The Tesla Cybertruck has been involved in a lot of news lately, with the new year being rung in by a Cybertruck explosion, along with developments of a deadly car crash involving a Cybertruck. This has led to a lot of negative news for Tesla to deal with. This raises the question: is the Cybertruck something that the public wants or needs?
The idea for the Cybertruck was first discussed in 2012 by Elon Musk, but it was in very early stages. It wasn’t until 2017 that the public began to see pictures of the “Cybertruck.” However, these pictures turned out to be of the Tesla Semi and Roadster. Two years later, the public got a teaser picture of a cyberpunk truck that seemed to come straight out of Blade Runner. The truck was unveiled in November of that year, during which Franz von Holzhausen famously threw a metal ball at the window to demonstrate the strength of the glass—but it shattered. This led to several media outlets criticizing the truck, but Musk argued that it only broke because they tested it early and weakened the glass.
Regardless, people sent in money for a reservation for the truck, which at the time was only $100 and refundable. However, a few years later, at a shareholder meeting, Musk announced that the price would change to a $250 deposit. Preorders for the Cybertruck shut down in August of 2024, and deliveries started. Deliveries were limited to North America due to the vehicle not being registered with the European Union, but that wasn’t the only problem.
The truck was slow to hit the market, and with the price hike, people were upset when they received their trucks only to find they were full of bugs in the programming. Issues included critical safety information being hard to read, the accelerator pedal becoming dislodged and sticking in acceleration, and windshield wipers failing. Additionally, the truck was made of stainless steel, which was easy to smudge and rust if not properly maintained. The trunk of the truck would also close on people’s hands, possibly severing fingers. Most of these problems have been fixed through patches and updates, but they have still left people concerned and worried about the truck.
Another issue worrying the public is the fact that it has not been crash-tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). This led to rumors that insurance companies don’t cover the Cybertruck, which is not the case. Several major companies have come out saying that they do cover it, but it may not be under private passenger automobile insurance. Instead, it may fall under commercial insurance due to the truck’s weight and complications with repairs. Additionally, insurance companies tend not to fully cover very expensive vehicles, and considering the Cybertruck costs around $100,000, it makes sense that this non-crash-tested vehicle may not be fully insured.
The Cybertruck seems to not be sitting well in the court of public opinion, but it seems to be here to stay as a status symbol for the rich and famous, or at least for those who want to be seen as such.
