There’s a Reason for the Tesla Model 3 Trunk Design

One of these days I'm gonna have to seriously get off my bum and do a proper rendering of what I would expect a Tesla Pickup Truck would look like. It astounds me that so many renderings seem to be sized/shaped like small trucks, about like a Ranger, Colorado, or Tacoma. Elon Musk has been clear, since early 2013, that Tesla would take on full sized pickup trucks such as the F-Series -- because they are the best sellers in the United States -- not the smaller, compact trucks at all.

The renderings by TRUCK TREND of a 'Tesla Model U' in particular are almost there, but the thing looks too small to me. The editors claim it is instead full sized, though, in the included video under the article. I also don't like that they predict in-wheel motors at all four corners -- those have been proven to be far less effective than one would guess -- otherwise Ford would be using those Protean Electric wheels on all their trucks.

For those who want or need a hatchback the vehicle for them is the Model Y. The Model 3 was never designed with a hatchback in mind. The Model 3 was optimized for moving people in an urban environment. Its easy to see.

I have to disagree on this. The model 3 was meant to be the affordable Tesla that would be accessible to the masses. There's no good reason it can't be built with practicality in mind.
I love Tesla and all it's trying to do with the car industry and electrification of motor vehicles. It is truly the future we need to head towards, but my heart sinks when I see the boot (trunk) of the model 3. In simple terms, it's shite.
I have been following Tesla since 2012 and I reserved a model 3 about a day after reservations started but I can't reconcile buying a car with a boot like that. It's simply hideous. It's such a same because I love everything else about it.
The argument that you can't have a hatch because there needs to be a glass roof for head room seems ridiculous. How about increasing the height of the roof by a few inches? Does the car need to be so low profiled that it can't have a higher roof?
I don't get it? As a consequence I won't be getting one unless a hatch version is released at some stage.
Does anyone know if there are going to be hatch versions on the cards at some point? I read somewhere a while ago that there may be three different versions of the Model 3. I was hoping one of those would be a hatch. I live in hope...

One of these days I'm gonna have to seriously get off my bum and do a proper rendering of what I would expect a Tesla Pickup Truck would look like.

Yes, please :) Is there an existing truck on the market that you think the Tesla pickup would be comparable to in size and shape?

BTW, love the signature.

Never been a pick em up truck kinda guy ... but THIS could convert me!

The lack of a hatchback is the reason I bought the Model S instead of waiting for the Model 3...but now I'm rethinking that decision because I'm still holding a Model 3 reservation and I WANT THE 8 CAMERAS FOR AUTONOMOUS DRIVING. When are the prototypes coming out so I can see it in person???

[COLOR=rgb(39, 38, 36)]Here is an optimistic article on this hot topic, from a family man @ Cleantechnica... right mindset... We can all use that... ;)

https://cleantechnica.com/2017/07/12/tesla-model-3-trunk-prep-volvo-s60-trunk-12-cu-ft/[/COLOR]

The lack of a hatchback is the reason I bought the Model S instead of waiting for the Model 3...but now I'm rethinking that decision because I'm still holding a Model 3 reservation and I WANT THE 8 CAMERAS FOR AUTONOMOUS DRIVING. When are the prototypes coming out so I can see it in person???

The Model S needs a sibling to play with.

First pilot production of the Model 3 will begin next week so I would expect to see the prototypes beginning to hit the streets as early as next month. Are you in Northern California?

The Model S needs a sibling to play with.

Considering the fact that first pilot production of the Model 3 will begin next week, I would expect to see the prototypes beginning to hit the streets as early as next month. Are you in Northern California?

I'm on the Southern Oregon Coast. My wife loves the Model S. She says we don't really need a smaller car with a small trunk. I have to agree, but if Elon comes out with an electric pickup, now that's a different story. :)

I have to disagree on this. The model 3 was meant to be the affordable Tesla that would be accessible to the masses. There's no good reason it can't be built with practicality in mind.
I love Tesla and all it's trying to do with the car industry and electrification of motor vehicles. It is truly the future we need to head towards, but my heart sinks when I see the boot (trunk) of the model 3. In simple terms, it's shite.
I have been following Tesla since 2012 and I reserved a model 3 about a day after reservations started but I can't reconcile buying a car with a boot like that. It's simply hideous. It's such a same because I love everything else about it.
The argument that you can't have a hatch because there needs to be a glass roof for head room seems ridiculous. How about increasing the height of the roof by a few inches? Does the car need to be so low profiled that it can't have a higher roof?
I don't get it? As a consequence I won't be getting one unless a hatch version is released at some stage.
Does anyone know if there are going to be hatch versions on the cards at some point? I read somewhere a while ago that there may be three different versions of the Model 3. I was hoping one of those would be a hatch. I live in hope...

There are multiple configurations of the BMW 3-Series and neither the SportsWagon nor the Gran Turismo versions (or even the 4-Series Gran Coupe) are their best sellers (in the U.S.) The best seller is the Notchback Sedan.

This car is from an American manufacturer and must be successful in the U.S. first and foremost. It must meet aesthetic expectations for this class of vehicles, or it will not sell well here. The old Saab 900 or more recent Porsche Panamera 'hunchback' is considered to be positively HIDEOUS here. Americans tend to be rather shallow in this regard -- it doesn't matter how well the car performs, it doesn't matter how utilitarian it may be, it doesn't matter how awesome Europeans or Australians think it is -- if it is [FARGIN'] UGLY! The Model S sells far more than the Panamera because it doesn't look like an amorphous blob on wheels. As popular as the Crossover segment of the U.S. market may appear to be to casual observers, cars like the Honda Crosstour, Acura ZDX, and BMW GranTurismo gain no sales traction here at all. Because they are ugly. And even though the 4-Series looks a LOT better, NO ONE BUYS THEM.

There is another factor at work as well. Culturally, Americans associate a hatchback/liftback or a shared cargo/passenger space with 'cheap' cars. They prefer that cargo be separate from the passenger compartment in an enclosed trunk/boot in a 'luxury' or high end car. A place that only 'The Help' ever needs to access.

There is also the fact that certain electric vehicle incentives and rebates are only available to those that can transport at least five people. With a smaller vehicle, rear seat comfort for a liftback pretty much demands a 2+2 configuration, for only four maximum occupants. By designing the car to fit five real adult Americans, Tesla expands the pool of buyers who will qualify for State incentives in addition to Federal ones.

(...)
There is also the fact that certain electric vehicle incentives and rebates are only available to those that can transport at least five people. With a smaller vehicle, rear seat comfort for a liftback pretty much demands a 2+2 configuration, for only four maximum occupants. By designing the car to fit five real adult Americans, Tesla expands the pool of buyers who will qualify for State incentives in addition to Federal ones.

Informative, Red, did not realize this cultural dislike for liftback in the US. Yet that is why the 4-Gran Coupe should be a better fit, it is essentially a four door coupe for 4 adults, with an invisible liftback... I understand why it was technically difficult to do with Model ≡... I would have preferred a (more practical) liftback door yet I'll be fine in my retirement phase... ;)

Informative, Red, did not realize this cultural dislike for liftback in the US. Yet that is why the 4-Gran Coupe should be a better fit, it is essentially a four door coupe for 4 adults, with an invisible liftback... I understand why it was technically difficult to do with Model ≡... I would have preferred a (more practical) liftback door yet I'll be fine in my retirement phase... ;)

Yes. The 4-Series design is awesome -- except for the fact it is a 4-seater and is in the size classification 'Compact' in the U.S. Still OK for a Family of four Micronians... But not so hot for voluminous 'big boned' Americans.

Really though? 2+2 Sedans are stupid. It doesn't matter how large or small they are... From 4-Series Gran Coupe through Panamera. It doesn't make sense when you can have more passengers inside a Civic, Corolla, or Cruze for so much less money.

Yes. The 4-Series design is awesome -- except for the fact it is a 4-seater and is in the size classification 'Compact' in the U.S. Still OK for a Family of four Micronians... But not so hot for voluminous 'big boned' Americans.

