Some Tesla engineers hated Cybertruck's design and secretly designed alternative -- says design chief Franz (in new Musk biography book)

[stumby]

https://www.autoblog.com/2023/09/11...cybertruck-alternative-because-they-hated-it/

• Some Tesla engineers "hated" the look of the Cybertruck, design chief Franz von Holzhausen told Walter Isaacson.
• Certain engineers secretly worked on a alternate version, Isaacson wrote in his new book on Elon Musk.
• The edgy Cybertruck is known for its hard lines and stainless steel body.

Some Tesla engineers weren't fans of Elon Musk's plans for the Cybertruck, the automaker's design chief Franz von Holzhausen told Walter Isaacson, whose biography on Musk comes out this week.

"A majority of the people in this studio hated it," von Holzhausen said of the futuristic design, according to the book. "They were like, 'You can't be serious.' They didn't want to have anything to do with it. It was just too weird."

Some Tesla engineers even took to covertly designing another version of the electric pickup after they saw a mock-up of the futuristic truck on display at SpaceX's showroom in Los Angeles during the summer of 2019, Isaacson, who shadowed Musk for three years, wrote.

It's unclear what happened to the alternative version of the vehicle. Musk, von Holzhausen, and a spokesperson for Tesla did not respond to a request for comment ahead of publication.

"Von Holzhausen, who is as gentle as Musk is brusque, spent time listening carefully to their concerns. 'If you don't have buy-in from the people around you, it's hard to get things done,' he says," Isaacson wrote.

But Musk was "less patient," Isaacson reported, and did not want to hear concerns related to the Cybertruck.

"I don't do focus groups," the CEO said, according to Isaacson.

Rather than focus on adjusting the design, Musk told von Holzhausen that he wanted a driveable version of the vehicle that he could demo at a Tesla event in November, which von Holzhausen said "forced the team to come together, work twenty-four-seven," Isaacson wrote.

After the Cybertruck was demoed at the November 2019 event, Musk took Grimes on a date to Nobu in the prototype, Isaacson reported.

The biographer had previously told CNBC that Musk came up with the Cybertruck as an answer to traditional trucks, which he found "boring."

Musk first unveiled the concept for the electric pickup truck about four years ago and the project has faced a series of delays over the past two years. Musk has said the carmaker plans to start delivering the Cybertruck within the year, but the company has yet to release pricing for the vehicle.

The vehicle's unusual design — including its stainless steel, smudge-prone exterior and massive windshield wiper —has been a point of debate ahead of its release. Those who have pre-ordered the vehicle with a $100 deposit have been nitpicking the final version of the Cybertruck.

Read the original article on Business Insider

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[Fugue]

If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.

-Henry Ford

I don't do focus groups.

-Elon Musk

 

[JBee]

The stuff of legends...

Nobody hears stories of the cook, or bosun or oiler. It's the captain that commands the story and the ship.

That's why Cybertruck is a pirate ship!

Ahoy my mateys, heave ho or walk the plank!

(I think I've been watching to much One Piece!)

 

[Diehard]

The stuff of legends...

Nobody hears stories of the cook, or bosun or oiler. It's the captain the commands the story and the ship.

That's why Cybertruck is a pirate ship!

Ahoy my mates, heave ho or walk the plank!

(I think I've been watching to much One Piece!)

That is why Musk emphasizes so much on hiring smart motivated competent folks. He constantly picks challenging projects no one knows how to execute. Ulcer and jumping off the plank is something his team have to deal with ( I do have great respect for what he personally contributes). The trick in all of this is not how hard it is. It is how worthy the vision is. Is it more like going to the moon? Or is it like going to Ukraine? Or somewhere in between?

 

[JBee]

That is why Musk emphasizes so much on hiring smart motivated competent folks. He constantly picks challenging projects no one knows how to execute. Ulcer and jumping off the plank is something his team have to deal with ( I do have great respect with what he personally contributes). The trick in all of this is not how hard it is. It is how worthy the vision is. Is it more like going to the moon? Or is it like going to Ukrainian? Or somewhere in between?

