# Tesla Cybertruck

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-cybertruck/843866>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [November 23, 2019, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-cybertruck/843866 "2019-11-23T10:32:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 57

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**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\
**Post date:** [June 11, 2024, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-cybertruck/843866/1121 "2024-06-11T14:55:35Z")

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> [@Dr.Strangelove](#):
>
> More interesting to me is that they’ve sold 3,800 Cybertrucks.

That’s how many they recalled, right? That doesn’t mean a bunch of them aren’t sitting on lots somewhere.

Meanwhile, a company in California is upfitting these beasts to police cruisers:

> **[Crims beware: the world’s first Tesla Cybertruck police vehicle is here](https://www.topgear.com/car-news/first-look/crims-beware-worlds-first-tesla-cybertruck-police-vehicle-here)**
>
> Many lights and sirens outside and a purpose-built cabin inside. Is this the ultimate patrol vehicle?

As we’ve seen, some towns will buy just about any sort of military gear, so whatever this costs will probably be desirable to them.

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**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:** [June 11, 2024, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-cybertruck/843866/1122 "2024-06-11T22:14:13Z")

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> [@Maserschmidt](#):
>
> That’s how many they recalled, right? That doesn’t mean a bunch of them aren’t sitting on lots somewhere.

There are enough people keeping track of these things that I’d expect we’d know if there were thousands on a lot somewhere. Just for example, we know about [this parking lot](https://insideevs.com/news/718406/tesla-vehicles-lot-demand-texas/) where they counted 58 Cybertrucks. I think we’d know if there were enough other lots that added up to a meaningful number.

We’ll have a better idea at the end of Q2 if it’s actually selling decently or not. The last numbers were in April when they’d just barely ramped up production to decent levels (they claimed 1000/wk by the end). They should sell at least 10k, and ideally \>20k in Q2 if they’re really on track. But we won’t find out until the end of July.

EVs have a lot of advantages for police, who often sit for long periods in their car without moving much. Whether a Cybertruck specifically makes sense… eh, dunno. But at least we’re getting a taste of the cool cyber dystopia instead of the lame boring one.

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**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\
**Post date:** [June 12, 2024, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-cybertruck/843866/1123 "2024-06-12T00:44:21Z")

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I saw my first one driving down the highway yesterday. It didn’t get any better looking in real life.

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**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:** [June 12, 2024, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-cybertruck/843866/1124 "2024-06-12T19:18:09Z")

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Continuing my whataboutism on the Cybertruck, I saw one driving yesterday and immediately behind it was a Ram TRX. The Cybertruck, with its shiny, flat panels, looks very out of place on the street with all of the other cars, the TRX looks like if Rob Liefeld had designed a pickup truck.

The TRX has bulges, humps, vents, and grills all over the place. On this particular one all of the vents were neon green/yellow to make them stand out even more. It is also a $100k truck.

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**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\
**Post date:** [June 12, 2024, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-cybertruck/843866/1125 "2024-06-12T19:27:20Z")

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> [@echoreply](#):
>
> The TRX has bulges, humps, vents, and grills all over the place. On this particular one all of the vents were neon green/yellow to make them stand out even more.

That sounds hideous.

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**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\
**Post date:** [June 12, 2024, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-cybertruck/843866/1126 "2024-06-12T19:28:47Z")

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I just Googled it. It’s a bad ass looking truck.

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**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:** [June 12, 2024, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-cybertruck/843866/1127 "2024-06-12T19:29:39Z")

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I just Googled it as well. It’s a bad, ass-looking truck.

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**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\
**Post date:** [June 12, 2024, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-cybertruck/843866/1128 "2024-06-12T19:29:42Z")

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> [@hajario](#):
>
> bad ass looking

I continue to be dumbstruck at how this could be a compliment.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\
**Post date:** [June 12, 2024, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-cybertruck/843866/1129 "2024-06-12T19:30:39Z")

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Would you prefer bitchen?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [June 12, 2024, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-cybertruck/843866/1130 "2024-06-12T19:31:05Z")

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> [@hajario](#):
>
> Would you prefer bitchen

Only if it’s a Camaro.