Really though? 2+2 Sedans are stupid. It doesn't matter how large or small they are... From 4-Series Gran Coupe through Panamera. It doesn't make sense when you can have more passengers inside a Civic, Corolla, or Cruze for so much less money.

Please remind me why you are always referring to those classifications... Sure there is a reason but I forgot o_O
Also you seem to be referring to 4-seater cars as 2+2... I thought this appellation referred to a coupe with a very small/tight back bench for sub-micronises... in other words kids...:D??

Please remind me why you are always referring to those classifications... Sure there is a reason but I forgot o_O
Also you seem to be referring to 4-seater cars as 2+2... I thought this appellation referred to a coupe with a very small/tight back bench for sub-micronises... in other words kids...:D??

As I live in the U.S. and Tesla is a U.S. company, I prefer to use the official size classifications from the EPA. So LARGE, MIDSIZE, COMPACT, SUB-COMPACT, are what I use. They are not arbitrary marketing terms, but specific designations based upon the useful interior volume for passengers and luggage.

3-Series -- Compact
5-Series -- Midsize
7-Series -- Large
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/findacarhelp.shtml#epaSizeClass

In terms of vehicle configuration, any vehicle with the stupid longitudinal dividing wall down the middle between passengers with four bucket seats is a 2+2. I think all of BMW's Sedans, except maybe the 5-Series, are 2+2s. That sucks.

Oh, and the 4-Series is either a Coupe 2-door or a Gran Coupe 4-door. That is certainly better than the old two-door sedans BMW previously offered. Those things were fugly.

I very much despise the sort of 2+2 you speak of, that requires rear seat passengers to either be double amputees or beheaded. They are designed, I think, for the 'world average' height for humans, which I passed at something less than ten years old. I would hope that since Elon is 6'-2" and Franz appears to be 6'-5" they would design the Model 3 to allow entry by taller folk.

As I live in the U.S. and Tesla is a U.S. company, I prefer to use the official size classifications from the EPA. So LARGE, MIDSIZE, COMPACT, SUB-COMPACT, are what I use. They are not arbitrary marketing terms, but specific designations based upon the useful interior volume for passengers and luggage.

3-Series -- Compact
5-Series -- Midsize
7-Series -- Large
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/findacarhelp.shtml#epaSizeClass

In terms of vehicle configuration, any vehicle with the stupid longitudinal dividing wall down the middle between passengers with four bucket seats is a 2+2. I think all of BMW's Sedans, except maybe the 5-Series, are 2+2s. That sucks.

Oh, and the 4-Series is either a Coupe 2-door or a Gran Coupe 4-door. That is certainly better than the old two-door sedans BMW previously offered. Those things were fugly.

I very much despise the sort of 2+2 you speak of, that requires rear seat passengers to either be double amputees or beheaded. They are designed, I think, for the 'world average' height for humans, which I passed at something less than ten years old. I would hope that since Elon is 6'-2" and Franz appears to be 6'-5" they would design the Model 3 to allow entry by taller folk.

Very clear now, Red! Thank you!

The lack of a hatchback is the reason I bought the Model S instead of waiting for the Model 3...but now I'm rethinking that decision because I'm still holding a Model 3 reservation and I WANT THE 8 CAMERAS FOR AUTONOMOUS DRIVING. When are the prototypes coming out so I can see it in person???

For those who want or need a hatchback the vehicle for them is the Model Y. The Model 3 was never designed with a hatchback in mind. The Model 3 was optimized for moving people in an urban environment. Its easy to see.

I have to disagree on this. The model 3 was meant to be the affordable Tesla that would be accessible to the masses. There's no good reason it can't be built with practicality in mind.
(...)
Does anyone know if there are going to be hatch versions on the cards at some point? I read somewhere a while ago that there may be three different versions of the Model 3. I was hoping one of those would be a hatch. I live in hope...

