Why would you need bulletproof glass?
realistically this vehicle has very few of the traits needed in a work pickup.
Expensive and remote repair, lots of gadgets to break, difficult to remotely fuel, very likely costly compared to the cheapest alternatives.
It's like an anti-Jeep.
This seems to me to be like an electric Honda Ridgeline; a truck made for grocery-getting, mall-hopping, and very light offroad duty.
Also : there are glass formulations that are better suited for tear and puncture resistance than bulletproofed materials. There are trade offs when those materials don't need to deal with the same kinetic energy as a bullet, but i'm not educated enough on the subject to say much more.
I really don't understand this argument. Ford/GM/FCA 1/2 ton trucks are in a gadget/gimmick arms race and pretty terrible at executing it. The new 2019 Dodge Ram has been a disaster for new owners. I won't provide references because it is a simple google search. (For bonus points research the ongoing 2020 Ford Explorer debacle). Objective observers give Ford the nod for reliability of the big 3, and that's why Ford can charge about a 10% premium.
And that Ford/GM/FCA builds gadget-full and reliable pickup trucks seems to be a collective delusion of the truck enthusiasts. Toyota Tundra hasn't been meaningfully updated in 10 years and still sells like crazy. Toyota hasn't had to update it with gadgets because it is reliable like all Toyotas. It correspondingly has significantly higher new price (for given features) and resale value than any of the other 3 brands.
Tesla's electric motor drivetrain formula is already proving to be lower total cost of ownership [1].
As for the Tesla truck, airbag suspension is a notorious reliability item from any mfg, they all source from similar Tier 1 suppliers. So maybe Tesla decides to insource this? And that retractable bedcover looks prone to breaking. But besides those, everything else are things Tesla has already proven to be more reliable than ICE alternatives.
As for difficulty to remotely fuel, are there more power outlets or gas stations in the world? Motivated people find solutions to EV logistics and it is getting easier every year.
Tesla has also said the Cybertruck will come with a solar panel option that can add 10-30 miles per day given configuration.
[1] https://www.marketwatch.com/story/this-math-shows-teslas-mod...
Nobody has an interest in talking about it, but pickup trucks and truck culture in the US are a marketing driven phenomenon. It stems from the fact that most US auto manufacturers' profit is driven though light trucks as the result of the 1964 chicken tax. They are appallingly impractical and expensive for the most part, and I'd bet 99% of Silverado High Country package trucks doing no more heavy duty than typical suburb traffic, too. I think Tesla has just embraced the world as it is rather than trying to shift consumer preferences.
I commute with a 2.5L Golf, I get 25 mpg in urban mountain driving. Stick shift, it's a blast to drive. However, it's also a massive pain in the ass to get in and out of. Especially since my recent abdominal surgery.
When I slip into my SUV I really appreciate the extra space.
When I load all the crap modern children have (car seats, strollers, pack and play, ect) and lug them 300 miles to their grandparents (which I used to do monthly, now once every two months), I also appreciate the extra room.
Speaking of kids, I really appreciate having an extra 1000 lb of inertia (vs. the Golf) protecting them when some idiot on his phone crashes into me. Fellow millennials! Put the phone down!
If (when, really) I move back to CND, I'll appreciate towing 5000 lb trailer worth of stuff to have while the moving companies does their thing.
And you know the best part of the SUV? The Golf doesn't get much better millage! I save more money from the cheaper tires the Golf takes than I do on the gas!