> [@hajario](#):
>
> I just Googled it. It’s a bad ass looking truck

I liked the looks of it in pictures and the videos I’ve seen with it. In person, I did not like it. Perhaps it was just the color scheme.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\
**Post date:** [June 12, 2024, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-cybertruck/843866/1131 "2024-06-12T20:15:00Z")

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> [@echoreply](#):
>
> Only if it’s a Camaro.

igotthatreference.gif

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<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [June 17, 2024, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-cybertruck/843866/1132 "2024-06-17T21:33:29Z")

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Looks like wiper motors are failing:

> **[Tesla pauses Cybertruck deliveries over wiper motor issue](https://driveteslacanada.ca/news/tesla-pauses-cybertruck-deliveries-over-wiper-motor-issue/)**
>
> Tesla has temporarily paused Cybertruck deliveries over an issue with perhaps one of the most talked about features on the electric truck, the Gigawiper. On Friday Cybertruck reservations holders started reporting on social media that \[…\]

Could trigger a recall. And before anyone goes on and on about Tesla incompetence, Ford had a huge recall of wiper motors just last year:  
[https://www.ford.com/support/how-tos/recall/recalls-and-faqs/22s71-f-150-2021-2022-wiper-motor-recall/](https://www.ford.com/support/how-tos/recall/recalls-and-faqs/22s71-f-150-2021-2022-wiper-motor-recall/)  
And the ever-reliable Toyota built a wiper linkage that corroded when it got wet:  
[https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a15351401/wiped-out-toyota-recalls-423000-rav4-models-for-windshield-wipers/](https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a15351401/wiped-out-toyota-recalls-423000-rav4-models-for-windshield-wipers/)

Shit happens.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [June 17, 2024, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-cybertruck/843866/1133 "2024-06-17T22:08:23Z")

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Respectfully, it’s not quite the same thing. I don’t know what the issue with the F150 wiper is, but I’m guessing it’s the same basic wiper motor that they’ve been purchasing from suppliers since forever. It passed their QC process but after reviewing the data they’ve notice a higher than acceptable failure rate. This is bad, obviously, but shit happens.

Toyota sold 400k cars with a defective cowl cover, something that wouldn’t have shown up in their normal QC process because it took so long to materialize. Shit happens.

Tesla designed a revolutionary part to, as Rich Rebuilds put it, solve a problem that they themselves created. That is, how do you clear water off this massive windshield without ruining the esthetic. Then they released it without proper testing, let the customers test it for them, and discovered after only a few months and a few thousand vehicle deliveries that their design was crap.

This situation is unique to Tesla because Tesla is unique in treating cars like software, releasing something early and iterating on its designs. It’s a feature, to some. If you respect Tesla for taking this disruptive approach to manufacturing, then this isn’t “shit happens,” it’s “this is the process working as intended, and it’s a good thing.” If you’re not into Tesla’s whole approach, then this is one more ridiculous part failure to throw on the pile.

Call it a rabbit and duck situation, but I wouldn’t compare it to those other examples.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [June 17, 2024, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-cybertruck/843866/1134 "2024-06-17T22:16:30Z")

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Hoovie’s video showing water ingress in the frunk area after minimal use is even more shocking and egregious.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [June 17, 2024, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-cybertruck/843866/1135 "2024-06-17T22:19:48Z")

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> [@steronz](#):
>
> Then they released it without proper testing

Stated without evidence. While the information here is limited, the link claims that it was a supplier quality issue.

And all the other stuff you said just puts Tesla in a _better_ light. Was all this their own doing? Yes, because this is a brand-new product that pushes the state of the art forward. There are no other 48 volt wiper motors out there. Probably the fact that this is is a unique item has something to do with why there are some issues. Meanwhile, wiper motors that have been virtually identical for decades have no excuse for bursts of failures.

