EV Engineering News

Sandy Munro says the Tesla Cybertruck’s unorthodox design makes it cheap to manufacture

Sandy Munro, the auto manufacturing expert who delivered some detailed insights about Tesla’s manufacturing strengths and weaknesses after tearing down a Tesla Model 3, recently made some comments about the upcoming Cybertruck.

Of course, Munro hasn’t gotten his hands on an actual Cybertruck (as far as we know, Jay Leno is the first non-employee to have that honor). However, based on the few details Tesla has publicly revealed about the electric pickup truck, he believes it could be “incredibly cheap” to produce.

Speaking on Autoline After Hours, Munro compared the Cybertruck to Judge Dredd’s Dredd-Mobile, a rugged vehicle designed to survive on the mean streets of a post-apocalyptic city.

The truck’s simple body design and lack of paint should make it vastly cheaper to build than a traditional truck. Munro estimates that Tesla could produce 50,000 Cybertrucks per year for a capital investment of $30 million, which, as one of the show’s moderators interjects, is “nothing” in comparison to the kind of money a legacy automaker would typically invest in a new vehicle. Munro offers the example of the Ford F-150, which he estimates would require $210 million ($150 million for the paint shop alone) to tool up for production of 50,000 per year.

Does Munro know whereof he speaks? Elon Musk seems to think so. “Munro’s analysis of Tesla engineering is accurate, both pro & con. I think he will appreciate some elements of the Model Y body design,” the Tesla CEO recently tweeted.

Source: Electrek

Comment
Create Account. Already Registered? Log In

Virtual Conference on EV Engineering: Free to Attend

Don't miss our next Virtual Conference on April 15-18, 2024. Register for the free webinar sessions below and reserve your spot to watch them live or on-demand.

LOAD MORE SESSIONS

EV Engineering Webinars & Whitepapers

EV Tech Explained