Does the IAT T-Mad Truck Smash the Tesla Cybertruck?
Behold the IAT “T-Mad” pickup truck concept. And you thought the Tesla Cybertruck was as outrageous as pickups could get. Debuting at the 2023 Guangzhou Auto Show in China in January, IAT’s concept does Cybertruck better in many ways. And the company behind it is gearing up to stomp on the Cybertruck’s claim as the most outrageous electric production truck.
Is the T-Mad the same size as a Cybertruck?
The T-Mad is a massive electric beast. It has a 142.5-inch wheelbase and an overall length of 231.5 inches. That makes it the same length as a Cybertruck. The GMC Hummer EV comes in shy of that at almost 217 inches long.
With the base battery, the T-Mad has an estimated range of 497 miles. Upgrading to the larger 1,000-km battery brings 621 miles. We don’t know how much the GVWR will be, but the Hummer comes in at 9,000 pounds. Tesla says the Cybertruck will weigh 5,000 to 6,000 pounds.
The concept’s imposing design looks like a space capsule bonked onto a skateboard platform. We’re not sure about outward visibility because of the small windows. They resemble the panes in a Brinks armored truck more than anything else, but the T-Mad has 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 with 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 cockpit’s center, as with the Cybertruck.
Right now, IAT hasn’t released many other details about the truck. So there’s no word yet about the T-Mad’s development and production timeline.
What is IAT?
The company has been in the automotive design and manufacturing business since 2007. IAT is known for its R&D facilities and software development. It’s also the first auto design and development firm listed on China’s Shanghai Stock Exchange.
IAT has five R&D centers: one each in the United States, Japan, Italy, Beijing, and Shanghai. Last year, the company partnered with battery giant CATL, focusing on exchangeable batteries.
S&P Global Mobility expects worldwide demand for electric passenger vehicles to hit 10 million units. That’s 13.3% of the combined global vehicle production. With Cybertruck production expected to ramp up fully in 2024, it could be a race to see which EV comes first, the Cybertruck or the T-Mad.
