Look at the IAT “T-Mad” concept. And you’d think the Tesla Cybertruck was about as outrageous as trucks can get. Debuting at the 2023 Guangzhou Auto Show in China in January, it does the Cybertruck better in many ways. And the company behind it is preparing to trample the Cybertruck’s claim as the most outrageous.
Is T-Mad the same size as a Cybertruck?
T-Mad is a huge electric monster. It has a wheelbase of 142.5 inches and an overall length of 231.5 inches. This makes it about the same length as an internet truck. The GMC’s Hummer comes in just shy of that at 217 inches overall.
It looks like a space capsule mounted on a separate skateboard platform. We are not sure of the visibility due to the small dimensions of the windows. It looks more like Brinks’ armored truck than anything else, though there are two windows per door.
Does T-Mad have a central cockpit like a Cybertruck?
Interestingly, the doors can be swapped, requiring only two-person tools. So the driver’s front door is the same as the passenger’s side rear door, and vice versa. It’s an easier trick when you have a long wheelbase.
Opening those doors reveals a spacious cabin with seating for six people. Three of these seats can rotate 360 degrees. Allows B-pillar removal for more convenient entry and exit. And the driver sits in the center of the truck, as with.
Right now, there isn’t much IAT available around 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 automotive design and development company listed on China’s Shanghai Stock Exchange.
What is IAT?
The Institute of Applied Technology currently has five research and development centers. One in the United States, Japan, Italy, Beijing and Shanghai. Just last year, it partnered with battery giant CATL that focuses on replaceable batteries. No word regarding T-Mad’s development and production timeline.
Accordingly, sales of EV trucks in 2023 are expected to reach 10 million units. That comes to 14 percent of the combined global production of automobiles. With Cybertruck production pushed back to 2024, it could be a race to see which electric vehicle comes out first, the Cybertruck or the T-Mad.
