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Tesla Allterrain Concept Might Point Toward the Company's Announced Pickup Truck

Elon Musk talked about a lot of interesting things when he revealed the second part of Tesla's not so secret master plan, but we're pretty sure a good part of the population only heard one thing: a Tesla pickup truck.
Tesla Allterrain concept 23 photos
Photo: Jason McGinnity
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Not forgetting his most important market is still in the United States of America and that the best selling vehicles here are pickup trucks, the Tesla CEO essentially just ensured it would get at least another 373,000 pre-orders for the utility vehicle when the official announcement comes out.

For the moment, though, the information available on the Tesla pickup is virtually non-existent. Apart from the short description made by Elon Musk - "a new kind of pickup" - everything about the truck is shrouded in mystery. And considering its development hasn't even started yet, it will likely stay that way for the next few years as well.

However, that "new kind" bit does offer some clues. We doubt Musk is only referring to the powertrain when he says it's going to be different from what we've come to expect from pickups so, at this moment, anything and everything is still on the table. Which also includes the Allterrain Concept - a design study penned by Jason McGinnity, who served an internship stage at Tesla's Design Studio in Hawthorne - which was recently dug up from the Interwebs by electrek.

The car draws its inspiration from two off-road legends - the Jeep Wrangler and the Toyota FJ Cruiser. With these two as starting points, it's clear the Allterrain Concept is going to be a fun, adventure car, but that doesn't mean it can't be turned into a utility one as well. Just look at what's happening to the Wrangler.

The electric powertrain setup offers plenty of advantages for this type of vehicles as well. Apart from the lower center of gravity, it also frees up the front part of the vehicle, allowing it to gain a mini-flatbed where stuff such as a spare wheel can be loaded. The concept also tries to deal with the added weight of the battery packs by reducing the number of solid body panels: the "hood" is made out of canvas, while the roof, the doors, and the C-pillars are completely removable.

By putting the spare wheel in front, Jason freed the rear for a pair of jerry cans. But since pouring energy out of them proved difficult, he replaced them with power backpacks - modular battery packs that can extend the range of the Allterrain Concept further that what the 75 kWh standard battery can offer. That's a nice idea that could curb the anxiety of using an electric vehicle in the wilderness, where finding a charging station is even more tricky than doing it in an Eastern European country.

A vehicle like this would be a huge departure from Tesla's current design principles, so maybe Elon Musk is talking about something else when he says "a new kind." But wouldn't it be cool to have something resembling this vehicle? Preferably with Ludicrous mode as well, just for the laughs.
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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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