Ah, the Tesla Cybertruck. It seems the 'edgy' electric SUV will go down in history as an example of what happens when one of the world's most valuable companies lets its CEO impose his personal taste in design.
Tesla initially predicted that it could produce 500,000 units per year. But amid price hikes, multiple Cybertruck design fails, Elon Musk's divisiveness and the general ugliness of the car, that isn't going to happen. Tesla won't report how many it's actually sold, but estimates are around 40,000 in 2024. Now Tesla is offering discounted financing in a bid to shift its expensive low-polygon game asset on wheels.
We've seen photos of Cybertrucks sitting on parking lots. The new financing offer seems like the latest desperate attempt to sell a car that nobody wants. And it might not work. Potential customers now know that sales are struggling and that better deals are likely to come soon, so anyone considering buying would be wise to wait. Meanwhile, existing owners are left with a bad taste in their mouths because they bought at a worse rate.
Tesla already launched Cybertruck leases to help move vehicles. It's also reportedly been flogging more expensive Foundations Series vehicles as regular Cybertrucks after removing their badges, while it started selling remaining Foundations Series cars with free wraps and free 'lifetime' Supercharging. Pity anyone who forked out $160,000 last year.
Elon Musk's personal transformation into a Nazi-saluting rightwing extremist, meddling in elections and decimating the US state, doesn't seem to have helped Tesla either. Some people who bought Cybertrucks are regretting their purchase and trying to sell their 'Nazi mobile' because they don't want people to think they're evil.
It's about time everyone, Tesla included, admitted that the Cybertruck was a total flop. The whole concept was wrong from the start because it was based on Musk's personal preference for something quirky that he once saw in a sci-fi movie rather than research into what people wanted.
The design was flawed and misjudged, from materials that cost a fortune to replace to confusing brake lights, an inability to handle snow and a stunning failure to consider safety regulations, resulting in a vehicle that's not road legal in the UK and Europe because of its weight and sharp edges.
Vehicles were recalled because of accelerator pedals getting stuck down, and drivers have had body panels fly off while driving. The dark turn in Musk's personal branding appears to have merely signed the Cybertruck's death warrant.
