It's hulking and even intimidating, but it seemed the upcoming Tesla Cybertruck is nowhere near sexy or appealing enough to the taste of most American consumers. That's basically the sentiments reflected by a new survey, which claimed only 29 percent can say good things about the all-electric pickup truck.
The polling conducted by PiplSay found that 71 percent of would-be buyers in the United States have either a negative view of the beastly EV that Tesla CEO Elon Musk has recently introduced, or they simply don't care about the futuristic vehicle. The survey queried 21,143 American consumers, according to Forbes.
While the survey established that awareness of the Cybertruck was at 44 percent at the time of polling, it was shown that nearly three out of 10 consumers would not even consider buying for a host of reasons. For one, the exorbitant price tag, which starts at $39,900, appeared to be an immediate turn-off, and the unconventional design was not exactly compelling.
However, a smaller version of the Cybertruck might just be easier on the eyes as the survey indicated that a mini edition could attract a second hard-look, up to 44 percent of the respondents. And in case of Musk will unveil the truck with a different design, 18 percent will reconsider.
Amid the generally unfavorable view carried by the PiplSay survey, it's interesting to note that 29 percent said the Cybertruck is a cool ride that could be the wave of the future.
Nonetheless, it seemed apparent that owning a unit will force upon buyers' significant adjustments. CNET said it would be hard to fit the Cybertruck into a typical garage, and that would mean building a separate housing unit for the pricey EV. In the mind of would-be buyers, it's just another cost of ownership and a compelling reason to stay away.
Then there is the upfront cash setback that ranges from $40,000 to a high of $70,000, not to mention the entire cost of ownership, which Tesla has estimated will be at par with conventional pickup trucks. Sure, the Cybertruck performance has been proven to be more than promising, but the question of paying too much for a purchase when better alternatives are available seemed so hard to justify.
Consider that the Cybertruck stainless steel body is tough and durable, but its rough make has downsides. Per the same report from CNET, fixing the material, should it gets damaged, would not be easy. In the same way, any attempt to paint the body when needed is an impossible task.
For those convinced to take the plunge, they need to know that the first batch of the Cybertruck units will not roll out until after 2021, and that's for the priciest tri-motor variant. Tesla said the single-motor and dual-motor editions will only begin production in late 2022. Do the math, and the sum is a long wait before getting into that promised monster Tesla ride, and it will not be cheap.