Tesla of course could have done something more conventional. But manufacturers being too cowardly to make unconventional products is the whole reason why EV adoption is far behind what it could have been.

So no, I’m not going to give conventional designs credit for _not_ pushing the state of the art forward. The industry has been wanting 48v systems for decades now but Tesla is the first to actually bite the bullet. They’ll undoubtedly face some issues in this regard, but the whole industry will benefit in the end, just as they’ve benefitted from Tesla making a long-range pure EV, or building in over-the-air software updates, or a bunch of other things that everyone else _wanted_ but weren’t willing to actually push forward.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [June 17, 2024, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-cybertruck/843866/1136 "2024-06-17T22:25:39Z")

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> [@Dr.Strangelove](#):
>
> Stated without evidence. While the information here is limited, the link claims that it was a supplier quality issue.

And who’s responsible for validating supplier quality?

The evidence is that the wiper motor failed so quickly for so many users. I’m not an industry insider so take my claims for what they’re worth, but they did not seem to do much testing here, else they would have caught what their users caught in this short amount of time.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [June 17, 2024, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-cybertruck/843866/1137 "2024-06-17T22:31:49Z")

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> [@steronz](#):
>
> The evidence is that the wiper motor failed so quickly for so many users.

The link only says “several”. Of course, it’s impossible to know based on a few forum posts how many actual users are affected.

No manufacturer puts every component of the vehicle through some extended stress test. If supplier quality drops for some reason or there are bad batches among good ones, they probably won’t be caught until they reach the field. Especially if it’s only something that shows up after some period of time. Hence why _all_ manufacturers face recalls from time to time.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [June 17, 2024, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-cybertruck/843866/1138 "2024-06-17T22:35:19Z")

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I don’t feel like you actually disagree with anything I said. Tesla is different. Their problems are different. They shouldn’t be compared to Toyota and Ford. Rabbit and duck. What am I missing?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [June 17, 2024, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-cybertruck/843866/1139 "2024-06-17T22:56:00Z")

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Yes, they are different. But it seemed clear to me that you felt that this puts Tesla in a worse light compared to Ford and Toyota (and many others–those were just the first two I found with recent wiper-related recalls).

If Ford were _really_ on top of supplier quality, they wouldn’t have let half a million defective wiper motors slip through. It’s not exactly commendable, but it is understandable. And certainly not unusual. We can’t deduce from this whether Tesla’s supplier quality checks are better or worse.

But what we do know is that Tesla’s motor is probably unique to them, since it’s 48v and probably uses more power than other motors. The fact that it’s new means we should _expect_ a higher probability of failure. Their QC and everything else could even be better than average but because it hasn’t gone through the iteration that conventional components have, it will still have a higher baseline likelihood of something being wrong. Whether in design or manufacture or QC or otherwise.

I have utter contempt for Rich’s point of view here, assuming it’s accurate: “as Rich Rebuilds put it, solve a problem that they themselves created.” Yes, doing _anything_ new could be characterized as “a problem that they themselves created.” I guess that Tesla shouldn’t have tried building an EV because the various battery faults and motor defects and other things that were exclusive to an EV were just problems they created. And I guess here they shouldn’t have created a 48v architecture, since I’m sure the wiper motor thing isn’t the _last_ problem they’ll face related to it. They should have just stuck with 12 volts like everyone else, and we can have 12 volts until the end of time because anyone that tries to improve this is a dumbass for solving problems that they themselves created. Ugh.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [June 17, 2024, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-cybertruck/843866/1140 "2024-06-17T22:58:44Z")

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> [@Dr.Strangelove](#):
>
> Yes, they are different. But it seemed clear to me that you felt that this puts Tesla in a worse light compared to Ford and Toyota (and many others–those were just the first two I found with recent wiper-related recalls).

Yes. Rabbit and duck.

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