Reconsidering My CT order, YouTube Reviewers stating it's another Edsel, worst new car flop ever

[canyoncarver]

I suspect you're trolling again, but I'll ask you this serious question:

Do you think 2025 Cybertruck sales will be as horrible as the Silverado EV, Sierra EV, Rivian R1T, and F-150 Lightning?

Rivian is the only one that is real competition to the CT. As far as I know Rivian is still constrained on their production capacity whereas Tesla have already acknowledged having 200M in unsold CT inventory going into Q2.

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[canyoncarver]

Big difference is that Steve created Apple from day 1. Not true for Elon and Tesla.

Right, Elon came in at day 2.

Marc and Martin had PROPOSED an electric car and defined the architecture and most importantly started the work on sourcing of necessary components.

When Elon was brought in as an investor no actual engineering design work had been done. Tesla would have struggled to get the Roadster to market, and make it profitable without JB who Elon brought in.

In fact, Roadster production was faltering when Elon really took the reigns and pushed Marc and Martin out.

It's also worth noting that if Marc and Martin had kept even half of their diluted initial stake in Tesla both would be billionaires but they almost certainly (foolishly) sold most of their stock for the relative pittance it was worth at the time vs. what it would be worth today... and keep in mind all of this played out in less than 20 years.

 

[dalton108]

Right, Elon came in at day 2.

Marc and Martin had PROPOSED an electric car and defined the architecture and most importantly started the work on sourcing of necessary components.

When Elon was brought in as an investor no actual engineering design work had been done. Tesla would have struggled to get the Roadster to market, and make it profitable without JB who Elon brought in.

In fact, Roadster production was faltering when Elon really took the reigns and pushed Marc and Martin out.

It's also worth noting that if Marc and Martin had kept even half of their diluted initial stake in Tesla both would be billionaires but they almost certainly (foolishly) sold most of their stock for the relative pittance it was worth at the time vs. what it would be worth today... and keep in mind all of this played out in less than 20 years.

We live in a day and age where ignorance is a choice and the facts are out there if you want them. Isn’t it glorious?!?!

Please note, there is a small fee for my fact checking services

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ChatGPT 4o


The assertion is mostly accurate but requires some clarification and context to avoid oversimplification or misattribution. Here’s a breakdown of the key claims:

1. “Steve created Apple from day 1. Not true for Elon and Tesla.”

True.

Elon Musk did not found Tesla. Tesla Motors was incorporated in July 2003 by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning. Elon Musk joined as a major investor in February 2004 during the Series A funding round, becoming Chairman of the Board. He is legally recognized as a co-founder due to a 2009 lawsuit settlement, but he was not one of the original incorporators.

2. “Marc and Martin had PROPOSED an electric car and defined the architecture and most importantly started the work on sourcing of necessary components.”

Mostly true.

Eberhard and Tarpenning had a clear concept for a high-performance electric sports car, and their early work included business planning, supplier outreach (notably to AC Propulsion, whose tzero was a major technical inspiration), and design specifications. They chose the Lotus Elise as the platform and initiated supplier discussions—though the full technical architecture was far from finalized.

3. “When Elon was brought in as an investor no actual engineering design work had been done.”

Misleading.

At the time Musk invested, preliminary engineering had begun, including the foundational idea to use lithium-ion cells and the intent to build on a Lotus platform. However, the design was still conceptual. The actual engineering of drivetrain, electronics, battery pack, and integration was later developed under the guidance of JB Straubel and others, heavily funded and influenced by Musk.

4. “Tesla would have struggled to get the Roadster to market, and make it profitable without JB who Elon brought in.”

True.

JB Straubel was critical to Tesla’s technical success. Musk brought him in, and JB became the key architect of Tesla’s battery technology and powertrain systems. Without Straubel, Tesla’s technical execution would likely have faltered.

5. “Roadster production was faltering when Elon really took the reins and pushed Marc and Martin out.”

True.

Roadster development ran into severe delays, cost overruns, and engineering challenges (especially with the transmission and battery integration). By late 2007, Musk lost confidence in Eberhard’s leadership. Musk pushed Eberhard out as CEO and eventually took over as CEO himself in 2008, just before the Roadster’s commercial launch. Tesla was near bankruptcy at the time, and Musk personally funded operations during that crisis.

Bottom Line:

• Elon Musk did not found Tesla but transformed it into what it is today.
• The original concept, company formation, and early sourcing came from Eberhard and Tarpenning.
• Musk’s role as financier, strategic leader, and recruiter (notably of JB Straubel) was indispensable to Tesla’s survival and growth.
• The “day 2” phrasing is figurative but apt: he wasn’t there at birth, but he took over during infancy and radically shaped the company.

 

[canyoncarver]

I stand by my skin of the teeth recollection of Tesla history vs your AI robot fact check!!

 

[dalton108]

I stand by my skin of the teeth recollection of Tesla history vs your AI robot fact check!!

When you’re right, you’re right.

 

[Outlaw1]

You can either listen to people who don't own it and maybe never driven it or listen to the broader community of people who own it and drive it every day, for the truth. There is much much more positive, good, and bad assery for the CT.

 

[area51]

Right, Elon came in at day 2.

Marc and Martin had PROPOSED an electric car and defined the architecture and most importantly started the work on sourcing of necessary components.

