If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then Tesla should be flattered that Neuron EV, a Chinese-backed EV startup, copied the design of the Tesla Semi for their own electric semi-truck.
They have also made an electric pickup to ride the hype of the Tesla Cybertruck.
Neuron EV is a California-based EV startup, but like many of those, they are backed by Chinese investors.
In this case, the company was co-founded by Scott Zheng, the man behind the Shanghai-based PurpleSky investment fund.
At the Second Annual Import Expo in Shanghai earlier this month, Neuron EV unveiled the design of two of its first vehicles: T/ONE and TORQ.
Casey Hyun, branding specialist at Neuron EV, commented on the unveiling of the vehicle:
Both trucks are a representation of Neuron’s product philosophy of value through simplicity and functionality. They’re easy to use, universally relevant, and updateable to the latest technology for efficient waste reduction and versatility optimization. Neuron is timeless.
The Neuron TORQ, an electric semi-truck, is obviously heavily inspired if not a clone of the Tesla Semi:
They unveiled the design of the truck, but they didn’t release any spec. Instead, they only released vague details about the electric truck:
The sleek electric drivetrain optimizes floor room and lowers the center of gravity to create an easy to drive platform. The cabin is shifted forward to enhance driving visibility, optimize interior roominess, and extend cargo capacity.
The interior of the truck is also similar to the Tesla Semi interiior with a centered driver seat.
Neuron EV wrote about the interior:
The driver’s seat features a panoramic 360-degree view, thanks to wireless cameras that feed visual data into the driver’s screen. The intuitive vehicle interface application provides full operational control and works on any personal device which, when plugged into the interior architecture, seamlessly replaces all physical knobs and switches. This clutter-free and open system is compatible with the latest gadgets and internet solutions.
Here’s a side-by-side of the Neuron TORQ and the Tesla Semi interior:
They have also unveiled the design for the Neuron T/ONE, which the company describes as an “innovative multipurpose all-in-one EUV (electric utility vehicle) created for commercial and personal use.”
The electric pickup truck’s design is based on the electric semi:
Edward Lee, CEO of Neuron EV, commented on the unveiliing of the vehicles:
We have an ideal called ‘Driven to Be the Change,’ it means unity in upgrading the future of sustainability. Neuron is honored to participate at CIIE this year, and we’re looking forward to interacting with like-minded professionals to expand our purpose on a global scale.
They didn’t announce any plan or timeline to bring the vehicles to production.
Electrek’s Take
It’s funny because Tesla is being sued by Nikola Motors who claims that Tesla’s semi-truck design is copied off their Nikola One, but this is a much clearer case of copy than the Nikola One/Tesla Semi.
Yet I bet Tesla won’t sue them, because here’s the difference: Nikola sees the Tesla Semi as a threat, while Tesla is not threatened in any way by this Neuron EV truck.
As for the pickup truck, it looks like there are just trying to ride the hype of the Tesla Cybertruck, but I don’t exactly hate the design.
This truck probably only exists as a concept, and they don’t seem to have a prototype. At this point, it’s basically a design exercise.
I’d be surprised if that will be enough to convince people to invest in the company to bring the vehicles to production, but we have seen weirder things before.
What do you think? Let us know in the comment section below.
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