Tesla’s all-electric ute verging on reality

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Perhaps buoyed by the success of Tesla’s Model 3 after its belated arrival on Australian shores, Tesla CEO Elon Musk looks to have decided to thoroughly sweep Australian’s off their feet with the Tesla electric ute verging on reality.  Unless Musk has plans to come up with a pack of never-ending Tim-Tams, a ute is the surest way to Australian hearts. 

The release of the long-awaited all-electric ute is set for November, but that hasn’t stopped Musk teasing the release and extra details on Twitter. 

In the tweet, musk claims the vehicle resembles an “armored personnel carrier from the future.” Whether Musk thinks a design of this type is particularly appealing to Americans whose pick-up truck taste mimics their taste in meal serving size, or whether Musk is attempting to get his foot in the door early for a U.S. military contract, is not yet known. However, considering the U.S. military’s current Commander-in-Chief, it is probably a safe bet that the U.S. will find itself embroiled in some future conflict in which electric armoured personal carriers might come in handy. 

If nothing else, Musk’s braggadocio is at least a good sign that the electric ute’s release has not suffered any of the delays which have hampered Tesla’s other recent releases. Particularly the Model 3 of which some Australia customers who had paid for pre-order didn’t receive for almost three years.  

The delays to the Model 3 were primarily driven by Musk’s promised price point of USD$35,000. The news of the upcoming ute release will be particularly pleasing then as Tesla is planning to put the ute on the market for under $US50,000 (AUD$74, 263). It seems the lessons learnt in the Model 3 release are enabling Tesla to keep its upcoming models to the deadline. 

We already know from previous Musk teases that the electric ute will be powered by a dual-motor all-wheel drive with “crazy torque and a suspension that dynamically adjusts for load.” Additionally, Tesla has also floated the idea that the ute would feature power outlets for heavy-duty power tools. 

 

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