As @Jaken rightly said, and though Elon recently disclosed during the 1Q earnings call that it will be built on a different platform than Model ≡, the closest equivalent with a hatchback will be the midsize SUV referred to as Model Y...
Production likely to start by late 2019, or 2020. Should sell at least as well as Model ≡, maybe even in higher numbers if not too much more expensive (+ 20%?? Pure conjecture on my part, I feel compelled to add!).
I can't wait that long, so still looking forward to my
Model ≡ ... with no hatch... ;)

The renderings by TRUCK TREND of a 'Tesla Model U' in particular are almost there, but the thing looks too small to me.

This is the first concept rendering I've seen that looks pretty good. All the other ones look like newer El Caminos ..... and that's not a good thing.

if Elon comes out with an electric pickup, now that's a different story. :)

Well, he did say they have plans for an electric pickup one day as part of the Master Plan Part Deux :) Here's a rendition a friend sent us.

Wow, that's a futuristic looking pickup. I'm not sure I'd like to fill it with brush and haul it to the county dump. It's too sleek looking. I wonder if it'll have a tow package? Wait a minute...is that a Model X with a pickup bed?

Wow, that's a futuristic looking pickup. I'm not sure I'd like to fill it with brush and haul it to the county dump. It's too sleek looking. I wonder if it'll have a tow package? Wait a minute...is that a Model X with a pickup bed?

Haha, it's just a rendition that someone made. And yes, it looks like it's based on the Model X given those door handles. I cringe a little thinking about how that crew cab door would swing open.

Haha, it's just a rendition that someone made. And yes, it looks like it's based on the Model X given those door handles. I cringe a little thinking about how that crew cab door would swing open.

Yes...that's a problem because it ain't going up, because of the roof rack...and it's a bit narrow to swing open, but it's pretty. :)

This is the first concept rendering I've seen that looks pretty good. All the other ones look like newer El Caminos ..... and that's not a good thing.

Actually? They tend to look a bit too much like the Chevrolet SSR instead. That's not a good thing, because while larger than an El Camino, it is still smaller than a Colorado...

Yes, please :)[/QUOTE]
I'll see what I can do. Below are some of my own admittedly horrible, rushed renderings from some years ago. Hence, why I need to do them again with a more steady hand.



[QUOTE="gene, post: 5761, member: 3"]Is there an existing truck on the market that you think the Tesla pickup would be comparable to in size and shape?[/QUOTE]
Elon Musk has said since 2013 that they would be taking on the best selling pickup trucks in the U.S. Particularly the Ford F-Series full sized pickup trucks. Because they are extremely popular, are typically gas guzzlers, and the worst iterations of them are very polluting, along with market entries such as Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra and RAM pickup trucks. (The smaller trucks like the Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon, Toyota Tacoma, Honda Ridgeline, and Nissan Frontier can be thoroughly ignored, because the marketplace does that anyway judging by their horrible sales.) I suggest that Tesla go after what traditional automobile manufacturers call in their marketing 'Heavy Duty' or 'Super Duty' versions of their light trucks. Those with Type III, Type IV, and Type V towing capability (350/3500, 450/4500, 550/5500). And that the configuration of the trucks be of the crew cab style with available 6.5' and 8.0' long beds. Finally offering them in dual motor all wheel drive dually designs to put down as much torque as possible.

That target is sure to have potential customers with deep pockets who will surely recognize the superiority of electric drive no matter the initial cost along with realizing the longtime savings of driving electric over gasoline or diesel. And boys always want to play with big boy toys, so starting on the high end to make an impression is a good strategy. I think that's part of the reason why Elon Musk is going after CLASS VIII big rigs -- to make an initial impression as yet another 'proof of concept' as to what electric drive can do by taking on precisely the type of project that so many claim an electric vehicle would 'never' do. The qualifier 'yet' will be banished again by 'until now', thanks to Tesla.

[QUOTE="gene, post: 5761, member: 3"]BTW, love the signature.

I am a big fan of the writing style of Douglas Adams. Though perhaps not a direct quote of him, that is certainly inspired by what I've read of his.