
Tesla Cybertruck reservations hit 146,000 - sidcool
https://techcrunch.com/2019/11/23/tesla-cybertruck-reservations-hit-146000/
======
_wzsf
Some relevant context:

\- Model 3 deposit was $1000, ~300k pre-orders in a few days

\- Model Y deposit was $2500, but pre-order numbers are still unreleased

\- Cybertruck pre-order deposit is $100

\- Many people are placing 3-5 orders per household [1] due to buggy pre-order
forms

\- Tesla explicitly states (now, not previously) that "pre-orders" are not
"orders" [2]

\- Many aspects of the vehicle and presentation are otherwise nonsensical [3]

[1]
[https://twitter.com/btsparks/status/1198453324741111810](https://twitter.com/btsparks/status/1198453324741111810)

[2]
[https://twitter.com/lorakolodny/status/1198410917794312192](https://twitter.com/lorakolodny/status/1198410917794312192)

[3]
[https://twitter.com/tedstein/status/1197904256466112514](https://twitter.com/tedstein/status/1197904256466112514)

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mrlambchop
As a "coastal techie" (I completely stole this from another thread, but so
apt...), I put down 100$ to be part of the ride. Somewhat because I skipped
the model S and 3 reservations but also, damn, even to be in the first 10k
delivery of this truck will be a wild ride - my young kids would never forget
the experience if Tesla pulls this off and Telsa manages such a brutal design
but casually delivered as one of the production vehicles.

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nickgrosvenor
It’s shocking how many people are upset about Tesla and this new design.

How can so many people prefer the status quo in car designs to something new
and different?

You really hate Tesla and prefer the current designs from GM?

~~~
shrimpx
It makes sense they're upset. People spend countless hours researching the
difference between a ram 1500 and a tacoma sr5 and they slightly prefer the
"look" and "stance" of one over the other. One is more "hunkered down," the
other is more "stoic."

Then comes this angular abomination, a ballooned version of the robotaxis in
Total Recall, and fits absolutely nowhere in this truck buyer's mindset.

You can take the perspective of blaming the truck buyer for being dumb, or
lame, or not visionary enough, but that's not a reasonable or productive
perspective.

As far as I can tell, this truck may appeal to people who are in the market
for a Hummer-type extreme vehicle, hardcore tech futurists, Tesla fanboys, and
people who don't give a shit and are willing to try whatever. None of these
categories IMO represent today's truck buyer.

Disclaimer: I'm a tech futurist who doesn't give a shit, and I want one.

Edit: misspelling.

~~~
Teknoman117
I was kinda horrified when I first saw it. Now I'm thinking I'd drive one!

~~~
nickgrosvenor
It looks fucking awesome. Like a futuristic yacht. People that think this is
ugly have no taste.

I’m not gonna buy one but can’t wait to see it on the road.

~~~
wavepruner
The radical function over form design is an artistic statement. The art world
continually has movements that critique and respond to restrictive conventions
imposed by previous movements. Marcel Duchamp's "Fountain" comes to mind.

I think this design is supposed to challenge our concept of what we think is
ugly and beautiful. It's intentionally shocking, and it's brilliant.

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2bitencryption
Making the pre-order deposit $100 was a great play by Tesla.

"$100" in the context of "shiny new car" is so minuscule; tons of people are
going to put that $100 even if the have only the faintest whim of wanting that
car. And Tesla will be able to say, "check out our millions of reservations,"
as ammunition against the naysayers.

~~~
sunstone
Sure but others care much more about reserving their place in line than they
do about the amount.

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RobertRoberts
I just had a discussion with a friend who is an engineer. He thought this
truck design was done by a 3rd grader and is evidence of Elon going crazy
(literally).

I love the design. It's how I wanted my own vehicle to be made. The most
simple possible with the most strength and easiest to repair. I know it's
ugly, but I...don't...care.

Please, someone tell me why stainless steel (as Elon designed this) is
superior to aluminium (this is my friends primary argument, I think he hates
steel) he said it was lighter and cheaper and didn't corrode as easily. (I
know, but what can I say?)

~~~
Itaxpica
“Strength” is the last thing you want in a car. Cars crumple in an accident
because that significantly cuts down on injuries to both the passengers and
whatever is hit; if your car won’t crumple all that force transfers in to
flinging you straight through the windshield.

~~~
bamboozled
Do you think the designers might have considered this prior to releasing the
car?

I get it, people might make mistakes in the design etc, but it’s not as if
this is the first time Tesla has produced and released a vehicle into
production, do you think they’ve considered how this car will cope with an
accident ? Maybe you feel they think stainless is “cool” so went for it?

I’m totally aware you might be right, but I doubt they haven’t thought of
this.

~~~
_wzsf
Many analysts (and Elon himself) put Tesla at between 10-20 months from
bankruptcy at any given moment. [0]

In all likelihood it didn't matter what the truck looked like at the reveal.
All that mattered was that it justified another capital raise.

[0] [https://bgr.com/2019/05/20/elon-musk-tesla-cut-costs-
running...](https://bgr.com/2019/05/20/elon-musk-tesla-cut-costs-running-out-
of-money/)

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taejavu
I haven’t seen much discussion around the “exoskeleton”, Musk compared it to
the techniques that enabled development of monoplanes, by having the body
absorb stress rather than just being baggage on top of the skeleton.

Is this a big deal or not?

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natch
But how many of these will wimp out later and not pull the trigger?

~~~
rtkwe
That I think was the reason the deposit price was dropped to $100. That's
nearly nothing at the price these will come in at so Tesla gets a nice big
number of 'pre-orders' to wave around and get second and third waves of press
coverage while basically selling people tickets from the take a number roll at
the deli.

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ddmma
Twenty thousand flamethrowers at $500 a pop meant about $10 million in revenue
in about 100 hours. Literally afterwards he could sale amost everything..

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insickness
Call me crazy but I wonder if the windows breaking during the demo was
actually on purpose, a Trumpian intentionality. There were a lot of headlines
about the truck, such as: TESLA TRUCK'S 'UNBREAKABLE' WINDOWS SHATTER DURING
DEMO, etc. And people think, Tesla has an unbreakable truck? Lemme check that
out...

Trump does this consistently: he'll misspell a tweet or quote a fact slightly
wrong and the media jumps on him, replaying his error over and over, meanwhile
the substance of his message gets out.

~~~
throwwit
The window problem reminded me of this
[https://www.popularmechanics.com/flight/a19049/airplane-
wind...](https://www.popularmechanics.com/flight/a19049/airplane-windows-
round-so-planes-dont-rip-apart/)

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gitgud
What lead time are they giving Preorders 12months? Preorders makes this sound
like a kickstarter campaign

~~~
rtkwe
It's not that it's basically just reserving a spot in line for when they start
shipping.

~~~
ben174
Yea they have done this for every release. If you put some money down you get
delivery early. If you bail you get refunded. I got my model x deposit
refunded without any hesitation. I bought my model 3 and was very happy with
it.

