While Steve Scalise scrambles to secure the House speakership, the man who previously held the job has taken a back seat.

Tesla engineers were so upset with the design of the company’s Cybertruck pickup truck that they secretly crafted alternative designs, according to the firm’s chief designer. Speaking to Walter Isaacson, whose biography on Tesla boss Elon Musk came out this week, Franz von Holzhausen said the unconventional shape of the stainless steel truck caused dissent among workers. The as-yet-unreleased Cybertruck takes inspiration from the pointy design of the 1960s Lotus Esprit, as well as video games and sci-fi movies. “A majority of people in this studio hated it,” said chief designer Franz von Holzhausen. “They were like, ‘You can’t be serious.’ They didn’t want to have anything to do with it. It was just too weird.” After seeing a full-size mock-up of the futuristic pick-up truck, some designers began secretly designing an alternative version. A spokesperson for Tesla did not respond to a request for comment. Mr Musk was reportedly adamant from the outset that the design of the electric pickup truck would “look like the future” and refused to concede to more conventional design ideas. “We’re not doing a traditional boring truck,” Mr Musk said during one meeting in October 2018. “We can always do that later. I want to build something that’s cool. Like, don’t resist me.” The biography, which saw Mr Isaacson shadow Mr Musk for two years, also revealed other instances of Tesla employees keeping projects alive, even after it had been officially scrapped. After the Tesla boss became disinterested in developing a $25,000 mass-market car, repeatedly vetoing the idea in meetings, Mr von Holzhausen reportedly kept the concept alive as a “shadow project”. His biographer describes Mr Musk as “fiercely stubborn” with a “reality-distorting wilfulness and a readiness to run roughshod over naysayers”. The Tesla Cybertruck was first unveiled to the public at an event in November 2019, offering people the chance to reserve one with a $100 deposit. More than 200,000 orders were received within the first three days, according to Mr Musk, however it has taken until this year for production to actually begin. The first deliveries to customers are expected to take place later this year. Read More Elon Musk makes prediction for imminent Starship launch Volcano discovery could power electric cars for decades, scientists say Elon Musk ‘borrowed $1bn from SpaceX’ at same time as Twitter acquisition Elon Musk became ‘anti-woke’ because of his daughter’s gender transition, book claims

Rappers Blueface and Chrisean Rock welcomed a baby together in September 2023

Italian hypercar maker Pagani Automobili SpA is exploring new technologies including electric vehicles, an area where China’s expertise

Alex Mitchell was on Thursday named at scrum-half in a surprise call by coach Steve Borthwick for England's World Cup Pool D opener against...

'I kind of believe it is partly causing my disordered eating, my anxieties, and all those other things on the list,' said Jackie Evancho

A long-awaited feature will soon start rolling out on YouTube for creators. YouTube has announced

SAVE $20: You can snag a build-your-own kit of the Shark FlexStyle on the brand's

Rainbow Rares have been revealed for the new Pokemon GO TCG expansion. Here's a look at the full list including Mewtwo and Dragonite VSTAR.

For the first time in nearly a century, the Metropolitan Opera in New York City will stage a performance in Spanish on Thursday, as the company works to...

Flags representing Aboriginal and Maori people will be flown at stadiums hosting women's World Cup matches in Australia and New Zealand after FIFA agreed...

State and local governments continued expanding payrolls in June, adding about 59,000 jobs as the strength of the