'We're Not Stuck In A Mold:' Cybertruck Designer Credits Tesla CEO Elon Musk As Driving Force To 'Bring The Future Forward'

Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) senior design executive Franz von Holzhausen on Monday reflected on the EV giant’s design philosophy that aims to do something beyond the “boring.”

What Happened: “Trucks right now are kind of boring,” the Cybertruck designer said in an interview with Shanghai Daily. “They are all the same. So how can we kinda bring the future forward a little bit and create something really futuristic?”

The automotive designer attributes the ability to create a different design at Tesla to its CEO Elon Musk. “Having somebody bold like Elon is really the power behind being able to do that. We're not stuck in a mold.”

Holzhausen’s Cybertruck, for one, features a stainless steel exterior with an angular shape, dubbed by several as ugly while others deem it futuristic.

“Automotive design needs a few of these things to kind of move the needle forward and get us thinking. Sometimes radical change helps unlock normalcy,” Holzhausen said during his visit to China. “We just want to bring a clean beautiful aesthetic to the market.”

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Cybertruck And Competition In China: The Cybertruck is yet to be launched in China. Earlier this month, Musk said that getting approvals for the stainless steel vehicle for roads in China would be difficult but that the company will consider displaying a few prototypes.

However, Reuters reported on Tuesday that the company will be holding a China-wide tour showcasing the truck starting in late January.

Tesla faces increased competition in the Chinese EV market, particularly from Warren Buffett-backed BYD. In the last quarter, BYD trumped Tesla as the world’s largest EV maker, selling more pure electric vehicles than Tesla.

Talking about competition, the designer said, “We need more EVs in this space. Our mission at Tesla is to really rid the addiction to fossil fuel and so we know we can’t do it alone. Competition drives us to be better as well.”

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