Tesla Inc TSLA commenced deliveries of its highly anticipated Cybertruck on Thursday, bringing excitement to a handful of customers. Despite the limited initial deliveries, the number of reservations for this futuristic vehicle, inspired by movies like “Blade Runner” and “The Spy Who Loved Me,” surpasses a million. However, Tesla’s recent move to send emails offering discounts on other models to waiting Cybertruck customers has raised eyebrows.
What Happened: In the latest development, Tesla sent emails to reservation holders, saying: “While you await delivery of your Cybertruck, get $1000 off the lease or purchase price of a new Tesla.”
To qualify for the discount, Cybertruck reservations needed to be made before the delivery event, and orders for other models had to be placed by the end of the year.
Some customers expressed confusion and frustration about the offer. “Good to know I'm in the queue. Would also be nice to know where I am in the queue,” an X user wrote.
“Why would they need a new car if they are supposed to get a cybertruck?” another asked.
One customer, writing on cleantechnica, criticized Tesla for not focusing on Cybertruck details in the email. Claiming to be a Model 3 owner for over four years, the customer found it peculiar that Tesla quickly attempted to steer him toward a non-Cybertruck model and concluded that Tesla urgently needs to sell more vehicles and the Cybertruck wait time for others will be longer than expected.
“Would be great if you could trade it back in when your reservation is ready!” another user on X said.
Amidst all this, Tesla introduced a 1:18 scale diecast model of the Cybertruck on its online store. Priced at $225, the diecast is designed by the Tesla design studio to replicate every detail, curve, and surface of the actual Cybertruck.
Why It Matters: The significance of these developments lies in the immense demand for the Cybertruck.
During Tesla’s third-quarter earnings call in October, CEO Elon Musk revealed that over a million people had reserved the vehicle, saying demand “was off the charts.”
Musk, however, cautioned that achieving the targeted delivery of approximately 250,000 Cybertrucks annually might take until 2025.
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Read Next: Think Tesla’s Cybertruck Is Low On Range? Elon Musk Says There’s An ‘Optional’ Battery Pack For That
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