Does the IAT ‘T-Mad’ Truck Smash the Tesla Cybertruck?
Behold the IAT “T-Mad” pickup truck concept. And you thought the Tesla Cybertruck is as outrageous as trucks can get. Debuting at the 2023 Guangzhou Auto Show in China in January, it does Cybertruck better in many ways. And the company behind it is gearing up to stomp on the Cybertruck’s claim as being the most outrageous EV production truck.
Is the T-Mad the same size as a Cybertruck
The T-Mad is a massive electric beast. It features a 142.5-inch wheelbase and an overall length of 231.5 inches. That makes it the same length as a Cybertruck. GMC’s Hummer comes in shy of that at almost 217 inches overall.
With the base battery, the T-Mad’s range is said to be 497 miles. Upgrading to the larger 1,000 km battery, that increases to 621 miles. We don’t know how much GVWR it will be, but we know that the Hummer comes in at 9,000 lbs, if that is any indication. Tesla says the Cybertruck will be between 5,000 lbs and 6,000 lbs.
The imposing design looks like a space capsule bonked onto a separate skateboard platform. We’re not sure how visibility will be because of the small dimensions of the windows. They more resemble a Brinks armored truck than anything else, though there are two windows per door.
Does the T-Mad have a center cockpit like the Cybertruck?
And interestingly, the doors can be swapped, requiring tooling for only two. So the driver’s front door is the same as the passenger side rear door, and vice-versa. It’s an easier trick to pull off when you have such a long wheelbase.
Opening those doors reveals a spacious cabin with lounge seating for six. Three of those seats can swivel 360 degrees. The clamshell design allows for the elimination of the B-pillar for more convenient ingress and egress. And the driver sits in the center of the truck, as is the case with the Cybertruck.
Right now, there isn’t much else available from IAT about the truck. The company has been in the automotive design and manufacturing business since 2007. It is known for its R&D facilities and software development. IAT is also the first auto design and development company listed on China’s Shanghai Stock Exchange.
What is IAT?
IAT currently has five R&D centers; one in the U.S., Japan, Italy, Beijing, and Shanghai. Just last year it partnered with battery giant CATL focusing on exchangeable batteries. No word as to the T-Mad’s development and production timeline.
According to S&P Global Mobility, there is an expectation for EV truck sales in 2023 to hit 10 million units. That comes out to 14 percent of the combined global production of vehicles. With Cybertruck production pushed back to 2024, it could be a race to see which EV comes first, the Cybertruck or the T-Mad.
