When you start out a custom engineering project with the phrase “I don’t know if this is the smartest or most stupid thing I’m ever going to do”, the results are typically predictable.
However, inventor, tinkerer, brain tumor survivor and YouTube celeb Simone Giertz, who is also known as the Queen of Sh@#!ty Robots, went on to produce possibly the most unique electric vehicle currently on the planet.
Simone has made a name for herself by creating robotic contraptions that, I’d describe as a bit aggressive for applications such as chopping vegetables, applying lipstick or waking up in the morning. She’s also the founder and CEO of her own company - Artificial Stupidity. And while many of her inventions are essentially for a laugh, it appears her goal of promoting the benefit of failure has produced a remarkable success.
Dubbed Truckla by Simone and her crew, the Model 3 turned pickup truck is not only functional, but will eventually serve as her everyday vehicle. She states that an electric pickup has been a dream since she got her driver’s license. And while Elon Musk has promised a first look at a Tesla pickup by the end of the summer, Simone just couldn’t wait.
Initially scheduled to hit the road last fall, the return of a non-cancerous brain tumor set the timeline back a bit. However, after several weeks of radiation earlier this year, the Truckla project was ready to roll. Resisting the urge to simply eliminate everything behind the front seats to create a classic flatbed, the team went for more of an El Camino look.
This meant the trunk, rear seats and rear roof were removed, and replaced by a custom rear frame, transplanted Ford truck bed, a rear window from a Chevy pickup, and a cut-to-size roof rack. The large electric battery also helped provide some structural stability.
Although Truckla is currently driveable, Simone and her team will look to do some additional waterproofing, internal detail work and electrical upgrades.
The team also made their own fake commercial, so to get a better look at the “truck the world didn’t know it was waiting for, which is available nowhere,” check out the link below.
