Tesla Cybertruck, from bad to worse!

At Tesla, everyone was eager for the week to end, as clouds gathered over the future of the Cybertruck.

It all started with those terrible words from Elon Musk himself at the beginning of the week: “Tesla is digging its own grave with the Cybertruck.” Elon Musk is certainly not known for softening his words, but the statement hurts. An attitude that reflects his outsized ambitions, which he once again demonstrated during a remote conference following the announcement of the automaker’s latest results. The report was marked by a decline in  margins, partly due to the surge in expenses related to the production of the Cybertruck. The outspoken CEO also stated that he wanted to “temper expectations” around the Cybertruck, adding that the company might face “enormous challenges” to increase production and make it financially positive in the short term. Let’s take a deep breath and hope that the hype around the pickup truck subsides.

Later in the week, the release of the vehicle’s technical specifications to the U.S. transportation regulatory authority NHTSA (National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration) confirmed that in its basic “D” version for “Dual Motor – Standard”, the Cybertruck will weigh over 3,629.19 kg. In France, driving a vehicle over 3.5 tons requires a special C1 license, known as “Heavy Goods Vehicle” license. It will therefore not be possible to drive a Tesla Cybertruck in France with just a standard B license. It’s hard to imagine the Cybertruck reserved solely for professional use, but the law is the law. A Light version for Europe? There is no record of such a version in the NHTSA registrations.

Tesla is, in a way, caught in its own trap of hyper-media coverage of its Cybertruck. While the pickup market is very large in the United States, it remains difficult to estimate its size in other European and Asian markets, where this type of vehicle has never gained popularity.