Tesla fans in uproar over ‘scam’ price page for futuristic Cybertruck – as eagle-eyed consumers discover $11,100 in hidden fees buried in the fine print of the EV’s base model

The buzz began just one day after billionaire Tesla owner Elon Musk handed over the keys to the electric car company's long-awaited first 12 Cybertrucks at Thursday's glitzy live event.

Already, long-time Tesla fans have caught on to the subtleties of the company's attempt to hide the Cybertruck's new, higher sticker price.

Clicking “Order Now” on Tesla's Cybertruck page now takes consumers to a list of “potential savings” for electric vehicle prices, which “assumes” $11,100 in tax credits and gas savings.

Members of the Reddit group r/teslainvestorsclub have called the hidden five-figure fees a “weird joke,” “absolutely ridiculous,” and a “fraudulent way to list prices.”

In fact, Tesla's new “potential savings” pricing for each rear- and all-wheel-drive Cybertruck takes it for granted that a buyer will recoup up to $7,500 in federal tax credits and $3,600 in fuel savings over their first three years on the road .

This allows Tesla to claim, for example, that the cheapest of the three Cybertruck models — which has actually risen from its original listed price of $39,900 in 2019 to $60,990 today — will “actually” only cost $49,890 in time.

Since Musk first unveiled the Cybertruck prototype at an event in Los Angeles four years ago, its unusual video game-like ribbed corners, promised innovations and general missteps have kept the electric vehicle in the news.

Tesla's design chief, Franz von Holshausen, famously tried to prove that the Cybertruck's glass was “shatterproof” by throwing a heavy metal ball at its window at close range during the company's original 2019 announcement of the truck.

Musk was heard muttering “Oh my God” as the glass shattered.

Tesla on Thursday attempted to remake history and restore faith in the vehicle's indestructible design by throwing a baseball through the truck's newest steel “Armor Glass” windows.

The baseball didn't cause any harm, however, as one Reddit user experienced wongl888 “This looks like school kids throwing a softball,” he commented on stage.

As announced Thursday, the latest specifications for the steel-plated vehicle include a six-foot-long, four-foot-wide bed that can carry up to 2,500 pounds, features an 11,000-pound towing capacity and 17 inches of ground clearance. .

The Cybertruck's body is made of stainless steel alloy that Tesla developed internally, Musk said.

Musk said that this stainless steel does not corrode and does not require coating, but it can still be produced in large quantities.

Not mentioned during Tesla's live event on Thursday, where new Cybertruck owners took to the stage to sit in their new vehicles for the first time, were the MSRP price hikes for each of the three Cybertruck models.

At signing, the mid-range all-wheel-drive model is now $79,990, and the Cyberbeast tops out at $99,990.

“I was involved in the Cybertruck,” said one poster on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) now owned by Musk.

“But man, the lost domain and price increase killed my enthusiasm,” said User @em_lo_ On the website, he said.

“Even with a range extender, the lost cargo space in the bed is a tough pill to swallow. I'll be cautiously optimistic and wait for the next beta testers (early adopters),” the user concluded.

Another critic compared the Cybertruck's delays and unfavorable promises unfavorably to Tesla's luxury EV truck competitor Rivian and the Rivian R1T.

“Let's be honest, the Cybertruck is only great because it's bulletproof and looks different,” this reviewer, @ChargeGoGrouppublished on X.

They reasoned that until prices came down, there would be better automotive products on the road today at that price point.

“Rivian has more range for less money, and it's just as fast as the Cybertruck.” Once Rivian adopts NACS (the North American charging standard for electric vehicles), Tesla will have a problem.

But other, more die-hard Tesla fans have focused on making excuses for Musk and his company's “bait-and-switch” price of the Cybertruck — attributing the cost increases to inflation and the policies of US President Joe Biden.

The defensive stance appears disconnected from recent industry reports Kelly Blue Book results in September All electric vehicle prices are down about 19 percent, year over year, in part due to Tesla discounts on its sedans.

“Too many people are complaining that in 2019, the base price for the Cybertruck was announced to start at $49,990,” said user X, a Tesla contributor. @mtglover_89.

According to https://usinflationcalculator.com, $49,990 had the same purchasing power in 2019 that about $60,160.58 has today. The base model Cybertruck is available for $60,990.

“If the Cybertruck costs more than initially proposed,” one Tesla defender said Books online“Tesla should call it the ‘Biden bump.’”

“It's similar to Putin.”Such and such“) Price hikes” that Biden used to cover up gas price hikes, the poster claimed, “Only this is the most honest.”

To make matters worse for serious Cybertruck buyers, the much-hyped new vehicle came with its own microprint.

An expandable notice states that while Tesla's previous Model 3, Model Y and Model

“Cybertruck rear-wheel drive and Cybertruck all-wheel drive may be eligible at time of delivery,” according to the company’s “See Details” window.