# Tesla Cybertruck is here **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 6, 2023, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-cybertruck-is-here/989702 "2023-09-06T20:15:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-cybertruck-is-here/989702/61 "2023-09-07T22:00:16Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Meanwhile, I’ve heard stories about how much time and trouble it takes to get Tesla and other dealer-less vehicles serviced. It depends very much on the area. In fact, I just had my Model 3 serviced. The initial service tech came to my house and did it in my garage (where they replaced the 12v battery and performed a wire harness replacement). That didn’t fix the issue, so I had the car brought to the local service center. The car was done the next day. It was a much, _much_ better experience than with my BMW, where I often had to wait around for hours at the center just to drop off the car. And where they tried to upsell me on various crap. Results may vary, of course. Rivian’s network may not be so great at the moment. Obviously I’m lucky that I have a center just a few miles away. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-cybertruck-is-here/989702/62 "2023-09-07T22:02:09Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > Doubtful. [People hate car dealerships](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/study-americans-feel-taken-advantage-of-at-the-car-dealership-300301866.html). The people that don’t probably aren’t thinking hard enough about how much nicer the online experience can be. My wife has a Model Y. Her online shopping experience was… not all that great. There seemed to be no accountability for anything that didn’t go exactly to plan. A couple times during the order process she needed to ask questions and it seemed like those emails and calls just disappeared into the ether. When the vehicle did arrive, the financing got screwed up to the point where we had concerns about our legal ownership of the vehicle and what was going on with our bank balance. Again, no one to take even the slightest bit of ownership of the issue. On the flip side, I’ve purchased several BMWs in a row. I recognize that we’re looking at perhaps a little bit better tier of dealer than the average, but those were always simple experiences where, if something went sideways in the purchase process, I only ever heard it in the context of my salesperson telling a funny story about the situation he had to resolve. Same goes for service. I got a guy I can call and he gets things taken care of. Tesla service has been a black hole where communication goes to die. And I’m not anti-Tesla. I suspect my wife’s next car will be a newer Model Y. But man, they’ve been chaotic to deal with. ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-cybertruck-is-here/989702/63 "2023-09-07T22:08:38Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > ’ve heard stories about how much time and trouble it takes to get Tesla and other dealer-less vehicles serviced. So there’s still some advantages to an extensive dealer network. For me, the Tesla service experience has been far superior than what I experienced with a dealer. When I need something, I open the Tesla app, click over to service, pick what I need from a list, or write a message describing what I need, and add pictures if necessary. Then I schedule an appointment in the app. Depending on what the problem is, I might get a mobile service app or an appointment at a service center. Once the service is assigned to somebody, then I can text with the service person. In my experience, the service people have been very responsive in answering questions. I’ve never had to take the car back to Tesla to get the same problem fixed again. The downside of the Tesla service experience is that I’ve needed to use it so much. Fortunately most of that was covered by warranty. Caveat: In a 30 mile radius of my house I think there are four Tesla service centers and a Tesla collision center. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-cybertruck-is-here/989702/64 "2023-09-07T22:12:04Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > [Here](https://www.fastcompany.com/90945689/teslas-cybertruck-has-a-serious-problem-that-only-a-complete-redesign-can-fix), for example, is a Fast Company article that quotes a car designer saying that the Cybertruck is going to need a complete redesign. The article seems to assume they’ll be using conventional stampings for the body panels. Which would indeed be stupid for the reasons they gave. But it’s more likely that the Cybertruck will use something like a metal brake to fold panels that start off flat. There are no complex curves here; it’s more like origami. Most of what I’ve read about the manufacturing comes from Munro and Associates, which has done teardowns of many other vehicles and specializes in giving manufacturing advice to automakers. They have a lot of material and I don’t have a link to anything that addresses that point specifically, but I did find this: > **[Sandy Munro and the Tesla Cybertruck](https://www.gardnerweb.com/articles/sandy-munro-and-the-tesla-cybertruck)** > > Sandy Murno talks about the Tesla Cybertruck > That is, Munro says that the vehicle, which is made out of a stainless steel (Tesla describes it only as “Ultra-Hard 30X Cold-Rolled stainless steel), could be produced in a shop that yes, does use press brakes for forming of the blanks that would come into the facility (Munro says that the material is 3-mm thick, so that can be readily accomplished) Overall, he doesn’t seem to have any concerns about the manufacturability of the body panels. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-cybertruck-is-here/989702/65 "2023-09-07T22:15:55Z")
> [@Al128](#): > > > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > > > Do you have any more information about that? Because the stuff I read says that those very straight panels of bent or folded stainless steel are going to be impossible to manufacture. > > limit a google search of cybertruck to electrek … they had 100s of articles on musks junk …(and while the site is pretty meh (clickbaity) … the comment section is often very knowledgable on EVs and batteries [This](https://electrek.co/2023/08/23/elon-musk-teases-tesla-cybertruck-production-candidate/) is a two-week-old article from Electrek showing a “production candidate” for the Cybertruck and it still seems to be the same thing with the straight stainless steel panels. One of the comments points out that the stainless steel panels vary in color. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-cybertruck-is-here/989702/66 "2023-09-07T22:17:09Z")
