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Tesla is sitting on $200M worth of Cybertruck inventory

electrek.co

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Re: Tesla is sitting on $200M worth of Cybertruck inventory

#11

Post by TheAlchemist »

DFHippie wrote: post #7
TheAlchemist wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is a massive overlap between Tesla 'cult' members who hold Tesla shares and Cybertruck buyers - hence the 'best-selling EV truck' for the first few months. It sounds wild, but it's a thing. Many claim to have bought several cars already 'for the mission' (one has to explain me, how buying several cars in a span of 5 years helps to fight climate change). Once this pool was exhausted however, there is literally 0…

Here's hoping the business world learns from this experience: trolls make terrible CEOs. It's one thing to be a narcissist or a sociopath. It's another to set out to sell a product while bending all your effort to taunting and dominating the customers who trusted you. People remember being betrayed. It turns out no one is an NPC.

I don't think it's that simple.

Tesla sales were already slowing way before Musk turned full MAGA and he knew that. Competition showed up, states started cutting EV subisdes, especially in Europe etc. Tesla was never going to achieve the 50% / year growth that hey announced, and hit 20M car sales by 2030.

I actually think that may be one reason he did turn to Trump. It's a last ditch attempt at trying to save his empire.

People will point out that he is the richest person on earth etc etc. This is all based on valuation levels making pets.com like something Buffett could buy. The only liquid asset he has is Tesla. It's the only one on which he cashed in tens of billions of $, and it's the one he used as collateral to fund his other ventures. If it goes back down to earth, he's done.

Re: Tesla is sitting on $200M worth of Cybertruck inventory

#12

Post by ggm »

If you consider it marketing, It did its job during a difficult period. If you need it to perform in the market, I think it's demonstrably failed, but you can look at other successful utility vehicle plays and say "thats so unhelpful to PR and sales messaging for this brand" -nobody respects the makers of UPS trucks except guys in UPS truck buying contexts and the tesla truck wasn't aimed at truck owners as such: it was aimed at what in Australia we'd call "Cashed up bogans" -people who want an image outcome, not a utility function.

I am much more interested in how the Tesla Semi Trailer is doing. And, the alternatives.

We could be saying how poorly the the Tesla solar roofing tiles are doing, but we'd have to acknowledge Tesla power storage is now critical worldwide. So, like any company it has hits and misses.

I think in the end all we're saying is that this was a hugely avoidable miss, but in PR terms at the time, it probably worked out. Long tail cost however.

Bit of "tail wagging the dog" in almost any brand-led discussion.

I don't personally know Musk, I certainly dislike his personal image. Doesn't seem my kind of guy. Interesting.

Re: Tesla is sitting on $200M worth of Cybertruck inventory

#14

Post by Neywiny »

legitster wrote: post #6

Even setting aside the political stuff, this thing was 3 years late to the market. There are very few reasons you would want one of these over a Rivian outside of aesthetics, and it was a divisive aesthetic from the beginning.

Agreed. From the looks of it as someone who doesn't follow the automotive space too closely: Tesla unveiled it before any/most companies mentioned the idea, and shipped after most/all others had already. So, they got people riled up to buy an electric pickup, then sent them all to the competitors.

(And then shipped a pile of recalled garbage)

Re: Tesla is sitting on $200M worth of Cybertruck inventory

#15

Post by frognumber »

cratermoon wrote: post #4
TheAlchemist wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is a massive overlap between Tesla 'cult' members who hold Tesla shares and Cybertruck buyers - hence the 'best-selling EV truck' for the first few months. It sounds wild, but it's a thing. Many claim to have bought several cars already 'for the mission' (one has to explain me, how buying several cars in a span of 5 years helps to fight climate change). Once this pool was exhausted however, there is literally 0…

Tesla, the DeLorean of the 21st century. Or maybe Edsel. Or Tucker.

The DeLorean was a beautiful car, though!

And they've actually gone up in value, by quite a bit. $90k-$190k used, $25k new. Which is curious, since a decade ago, they were quite cheap.

Re: Tesla is sitting on $200M worth of Cybertruck inventory

#16

Post by duxup »

ggm wrote: post #12

If you consider it marketing, It did its job during a difficult period. If you need it to perform in the market, I think it's demonstrably failed, but you can look at other successful utility vehicle plays and say "thats so unhelpful to PR and sales messaging for this brand" -nobody respects the makers of UPS trucks except guys in UPS truck buying contexts and the tesla truck wasn't aimed at truck owners as such: it…

I don’t understand what “respect” means in this context….

Who cares if you won some imaginary respect if you’re not selling?

UPS van sold lots… so that seems good.

Re: Tesla is sitting on $200M worth of Cybertruck inventory

#17

Post by acdha »

Neywiny wrote: post #14
legitster wrote: post #6

Even setting aside the political stuff, this thing was 3 years late to the market. There are very few reasons you would want one of these over a Rivian outside of aesthetics, and it was a divisive aesthetic from the beginning.

Agreed. From the looks of it as someone who doesn't follow the automotive space too closely: Tesla unveiled it before any/most companies mentioned the idea, and shipped after most/all others had already. So, they got people riled up to buy an electric pickup, then sent them all to the competitors. (And then shipped a pile of recalled garbage)

Also the price went up by over 50%, and the initial reports of issues with car washes or rain along with the resale penalty were not exactly what buyers want to hear when they’re looking at a six figure vehicle purchase.

Re: Tesla is sitting on $200M worth of Cybertruck inventory

#18

Post by acdha »

frognumber wrote: post #15
cratermoon wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Tesla, the DeLorean of the 21st century. Or maybe Edsel. Or Tucker.

The DeLorean was a beautiful car, though! And they've actually gone up in value, by quite a bit. $90k-$190k used, $25k new. Which is curious, since a decade ago, they were quite cheap.

> Which is curious, since a decade ago, they were quite cheap.

The 80s kids who grew up watching Back to the Future are entering the age where some of them have money and mid-life crises.

Re: Tesla is sitting on $200M worth of Cybertruck inventory

#20

Post by atonse »

legitster wrote: post #6

Even setting aside the political stuff, this thing was 3 years late to the market. There are very few reasons you would want one of these over a Rivian outside of aesthetics, and it was a divisive aesthetic from the beginning.

It solved a bunch of problems absolutely nobody asked for, nor cared about. Bulletproof paneling? I mean you can’t make this stuff up. The sharp edges were idiotic. It was absolute hubris over good engineering.

They should’ve done what ford did. Make it just a regular damn pick up truck, no need for bulletproof nonsense. And it would’ve sold like hot cakes.

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