Elon Musk’s Tesla has withdrawn a controversial clause in its purchase agreement, which threatened to sue Cybertruck buyers for $50,000 if they tried to resell their vehicles within the first year of ownership.
Chron.com reports that Tesla found itself under fire this past weekend as it introduced a new clause in the Cybertruck purchase agreement. The clause stipulated that anyone reselling the electric pickup within the first year of ownership could face a lawsuit demanding $50,000 or more. This decision, however, was short-lived as Tesla rapidly removed the clause in the wake of public criticism.
Elon Musk and his friend Xi Jinping (Elon Musk/Twitter)
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has previously stated that the automaker “dug our own grave with the Cybertruck,” and the continued drama around the vehicle seems to be adding to this sentiment. Electrek, an EV news publication that is often optimistic about Tesla, even criticized the initial clause, with Electrek’s Jameson Dow writing: “Nobody likes a scalper, but also nobody likes being told what they can’t do with their car.”
The now-deleted clause was seen by many as an unprecedented move in the auto industry, primarily since the Cybertruck is a mass-produced vehicle. Its inclusion raised significant concerns about owner rights and the extent of Tesla’s attempt to regulate the resale market.
The primary purpose of the clause, according to industry experts, was to deter scalpers, individuals who buy high-demand products solely to resell them at inflated prices. With the Cybertruck drawing considerable attention and amassing around 1.9 million potential orders, the likelihood of scalping is high. However, the swift backlash against the clause from Tesla buyers seems to have quickly led to its removal.
Breitbart News has covered the troubled design and production of the Cybertruck, including leaked documents showing Musk’s company was struggling to create a finished product:
Wired reports that a recent internal Tesla document leak revealed several design issues that the company’s much-anticipated Cybertruck prototype had to deal with. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, praised a recent Cybertruck prototype on Twitter in late January 2022 and referred to it as “awesome.” But an internal report from the same day, however, paints a different picture, showing that the Cybertruck’s alpha version was struggling with a number of critical design flaws.
The report highlights issues with the vehicle’s suspension, body sealing, noise levels, handling, and braking. It offers a rare look into the development process of the electric pickup truck. Although these problems are not insurmountable, they do cast doubt on the vehicle’s suitability for mass production.
An experienced automotive engineer who wishes to remain anonymous commented on the matter and expressed surprise at Tesla’s difficulties. “My first reaction is I am astounded. These are classic mechanical automotive engineering challenges that you have in pretty much any vehicle. I’m blown away that they would be struggling so much with the basics,” they said.
Read more at Chron.com here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.