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Tesla's bizarre-looking Cybertruck has suffered through yet another recall. It's a sign that not only is the truck a bit like an experiment on wheels, but that Tesla is increasingly no longer the standard bearer for our EV aspirations.
"Elon Musk is the reason both cars in my driveway are electric. He’s also the reason neither of them are Teslas," wrote Firebird Music CEO Nathan Hubbard on Threads. The post encapsulates a growing sentiment among EV owners and EV curious: Tesla is not necessarily the electric car company that will own the future of the market it all but created.
Post by @nathanchubbardView on Threads
Look, I don't want to dive too deeply here into the unpleasant actions and social presence of Tesla CEO and X owner Elon Musk. Let's just say that the once inspiring entrepreneur has become, to put it lightly, a polarizing figure. It's not a good look for someone who wants to sell electric vehicles to everyone and not just those who share his world (and off-world) views.
There is, though, no denying that Musk has put Tesla fans in a difficult position and they are perhaps making different choices. As of Q2 2024, Tesla owned, according to the US Energy Information Administration 48.9% of the US EV market. The number is notable because Tesla no longer owns the "majority" of the market. Granted, what's left is split among numerous competitors, including major US auto manufacturers who, over the last few years, moved aggressively into the EV and Hybrid market. It hasn't all gone smoothly.
Earlier this year, Ford pulled back on its aggressive EV plans. Plus, consumers still appear more interested in half-measures. Hybrids, which combine combustion with one or two electric motors appear, based on recent United States Department of Transportation statistics, to be far out-pacing pure EV ones, which, is likely another cause for concern for Tesla.
The EV market continues to shift around Tesla, with more competitors offering comparable products that are, finally, approaching Tesla on the range front and often beating it on sticker price. The point is we now have choices. I know that when I finally make the EV move, it won't be with a Tesla. That's an important shift for me. I was a stalwart Tesla fan who wrote extensively about early Tesla Model S owners and remember fondly being among the first to experience a Model 3 test drive.
Now, though, I can't stomach the idea of enriching Elon Musk. I know Tesla employs over 140,000 people, and most of them probably don't agree with Musk's often publicly stated views, but he remains a highly visible and vocal leader.
On October 10, Musk is expected to finally launch his Tesla robo taxi. That event will be notable, I think, for its lack of direct consumer appeal. There'll be no Model 3 update or a cheaper Tesla. Affordable is not in Tesla's vocabulary. The company recently stopped selling the cheapest version of the Model 3.
@lanceulanoff ♬ original sound - LanceUlanoff
I'd say there's no longer a point in waiting for a truly affordable Tesla. Generally, the automaker's appeal to everyday Americans is, I think, waning, and there may be no better evidence than the Cybertruck.
Over the last six months, I've noticed these awkward-looking vehicles in San Francisco and in New York. No matter when you see them, they look out of place. I've watched countless videos showing some of the odd and potentially dangerous design choices (like a hood that could almost remove a finger or edges that look likely to puncture something).
Considering all that, perhaps these recalls are unsurprising. The latest one from the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration relates to rearview mirrors that deliver a feed from rear cameras as you back up. The problem, according to the NHTSA (PDF) is that when you start to back up, it takes an extra second for the feed to appear. Fortunately, the fix will arrive in an over-the-air software update.
Recalls are not inherently a disaster. Untold combustion engine vehicles get them. For Tesla, they're certainly not confined to the Cybertruck. The company has had dozens that range across its most popular models. Still, this is already the fifth recall for the relatively new Cybertruck and it often seems like the EV was built not based on practicality (watch it fail as a "truck"), or elegance but on the design whims and demands of Musk, who I think wanted something that looked more at home on the surface of Mars that it does on Earth.
When I see a Cybertruck rolling through my neighborhood, I don't admire it; I gawk. It always looks out of place. I also think I instantly know the driver, not personally, but who this person is. They're clearly someone who's bought into not just the Tesla EV strategy but Musk's perspective on trucks, modern transportation, and maybe his twisted worldview. Why else would you spend over $100,000 to drive something that looks like it's well-equipped to survive a nuclear blast but ill-prepared for a casual run to the grocery store?
Cybertruck screams, "Look at me," but as sentiment about Tesla changes in the EV market, that scream sounds increasingly like a cry of desperation, "Look at me, please, while I try to remain relevant."