Item — HN Reader

I dodged a bullet. I bought into the original heavy stainless steel exoskeleton concept, which they never delivered on. So they had my deposit. Then it took me a year and a half (!!) to get my deposit back from time of request, a dozen documented follow-ups on phone, email, and in-person at the stealership.

Tesla’s excuse: While they were happy to take a Canadian’s money with fully refundable deposit terms, they had not contemplated actually ever refunding a Canadian. The deposit was made by credit card. The only option offered for refund was a deposit to an American bank account.

It seems like no aspect of the Cybertruck project was done well.

4 comments

"Tesla’s fix will involve an additional redundancy to keep the lightbar affixed to the windshield, should the glue fail."

It's faintly believable that the additional redundancy might involve a roll of duct tape. It's even the right color.

Then it took me a year and a half (!!) to get my deposit back from time of request

After we decided against an F-150 Lightning because it wouldn’t fit in the garage, one click of the “cancel reservation” button, and the money was back in our account within two weeks. When we were disappointed with the VW Buzz that the U. S. was getting, same deal: VW gave our money back in a few weeks.

Granted, your situation is arguably a little out-of-band if you squint really hard, but c’mon, Tesla.

Ha, I didn’t even mention that around the same time, to hedge my bets, I also had a deposit on an F-150 Lightning and had the same easy experience with a Ford refund as you did. Click.

Does Canada not have chargebacks? This seems like a clear case for one.

We sure do. And it may have been. I was too patient and also morbidly curious how and when Tesla would resolve it.

Chargebacks are not forever. I can't speak for Canada, but where I am, after certain number of days, you cannot.

What part of the stainless exoskeleton did they not deliver on?

https://www.tesla.com/learn/superior-durability-cybertruck-h...

I mean, I wouldn't be surprised if promises weren't kept or expectations not met. This is the same company that has a product called Full Self Driving that cannot fully self drive.

They originally claimed the stainless steel panels would replace the internal frame and thus be more efficient to produce. But they shipped with a traditional frame

This was genuinely innovative and intriguing. Did the numbers just not work out for manufacturing or some other thing get in the way?

The way they proposed doing it was folding steel sheets into the CT structure. My guess is they were never able to produce consistent enough folds. It takes pretty precise metal working to make that work.

The “exoskeleton” part? The stainless panels are poorly glued to an aluminum frame. The frame provides the structure, the panels are load, not bearing.

Presumably the part about it not falling apart.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3m5qxZm_JqM

Was the concept as hideously ugly as the actual design? I still don't understand how people can drive those things in public.

The drivers probably have the mental development of a middle-schooler - these trucks are FIRE with 7-grader boys!

And all the 50+ guys who were into Stomper 4x4s as children.

Hideously ugly can grow on you. After many years of seeing them, I now covet an xB (the original design, not the bubbly redesign that didn't sell).

Not sure I'll ever appreciate a beefcake DeLorean though.

Whenever I see one in the wild, I point and laugh like Nelson from the Simpsons. Ha-ha!

I let them know I think they are number one. Choice of digit varies on my mood.

In 2019, Musk asked for deposits as he told the world "We created an exoskeleton ... the body and bed on a traditional body-on-frame design don’t do anything useful. They’re dead weight."

MotorTrend describes Tesla's failure well in their Nov 2023 teardown. Read the "Does the Tesla Cybertruck Have an "Exoskeleton?" section. Spoiler: It doesn't. The stainless panels are not load-bearing. The Cybertruck has a conventional unibody chassis.

https://www.motortrend.com/news/tesla-cybertruck-fact-checki...