2023: Goodbye Cybertruck, Hello Relief

Year of Exaggerations Wrapping up.

It only requires a quick look to investigate the designated page where all the narratives connected with the Tesla Cybertruck are organised in an orderly fashion on InsideEVs. After a couple of scroll-downs, it’s clear that a hefty amount of reportage related to this disputed pickup was produced by myself.

I’ve penned numerous tales on a variety of topics – from scrutinizing images captured along the road to capturing footage of the car’s rear-wheel maneuverability utilizing drones, to several Cybertrucks parked adjacent to one another, to Tesla’s publically-released demonstration of the energy-efficient truck running across rough terrain in Mexico.

I’m very pleased this allayed phase is done, and now companies are actually producing the Cybertruck and disseminating it to people in America. No more supposition or hardly reliable sources!

Still, if this were a product of any other automakers that usually fall into the “legacy brand” category, there would have been no preceding two paragraphs. Tesla doesn’t manage conventional car-launches; something that is plainly evident.

Tesla no longer provides journalists with “press trips” to exotic locations to test their cars for a few hours and expect positive first-drive reviews. This practice ended when the communications team was dissolved. Although Tesla will work with some outlets and influencers directly, it does not do so for everyone. Additionally, the automaker almost never answers questions from reporters.

That’s a double-edged sword. Customers and regular people who simply seek to feel included in the process have benefited from Tesla’s initiatives. Reservation holders, along with more contemporary stockholders, were allowed to partake in exhibition of newly created designs lastly accompanied by technicians, inventors, and high-ranking officers. As for the press? No doubt they have been sidelined, seeing as Elon Musk’s striving efforts to conceal queries raised by reporters over touchy matters.

Traditional automakers rely on well-regarded news sources to share news with the public. They often host vehicle rollouts that are designed and arranged with intent to emphasise every commendable aspect of the car and the manufacturer involved.

Tesla doesn’t go about their business in this sort of fashion. Even the live unveiling of the Cybertruck had its bloopers, with the charismatic Musk momentarily climbing into the back of the vehicle at one point only to be difficult to spot on camera due to the absence of a single lamp directed at his countenance. (It is truly remarkable Tesla hadn’t employed any lightening technicians when prepping for the presentation.)

Yet despite this, folks continued to cheer. We opted to publish certain stories that might have been overlooked if not for the attention Tesla was drawing. People wanted answers as Tesla was refusing to provide them with information – even to those who had already financially contributed in order to construct its vehicle.

News correspondents do not whistle or vociferate in debut ceremonies. They solicit queries that necessitate clear reactions, not vacuous answers like “we craft the greatest automobiles”.

Unfortunately, delving into the complexities of Tesla’s Cybertruck is not without its downsides. With its 48V architecture, drive-by-wire steering, and range extender battery pack, as well as how repairs for the stainless steel body would pan out, there is so much that people are eager to find out. It goes without saying these are all ground-breaking technologies and topics that buyers will have a keen interest in. Really, we’d love to confer with Elon Musk’s esteemed brain trust to learn more regarding their functioning. Yet sadly, unless you’re a card-carrying member of the Tesla inner circle, this access is not obtainable. As such, you must often rely on owners to try things out by themselves or hope for answers to be posted on X.

What I’m trying to say is that any other auto manufacturer on the planet would take more trouble to furnish official material, and they would not get away with their CEO churning out absurdity on a social media page which he just procured so as to use it as an amplifying tool. Instead of relying on the public to carry out the work for them, they would guarantee the right details would reach potential buyers.

But that is Tesla for all to see. Frustratingly, the corporation has no challenge creating exposure.