When Tesla CEO Elon Musk described the upcoming Tesla pickup truck, many people's imagination ran wild because the company's enigmatic senior engineer described it as a "cyberpunk" truck.
The utility vehicle will look so unique that Musk said it won't feel out of place in a sci-fi movie. The EV company's CEO admitted that this look might not go well with everyone, especially with loyal pickup owners who seem to prefer the classic pickup facade. Because of this, Musk said in a podcast interview a few months back that they might be coming up with a vehicle that sports a more conventional truck design.
Now another problem when it comes to appealing to consumers has risen not only for the Tesla pickup but the whole Tesla fleet: How will the company capture the interest of women buyers? According to a report from the Sydney Morning Herald, women are less likely than men to buy EVs.
Based on the report, although women are more attuned to choosing products that are environment-friendly, they simply see buying an EV as impractical and see these cars as mere "toys for the boys."
Per the report, most women worry about the practicality of electric vehicles, especially on what they would do should the battery ran out of charge. Aside from this, the report also pointed out that Musk's macho image is actually not helping especially with grand visions for the Tesla vehicles including the Tesla pickup, an analyst said.
"I think Tesla, in general, has a problem appealing to women. Having vehicles that attract more women buyers is something they're going to have to do as they roll out into the mainstream market," Jessica Caldwell, an analyst with car-buying research site Edmunds, said.
This problem shouldn't be dismissed so easily, especially since figures show that the majority of American buyers are not really in the market for electric cars. In fact, they only represent around 1.4 percent of total vehicle sales last year based on the figures gathered by Morgan Stanley. The positive side of Musk's company is that Tesla takes up 53 percent of the EV sales in 2018.
Now some analysts believe that there's more pressure to capture the market because EV investors think the interest in electric vehicles is already peaking. Tapping female consumers will definitely help, especially since women have been regarded as "the sole decision-maker when it comes to purchasing their next car" based on a recent survey by Cars.com.
Looking at this logic, it might just help to tone down the cyberpunk design of the Tesla pickup before it's set to be revealed this year.
This article was first published in IBTimes US. Permission required for reproduction.
