Writer seeking input from Cybertruck owners

[tingmo13]

It’s already not that big. Shorter than most “extended” cab (not to be confused with full cab) trucks. And it’s super maneuverable thanks to SBW/4WS. If you want smaller for some reason, Rivian could use some customers.

well I read & watched everything about Cybertruck-did 48 hrs demo too-it's huge. I'm neither car nor truck person but Cybertruck is out of league. As a long term T$LA holder price isn't the hurdle at all but size do matter.

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[hemiarch]

Looks like you have plenty of “content” just from this response thread.

 

[HickoryGoose]

day one reservation holder (reservation still intact)-it's an amazing machine-please make sure to write that Elon/Tesla should produce/launch a smaller variant cybertruck-I'm patiently waiting.

The CT handles, parks, rides, pulls, hauls, roadtrips way better than the F-150 Platinum it replaced. It’s not close. F-150 didn’t fit in my garage either. The handling is better than my model 3. Nothing to wait for.

 

[georgek43]

Hi everyone, any current or former Cybertruck owners out there willing to talk to me, a writer working on an article about the cultural impact of the vehicle? On background or anonymous is fine, if you prefer. Please let me know, and thank you!

Glad to speak with you. My Cybertruck is the best vehicle I have ever owned. Contact me with a number and convenient time that I can call you. George

 

[HickoryGoose]

well I read & watched everything about Cybertruck-did 48 hrs demo too-it's huge. I'm neither car nor truck person but Cybertruck is out of league. As a long term T$LA holder price isn't the hurdle at all but size do matter.

Try a Rivian RT1 or Ford Maverick hybrid. Neither fit my use case, but both are good vehicles. If those are too huge, there is no hope.

 

[Chasesmithrel]

Would love a specific example if you can think of one, or just thoughts about the parts of the articles you're thinking of are lies.

I recently came across this article:
The Steps You Need To Follow To Not Brick Your Tesla When Washing It


The title strongly implies that washing a Tesla can "brick" it, which would be a major concern for owners. However, after reading through five paragraphs largely criticizing the Cybertruck, the article eventually states that this isn’t actually a concern at all. The headline is misleading at best, and the content seems more focused on mocking the vehicle than informing readers.


Another article I read was this one:
Tesla Cybertruck Depreciation Details


It claims that Cybertruck resale prices have dropped nearly 50%, from $168,543 to $84,470. But that $168K figure is extremely misleading — the Cybertruck has never cost that much at retail. Even if some early resales were that high due to hype or limited availability, it's disingenuous to frame the price correction as pure “depreciation.” The new Cyberbeast model now retails for $99,000, so naturally, secondhand prices will adjust. Rather than acknowledging that Tesla has made the Cybertruck more accessible, the article frames it as a failure — another example of a narrative focused on tearing it down rather than reporting fairly.


I could link many more articles that seem to exist purely to mock the Cybertruck and its owners. Just scrolling through Yahoo News or similar aggregators, you'll regularly see at least a few headlines whose sole intent appears to be ridiculing this vehicle and those who enjoy it.


I’d be more than happy to have a conversation about what owning a Cybertruck is actually like. You can email me — I love my truck, and I'd be glad to share all the incredible things it can do. I’d also love to talk about how much joy it brings my kids, how they jump up and down with excitement every time we go for a ride, and how nearly 100 people I’ve given rides to have walked away impressed — often despite their initial skepticism.


But something tells me that kind of story isn’t what you’re looking for. It seems like you’re looking for fuel to throw on the fire — targeting people not because of any actual issue, but simply because they drive a uniquely styled truck.

 

[CyberGus]

It just seems like a super controversial car to own, especially right now, so I'm super curious about what makes people buy and keep them.

Most of us ordered the truck when the only thing controversial about was the look.

The design as revealed in 2019 was quite polarizing, but many including me loved it. If I totaled mine today I'd buy another tomorrow, it is hands-down the best vehicle I've ever driven.

Elon's political activities have certainly attracted unwanted attention to his companies, but that is no reflection upon the users of his products. If I only purchased from corporations whose CEOs shared my values, I'd be raising barns with the Amish and making my own pants.

 

[REM]

Hi Bob.

Are you anonymous, or can you show us your professional portfolio before moving forward?

(@ag1aia)

Hi again, Bob

wanted to follow up to see if you had a portfolio you can share of your prior work.

