Tesla’s bizarre-looking Cybertruck has that suffered yet another recall. It’s a sign that the truck not only looks a bit like an experiment on wheels, but that Tesla is less and less the standard-bearer of our EV ambitions.
“Elon Musk is the reason both cars in my driveway are electric. He’s also the reason neither are Teslas,” Firebird Music CEO Nathan Hubbard wrote in Threads. The message reflects a growing sentiment among EV owners and the EV curious: Tesla isn’t necessarily the electric car company that will own the future of the market it all but created.
Message from @nathanchubbard
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Look, I don’t want to delve too deeply into Tesla CEO and X owner Elon Musk’s obnoxious actions and social presence here. Let’s just say the once-inspiring entrepreneur has become a polarizing figure, to say the least. It doesn’t look good for someone who wants to sell electric vehicles to everyone and not just those who share his world (and… outside the world) views.
However, there is no denying that Musk has put Tesla fans in a difficult position and they may make different choices. From the second quarter of 2024 Tesla owned 48.9% of the U.S. EV market, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The number is notable because Tesla no longer owns the “majority” of the market. Granted, what’s left is split among numerous competitors, including major U.S. automakers that have aggressively entered the EV and hybrid market in recent years. It hasn’t all been smooth sailing.
Earlier this year, Ford pulled back on its aggressive EV plans. Moreover, consumers still seem more interested in half measures. Hybrids, which combine combustion with one or two electric motors, appear to far outpace pure EV models based on recent statistics from the U.S. Department of Transportation, which is likely another cause for concern for Tesla.
The EV market continues to shift around Tesla, with more and more competitors offering similar products that ultimately approach Tesla the range front and often beat it on sticker price. The point is that we now have choices. I know that when I finally make the EV move, it won’t be with a Tesla. That is an important change for me. I was a loyal Tesla fan who wrote extensively about early Tesla Model S owners and remember being one of the first to experience this a Model 3 test drive.
But now I can’t bear the idea of enriching Elon Musk. I know Tesla employs over 140,000 people, and most of them probably disagree with Musk’s often publicly stated positions, but he remains a highly visible and outspoken leader.
Musk is expected to do so on October 10 finally launch its Tesla robotaxi. I think that event will be notable for its lack of direct consumer appeal. There will be no Model 3 update or a cheaper Tesla. Affordable is not in Tesla’s vocabulary. The company recently stopped selling the cheapest version of the Model 3.
@lanceulanoff
♬ original sound – LanceUlanoff
I’d say there’s no point in waiting for a truly affordable Tesla anymore. Overall, I think the automaker’s appeal to everyday Americans is waning, and there may be no better proof than the Cybertruck.
Over the past six months I’ve noticed these strange-looking vehicles in San Francisco and New York. No matter when you see them, they seem out of place. I’ve watched countless videos showing some of them the strange and potentially dangerous design choices (such as a hood you could almost take a finger off or edges that seem likely to pierce slightly).
Considering all this, these recalls may not be surprising. The latest from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration concerns rearview mirrors that provide a view from the backup cameras while you’re reversing. The problem, according to the NHTSA (PDF) is that when you start backing up, it takes an extra second for the feed to appear. Fortunately, the solution comes via an over-the-air software update.
Recalls are not necessarily a disaster. They receive countless vehicles with combustion engines. For Tesla, they are certainly not limited to the Cybertruck. The company has had dozens that range across the most popular models. Yet this is already the fifth recall for the relatively new Cybertruck and it often seems that the EV is not built for practical reasons (see how it fails as a “truck”), or elegance, but at the design whims and demands of Musk, who I think wanted something that looked more at home on the surface of Mars than on Earth.
When I see a Cybertruck driving through my neighborhood, I don’t admire it; I yawn. It always looks out of place. I also think I know the driver immediately, not personally, but who this person is. It’s clearly someone who has adopted not only Tesla’s EV strategy, but also Musk’s perspective on trucks, modern transportation, and perhaps his warped worldview. Why else would you spend over $100,000 to drive something that seems well equipped to survive a nuclear explosion but is ill-prepared for a trip to the grocery store?
Cybertruck screams, “Look at me,” but as sentiment about Tesla changes in the EV market, that scream sounds more and more like a cry of desperation: “Look at me, please, while I try to stay relevant.”