cvalue13
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 17, 2022
- Threads
- 74
- Messages
- 7,145
- Reaction score
- 13,751
- Location
- Austin, TX
- Vehicles
- F150L
- Occupation
- Fun-employed
- Thread starter
- #1
This purported news of the CT “shrinking” 5%, yet resulting in the CT staying the “same” size, has some people confused across various threads - thought it worth explaining (if only to myself - and for correction) this un-magic trick (I.e.., misunderstanding)
HERE IS HOW THE CT PURPORTEDLY “SHRANK” 5% YET RETAINS THE ON-SCREEN MEASUREMENTS FROM UNVEIL IN 2019:
Since and because of those 2020 tweets, that larger prototype has been the expected CT size (i.e., about 5% larger than the on screen specs from unveil).
IN OTHER WORDS: a purported 5% shrink from the unveil prototype would result in a production unit that matches the unveil on-screen specs
Which altogether is also reason the purported 5% shrink seems plausible:
That rationale was in fact the opening paragraph of the unveil presentation:
To not shrink the CT 5% would mean it would be materially larger than a standard F150 SuperCrew. (Eg 5% is a surprisingly significant shift in dimensions.)
In the same vein, on the Leno episode he mentioned the 5% shrink would be necessary for the CT to “fit in people’s garage.” Not to mention to achieve the overall headline goal of the design: more capability in the same envelope.
EDIT TO ADD: the above explanation does not explain the recent video that appears to simultaneously claim a 5% reduction in size AND a continued width of 84”
HERE IS HOW THE CT PURPORTEDLY “SHRANK” 5% YET RETAINS THE ON-SCREEN MEASUREMENTS FROM UNVEIL IN 2019:
(1) the physical CT prototype on stage in 2019 unveil was bigger (by about 5%) than the on-screen spec measurements at unveil
(2) consistent with this, later Elon said (on a Jay Leno episode that aired on May 22, 2020) that the prototype Elon and Jay were riding in would need to be about 5% smaller in production (note: 5% would be bigger than the 2” reduction to the 82” mentioned in his Feb 2020 tweet above)
(3) the day after the Leno episode aired, Elon tweeted basically “scratch that,” even a 3% reduction would be “too small”
(4) so, the notion that the CT “shrunk 5%” relates not to the on-screen specs from unveil, but instead to the size of the on-stage prototype
Since and because of those 2020 tweets, that larger prototype has been the expected CT size (i.e., about 5% larger than the on screen specs from unveil).
IN OTHER WORDS: a purported 5% shrink from the unveil prototype would result in a production unit that matches the unveil on-screen specs
Which altogether is also reason the purported 5% shrink seems plausible:
- it’s consistent with the unveil intended specs in 2019
- a year later Elon saying he was making the CT smaller than the prototype (82”), then a few months later smaller still (5% from prototype), then a few months later bigger (back up 5% to prototype) means it’s not too strange for him to still later reconsider again to make it smaller (back down 5%) -
- presumably the 2019 intended specs were based on a rationale that ultimately continued to be compelling.
That rationale was in fact the opening paragraph of the unveil presentation:
“So we’ll start off with the size, the dimensions. And the inspiration. So the functionality I’m going to describe is within a space that is less than the most popular pickup truck in the United States, the F150. So we didn’t cheat in either width, height, or length, and we’re able to achieve much greater capability in the same dimensions, same weight. Yeah. Part of this is the fundamental design change, we moved the mass to the outside. We created an exoskeleton.”
To not shrink the CT 5% would mean it would be materially larger than a standard F150 SuperCrew. (Eg 5% is a surprisingly significant shift in dimensions.)
In the same vein, on the Leno episode he mentioned the 5% shrink would be necessary for the CT to “fit in people’s garage.” Not to mention to achieve the overall headline goal of the design: more capability in the same envelope.
EDIT TO ADD: the above explanation does not explain the recent video that appears to simultaneously claim a 5% reduction in size AND a continued width of 84”
Sponsored
Last edited: