Elon Musk says Tesla pickup will look like it 'came out of a sci-fi movie'
Tesla had its yearly shareholder meeting on Tuesday and Elon Musk had a lot to say.
He talked about media coverage of the company (he wasn't too happy about it), the possibility of Tesla getting into the mining business (not boring, mining) to get rare materials needed for batteries, and had a few words about horses (Tesla's upcoming pickup truck will be able to haul a horse, in case you wondered).
Here's a breakdown of what he revealed at the meeting.
The trucks are coming
Musk finally gave an update on when we can expect the Tesla pickup truck (amusingly called the "Cyberpunk Truck" in his presentation) and Tesla Semi truck. According to Musk, Tesla hopes to unveil the pickup this summer, whereas the Semi should arrive by the end of 2020. Also, the upcoming Model Y should be produced at volume sometime in the fall of 2020, but the company will try to bring it to market even faster if possible.
And while he stopped short of actually showing us a decent picture of the pickup truck, Musk did say that it'll be like "something that came out of a sci-fi movie" and "really cool."
Q2 2019 could be Tesla's biggest quarter ever
Questions about demand started to arise after the company's Q1 2019 earnings report, which was bad both in terms of sales and profit. But now, Musk said that the company does not have a demand problem.
"Sales have far exceeded production. And production's been pretty good. We’re actually doing well, and we have a decent shot at a record quarter on every level,” Musk said, adding that even if it's not a record quarter, it's going to be "very close."
Musk didn't say much about the individual sales of various Tesla cars, but he did reveal a few interesting tidbits about the Model 3. He said the Model 3 is the top selling car in the U.S. by revenue, beating non-electric, popular models such as the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. He also said that 90 percent of orders for the Model 3 came from people who haven't pre-ordered it, which would mean that Tesla is far less reliant on those early customers than one might think.
Thou shalt not buy non-electric cars
On the subject of autonomy, Musk walked back a little on his previous statement that Tesla will have a million robotaxis on the streets by the end of 2020. He said that Tesla vehicles that have the company's FSD (full-self driving) computer are basically capable of taxying people around on their own, but he acknowledged that it may not be legal for them to do so that early.
"We'll still need regulatory approval, but the capability will be there," he said.
Oh, and by the way, buying any car that's not electric and not upgradable to be autonomous? It's "insane," says Musk.
There were some very specific questions on autonomy during the meeting. One user asked how Tesla plans to solve the issue of obscured camera sensors, especially in the rain and snow. Musk acknowledged that the company had this problem with the front radar, but said that some hydrophobic coating "usually" solves the problem.
Musk also mentioned the Advanced Summon feature, which should allow Tesla owners to summon their car with a tap, with the car navigating parking lots without driver assistance. He said the company is "close" to launching that feature, adding that parking lots are complex and difficult to figure out.
"We don’t want to run someone over," he said.
Yes, the Solar Roof still exists
Remember Tesla's Solar Roof? After a grand revelation in April 2017, we haven't heard much about it, except reports that Tesla is having trouble producing it. Musk has touched on that subject, too, saying that the company is currently installing it in eight states. He also said Tesla is "about to complete" version three of the solar roof, while acknowledging that building such a product is actually "quite a hard problem." He didn't share many details on version three, but he said it will finally fulfill the original promise of costing as much as a normal roof (plus utility costs).
Tesla's got other promises to fulfill. For example, Musk recently said the company will start offering an insurance product, but we haven't heard about it since. Answering a question during the meeting, Musk said that Tesla is "pretty close" to releasing that, but it does have a "small acquisition" to complete, and "a bit of software to write."
Finally, Musk has confirmed that Tesla cars are (partially) going vegan, even though there are some challenges over heating non-leather materials (especially on the steering wheel). Answering a question from the audience, Musk confirmed that the Model Y will be free of animal products, and promised that, by the next shareholder meeting, the Model 3 will also satisfy this criteria, while it will be possible to custom-order a Model X and Model S that's free of animal products.
Stan is a Senior Editor at Mashable, where he has worked since 2007. He's got more battery-powered gadgets and band t-shirts than you. He writes about the next groundbreaking thing. Typically, this is a phone, a coin, or a car. His ultimate goal is to know something about everything.
