JEFF CAPLAN'S MY MINUTE OF NEWS
Jeff Caplan’s Minute of News: Tesla’s troubling 2024
Apr 16, 2024, 7:00 PM
Just when it seemed like things couldn't get worse for Tesla after the botched unveiling of its Cybertruck, the internet weighed in. (Photo credit: Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)
(Photo credit: Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)
Editor’s note: This is an editorial piece. An editorial, like a news article, is based on fact but also shares opinions. The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and are not associated with our newsroom.
SALT LAKE CITY — Tesla has a problem. Well, two problems.
The first is the electric car market is cooling off. The initial enthusiasm has dampened as people realize that charging an EV can be a drama. Gas-electric hybrids are cheaper and more practical — and Tesla doesn’t make them. So the darling of Wall Street is down 44% over the past year.
And then there’s the second problem. That Cybertruck. It looks like it was dreamed up by an 8-year-old with crayons and construction paper.
For a hot minute in 2019, the Cybertruck seemed cool. But it’s five years later and as people finally take delivery, some are discovering the vehicle can’t handle a rarity called “outdoors.”
Rust is showing up on the stainless steel panels. Tesla says pish-posh. It’s just rail dust that oxidizes on the truck’s surface. They say you just clean it off with a non-scratch scotch brite pad.
There are 5,000 Tesla trucks delivered so far, but for the moment deliveries are halted because the accelerator can get stuck on the floor leaving you at maximum speed with no way to stop. We can’t ask Elon Musk any questions because he fired the PR department and when you hit him up on Twitter, he responds to the media with a poop emoji.
I get that some people will drive through walls for Tesla. And with the Cybertruck, they might. Accidentally.
So if you want a rusty electric pickup, which might not stop, that one critic says looks like an ATM and a toaster had a baby… enjoy. The base sticker price is $67,000.
It’ll drive the girls wild.
Jeff Caplan is the host of Jeff Caplan’s Afternoon News on KSL NewsRadio. Follow him on Facebook and X.
