Tesla's Cybertruck feels like an SUV; price, lower driving range upset some
By Abhirup Roy, Hyunjoo Jin and Chavi Mehta
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) -Tesla's pricier-than-expected Cybertruck pickup, which offers driving ranges that fell well short of what CEO Elon Musk had promised, has deeply disappointed some but fascinated others with its futuristic, SUV-like feel.
The Cybertruck, two years behind schedule, enters a hot pickup truck market to compete with the likes of Ford (NYSE:F)'s F150 Lightning, Rivian (NASDAQ:RIVN) Automotive's R1T and General Motors (NYSE:GM)' Hummer EV.
Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, who was among the first dozen customers to pick up the vehicle on Thursday, said the Cybertruck drives and feels like Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA)'s Model X sport utility vehicle.
«Initial feeling about this vehicle — smooth, drives a lot like my Model X. It is big but not unwieldy,» Ohanian said as he live-streamed his first drive of the Cybertruck on social media platform X. He said he'd be the «coolest dad» picking up his kid at school.
Starting at $60,990, the Cybertruck is over 50% more expensive than what CEO Elon Musk had touted in 2019. That may narrow the appeal of the vehicle. Tesla's stock is down over 2% since before the launch.
Among those disappointed is Texas-based financial services executive Christian Cook, who had booked a Cybertruck in 2019 after Musk promised a cheaper pickup that travels farther on a single charge.
«The truck pricing and range is a huge let down,» Cook, who drives a Model 3 and told Reuters he had made certain financial decisions based on his plans to buy a Cybertruck. «My respect for Musk has taken a huge hit. My loyalty to Tesla has taken a huge hit.»
CFRA analyst Garrett Nelson said the steep price tag will lead to customers cancelling reservations and expects
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