The Crackcident
Tesla — and particularly its controversial CEO Elon Musk — are adamant that the divisive Cybertruck is the toughest vehicle money can buy — corroding body panels, severe electrical problems, failing wipers, failing steering systems, easily cracked windows, and stuck charging cables notwithstanding.
Real-world evidence, though, often differs. Take one video currently making the rounds on Musk's social media platform X-formerly-Twitter showing one daring Tesla fan walking on top of a gaudy, camouflage-wrapped Cybertruck.
"This thing was built to last," the person in the video can be heard saying as he clambers onto the roof. "I'm literally walking on this thing right now."
The windshield — one of the largest in the industry — gives in almost immediately, cracking audibly and forming a hairline fracture along the right side of the massive pane of glass — a $1,900 mistake that will likely put the truck out of commission for a long time.
Video:
American Made
What's particularly odd about the video is that the owner simply glosses over his screw-up as if nothing happened.
He also addressed the elephant in the room: the truck has become astonishingly unpopular in the mainstream, with critics calling it out for being ugly and a symbol of poor life choices.
The truck has also become a full-throated, $100,000 endorsement of Musk's increasingly polarizing world views, something that is actively discouraging buyers from choosing a Tesla.
"It's so funny, this is the most American-made car," he said, continuing to defend the vehicle even after cracking the windshield. "Y'all hate on this truck even though this redefines what trucking should've been. Tesla makes the most American-made cars period."
But is this really the ultimate symbol of America? Besides its negative connotations, production has proven a massive headache for Tesla, with Cybertrucks breaking down at an alarming rate.
Then again, the same could be argued for the United States.
0 Comments