Writer seeking input from Cybertruck owners

[BlueLightning]

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!

Don’t know nothing.

But you can get a good used 2024 Foundation now for $72k

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[carsly]

Question for everyone mentioning misinformation and lies about the CT in the media: are you talking about factual misrepresentations, e.g. incorrect information about gas mileage, FSD, or other features of the vehicle? Or is it other stuff? What kinds of things have you found are routinely written about Cybertrucks and/ or their owners that you would characterize as "misinformation"?

I have read many of these takedowns, both in journalistic outlets and on fora like r/Cyberstuck, but since I'm not a Cybertruck owner myself and so have no "skin in the game," don't know how they land with those of you who bought and drive the car.

/ignore

That's how they land. Don't read them, why would I? I own the vehicle and I know what it does and can do. Are you familiar with the concept of signal to noise ratios? Those are just noise, I read things that contain signal.

 

[Polocyberbeast]

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!

Sure contact me

 

[BrockN]

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.

I think I burned my sinuses, blowing hot coffee out my nose at that one... ?

A seamstress I am not, so I completely agree. Wanting better for society does not preclude you (or me) from participating in the society we have.

When I bought my Model S in 2015, my response when asked was that it was the best *anything* I'd ever bought. And I continued to believe that up until I sold it to make room for the truck. As long as the stainless panels stay glued to the truck, I will say the same thing about my FS, because it's even better than the S. And being ten years further evolved, it absolutely should be.

 

[Jsemett]

Happy to DM me, Jim

 

[CyberGus]

Question for everyone mentioning misinformation and lies about the CT in the media: are you talking about factual misrepresentations, e.g. incorrect information about gas mileage, FSD, or other features of the vehicle?

Tesla-related fatalities often become a referendum on FSD, since early reports will speculate before a proper investigation. Four years ago, two men died in a Model S, and responders on the scene insisted the car was driving autonomously "because there was no one in the driver's seat". This was reported as fact, while Tesla owners know full well that FSD disengages without an active driver. The hype got silly enough that Consumer Reports actually "proved" it could be done by twisting themselves into knots to bypass all the safety features. (NHTSA later concluded that there was indeed a driver, drunk and speeding, that left the driver's seat after the crash in an attempt to escape the vehicle.)

Recently there was a story making the rounds that the Cybertruck is 17 times more deadly than the Ford Pinto, based on flawed statistics. Rumors persist that the truck is a death trap that can't possibly have crumple zones, when Tesla has released videos of the crash testing and earned a 5-star safety rating.

And detractors like to scream about "all the recalls!" as if no other manufacturer has recalls. Cybertruck has a few, and most are minor. In over a year of ownership I've not yet bothered to have any of them addressed yet.

 

[CyberGus]

Wanting better for society does not preclude you (or me) from participating in the society we have.

Exactly. When the market offers me choices, I take the company goals/activities into consideration. But I can only select from the available choices.

 

[dalton108]

Tesla-related fatalities often become a referendum on FSD, since early reports will speculate before a proper investigation. Four years ago, two men died in a Model S, and responders on the scene insisted the car was driving autonomously "because there was no one in the driver's seat". This was reported as fact, while Tesla owners know full well that FSD disengages without an active driver. The hype got silly enough that Consumer Reports actually "proved" it could be done by twisting themselves into knots to bypass all the safety features. (NHTSA later concluded that there was indeed a driver, drunk and speeding, that left the driver's seat after the crash in an attempt to escape the vehicle.)

Recently there was a story making the rounds that the Cybertruck is 17 times more deadly than the Ford Pinto, based on flawed statistics. Rumors persist that the truck is a death trap that can't possibly have crumple zones, when Tesla has released videos of the crash testing and earned a 5-star safety rating.

And detractors like to scream about "all the recalls!" as if no other manufacturer has recalls. Cybertruck has a few, and most are minor. In over a year of ownership I've not yet bothered to have any of them addressed yet.

That model S one was so egregious because it was somebody from the police department or sheriffs office or whatever it was that initially came out with this nonsense and insisted that “no one was driving the car.”

NON-POSSIBLE!!!

It’s literally not how any of this works and it’s always the same story again and again. A Tesla crashes, was there a fire? Report the fire! No fire? Blame FSD! Wash, rinse, repeat.

 

[REM]

(@ag1aia)

Hi again, Bob

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

Hello again, Bob (@ag1aia),

Maybe I missed your reply, but I was wondering still if you can let us know which publisher you are working for and what your prior work is.

Or are you working on a top secret assignment that requires journalist secrecy?

I see you are replying to others. But maybe you missed the questions the first couple of times.

 

[DoberManPin-Sure]

I think the oft reflexive, blanket demonization of journalists and journalism is no less devoid of critical thinking than some people's reflexive demonization of all things Tesla and, specifically, Cybertruck.

Focused, fact-based skepticism and/or criticism, however, is, in my view, justified in both contexts.

Take this irredeemably emotional ("polygonal nightmare"; "Soon there will be a few thousand of these hideous trucks in an underground parking lot with no exit."), flawed ("Musk once claimed that Tesla cars would increase in value, which turned out to be false"; that was not inaccurate in years past) and internally contradictory ("The company is facing a critical moment due to stagnant design [and] outdated technology. . . ." ) hit piece as an example of justified, targeted criticism of a "journalist" and his "journalism": https://www.fastcompany.com/91338704/tesla-cybertruck-is-officially-a-flop. Jesus Christ, Jesus Diaz.

