Tesla Pickup News: Here's How Ford Can Beat Elon Musk's Company

When the still-to-be-released Tesla Pickup was pitted against the powerhouse Ford’s electric F-150 in a Twitter survey conducted a few months back, it revealed that Elon Musk’s new electric utility vehicle will be the benchmark of future electric pickups.

The survey, conducted by Autowise after Musk’s podcast interview with Ride The Lightning wherein he discussed what to expect from the EV utility vehicle, showed that interest on the Tesla brand has exceeded that of the F-150 in 26 U.S. states. The data was gathered using geotagged information and was used to create a “map” courtesy of TrendsMap.

The result is considered very interesting since Tesla has nothing to show for its pickup aside from an obscure teaser unveiled during the launch of the Model Y. Tesla fans’ enthusiasm for the pickup has resulted in a number of amazing concept designs, something which Ford is clearly lacking in terms of current popularity.

With such strong competition, how can Ford’s electric F-150 compete? Based on a report, there are many ways to deal with this. Here are a few of the top suggestions:

First, Ford needs to once more flex its towing capabilities. When Musk proudly shared that the Tesla pickup is capable of towing 300,000 pounds of cargo, its rival vehicle’s capabilities looked puny at best.

Ford took on the right direction by showing that it is capable of towing not only 300,000 pounds but 1.25 million pounds. This brought the competition to a whole new level. The company should consider a similar approach with its other features.

Next, Ford should be able to launch or introduce its electric pickup before Tesla. Musk announced that his company’s new utility vehicle will make an appearance in two to three months, so it might be too late for Ford to come up with its own reveal.

Based on current information, Ford is most likely launching the electric pickup by 2022.

Ford also needs to release a pickup that’s close to Tesla’s price tag. Based on Musk’s interview, what we know so far is that the Tesla pickup will have a price range of less than $50,000.

“We don’t want it to be really expensive. I think it’s got to start at less than $50,000, it’s got to be like $49,000 starting price, maximum, ideally less. … It’s got to be something that’s affordable. There will be versions of the truck that are more expensive, but you’ve got to be able to get a really great truck for $49,000, or less,” Musk told podcast host Ryan McCaffrey.

Ford is at a disadvantage because it does not have the electric vehicle expertise compared to Tesla. According to a report, this means that Ford will need to spend millions, which might make it hard to come up with an electric pickup that has the same price as Tesla’s.

Lastly, Ford should clarify how its partnership with Rivian will pan out. As it is, Rivian is promoting its own electric pickup the R1T, another vehicle Ford has to contend with. Both companies should come to a consensus as to which vehicle to focus on and perhaps it can successfully overtake the Tesla pickup once it launches in the coming months.