spec'd for the truck. Off-road capable (although most will never leave pavement). IIRC, those are 35" tires, so the thing definitely has ground clearance.
If it's like the cars, owners may save a boatload on maintenance, as well as gasoline. Studies have shown that the non-ICE electrics incur substantially smaller maintenance costs. Transmissions are single-speed, and the propulsion motors are direct-drive, so there are waaay fewer moving parts than a traditional ICE-equipped vehicle. (as an aside, I wonder if they'll have a 4 Low capability-?)
I could definitely see driver-configurable 2wd / 4wd, with the battery cap for the unused axle going to extend range (and/or power) You give people 1000mi of highway range, and these things will be Cummins & Duramax-killers, too.
Outside of (serious) recalls, updates are done mostly via wireless / OTA. You get in your Tesla to start your morning commute and find out what got updated overnight while you were sleeping. 90% of dealer service visits now eliminated.
Down the line... as mode 5 becomes legal / in-vogue, accidents / fatalities will decrease, people will be less stressed from their commutes, and potentially more productive.
Now... my own impressions?
- Styling... no. I'm not there. It's too angular, and I don't see that the form was derived from function. If it did, I could probably forgive / live with it. 'Bold', perhaps... but not 'forward'.
- Tech / capability... I'm really, really hopeful.
- Pricing... I'm impressed. Kinda makes sense when you figure the 'parts' differential (along with lessened R&D costs)
- Fueling / Maintenance... Tesla offers free nationwide charging, and their stations will only charge their vehicles (but they can use other brands' charging infrastructure, with adapters). If that continues (with corresponding additional infrastructure being added), your only fuel cost is for the 240V charger in your garage, and the juice to run it. As for time to refuel - IIRC, you can charge to 80% in 40min or less, and as long as that'll get you to the next station or home, you're golden.
Bottom line - I'm with
@HARDTRAILZ , although I'll let him be the early adopter... I've still got a lotta miles left in my Sierra & Envoy