Elon Musk Wanted Cybertruck To Be Stainless Steel, 'Cool' And Different Than Other Trucks: 'We're Not Doing A Traditional Boring Truck'

Tesla Inc TSLA investors and fans are awaiting the release of the highly anticipated Cybertruck electric pickup truck. Third-party reports show nearly 2 million reservations for the truck ahead of its launch later this year.

• While the truc has drawn plenty of comments about its unique design, a new book reveals the Cybertruck nearly looked a whole lot different.
• What Happened: Tesla unveiled the Cybertruck to the public in November 2019. After several delays, the Cybertruck is now nearing a production and delivery milestone before the year ends.
• The electric pickup truck was inspired by “Blade Runner” and a vehicle in “The Spy Who Loved Me.” Over the years, the unique design has been criticized. The truck looks different than most normal pickup trucks and is made with stainless steel.
• A highly anticipated biography of Tesla CEO Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson unveils new details of the original plans for the Cybertruck.
• In the book, Isaacson shares that Musk and Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen originally designed the truck with curves and aluminum instead of sharp lines and stainless steel.
• The duo met weekly in a design studio behind the SpaceX headquarters in California during the early days of the Cybertruck's creation in 2017, according to the book, as reported by Teslarati.
• “Beginning in early 2017, they began kicking around ideas for a Tesla pickup truck. Von Holzhausen started with traditional designs, using a Chevrolet Silverado as a model,” Isaacson wrote.
• Staring at the Silverado, the duo reportedly mulled over what they wanted their truck to look like.
• “Musk said he wanted something more exciting, perhaps even surprising,” according to Isaacson.
• Among the vehicles the two looked at was the El Camino, a vehicle made by Chevrolet in the 1960s, the biographer said.
• “Von Holzhausen designed a pickup truck with a similar vibe, but as they walked around the model they agreed it was too soft,” Isaacson wrote.
• Von Holzhausen reportedly said the design was “too curved,” adding that "[it] didn’t have the authority of a pickup truck.” 
• A trip to the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles would lead to a realization by Musk and Von Holzhausen that all pickup trucks at the time were essentially the same, Isaacson noted. 
• “We realized that pickup trucks basically haven’t changed in their form or their manufacturing process in [80] years,” Von Holzhausen reportedly said.
• Wanting to create a pickup truck that was unique, the duo considered using aluminum or titanium, before Musk decided a different direction.
• “We are going to do this whole thing in stainless steel,” Musk said, according to Isaacson.
• Not all members of the design team or engineers on the project were purportedly thrilled with the decision, but Musk didn’t seem bothered.
• “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,” Musk said, according to the book. 
• Related Link: Tesla Cybertruck Featured On The Simpsons Episode Ahead Of 2023 Release 
• Why It’s Important: The design of the Cybertruck has been the subject of criticism. CNBC host and personality Jim Cramer previously called the vehicle a “toy for Elon Musk fanboys” and one of the ugliest vehicles he’s ever seen.
• “I think looks a little bit like something that Fred Flintstone might have built in his spare time,” Cramer previously said.
• Podcast host Joe Rogan, however, praised the design of the truck in a podcast episode with Jim Breuer.
• “This is the coolest vehicle I’ve ever seen in person in my life,” Rogan said of the Cybertruck. “It looks like it’s 100 years in the future, it’s the coolest car I’ve ever seen.”
• One poll even asked readers if the Cybertruck should be considered a pickup truck at all due to its design and specifications.
• Investors and analysts see the Cybertruck having strong demand and the company ready to take on a strong U.S. market for pickup trucks. 
• In 2022, the F-Series pickup truck from Ford Motor Co F was the top selling vehicle in the country. Truck models from General Motors and Stellantis NV ranked second and third for U.S. vehicles, respectively. Five of the top-10 bestselling vehicles were pickup trucks in the U.S. in 2022.
• Musk has tried to downplay expectations for the Cybertruck in 2023, but investors and analysts are anxiously awaiting the company milestone. 
• Read Next: Tesla Back At Detroit Auto Show After 8 Years, Will Musk Show Up? 
• Photo: Shutterstock