My Foundation Series Tesla Cybertruck Delivery is set for two days; however, I can save $27,500 If I refuse delivery, pay Tesla the $1000 penalty, and wait for the regular Cybertruck variant to come out in a few months.
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If you are unfamiliar with the nitty-gritty of the Tesla Cybertruck's various versions and order page, here's a little background: Currently, Tesla is only selling the early Foundation Series Cybertruck variant.
The Foundation Series Cybertrucks have a special laser-etched insignia on the stainless steel exoskeleton, they come with the optional $8,000 full self-driving package included, and finally, when you purchase a Foundation Series Cybertruck, Tesla also adds Power Share equipment and installation costs that are valued at around $3,000.
The Power Share equipment allows your Cybertruck battery to serve as backup power to your home in the event of a power outage.
In addition to all this, the Foundation Series Cybertrucks also come with larger wheels and off-road tires. This tire and wheel combination looks better and costs more; however, it also decreases the Cybertruck’s range.
The Foundation Series dual-motor Cybertruck has a 318-mile EPA estimated range. This is down from 340 miles for the regular Cybertruck AWD version with smaller wheels and all-season tires. The Foundation Series tri-motor performance Cybertruck Cybereast has a 301-mile range, down from 320 miles for the non-Foundation Series variant.
If you opt for the Foundation Series Cybertruck Cyberbeast rather than the Cybertruck AWD, you also get the optional off-road rooftop light-bar standard.
When you add the bigger wheels, off-road tires, Power Share equipment and installation costs, the special laser-etched insignia, and other minor changes, including the optional off-road light bar for the Cybertruck Cybearbeast, the price of the Foundation Series Cybertrucks is predictably higher than the regular variant.
Before taxes and fees, the Foundation Series Cybertruck AWD costs $100,000, and the Cybertruck Cyberbeast costs $120,000. The non-Foundation Series variants of these vehicles cost $79,000 and $99,900, respectively.
This means Foundation Series Cybertrucks cost an extra $20,000 but add optional packages worth about $15,000. If Tesla had not decreased the price of the FSD software from $12,000 to $8,000 after setting prices for the Foundation Series variant, the Foundation Series would have just been a fully loaded-up version of the regular Cybertruck.
These are some of the spec and cost differences between the Foundation Series Cybertruck and the regular variant; however, the biggest advantage of going with the Foundation Series Cybertruck has been the chance to move up on the Cybertruck order queue.
As I mentioned above, you pay about $5,000 extra to be the first to receive delivery of the Cybertruck. Depending on your financial situation, this may or may not make sense.
However, what if you are in a budget pinch and can’t afford to buy a Cybertruck for $100,000? Lucky for you, Elon Musk has recently announced, among plans to build a special version of the Cybertruck to be sold in Europe and China, that Tesla will start selling non-Foundation Series versions of the Cybertruck next quarter.
Although you will be losing on some features, including FSD Power Share equipment, this effectively lowers the Cybertruck’s starting price by $20,000.
This is a huge discount on its own; however, if you purchase the dual-motor AWD Cybertruck, the discounts might be even steeper. With the new $79,900 starting price, the Cybertruck falls under the $80,000 cap to receive the point-of-sale federal EV tax credit.
Depending on your eligibility, this could further lower the price of the Cybertruck AWD to $72,500. Although some options are missing, this gives you a massive $27,500 discount from the Foundation Series variants.
Making this deal even more attractive, currently, the $8,000 full self-driving option is not yet activated on the Cybertruck, which means even the people who paid for it will not have access to FSD until some time in the future.
This brings us back to the topic at hand: given these facts, should you wait a few months to purchase a Cybertruck and take advantage of these discounts?
This is the predicament one Cybertruck buyer finds himself in. Tesla contacted Brian Wiese to configure a Foundation Series Cybertruck, and he paid a non-refundable $1000 to convert his reservation to a binding order.
Brian shared his thoughts on Facebook writing…
"After waiting four and a half years and stalking this truck daily, I’m conflicted about what to do since Elon said, “Foundation Series will be ending next quarter.” Does anyone have a confident view on when they will actually start delivering non-Foundation Series Cybertrucks? Will they just stop taking orders for the Foundation Series Cybertrucks next quarter? Will it even be next quarter? When will they actually start deliveries of non-Foundation Series Cybertrucks? I know none of us have the exact answer to this, but I'm curious to hear your thoughtful opinions.
I don’t mind losing $1k on this reservation if I can save $10k in a couple of months, and I do have a second reservation that is reasonably early and ready to start designing. Ultimately, I’m okay waiting another couple of months for my truck, but not another year. By the way, my Foundation Series Cybertruck order is for a Cyberbeast. Thank you!"
There are two things to keep in mind here: First, Brian’s order is for the performance Cybertruck variant. Even if he waits for the non-Foundation Series version, his vehicle's starting price is still $99,900. Since the Cybertruck Cyberbeast costs more than $80,000, it will not qualify for the $7,500 EV tax credit, which gives him no advantage on that front.
Second, if Brian goes with the non-Foundation Series variant, he will save $20,000. However, he will also be missing some features, including FSD, larger wheels and tires, a light bar, and Powershare equipment, that enable him to use his Cybertruck to back up his home.
Finally, like everything, this comes down to personal preference. However, given that Brian has already shared that he doesn’t mind waiting a couple of more months and is interested in saving $10,000 for added wait time, it appears it makes sense for Brian to cancel his order, pay the $1000 penalty, and order a Cybertruck once the non-Foundation Series version becomes available.
Having said that, one thing to note here is that factoring in “Elon time,” Tesla is unlikely to stop selling Foundation Series Cybertrucks at least until the very end of Q3, which is in September. After that, Brian will have to order a Cybertruck again and wait a few weeks to a few months until he can get delivery.
Adding all this together, if he cancels his order, we anticipate Brian will have to wait a minimum of 5 to 6 months before he can take delivery of a cheaper non-Foundation Series Cybertruck.
Overall, we hope Brian is happy with his final decision. In the comments below, let us know what you would do if you were in Brian’s position.
We’ll be sure to keep you updated with the latest Cybertruck news. Until then, make sure to visit our site, torquenews.com/Tesla, regularly for the latest updates.
So, what do you think? Will current inflated Cybertruck resale prices hold once Tesla starts selling the non-Foundation Series Cybertruck variants? How much do you think a brand new Cybertruck will cost in two years? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below by clicking the red “Add new comment” button.
Image: Courtesy of Tesla, inc.
For more information, check out: I Hit a Deer at 75Mph With My Tesla Cybertruck, & My Wife, Sitting in the Passenger Seat, Barely Noticed it—the Deer Bounced Right off Cleanly
Tinsae Aregay has been following Tesla and the evolution of the EV space daily for several years. He covers everything about Tesla, from the cars to Elon Musk, the energy business, and autonomy. Follow Tinsae on Twitter at @TinsaeAregay for daily Tesla news.
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