The final design is significantly different from what we know today.
Walter Isaacson, the man behind Elon Musk's biography, has shared some interesting snippets from the upcoming book. Along with new information on the design process behind the Tesla Cybertruck, we also get to see early design sketches of what the controversial electric truck could have looked like.
In the image below, we can see a variety of design studies that shaped the Cybertruck's styling. The final product has sharp and angular lines, but earlier ideas show a softer, more shapely design. While some of the styling cues are familiar, they're nothing like the polarizing Tesla truck that will be mass-produced next year.
Much like the final design we know today, the Cybertruck would always be a futuristic-looking vehicle that pushed the envelope of truck design. Isaacson said that's exactly what Tesla's CEO wanted to do.
“About six years ago, [Elon Musk] is sitting there with [Franz von Holzhausen], and they're looking at a Ford truck,” remarked Isaacson. “[Musk] says these things are boring. He doesn't like to be bored. He puts up things from movies, sci-fi, from video games, and everybody is pushing back on him at this meeting. He finally says stop it; we're going to do it. We're going to make it edgy.”
The author then shared an excerpt from the biography, describing how Musk decided to do the Cybertruck in stainless steel. “The use of stainless steel opened up new possibilities for the look of the truck. Instead of using stamping machines that would sculpt carbon fiber into body panels with subtle curves and shapes, stainless steel would favor straight planes and sharp angles,” he wrote.
This essentially forced the design team to explore more futuristic designs.
“The Chevy Silverado was still on the showroom floor for reference. In front of it were three large display boards with pictures of a wide variety of vehicles, including ones from video games and sci- fi “movies. They ranged from retro to futuristic, sleek to jagged, curvaceous… https://t.co/1n4zS9MRlJ
— Walter Isaacson (@WalterIsaacson) July 18, 2023
Adding to @SawyerMerritt post: In my book, https://t.co/7JGHd10TEa , I describe how on one Friday in 2017, @elonmusk decreed, “We are going to do this whole thing in stainless steel.” I note: “The use of stainless steel opened up new possibilities for the look of the truck.… https://t.co/mnTjub13xP pic.twitter.com/sG2lPoE57X
— Walter Isaacson (@WalterIsaacson) July 18, 2023
Having been convinced to play it safe with the design of the Model Y, Musk wanted to shock the world with a radical design. Despite this, team members opposed the idea and tried to play it safe. After all, truck buyers are a conservative bunch, and anything too progressive would alienate customers. But Musk didn't care. “Let's be bold. Let's surprise people,” he said.
The outspoken CEO was reportedly inspired by unconventional designs from movies like Blade Runner and was even taken by designs from video games such as Halo, “or in the trailer for the forthcoming game Cyberpunk 2077.” With a Chevrolet Silverado on the floor for designers to reference, several people suggested a more conventional design. “I don't care if no one buys it. We're not doing a traditional boring truck. We can always do that later. I want to build something that's cool. Like, don't resist me,” said Musk at the time.
And what was behind Musk's desire to do something so different? It appears that it would be his son, Saxon. One day, he asked his father, “Why doesn't the future look like the future?” This question stuck with Musk, who told his design team, “I want the future to look like the future.”
It would have been interesting to see what design direction the team wanted to take and whether that would have been as poorly received as the Cybertruck has been by so many. Then again, the controversial truck has scores of fans that will defend its left-field styling in a heartbeat. More importantly, it's been four years since the Cybertruck was revealed, and people are still discussing it. It seems BMW's CEO was right about controversial design.
What do you think? Should Tesla have gone with one of the potential designs pictured above, or have they gotten it right with the Cybertruck? Let us know in the comments below.
Keyword: New Images Show What Tesla Cybertruck Could Have Looked Like