I didn't mean it as a negative, rather that it takes great leaders to forge new paths, and not great followers. Although granted they play a important supporting roll, the vision can often only be shared by a select few, until what you have built out of it can be seen and believed.

I read in an article on drive that apparently Franz and crew persuaded EM that they could build a robo and steering wheel version on the same line anyway, so EM gave in seeing that it made any FSD risk zero.

 

[HaulingAss]

I didn't mean it as a negative, rather that it takes great leaders to forge new paths, and not great followers. Although granted they play a important supporting roll, the vision can often only be shared by a select few, until what you have built out of it can be seen and believed.

I read in an article on drive that apparently Franz and crew persuaded EM that they could build a robo and steering wheel version on the same line anyway, so EM gave in seeing that it made any FSD risk zero.

Exactly! This world has too many followers and not enough great leaders! Too many self-styled "leaders" attempt to lead by never saying anything controversial or offensive. I prefer leaders who lead through their own brilliance and vision, not those who lead by not offending anyone. Because that's not creating change. This is why pickup trucks still have the same boring designs from the 1950's. Nobody was willing to challenge the status quo and question whether the old designs were still valid in a new world with different parameters. Except for people like Elon and Franz.

We need to celebrate great leaders, not expect them to avoid controversy and be like everyone who came before.

 

[Chris9702L]

I love the look. Something completely different.

 

[SONNYDUT]

While back. A co-worker, who is an engineer, and his friend was from this group. He and a few others quitted as an tesla design engineer because Elon want to build the present CT design. This is true. At the time, the design engineer at Tesla was supposed to design a normal looking truck and then Elon changed his mind and scraped the normal truck design, so they got upset and left Tesla.

I would buy a Tesla truck either way, but current CT design is way better then a normal design.

It's turn out to be awesome for me. I love the CT and can't wait to have it.

 

[Mini2nut]

The CT design was a bold and risky move. No other automakers board of directors would given the green light for production. Only Tesla and Elon Musk could have pulled off the “designed by aliens” Cybertruck.

I predict the 2024 Cybertruck is going to be a cash cow for Tesla in the future and set a new styling trend for all automakers IF the Cybertruck is a sales success story.

Pickup truck shoppers will overlook the polarizing styling if the truck offers a better value and better specifications. If Tesla can’t undercut the competition they can count on the Model Y to bring home the bacon.

It takes time to get used to change. 2-3 years from now other motorists won’t even give the Cybertruck a second look UNLESS it’s wearing some crazy vinyl wrap.

 

[CostcoSamples]

Very interesting! I'm glad Elon put his foot down. Notice how Elon and Franz were aligned, and only the minions had doubts.

I hope the CT is a wild success and leads to a Cybercar in the near future.

 

[kbolt]

Imagine if the designers of the iPhone or iPad walked away because they didn't like the design.

It would be really cool to work on something wacky and original. The boys basically have you the green light to make it as cool as they could. That seems like a dream job.

 

[COLAB]

From a young age we were promised cars of the future but which remained only drawings or concepts and unfortunately never put into production !
Suddenly Elon Musk arrives and offers us a car of the future and produces it.
I rushed to book the MOT the next morning after presenting the vehicle after a good night's sleep.
I wanted to be sure I wasn't dreaming....When I realized I wasn't dreaming I applied my reservation right.
Can't wait to have it in hand at home for the future, the real one !!!

 

[CyberGus]

"Those who have pre-ordered the vehicle with a $100 deposit have been nitpicking the final version of the Cybertruck."

Can't be anybody here

 

[Mini2nut]

Very interesting! I'm glad Elon put his foot down. Notice how Elon and Franz were aligned, and only the minions had doubts.

I hope the CT is a wild success and leads to a Cybercar in the near future.

Stainless steel Cybervan!!!

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