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Elon Musk’s Tesla pickup truck will likely have few competitors from legacy auto
Elon Musk admits that while Tesla probably has the most exciting product roadmap in the industry today, he has a soft spot for the company’s upcoming pickup truck. In a recent appearance at the Recode Decode podcast hosted by veteran tech journalist Kara Swisher, Musk stated that the Tesla Truck would be “super futuristic,” to the point where it would not look out of place in the Blade Runner franchise.
Musk candidly added that if the first pickup, with its cyberpunk tech and features, proves too radical for the market, then Tesla would release a more conventional truck. Ultimately, it remains to be seen if the company would breach the pickup market through Elon Musk’s Blade Runner cyberpunk truck or a more conventional pickup, but one thing is sure. Tesla would soon be competing in America’s most lucrative auto segment.
It could be argued that pickup trucks are the quintessential American vehicles. In 2017 alone, pickup truck sales across the US accounted for 16.4% of the country’s total car sales. Within this number were nearly 900,000 Ford F-Series pickups and about 950,000 GM-branded trucks. Speaking to Trucks.com last January, Michael Ramsey, an automotive analyst at Gartner Inc., noted that in several areas in the US, a truck is a preferable vehicle for consumers.
“In many areas of the country, the truck is just the preferred lifestyle look. They handle much better than before, and with the aid of technology, are even easier to navigate in tight spaces. The U.S. is ideally suited to bigger vehicles because of big parking spaces and roads,” the auto analyst said.
While the disruption of the auto industry with electric-powered vehicles could be felt in the passenger car market thanks to vehicles like the Tesla Model 3, the EV movement is yet to breach the pickup truck segment. EV startups like Bollinger Motors and Rivian are working on all-electric pickup trucks, but both companies are still building facilities capable of manufacturing vehicles on a mass scale. Rivian, for one, is tooling its 2.6 million sq ft factory in Normal, IL. Legacy automakers, which actually have the necessary infrastructure to mass produce all-electric trucks, have mostly taken a rather conservative stance.
Ford has noted that it is developing a hybrid version of its best-selling F-150 pickup truck. In a post on its official website, the company stated that the F-150 hybrid would be a vehicle with no-compromises, “from low-end torque for extra pulling power to serving as a mobile generator on the job site.” Ford, though, has not announced an official release date for the vehicle, though there is speculation that the legacy automaker would launch the hybrid truck around 2020.
GM, on the other hand, recently took an even more conservative stance. In a statement to the Detroit Free Press, vice president of global strategy Mike Abelson declared that GM would lead the EV industry in the “next decade or so.” Despite this, Abelson noted that its core business — comprised of large, gasoline and diesel-powered pickup trucks — would remain intact for the next couple of decades.
“The core business is going to be the core business for a couple of decades to come. There will not be any AV/EV pickups,” Abelson said.
With legacy automakers seemingly taking their time once more, Elon Musk’s Blade Runner truck might end up being one of the first movers in the electric pickup market. And if there is anything that could be learned in the domination of the Model S and 3 in their respective segments, ignoring Tesla and the potential of its vehicles could be a pretty big mistake.
In a brief brainstorming session on Twitter earlier this year, Elon Musk accepted suggestions for features that would be useful for the upcoming Tesla pickup truck. Among these include four-wheel steering, the capability to parallel park itself, seating for six people, a 240-volt connection for power tools, and a maximum towing capacity of 300,000 pounds. Tesla is yet to provide a teaser for the release date of its pickup truck, though speculations are high that the vehicle would be announced after the Model Y, which is expected to be unveiled in 2019.
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Tesla Robotaxi appears to be heading to a new U.S. city
Things are expanding for Robotaxi, but the big sign that it is really moving along greatly will be with the expansion to a new city. Tesla has not gone outside of Austin or the Bay Area as of yet, and launching in a new city will be a great indicator of progress.
Tesla Robotaxi appears to be heading to a new U.S. city, and although the company has revealed plans to launch in six new metros this year, it has yet to establish a new location outside of Austin and the Bay Area of California, where it has operated since last Summer.
A lot full of Model Y vehicles was spotted in Henderson, a town just north of Las Vegas, but there seems to be more than just this hint indicating that the Sin City will be the next location to offer potentially driverless rides in a Tesla using its Full Self-Driving suite.
These Model Ys are not your typical vehicles, as they are fitted with hardware that is only on Robotaxis: a rear camera washer is the dead giveaway:
🚨 These rear camera washers are only present on Robotaxi vehicles
Maybe Las Vegas is the next city to get the Robotaxi suite 😀 https://t.co/my3da5L4zc pic.twitter.com/jYFQuX1j2E
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) March 17, 2026
The photos and video of the lot were taken by TheZacher on X, who spotted the Model Y fleet in the Henderson parking lot.
The rear camera washer is the main piece of evidence here that indicates Tesla could be looking to expand Robotaxi to Las Vegas, a major ride-hailing hot spot, as it is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the United States. Ride-sharing is a major industry in Vegas, especially for those who are staying off the Strip.
Tesla has also been extremely transparent that Vegas is on its radar for the Robotaxi fleet, as it revealed last year that it was one of five new U.S. cities that it planned to launch the ride-hailing service in this year.
Tesla confirms Robotaxi is heading to five new cities in the U.S.
The others were Phoenix, Dallas, Houston, and Miami.
Things are expanding for Robotaxi, but the big sign that it is really moving along greatly will be with the expansion to a new city. Tesla has not gone outside of Austin or the Bay Area as of yet, and launching in a new city will be a great indicator of progress.
It will also give Tesla a new benchmark against rival company Waymo, which has operated in Las Vegas for some time.
News
Tesla Roadster gets new unveiling date once again
Musk announced last year that the unveiling, which initially happened back in 2018, would take place on April Fool’s Day. Initial deliveries at the 2018 event were slotted for 2020, but delays in the project, as well as prioritization of other things, continued to push the Roadster back.
The Tesla Roadster is perhaps the most anticipated vehicle in the company’s history, but those who have been waiting anxiously for it will have to push their timelines back once again.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has revealed that the company is once again pushing back the unveiling event that was originally planned for April 1. It will now take place “probably in late April.”
True.
New Roadster unveil probably in late April. https://t.co/NShZxpK5cI
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 17, 2026
Musk announced last year that the unveiling, which initially happened back in 2018, would take place on April Fool’s Day. Initial deliveries at the 2018 event were slotted for 2020, but delays in the project, as well as prioritization of other things, continued to push the Roadster back.
There has been so much hype about the Roadster that people are right to be excited about the prospect of its existence.
Musk’s most recent rumblings about the vehicle came last Fall, when he appeared on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, where he once again hinted the car would be able to hover for a short period.
He said:
“Whether it’s good or bad, it will be unforgettable. My friend Peter Thiel once reflected that the future was supposed to have flying cars, but we don’t have flying cars. I think if Peter wants a flying car, he should be able to buy one…I think it has a shot at being the most memorable product unveiling ever. [It will be unveiled] hopefully before the end of the year. You know, we need to make sure that it works. This is some crazy technology in this car. Let’s just put it this way: if you took all the James Bond cars and combined them, it’s crazier than that.”
Additionally, he said the vehicle would not be something that would prioritize safety. Musk said that “If safety is your number one goal, do not buy the Roadster.” It’s made for speed and excitement, not for grocery-getting.
Elon Musk just said some crazy stuff about the Tesla Roadster
As the April 1 unveiling event that was originally planned was nearing without any communication to fans, media, or anyone who would potentially be in attendance, it seemed to be pretty obvious that Tesla was not ready to pull the trigger on the event quite yet.
There could be some last-minute things to finalize, or it could be something else. One thing is for certain, though: we are not super surprised that things were moved back.
Tesla has definitely been putting some things in motion for the Roadster. A few months back, Tesla started to ramp up hiring for the Roadster, and earlier in March, it submitted a patent application for a new seat design.
Elon Musk
Tesla named by U.S. Gov. in $4.3B battery deal for American-made cells
What began as an open secret in the energy industry was confirmed by the U.S. Department of the Interior on Monday: Tesla is the buyer behind LG Energy Solution’s blockbuster $4.3 billion battery supply agreement.
What began as an open secret in the energy industry is becoming more real after the U.S. Department of the Interior named Tesla as the stakeholder in the LG Energy Solution’s blockbuster $4.3 billion battery supply agreement.
Tesla and LG Energy Solution are expanding their partnership to build a LFP prismatic battery cell manufacturing facility in Lansing, Michigan, launching production in 2027. The announcement, made as part of the Indo-Pacific Energy Security Summit results, ends months of speculation.
“American-made cells will power Tesla’s Megapack 3 energy storage systems produced in Houston, creating a robust domestic battery supply chain.”, notes a press release on the U.S. Department of the Interior website.
Tesla has long utilized China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. (CATL), the world’s largest LFP battery maker, as one of its primary suppliers. That relationship made financial sense for years, considering that Chinese LFP cells were cheap, abundant, and reliable. But with escalated tariffs on Chinese imports and an increasingly growing Tesla Energy business that’s particularly reliant on LFP cells for products including its Megapack battery storage units designed for utilities and large-scale commercial projects.
The announcement of a deepened partnership between LG Energy Solution and Tesla has strategic logic for both parties. For Tesla, it secures a tariff-compliant, domestically produced battery supply for its fast-growing energy division. LGES, now producing LFP batteries in Michigan, becomes the only major supplier currently scaling U.S. production, outpacing rivals like Samsung SDI and SK On. LG Energy Solution’s Lansing plant, formerly known as Ultium Cells 3, was previously operated as a joint venture with General Motors. LGES acquired GM’s stake in May 2025 and now fully owns the site, with a production capacity of 50 GWh per year. LG Energy said the contract includes options to extend the supply period by up to seven years and boost volumes based on further consultations.
For the broader industry, the ripple effects are significant. This deal signals that domestic battery manufacturing can be financially viable and not just aspirational. Utilities, energy developers, and rival automakers will take note as American-made LFP supply becomes a competitive reality rather than a distant promise.
For consumers, the benefits will take time but are real. A more resilient, U.S.-based supply chain means fewer price shocks from trade disputes, more stable Megapack availability for the grid storage projects that reduce electricity costs, and long-term downward pressure on energy storage prices as domestic production scales.
Deliveries are set to begin in 2027 and run through mid-2030, and as grid storage demand accelerates, reliable, US-made battery supply is no longer a future ambition. It is becoming a core requirement of the country’s energy strategy.
Tesla Robotaxi appears to be heading to a new U.S. city
Tesla Roadster gets new unveiling date once again
