Musk says the Tesla Cybertruck is still a complete mess, and isn’t ready for production (and won’t be anytime soon).

When it was announced back in 2019, the Tesla Cybertruck promised a lot. It was to have greater towing capacity than anything a 7-litre diesel could hope to produce. Its windows were bulletproof. That 0-60 time would put most historic supercars to shame. And it will all be yours for less than $40,000.

Now, four years and more than two years after the original intended production date, many people are wondering what happened. One of those people appears to be Tesla CEO and Twit personality Elon Musk.

The initial cracks began to show, quite literally, shortly after the truck was unveiled to the world. Two of the windows of the supposedly armored car were shattered when a steel ball was thrown at them. This was the first promise to break, and others would falter as time went on. The initially competitive price rose dramatically as the reality of production set in, and the advent of global semiconductors drove up costs across the board. Then there is the delay.

The initial 2021 production date was pushed back to “late 2022”, which then became “late 2023”. Now, as we enter “late 2023,” history appears to be repeating itself, and the truck’s production date has once again been pushed back by a year. Some enthusiasts placed a pre-order on the polygon in 2019, and many of those who held on to their pre-orders may now be feeling frustrated. This frustration is shared by Cybertruck’s biggest backer, a man who does not usually respond well to criticism of his ideas.

Elon Musk is not a fan of the Cybertruck

Elon Musk — the man who once reacted so badly to a suggestion that a submarine he commissioned couldn’t pass through a cave that was too narrow for divers wearing oxygen tanks that ended in a lawsuit — thinks the truck he spent four years pumping is terrible. . Or the current prototype is anyway.

According to an internal email first seen on the Cybertruck Owners Club forum, Tesla’s CEO has serious concerns about the build quality of the highly touted vehicle. The email, which was addressed to “everyone,” begins with Musk saying: “Given the nature of the Cybertruck, which is made of shiny metal with mostly straight edges, any dimensional difference sticks out like a sore thumb.”

The billionaire goes on to demand that all parts of the car be “designed and built to an accuracy of less than 10 microns,” before highlighting that LEGO box and soda can manufacturers have achieved such a feat with their own products. He then signs off the email with “Accuracy equals perfection.”

In fairness, it’s important to point out that this is an anonymous leak on an online forum and has not been confirmed by Musk himself or Tesla. However, Musk confirmed on – Which adds more credibility to the leak.

None of this is new

While this may revolve around a hands-on CEO ensuring that the non-existent product his company is so closely tied to is perfect before it reaches his customers’ hands – there’s a little more to it than that.

The Cybertruck is largely expected to be delayed at this point. Once the production date approached, everyone was suddenly waiting for “late next year.” It has become the instrumental equivalent of the Spanish term mañana. Technically, this is a promise that it will happen tomorrow, but tomorrow never comes in the end.

Build quality issues aren’t a shock either, especially when it comes to the car’s body. In recent years, Tesla has faced numerous accusations of shoddy manufacturing. While you might argue that all modern vehicles should be of good quality, it’s fair to expect precision from a company like Tesla. If the company is positioning itself as a purveyor of high-end luxury cars that sometimes retail for six figures, that’s what customers should get.

But multiple sources, along with video evidence, prove that this is not the case. The Model Ys was sold with objectively inferior bodywork. The plates do not line up, and in some cases, the color of the plates does not match. Which is quite an accomplishment when the car in question is white.

While it’s understandable that Musk might want the car he’s spent the past four years enthusiastically promoting to be as perfect as possible before eventually launching, you’d think Tesla would take the time to ensure the vehicles at least currently make it into customers’ driveways. Get the basics right.

Given the delays, the Cybertruck may be an improvement and may actually be a class leader. But since its announcement, there’s been a lot of competition in the EV truck market, so there’s an equal chance there won’t be anything special at all.

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