Tesla Cybertruck too late? Why the Ford F-150 Lightning, Chevrolet Silverado EV, GMC Hummer, Ram 1500 and more will shake up the passenger car market | Opinion

Tesla's Cybertruck was first showcased in November 2019, over two years ago, and is still not available for purchase.

With much fanfare (and an unfortunate window failure), Tesla unveiled the groundbreaking Cybertruck in November 2019.

It was a truly revolutionary car that was to give the brand its biggest boost since the introduction of the original Model S, the first completely in-house model. It looked unlike anything the rest of the industry had to offer, promised sports car performance, and was made from cold-rolled stainless steel.

The so-called "Tesla Armor Glass" failed miserably during Musk's demo, but the fact that the company even considered including such a feature in its vehicle was a sign of how unique and out of the ordinary the Cybertruck was.

And whether you loved the look or hated it, you have to give Tesla credit for trying something different to gain access to perhaps the toughest market in the US.

Just like Australia had a Ford vs Holden culture, in the US you are either an F-150 or a Silverado or a Ram (or maybe a Tundra if you don't mind thinking outside the box), with the biggest names. generating strong customer loyalty.

Trying to lure customers away from their Ford, Chevy or Ram without doing anything else would be a difficult task for Tesla, so making the Cybertruck so radical is not a bold gamble as you might think, but a bold business move.

What is not smart or good business is the fact that the Cybertruck is still not for sale more than two years after its big announcement.

Tesla has always liked to showcase close-to-production models, collect orders, and then spend another year or two finalizing designs and starting production—it has done this for most of its vehicles, and it has worked.

The problem is that when the Cybertruck was introduced, Ford, Chevrolet and Ram were caught off guard by not having their own electric pickup truck to counter Tesla, but the tide has changed dramatically.

Ford unveiled its F-150 Lightning in May 2021 and the production line is up and running with the first customers on their way. The same can be said for arguably Tesla's most direct competitor, fledgling electric vehicle brand Rivian, which began shipping its R1T to customers in late 2021.

At General Motors, the GMC Hummer EV pickup has started hitting the streets, and the Chevrolet Silverado electric car has been unveiled and should go on sale sometime in 2023 (and unlike Tesla, Chevrolet has a lot of experience delivering cars when it says it will. ).

Then there's the Ram, now part of the Stellantis conglomerate, which has announced that it will have not one, but two electric cars by 2024. be branded Dakota).

Assuming Tesla can get the Cybertruck ready by the end of 2022, it will enter the market with three direct competitors instead of the zero it faced in 2019.

The only problem with this hypothesis is that there is no guarantee that Tesla will put the Cybertruck into production by the end of 2022 or even 2023. to Cybertruck in November 2017. This means that in the eyes of the public, these models are already four years old, and there is no clear date for them to go on sale.

If the Cybertruck suffers the same fate, wait four plus years, it will hit the market with the Silverado EV on sale and the Rams just around the corner. While it will no doubt find an audience among Tesla's die-hard supporters, this ongoing delay means Tesla will certainly not be able to maximize the sales potential that the Cybertruck would have had it arrived as planned around now (early 2022) .

This is for the US domestic market only, Australian fans of the Cybertruck may have to wait longer - or indefinitely - as there is no official confirmation from Tesla that it will be sold locally. For Australia looking to buy an electric car, there are strong indications that Rivian, GMC, Chevrolet and Ram could be on offer here by the end of the decade.

Rivian has made no secret of its desire to sell its R1T (and R1S SUV) in right-hand drive markets, including Australia, once it has established itself in the US. There has been no official timetable, but there is evidence that it could be as early as 2023, but most likely sometime in 2024.

As for the Hummer and Silverado, neither was announced in right hand drive, but that hasn't stopped General Motors Specialty Vehicles from building a successful business of converting left hand drive Silverados and selling them in large numbers locally.

The introduction of the Silverado EV seems natural and, given the direction of the industry, an inevitable step for GMSV. As for the Hummer, it will be similar in many ways to the Silverado, but boasting a unique design and recognizable name, so it could be a worthy addition to the GMSV portfolio.

It may be a similar story for Ram Trucks Australia, which has gained a lot of popularity with its 1500 petrol and diesel engines (and larger models), so offering electric vehicles in a few years may be timely.

But, as with the Tesla Cybertruck, electric cars in Australia remain "wait and see."

Rivals Tesla Cybertruck

What	After the appearance
Rivian R1T	On sale now in the US / Likely in Australia by 2024
Ford F-150 Lightning	On sale now in the US / Unlikely in Australia
Pickup GMC Hummer EV	Already on sale in the US/Possibly in Australia by 2023
Chevrolet Silverado EV	On sale by 2023 in the US/Possibly in Australia by 2025
Ram 1500 Electric	On sale by 2024 in the US/Possibly in Australia by 2026