Since Elon Musk made the announcement that Tesla is targeting the end of Q3 to start Cybertruck deliveries, there has been a palpable uptick in anti-Cybertruck sentiment. And even more bizarrely these negative Cybertruck comments are concentrated on sites where Tesla enthusiasts meet such as Tesla-focused subreddits, comment sections of EV and Tesla-focused YouTube channels, news sites, and Twitter pages.
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Elon Musk announced during the Q1 2023 earnings call that Tesla plans to make the first deliveries of the Cybertruck in the third quarter of this year, specifically at the end of Q3 meaning this September.
This news was exciting for those of us who have been waiting impatiently to see the futuristic truck out on the roads and undoubtedly for the over 1.5 million Cybertruck reservation holders who have been waiting since 2019.
At least I assumed that the Cybertruck nearing production will increase the excitement for the truck, however, as they say, there appears to be something rotten in the state of Denmark.
Currently, Tesla is in the final stages of testing the Cybertruck before the start of production. As a result, it has been rather a commonplace occurrence to receive new Cybertruck sighting footage on a daily basis.
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And usually, these Cybertruck spy shots get posted all over the internet where keen-eyed Cybertruck watchers try to discern the latest minor change Tesla has made to the vehicle.
Comments on such Cybertruck footage are usually by uber-Tesla fans fawning over the vehicle with a healthy disagreement on the small feature changes Tesla has made on the particular prototype.
However, since Elon Musk made the announcement that Tesla is looking toward the end of Q3 to start the first Cybertruck deliveries, there has been a palpable uptick in anti-Cybertruck sentiment.
The anti-Cybertruck sentiment appears to be directed towards the latest Cybertruck prototype sightings and is usually along the lines of – the design of the truck is ugly and will be a big flop for Tesla as it will not be purchased by anyone except ardent Tesla fans.
Yes, the design of the Cybertruck with its triangular silhouette and stainless steel exterior, is no stranger to controversy, however, the magnitude of negative Cybertruck comments and the places those comments are being shared gives us a pause.
It might be normal to see the anti Cybertruck comments especially when it comes to its design in more neutral areas of the internet, however, the avalanche of negative Cybertruck comments now appears to be concentrated on sites where Tesla enthusiasts meet such as Tesla-focused subreddits, comment sections of EV and Tesla focused YouTube channels, news sites, and Twitter pages.
This on its own might not be particularly noteworthy, however, what is more concerting is that this negative Cybertruck sentiment is starting to slowly seep into the Cybertruck conversion even amongst the most ardent Tesla fans.
A few examples of such sentiment can be seen in an Electrek article dated April 26, titled “Tesla Cybertruck sighting brings doubt about design – what do you think?” A Teslarati article titled “Tesla Cybertruck gets stern take from Jim Cramer: “the Ugliest truck”
And here are a bunch of YouTube videos from pro-EV sites that have also noticed this negative Cybertruck sentiment…
To be extra clear, I’m not suggesting any of these sites are trying to push an anti-Cybertruck narrative but I have rather pointed to those articles and videos as a reference to where anti-Cybertruck sentiment has also been noticed and reported.
If we get that out the way, now let’s ask the bigger question – how and why are Tesla message boards all of a sudden getting bombarded by anti-Cybertruck sentiment? and is there a concerted effort by Tesla shorts or legacy automakers to tank the Cybertruck now that the vehicle is nearing production?
If there is a concerted effort to attack Tesla, this wouldn’t be the first time in Tesla’s history that the EV maker has been subjected to such tactics. Be it from shorts sellers or environmental groups with dubious ties to legacy automakers, Tesla is no stranger to foul play.
Having said that, given the hidden nature of these sorts of campaigns, it’s nearly impossible to be certain whether the negative Cybertruck comments are due to the latest Cybertruck prototype sightings being from unflattering angles or by bot armies trying to hurt Tesla.
As for me, I’m leaning towards the latter however, we’ll be sure to keep you posted if we get any more information to suggest there is something nefarious going on. Until then, make sure to visit our site torquenews.com/Tesla regularly for the latest updates.
So what do you think? Have you also felt the negative Cybertruck sentiment this past week? Also, do you think there is a concerted effort to make sure the Cybertruck is not a success now that the vehicle is close to production? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
Image: Courtesy of Tesla, Inc.
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Tinsae Aregay has been following Tesla and The evolution of the EV space on a daily basis 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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I think there are two
I think there are two possible explanations for this Cybertruck bashing on fan sites: (1) maybe the fans object to potential changes to the vehicle (e.g. that weirdly shortened nose on recent photos) or promises not kept by Elon (e.g. that this big honking single wiper won't be in the production version when it obviously is still there in the latest spy shots or (2) robot-generated negative comments meant to stunt Cybertruck sales - I wouldn't put that past a scared competition.
I personally have soured a bit on the Cybertruck - some because of the aforementioned ugly wiper, but mostly because Elon's "shine" has worn off quite a bit since he's revealed himself to be quite the a%$# from a political & human perspective. I bet Tesla will lose a lot of sales from his previously predominantly liberal base of fans.
Ranking of States by Shares
Ranking of States by Shares of Trucks- iSeeCars
Rank State % Trucks - Red States
1 Wyoming 37.6
2 Montana 34.2%
3 North Dakota 31.4%
4 Idaho 31.2%
5 Alaska 30.8%
6 South Dakota 29.8%
7 West Virginia 27.1%
8 Nebraska 24.6%
9 Vermont 24.6%
10 Oklahoma 24.5%
11 Arkansas 24.3%
12 Iowa 24.3%
13 Maine 24.1%
14 New Mexico 24.1%
15 Louisiana 23.6%
16 Kentucky 23.0%
17 Kansas 21.6%
18 Wisconsin 21.0%
19 Mississippi 21.0%
20 Utah 20.5%
21 Alabama 20.5%
22 Minnesota 20.1%
23 Missouri 19.6%
24 Michigan 19.3%
25 Texas 19.2%
26 Tennessee 19.1%
27 South Carolina 19.1%
28 Colorado 19.0%
29 New Hampshire 18.6%
30 Washington 18.3%
The negative sentiment is
The negative sentiment is largely due to lack of specs & pricing. For a company that gives away their tech as open-source, they're very tight lipped about this truck. They're still developing as of 2023, yet at unveiling said they spent 10 years developing it. So which is it. And the testing footage we've seen in the wild is also souring sentiment. They're just slowly driving it around a closed course or on city streets. No off-road footage or 4 wheeling or real heavy duty testing or impact test footage.
The model on the Tesla website is still showing door handles. That's the truck I reserved. The world is analog, I expect physical door handle optionality. I do expect a wiper, however they design it, fine. Add a wiper. Same for mirrors. If I need them for the state of Colorado, got it.
The change to the nose body style is further proof it's underdev. If they're forced to change it for safety regulations, then that too is understandable to a degree (if the price is right)
It's really about finished price vs specs. The minute they update 2023 pricing is the minute I decide keep my reservation or initial a $100 refund. That simple.