When Elon was brought in as an investor no actual engineering design work had been done. Tesla would have struggled to get the Roadster to market, and make it profitable without JB who Elon brought in.

In fact, Roadster production was faltering when Elon really took the reigns and pushed Marc and Martin out.

It's also worth noting that if Marc and Martin had kept even half of their diluted initial stake in Tesla both would be billionaires but they almost certainly (foolishly) sold most of their stock for the relative pittance it was worth at the time vs. what it would be worth today... and keep in mind all of this played out in less than 20 years.

So there was no car produced before Elon stepped in? Genuinely trying to learn.

 

[Bridgeboy69]

Paradigm shifts always take time. Not everyone can be as smart as us pack-leaders here right away...most people take longer to understand things... We are just quicker to catch on is all...

How long did it take for the average horse user to accept Model T motor cars? Some of you may think this is an outlandish comparison, but I assure you, it is not. It is an extremely similar paradigm shift comparison where the majority of the population has gotten so used to a maintsay way to life for decades that their psyche cannot accept what they percieve as a radical change, despite that change being cleary, so very clearly, techologically superior.

This is realy no different. CT's are superior in nearly every way to old form pickup trucks which have not changed in any meaningful way in nearly a half century. The only difference in sales and adoption is the general population's understanding and acceptance of this...which will take time for most of them. But not for [most of] us here who see and recognognize excellence when it is shown in front of us.

 

[Bridgeboy69]

Rivian is the only one that is real competition to the CT. As far as I know Rivian is still constrained on their production capacity whereas Tesla have already acknowledged having 200M in unsold CT inventory going into Q2.

Rivian is not anywhere close to competing with CTs. Rivian will be bankrupt within years and their [nice looking] trucks will be obsolete with no company in business backing them.

This is but a small, infinitesimally small tidbit about them:

"Rivian's Financials
Revenue and Losses:
Revenue: In Q2 2024, Rivian reported revenue of $1.12 billion, surpassing estimates of $1.01 billion.
Net Losses: Rivian continues to report significant losses, with a net loss of approximately $5.43 billion for the last reported year. The company has been losing around $1.5 billion per quarter, or roughly $100,000 per vehicle sold.
Gross Profit: Rivian achieved a positive gross profit in Q4 2024, a milestone indicating progress toward profitability. However, gross margins have been negative for multiple quarters prior, with an improvement of $35,000 gross profit per vehicle delivered in Q2 2023."

If you want to know more, ask your own favorite AI, or use the ancient art of executing your own Google searches your self...and you will see the light...which is none, for Rivian...

 

[canyoncarver]

Rivian is not anywhere close to competing with CTs. Rivian will be bankrupt within years and their [nice looking] trucks will be obsolete with no company in business backing them.

This is but a small, infinitesimally small tidbit about them:

"Rivian's Financials
Revenue and Losses:
Revenue: In Q2 2024, Rivian reported revenue of $1.12 billion, surpassing estimates of $1.01 billion.
Net Losses: Rivian continues to report significant losses, with a net loss of approximately $5.43 billion for the last reported year. The company has been losing around $1.5 billion per quarter, or roughly $100,000 per vehicle sold.
Gross Profit: Rivian achieved a positive gross profit in Q4 2024, a milestone indicating progress toward profitability. However, gross margins have been negative for multiple quarters prior, with an improvement of $35,000 gross profit per vehicle delivered in Q2 2023."

If you want to know more, ask your own favorite AI, or use the ancient art of executing your own Google searches your self...and you will see the light...which is none, for Rivian...

The Amazon contract alone is going to keep Rivian going for years even if somehow their consumer products fail.

 

[oscar60]

Wouldn’t reccomend CT since tesla changed the most enjoyable CT feature—the steer by wire was the best selling point—-now that they made it stiffer-heavier it lost the light nimble feel that made it enjoyable to drive. Selling mine. new owners don’t know what they have missed out on.

 

[BlueLightning]

I have a Lightning Lariat and the couple days I have spent driving the CT blow away my Lightning. However I will say I love the creature comforts and amenities in the Lightning

“RWD Cybertruck costs over $30,000 more than Tesla originally planned. For that price, you could get a competing *electric truck like an extended-range F-150 Lightning for about the same price.

*The 2025 Ford F-150 Lightning Flash starts at $70,190, offers up to 10,000 lbs of towing, and has a maximum payload capacity of 2,235 lbs

?both of which beat the RWD Cybertruck.”

-Autoblog 2025.

 

[dalton108]

Wouldn’t reccomend CT since tesla changed the most enjoyable CT feature—the steer by wire was the best selling point—-now that they made it stiffer-heavier it lost the light nimble feel that made it enjoyable to drive. Selling mine. new owners don’t know what they have missed out on.

wut?

 

[kpanda17]

wut?

are you referring to a software update that changed the user experience with steering?

 

[canyoncarver]

are you referring to a software update that changed the user experience with steering?

A recent update added more steering feedback to the yoke. It does not make the steering "heavier" it just means that you can feel the road surface more when driving due to an improved haptic feedback between the wheel sensors and the steering yoke.

It's a pretty big upgrade and removes some of the numb Cadillac type feel of driving the Cybertruck.

It is completely laughable that someone would dump their truck at a loss over this change... if enough owners are bothered by it then Tesla will eventually make the way it behaves a selectable option.

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