And--unless justified by some journalistic, pre-publication etho that I'm not aware of and that doesn't seem to make sense on the surface--take the OP's failure to provide samples of his work, or even an explanation of his failure to do so, as another example of justified skepticism.

For what it's worth, I'll echo some of the other owners' unequivocal statement that the Cybertruck is, by far, the best vehicle that I've ever owned or driven. That includes a not insubstantial slate of luxury cars, SUVs and trucks over the course of 40+ years, including most recently the Raptor and TRX. I have no regrets about my purchase, and I couldn't care less about the reported depreciation or others' views of the vehicle, particularly views untethered from any knowledge of or experience with the Cybertruck.

SUPPLEMENT: FYI, the above cited article is one of those that uses this very forum as a source of Cybertruck data. Selective negative sourcing in this case, but that's not surprising based on the tone of his piece. His article aside, if the author finds himself in the Houston area and wants to experience first hand what it's like to ride in and drive a CyberBeast, I'd be willing to share that experience . . . lengthy, lawyerly waiver required though, of course.

 

[CyberGus]

Jesus Christ, Jesus Diaz.

Yes, there are a number of writers and sites that clearly have an axe to grind with Tesla, and unabashedly dunk on the company and the products every chance they get. We know who those clowns are. I avoid their clickbait.

I get frustrated by lazy mainstream journalists that print ridiculous garbage spouted by self-proclaimed "experts" without real fact-checking. In the fatal crash I referenced above, the sheriff really did state "no one in the driver's seat, therefore it was FSD", but anyone with Tesla experience knows that's simply not true.

If the sheriff had said "no one in the driver's seat, therefore Jesus took the wheel" then I would have expected at the very least to get "Jesus was unavailable for comment at the time of publication."

 

[That Beast Mode]

Question for everyone mentioning misinformation and lies about the CT in the media: are you talking about factual misrepresentations, e.g. incorrect information about gas mileage, FSD, or other features of the vehicle? Or is it other stuff? What kinds of things have you found are routinely written about Cybertrucks and/ or their owners that you would characterize as "misinformation"?

I have read many of these takedowns, both in journalistic outlets and on fora like r/Cyberstuck, but since I'm not a Cybertruck owner myself and so have no "skin in the game," don't know how they land with those of you who bought and drive the car.

They are probably referring to things like this : https://thehardtimes.net/blog/heart...aritan-stopped-and-beat-him-with-a-tire-iron/


granted I believe it is supposed to be taken as satire, but its not so funny when real every day American citizens have been attacked, harassed and vandalized for simply owning a vehicle that makes them happy. Just to quote from the "article" :

"That’s when we need a feel-good, humanity-restoring moment to remind us of what the human experience is all about. As it so happens, local man Trevor Wilkins saw another guy struggling to change the tire on his Cybertruck, and was kind enough to pull over and then beat his ass with a tire iron."

 

[Pixelgeist]

I completely understand the hostility in this thread. I live in a college town in NW Washington and I can't go to pick up a cheeseburger without getting the middle finger and thumbs down multiple times.

But I've also seen a lot of community members take the high road and return kindness for hate. As a community, I think that we love sharing our excitement with anyone who will stop by for a chat.

I can tell you why I made the decision to purchase and keep the truck in just a few paragraphs:
---------------
I pre-ordered it five years ago. I thought it was the ugliest truck I've ever seen and I loved it. I'm not really a truck guy. I always borrow a family members truck when I need to move stuff around. I'm a Star Wars and Star Trek guy, and if I was ever going to buy a truck this was it.

Despite not really being a truck guy, I am practical and I looked at the Rivian, F-150 Lightning, and Silverado EV. The first two actually were less practical as trucks due to their bed sizes. The Silverado EV won't fit in my garage.

When my preorder was finally available, I held off because I couldn't afford the additional price for the foundation series. 2025 rolled around and when the $7500 tax credit rolled around it fell into the range that I had already budgeted for when I preordered. I did this despite the growing amount of growing hate towards Tesla and Elon Musk this year because it's what I wanted to do and other people's negative opinions usually just pique my interest in the subject instead of swaying me.

I don't regret the purchase. It is my 5th EV and a joy to drive. I've taken it on two long road trips and have helped my kids and friends move. It does truck stuff really well and still feels like a spaceship to me.

I wish people were more kind. I can't change that. It's my money to spend and I spent it on what I wanted. When something else catches my eye I'll probably buy one of those too.

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I hope this helps. You are going to write your article regardless of the feedback you receive and you can and will form your own opinions.

 

[thetuxcat]

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!

I’m in Glassboro, NJ-42. Sure, anytime

 

[Mal]

Question for everyone mentioning misinformation and lies about the CT in the media: are you talking about factual misrepresentations, e.g. incorrect information about gas mileage, FSD, or other features of the vehicle? Or is it other stuff? What kinds of things have you found are routinely written about Cybertrucks and/ or their owners that you would characterize as "misinformation"?

Here's an example of crap 'journalism' that was prevalent for a while: Report: Elon’s Cybertrucks Are Deadlier Than Infamous Ford Pintos

Meanwhile: NHTSA Cybertruck 5 Star Safety Rating

But, then 'journalists' have to spin it like this. It's like you can't have a positive spin on a cybertruck if you want clicks, and it gets old to us owners who actually live with the things and appreciate them.

[didn't see @CyberGus' post a few messages above this - he beat me to it!]

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