Tesla Pickup Rival Ford F-150 Will Still Dominate The Market, Executive Says

When it comes to pickup trucks, Ford believes that it can continue to dominate the market despite overwhelming competition coming from radical brands such as Elon Musk’s Tesla vehicles.

In fact, the American company is confident that it will continue to lead even in unfamiliar markets such as the fairly young electric vehicle scene. In a report, a Ford executive reiterated this statement saying that the car company is ready to face challenges brought about by its competition.

“We have dominated this segment, it’s the best-selling truck for 42 years. We think combining Built Ford Tough with electrification exemplifies all of those attributes customers love. We want to build on the leadership we have had,” Ford chief product development officer Hau Thai-Tang said on Yahoo Finance’s The First Trade.

In a Twitter traffic survey conducted by Autowise a few weeks ago, interest on the Tesla brand exceeded that of the F-150 in 26 U.S. states. According to a report, the data was gathered using geotagged information and was used to create a “map” courtesy of TrendsMap. The survey was conducted right after Musk’s interview with the podcast Ride the Lightning wherein he discussed what people can expect from the Tesla pickup.

The Tesla utility vehicle is considered to be some sort of design wonder, with Musk describing the Tesla pickup as a “cyberpunk” machine that won’t be out of place in a Blade Runner movie. What’s interesting is that Musk actually compared the EV pickup to the Ford F-150 series when it comes to functionality, highlighting its 300,000-pound towing capability.

Aside from Ford, EV maker Rivian also plans to join the EV pickup competition with their own vehicle that will come out in 2021. Ford actually invested $500 million to build the electric pickup platform, something that is expected to be applied to its own line eventually.

As it is, Tesla will have a hard time competing with Ford when it comes to pickup loyalty. The American market has been known for its fiercely loyal customers who believe in good old classic power to suit their needs. This is something that Musk actually acknowledged saying they might come up with a more conventional variant in the future.