Tesla called 'a joke' by drivers after most-awaited feature is cancelled at the last minute
Just when it looked like Tesla was getting back on the road, the electric vehicle giant is again in the bad books of its ever-grouchy drivers. Elon Musk's brand has been hit with a slew of negative press recently, and by the looks of it, things are only going to get worse.
Although Tesla boomed in the aftermath of the 2024 election, Elon Musk's position as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency has seen the company face hurdle after hurdle. If calls from top investors for Musk to be fired weren't enough, there have been explosive scenes of violence at Tesla dealerships, and claims the EV company is searching for a new CEO to replace the controversial tech mogul.
If all of that wasn't enough, Musk has had to acknowledge a 70% dip in profits. Musk has claimed he'll soon step back from politics to focus on Tesla as his baby, but some fear that too much damage has been done. Even as Tesla tries to get back on track, it's hit with more bad press after cancelling a much-anticipated Cybertruck feature.
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Since it first rolled off the production line in November 2023, the Cybertruck has failed to live up to its hype as an apocalypse-proof vehicle of the future. Alongside reports that there's some $800 million worth of unsold Tesla stock sitting out there, the company has now been called a 'joke' after cancelling one feature that could've potentially offered a sales boost.
Despite the Cybertruck apparently saving you 'thousands' every year, it's failed to live up to its lofty promises on range.
Tesla once boasted that you could get 500 miles out of your Cybertruck on a single charge, but that was soon dialled back to around 340 when at its most efficient, and just 325 when in most All-Wheel Drive modes.
The beefy Range Extender was supposed to give the Cybertruck a boost, with a giant battery being installed in the truck bed and upping your range to 470 miles on the dual-motor variant. This was (again) later revised to 445 miles.
The Range Extender wasn't coming for free, with eyebrows already raised by its $16,000 price tag. If that wasn't enough, there were concerns when it was delayed from 'early' 2025 until the middle of the year. Now, it's been scrapped altogether.
Drivers have been sent emails telling them how the $2,000 Range Extender deposit will be refunded to those who paid in full, while the accessory has been completely removed from the vehicles' online configurator.
Over on Reddit, one disappointed Cybertruck owner said: "What a joke. I know companies cancel products all the time but Tesla is a 20+ year old, Fortune 500 company.
“They took deposits on this well over a year ago, held that money, have delayed this product multiple times and now canceling it. First a bait and switch on the price and specs of the truck and now this."
Another laughed: "The original pitch promised range without this space hog of an idea. Whole thing is a mess."
A third grumbled: "Never buy a product on the promise of future upgrades. Make your purchasing decision based on what you're actually getting at the time. For some people, the refund is fine. For others, they wouldn't have bought the truck at all if the range extender was never an option."
Uh oh, it looks like another headache for Mr. Musk.