Cybertruck Demo Test Drives Are Here and Expanding to New Locations

[Cyberman]

So, in potentially awesome and long overdue news, I went into a local Tesla showroom to ask about my CT order to see if they could see any new info, 2 separate representatives at separate times stated that the showrooms with CT displays WILL soon be offering demo drive invite only events soon. You will need to be on their “list” to get this invite and can be done by going into a store and registering your interest. Simple. After I left I received an email and text confirming the demo event. As always with SAs could be incorrect but seems very possible and was possibly happing this month!

I'm sooo excited to take part in the Demolition drive event!

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[Crissa]

What sign up?

During the early viewings, you had to sign in at the store and leave contact information to even see the truck.

-Crissa

 

[HaulingAss]

During the early viewings, you had to sign in at the store and leave contact information to even see the truck.

-Crissa

I suppose they could use those lists to schedule test drives if their strategy is to sell as many Foundation Edition trucks as possible. But that would not be good news for people like you who are waiting for the non-Foundation trucks.

Personally, I hope they forget about test drive tomfoolery and just move to the regular series when they sense natural demand for trucks with the $20K premium is starting to wane.

But what matters most of all is how fast they ramp production. Why am I starting to feel like they have a strategy to keep production low until they have a new generation of 4680 cells, perhaps around this summer?

 

[Crissa]

It's hard to discern Tesla's gambling on how to dole out their slow ramp.

-Crissa

 

[Woodrick]

I suppose they could use those lists to schedule test drives if their strategy is to sell as many Foundation Edition trucks as possible. But that would not be good news for people like you who are waiting for the non-Foundation trucks.

Personally, I hope they forget about test drive tomfoolery and just move to the regular series when they sense natural demand for trucks with the $20K premium is starting to wane.

But what matters most of all is how fast they ramp production. Why am I starting to feel like they have a strategy to keep production low until they have a new generation of 4680 cells, perhaps around this summer?

Why assume that they will be using the Foundation vehicles. Why assume that "soon" isn't 9 months away.

As with anything EV related, it doesn't exist until it is in customer's hands.

Just how long would you expect that a line to be able to drive Cybertruck will be? I assume that no deposit will be required.

 

[HaulingAss]

Why assume that they will be using the Foundation vehicles. Why assume that "soon" isn't 9 months away.

As with anything EV related, it doesn't exist until it is in customer's hands.

Just how long would you expect that a line to be able to drive Cybertruck will be? I assume that no deposit will be required.

I guess I wasn't clear.

My thinking is that since Tesla has effectively unlimited demand this year for the Cybertruck at non-Foundation Edition prices, that they would have no incentive to offer a bunch of test drives unless they were trying to increase sales of Foundation Edition trucks with the $20K higher prices.

 

[Phones And Drones]

I guess I wasn't clear.

My thinking is that since Tesla has effectively unlimited demand this year for the Cybertruck at non-Foundation Edition prices, that they would have no incentive to offer a bunch of test drives unless they were trying to increase sales of Foundation Edition trucks with the $20K higher prices.

This is the only logical rational here. I agree 100%

 

[Woodrick]

This is the only logical rational here. I agree 100%

But I don't want logical thinking, I wanna sit in and drive the Cybertruck!

 

[dandor]

They won't allow people to sit in the truck, but people are thinking test drives are coming? The chaos of this would be insane and not worth the effort of the showrooms.

 

[Crissa]

They won't allow people to sit in the truck, but people are thinking test drives are coming? The chaos of this would be insane and not worth the effort of the showrooms.

Well, that's what several of us have been told by the sales staff.

They're not just going to leave pristine trucks sitting there forever.

-Crissa

 

[dandor]

Well, that's what several of us have been told by the sales staff.

They're not just going to leave pristine trucks sitting there forever.

-Crissa

Of course the sales staff will tell you that they want to give test drives, but there is zero incentive for them to do it. They would get way more requests than they could handle and it wouldn't lead to any immediate sales. The attention the truck gets in the showroom is all they want and that may be enough to annoy the people working in the showrooms. Test drives aren't needed until they need to sell units. They want you to visit the Cybertruck and drive a Model 3,Y. They don't care if you drive a Cybertruck and put down a refundable $250 payment.

 

[Woodrick]

Of course the sales staff will tell you that they want to give test drives, but there is zero incentive for them to do it. They would get way more requests than they could handle and it wouldn't lead to any immediate sales. The attention the truck gets in the showroom is all they want and that may be enough to annoy the people working in the showrooms. Test drives aren't needed until they need to sell units. They want you to visit the Cybertruck and drive a Model 3,Y. They don't care if you drive a Cybertruck and put down a refundable $250 payment.

There is a little incentive to getting someone to drive a Cybertruck that's to convince them to get another Tesla while they wait.

Nissan had some issues with the introduction on the first big Leaf refresh and my lease expired before it was going to be available. Nissan extended my lease with half-price payments.

Which is even a more ironic story, because I was only getting the refresh because the Model 3 was later than expected.

A few months later, the Model 3 appeared, and my wife got rid of her Subaru and drove it until her Model Y appeared.

Hmm, some short, maybe variable length leases on some Model 3s and Model Ys would be an interesting idea, something to hold them over until their truck becomes available.


I think that they may have imagined the Cybertrucks in the showroom would have pulled in some people that they could convert into cars at the end of the year, but I suspect that it actually got in the way for the stores that had them. Too many employees are needed to babysit the truck (Take information, watch traffic flow, holler "hands off", ask questions, etc)

 

[Crissa]

I think that they may have imagined the Cybertrucks in the showroom would have pulled in some people that they could convert into cars at the end of the year, but I suspect that it actually got in the way for the stores that had them. Too many employees are needed to babysit the truck (Take information, watch traffic flow, holler "hands off", ask questions, etc)

I think it's just Elon's 'Tucker' moment for all the Cybertruck nay-sayers.

-Crissa

 

[roadrunner32]

I think it's just Elon's 'Tucker' moment for all the Cybertruck nay-sayers.

-Crissa

Saw the movie about 6 months ago and even then I thought, yeah thats what is happening now.

 

[shaneaus]

I completed the demo drive today in Austin,Tx. I was the first one this morning.

Honestly, I was a bit disappointed. The staff was fantastic. The familiarization bit was quick and minimal. I had absolutely zero time to explore the menu. One could bring a +1 and I drove. The drive felt like less than five minutes. I was barely able to get a feel for the variable steering and it was over.

If I hadn't driven a Tesla before and already a fan I can't imagine how disappointing the brevity of the drive would have been.

That being said it was nice to be able to show up, sign in, go on the demo drive, and depart without any high pressure sales!

The truck was great. A bit difficult to wrap ones head around how minimal the interior was since I've never owned a Tesla.

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