Tesla electric pickup truck made by YouTube DIY guru Simone Giertz before Elon Musk releases one
Elon Musk has said for years that he’ll introduce a Tesla pickup truck, but he has yet to deliver (he has, though, sent a Tesla into outer space). Tired of waiting, Simone Giertz took matters into her own hands and Frankensteined one of her own without Musk’s help (or blessing).
Giertz, who describes herself on her YouTube channel as the “queen of sh***y robots,” posted a video unveiling her creation, which she dubbed “Truckla,” in a fake commercial for the homemade amalgamation of a Tesla Model 3 featuring various pickup features.
The 28-year-old Swedish roboticist, inventor and TV host mined all of the cliches of a typical high-octane car commercial in the video, with sweeping forest and mountain vistas as background while she drives the Truckla along dirt and asphalt byways — all while dressed in cowboy attire.
She even undermines the testosterone-heavy nature of those ads, as she attempts to lasso the Truckla, misses, and then plugs in the vehicle instead to let it charge.
“Available…nowhere,” a voiceover intones at the close of the phony ad.
Giertz spent over a year designing the Truckla, recruiting mechanic Marcos Ramirez, as well as fellow YouTube stars Rich Rebuilds and Laura Kampf for the DIY project.
The Truckla is actually a modified Tesla Model 3 with part of the rear chassis removed to make way for her improvised version of a pickup bed. She also added a lumber rack and Hella lights to make it appear as a warped distant cousin to such big rigs as the Chevy Silverado and the Dodge Ram.
Modifications included stripping out the backseat and cannibalizing the trunk of many of its requisite pieces. Because of removing and reworking the guts of the machine, the vehicle refused to start at first.
Furthermore, during the months of modifications, the Model 3 was basically “reporting” on her to Tesla headquarters via the car’s internal circuitry and cell connection.
Giertz is fond of saying that she will never “buy” her own vehicle, and the Truckla appears to be the latest in her vow to do precisely that. She also said she isn’t out to one-up Musk, but rather to stimulate the company to get moving on an electric pickup to meet customer demand.
Giertz said she “really, really want[s] this car. This is truly my dream car” and describes the Truckla electric pickup truck as “the smartest or the most stupid thing I’m ever going to do.”
Despite the utilitarian nature of her most recent project, many of Giertz’s previous robots have indeed been less than useful, with creations that spill milk or slap her in the face, and many other such silly inventions gracing her page.
Her YouTube channel has 1.6 million subscribers. Some previous videos have included showing her attempting to paint a wall using on her feet. Giertz has also battled a brain tumor, and shared videos both before and after her surgery.
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