We are living in the future of our past.  Tesla has had the guts to unveil a truck that looks futuristic and paid the price.  If in 2040 we still drive cars that look like they do now, and work like they do now we’ll know why.  It will be because we have chosen not to embrace change.  From building or not building a telescope in a non-sacred area of a very large mountain, to a likely failure to advance mans presence in space we will know the reason why.  We are living in the past of our future.  What we choose to buy or not buy, build or not build, do or not do will determine what we have tomorrow. 

Elon Musk fortune reportedly went down by 770 million dollars due to that unveiling.  Maybe because the bullet resistant (nothing is ever bullet proof) glass broke after being repeatedly struck.  More likely it was because Tesla’s version of an electric truck does not look like a Dodge Ram or a Ford F-150.  Then really, why should it?  It is not and should not try to be like those vehicles while doing much the same job.  Which let’s be honest, for most people 90% to 95% of the time is just driving around in a city.

Right now, we are living in “the future”.   For most of the 20^th century the 1980’s to 2020 were “the future”, at least, the near future.  The reason 2019 does not look futuristic is because we choose for it not to.  In fact, there isn’t one technology in use right now that would not be vaguely familiar in form or basic function to a person from the 1950’s.   Try to think of one.    We have now only slightly improved versions of things they had then.

A personal computer or even a smart phone are just a very small powerful version of a computer and a telephone.   A computer scientist from the time would probably have no issues using one.

A car is still just the same in all its major functions. 

Jet aircraft, sky scrapers, space flight, satellites, are all not just refinements of what existed before.

The only thing that would be new is the internet.  There were some computer networks then that informed the building of ARPA net which became the internet.   So … even this is just a refinement.

In the future of the present, tomorrow and next year, if all the cars and trucks work the same way, look the same way, and cause the same issues they do now don’t wonder why.  The reason will be because we chose not to do anything different right now.

If we can’t even handle a truck that has a different body shape how will we react when a true radical innovation stares us in the face?

Edited to make the record of how much money Elon Musk lost more precise in the title. The 770 million figure was in the body of the original text. I am sure a billionaire still doesn't want to lose that much and frankly that seems to be a gross overreaction by the market.