 

[espresso-drumbeat]

Glad to speak with you. My Cybertruck is the best vehicle I have ever owned. Contact me with a number and convenient time that I can call you. George

Another gullible is hooked, now reeeeeel

 

[CyberGus]

I recently came across this article:
The Steps You Need To Follow To Not Brick Your Tesla When Washing It

There are plenty of online "new media" outlets that seek to entertain rather than elucidate, and they know how to juice the algorithm. I'm frequently offered articles/videos that are such hot garbage I don't even link them here anymore, they not worth anyone's time and deserve no oxygen.

 

[acuransx]

Lie-containing articles, hmmm, pretty

Can you link to the lie-containing articles, if you have them handy? Sounds like you guys have had a rough time talking to writers.

There is a YouTuber called Flying Wheel. You can find it. There is nothing on the CT that he liked. I commented on his video if he doesn’t like it, sell the damn thing and being bias.

 

[nallen]

Hi everyone, any current or former Cybertruck owners out there willing to talk to me, a writer working on an article about the cultural impact of the vehicle? On background or anonymous is fine, if you prefer. Please let me know, and thank you!

Happy to talk. DM me.

 

[ag1aia]

Thanks so much to everyone who responded so far. I know it's hard to judge tone online, but please know I'm sincere when I say I appreciate people's honest takes, including people who are mad I'd even be writing about the cultural angle in the first place. As I've been researching this piece, I've realized I actually DON'T want to write another Cybertruck takedown, because those already exist in spades. So, it's boring for me as a writer, and presumably for readers, too.

This is the rationale for looking for owner input: I'm genuinely curious about people's motivations in owning it, and not just looking for "gotcha" quotes (again, boring). It looks like a lot of people love the functionality of the truck, although I've yet to hear from someone who says, "Yes, I use it daily in my construction/ contracting/ etc. business to haul, transport, etc etc." Maybe that person is out there, and if so I'd love to hear from them! I did find at least one guy out there who says he's a contractor and is disappointed in the CT as a work vehicle:

One follow-up to the people who say they love the truck's functionality: what, if anything, makes you different as a Cybertruck/ Tesla enthusiast vs. say, a general EV enthusiast or, on the other end of the spectrum perhaps, a Lamborghini/ Maserati/ Ferrari (fancy racing-type car) enthusiast?

Another follow-up, for the people saying to "separate the art from the artist," so to speak: it does make a certain amount of sense to say, "if I subjected all my consumer choices to a purity test, I'd never be able to buy anything." But if that's true, and if it's "normal" to just ignore larger context/ CEO views when making consumer decisions, why are so many people, including here, so defensive about their Tesla or Cybertruck purchases?

There have been reports of people replacing or disguising their Tesla decals, plus all the photos online of "I bought this before Elon went crazy" stickers. Lots of "die journo scum" type comments here, which I assume come from being tired of seeing one's neutral-feeling consumer choices interpreted as support of "pure evil." But all that being the case, do we think people in other enthusiast communities, car-related or not, would be similarly mad at the types of questions I've been asking here, or is there something special about the CT, or our political moment, or whatever, that brings it out?

As for writing about a car when I'm not a "car guy": I think that's actually why my editors assigned me this piece—like it or not, the Cybertruck has become politicized, and as such it's fair game for anyone interested in American culture today. It's the same way that, to write about the COVID vaccine, I should ideally have a working knowledge of the medical side of things, but it's also so politicized that an article about how and why people think about it/ perceive it in certain ways could be interesting all on its own.

Anyway, thank you all, and thanks for reading this post (which ended up being longer than I intended). Looking forward to more of your comments!

 

[RustyLopez]

Still unwilling to provide links to previous articles you've published, eh?

 

[Chasesmithrel]

Another follow-up, for the people saying to "separate the art from the artist," so to speak: it does make a certain amount of sense to say, "if I subjected all my consumer choices to a purity test, I'd never be able to buy anything." But if that's true, and if it's "normal" to just ignore larger context/ CEO views when making consumer decisions, why are so many people, including here, so defensive about their Tesla or Cybertruck purchases?

There have been reports of people replacing or disguising their Tesla decals, plus all the photos online of "I bought this before Elon went crazy" stickers. Lots of "die journo scum" type comments here, which I assume come from being tired of seeing one's neutral-feeling consumer choices interpreted as support of "pure evil." But all that being the case, do we think people in other enthusiast communities, car-related or not, would be similarly mad at the types of questions I've been asking here, or is there something special about the CT, or our political moment, or whatever, that brings it out?
[/QUOTE]

The reason a lot of us get so defensive is because we are constantly attacked and ridiculed online. What would you do if you were constantly bombarded with insults and "news" articles targeting you with misleading info. It is natural to get defensive when you are being attacked for no good reason.

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