Thanks! That’s a more interesting vehicle, especially if they are making progress on auto-pilot. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-cybertruck-is-here/989702/67 "2023-09-07T22:17:30Z")
> [@Pork\_Rind](#): > > But man, they’ve been chaotic to deal with. Well, it does go to show that anecdotes are not worth that much. There’s just too much of a difference based on geography and other factors. I agree that a lot of online stuff has the problem that when things don’t go exactly to plan, there’s less of an escape hatch (the same is true of Google, etc.). When it’s all online, sometimes your requests end up just going into the ether. I haven’t experienced that myself, though. The techs have all been communicative (through the app). And when it came to pick up the car, I didn’t have to talk to _anyone_. I just showed up, and since my phone is my key, got in and drove off. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-cybertruck-is-here/989702/68 "2023-09-07T22:23:48Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Thanks! That’s a more interesting vehicle, especially if they are making progress on auto-pilot Electrifying long-haul transport will be huge for the industry. PepsiCo got the first production batch, and seem to be pretty pleased with them so far: > **[PepsiCo praises Tesla Semi’s performance on long-haul, regional loads](https://www.freightwaves.com/news/pepsico-praises-tesla-semis-performance-on-long-haul-regional-loads)** > > Some of Tesla’s all-electric Class 8 Semi trucks are running loads 12 hours a day for PepsiCo. PepsiCo said its 21 Class 8 electric Semi trucks have up to 450-mile range They’ll be very nice for others on the road, also. They have much more power than conventional trucks, so no more getting stuck behind a truck crawling up a 5% grade at 30 mph. And the regeneration feature of electric motors means no more loud “Jake brakes”. The Semi can drive up and over a hill almost as if it weren’t there, because it reclaims all the energy it used going uphill. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-cybertruck-is-here/989702/69 "2023-09-07T22:24:18Z")
I suspect that there are operational/organization problems at my local service center. They’ve dropped the ball on super basic stuff. Like the time I got the text telling me to come pick up our repaired car, available 24x7 in their service lot. I got there, the car was nowhere to be found. Why? Because they never put it out. It was behind a locked gate in the ‘working’ area. When I finally got it the next day, it was still in service mode. Good stuff. The other major service incident was when the battery failed. The car couldn’t be charged and only had about 80 miles of charge remaining. They wouldn’t come get it, wouldn’t let us drop it off until the replacement battery was delivered and then could not provide a loaner until they were ready to do the battery swap. BMW has never left me without a loaner even when they had to put me in a rental car. I had to pay for a week and half rental out of pocket, no alternative provided. ---
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-cybertruck-is-here/989702/70 "2023-09-07T22:28:59Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > Doubtful. [People hate car dealerships](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/study-americans-feel-taken-advantage-of-at-the-car-dealership-300301866.html). The people that don’t probably aren’t thinking hard enough about how much nicer the online experience can be. well, not everybody is 35 years old … some (my late grandfather comes to mind) might like the handholding and somewhat of a red-carpet feeling of being treated to a free coffee and getting shown new cars or different models , felling the standard seat fabric versus the premium one, seeing and comparing colorways, testing the seats for fitment, see how “plasticy” the interior looks, feels and smells …etc… that kind of haptic experience… that you cannot get from renders / highly filtered photos on the internet but I was mostly thinking other “lateral” aspects of a dealership → **trading in being the main reason** … (even if you get fleeced) _I traded in my '17 F-150 for a '23 …_ again, not claiming its universal, but there is a not-so-small populace that doesn’t want to buy stuff on the internet, let alone a mid-5-digit expense ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-cybertruck-is-here/989702/71 "2023-09-07T22:31:08Z")
Musk is a polarizing figure and this is involved in how Tesla is reported. So, being more objective, Tesla gets complaints about hiding information or not fixing things but so do many other dealerships. What are the facts? What percentage of Tesla buyers would repeat their purchase of their car or another Tesla? How does this compare to other brands? ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-cybertruck-is-here/989702/72 "2023-09-07T22:37:58Z")
> [@Pork\_Rind](#): > > I suspect that there are operational/organization problems at my local service center. Yeah, what you described wasn’t great. OTOH, when I got a notice for the Takata airbag recall for my BMW, saying they have the parts in stock, I scheduled an appointment and showed up at the appropriate time–only to find out that they did not in fact have the parts in stock. A couple of hours totally wasted because they couldn’t figure out their own inventory. I went to a different dealer the next time and it went ok. > [@Al128](#): > > but I was mostly thinking other “lateral” aspects of a dealership → **trading in being the main reason** … (even if you get fleeced) You can trade in your car with online purchasing. I think they typically use external services like CarMax. At least in some cases, someone will drive up to your place in the new car, and then drive off with the trade-in. No effort required. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-cybertruck-is-here/989702/73 "2023-09-07T22:40:03Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > What percentage of Tesla buyers would repeat their purchase of their car or another Tesla? How does this compare to other brands? Tesla does very well in rankings like this: > **[Tesla Makes It Into Consumer Reports' Top 3 Most Loved Car Brands](https://www.autoevolution.com/news/tesla-makes-it-into-consumer-reports-top-3-most-loved-car-brands-209891.html)** > > Tesla ranked third in Consumer Reports’ owner satisfaction survey, behind Porsche and Genesis. The EV manufacturer has often been criticized for it... They’re behind only Porche and Genesis. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-cybertruck-is-here/989702/74 "2023-09-07T22:44:14Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > I agree that a lot of online stuff has the problem that when things don’t go exactly to plan, there’s less of an escape hatch (the same is true of Google, etc.). When it’s all online, sometimes your requests end up just going into the ether. I had both experiences with Tesla. Scheduling a test drive was super easy, no hard sell tactics when I got there, just “here’s the key fob, go have fun.” I then ordered the car online and liked the experience. Then the delays started, and while I completely understood this (every car manufacturer was having issues), the problem was I could never get an answer to what was going on. I’d check online and my delivery date was June, then a week later it’s changed to July, and three days later its September. Next week it’s back to July…or is it? Who knows? Any attempts to contact someone was a brick wall. After the fourth change of more than a month, I lost confidence and bought a Hyundai where I could be informed about the schedule and plan around it. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-cybertruck-is-here/989702/75 "2023-09-07T22:46:37Z")
This sounds rather similar to my experience with the Ford dealership, honestly. The details are different, but the overall experience and frustration sound familiar. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e47774/32.png) [@epbrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-cybertruck-is-here/989702/76 "2023-09-07T22:46:53Z")
I don’t think you can blame Elon’s image for this completely. Tesla has had a poor reputation for service and support for years, and unless you’re adding JD Power and Consumer Reports to the conspiracy, it’s not just anecdotal. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-cybertruck-is-here/989702/77 "2023-09-07T22:53:09Z")
> [@epbrown](#): > > unless you’re adding JD Power and Consumer Reports to the conspiracy, it’s not just anecdotal. The gap between their rankings and owner satisfaction has to be explained, though. And they sell too many for it to just be enthusiasts and defect-tolerant early adopters at work. One problem that I’ve heard reported, but haven’t looked at too closely, is that apparently the JD Power “initial quality” rankings are based on things like being unable to use some feature of the head unit. Additional features count _against_ you, because it is one more thing that someone, somewhere might not be able to figure out. That’s a bit of a weird way to rank quality, especially if the owner actually does figure things out with extra practice. It’s not a defect in the same way that a broken physical component would be. But Tesla scores poorly since they pour so many features into their head unit. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-cybertruck-is-here/989702/78 "2023-09-07T23:25:35Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > It’s just a bad picture, though. I dunno, the image Musk posted on Twitter on August 23rd of him sitting in one also looked cheap and ugly. I suspect it’s just a lot less ‘neat’ looking when it’s not a professional/retouched photo or CGI render. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-cybertruck-is-here/989702/79 "2023-09-07T23:26:54Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > The gap between their rankings and owner satisfaction has to be explained, though. And they sell too many for it to just be enthusiasts and defect-tolerant early adopters at work. I’d be curious to know if JD Power and CR have a “controversial” rating, to account for love-it-or-hate-it cars. My first experience with Tesla was a friend’s Model S. My initial reaction when I got in it was, “Wow, this interior sucks.” My friend knew that and acknowledged that but that wasn’t a car that needed a nice interior. And yet, lots of Model S owners _loved_ the interior. They saw the spartan layout as classy and not cheap, and they didn’t care about the cheap plastic and panel gaps and creaks and everything else. At least, I’m assuming. I know there’s no accounting for taste but I really can’t explain how anyone would rate that interior well. So I’m curious if those consumer rating agencies can see this disparity in their data. FWIW, that same friend now has a Plaid and the interior is _very_ nice, lest you think I’m a hater. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2023, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-cybertruck-is-here/989702/80 "2023-09-07T23:44:47Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > At least, I’m assuming. I know there’s no accounting for taste but I really can’t explain how anyone would rate that interior well. Tastes do vary. I drove my sister’s Volvo a while back, and I suppose by some standards the interior materials are higher quality than my Tesla. But what I noticed more than anything is that the electronic gauges and head unit only refreshed at maybe 15 frames per second. Like watching some old-timey hand-cranked film. It was incredibly distracting and I could barely notice anything else. The interface also sucked and was hard to navigate. My Tesla, OTOH, has an incredibly smooth display that runs at 60 fps and is generally pretty easy to navigate (I have complaints, but they’re small compared to what I’ve seen from other makes). Probably a lot of people don’t care about that stuff. I’m picky about graphics though and care way more about that than whether I can see the stitching on the leather seats. So for me it’s a far superior product (and I do appreciate the minimalism, aside from whether the materials themselves are “luxurious”). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-cybertruck-is-here/989702.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-cybertruck-is-here/989702.md?page=5)