Why Tesla's Cybertruck Makes Sense

Tesla unveiled its long-rumoured all electric pickup truck on Thursday. In typical Tesla fashion, the Cybertruck looks extravagant to say the least, making good on Elon Musk’s earlier musings about it being “a really futuristic-like cyberpunk, Blade Runner pickup truck.”

While the truck’s design certainly isn’t for everyone, the idea behind it is actually sound. “We need sustainable energy now. If we don't have a pickup truck, we can't solve it,” Musk said during yesterday’s unveiling, adding that “the top three selling vehicles in America are pickup trucks.”

And right he is. As the following chart, based on data published by the National Automobile Dealer Association, shows, pickup trucks accounted for 17.6 percent of light vehicle sales in the United States so far this year, trailing only the immensely popular Crossover category in that regard. Moreover, 71.6 percent of light vehicle sales fell into the light truck category, illustrating even better the need for electric trucks.

An electric pickup truck will enable Tesla to tap into an entirely new market segment, one where the potential for emissions savings is particularly high. While pickup drivers aren’t exactly famous for their fondness of electric vehicles, the Cybertruck’s rugged looks may convince some of them to make the switch.