It amazed everyone before it even hit the market, but then more than a few things went wrong, so much so that numerous mishaps forced the Cybertruck to return to the factory no fewer than six times within the space of a year. It is a strange fate for an unparalleled vehicle that combines success among four-wheelers and the technical difficulties of making an unprecedented car. Tesla‘s electric pick-up is unique both aesthetically and in terms of the amount of technology inside. Yet even a pioneering company like the one led by Elon Musk seems to be struggling.
Recall of more than 2000 vehicles
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the latest problem in chronological order concerns a traction inverter, which could cause a sudden loss of power while driving, resulting in an accident. At the moment, no collisions have been reported, but the possible consequences cannot be underestimated, which is why the sixth recall of the Cybertruck has been issued. It must be said that Tesla wanted to investigate the issue after a customer first reported the problem on 31 July. As the failure rate in inverters had increased, the power company decided to initiate a recall of 2,431 units to remedy the problem by changing the part, in addition to a software update.
The defect affects Cybertruck manufactured up to 30 July, and work on replacing the inverters will begin on 9 December. Given the high pick-up cost (base price $75,000), Tesla will repair free of charge for all customers in the United States and Canada, the only two markets where the car is on sale. However, Mexico and Puerto Rico have recently been added to the list. For Europe, on the other hand, nothing can be done because the vehicle is currently illegal. However, every now and then, a Cybertruck can be seen on social media on some peripheral road, as happened last July in the Czech Republic.
Too many problems in the first year
More than the inverter malfunction, the problems that have repeatedly slowed down car sales are the cause for concern. Not least because failures, damage, and defects lower the hype generated since its first appearance, as they are a symptom of various pitfalls that can change the minds of potential buyers. More than a few of those who have bought the Cybertruck in recent months have complained about the problems and the vehicle’s spending too much time in the workshop instead of on the road.
In addition to faults in the driver attention monitoring software, there was the case of the stuck pedal that could cause the car to accelerate unintentionally. Then there was the problem of overloading the windscreen wiper motor, the too-small font of the warning lights, another potential cause of accidents, and the delay of up to eight seconds in the reversing camera software, which could create a trap for the driver, causing unexpected crashes and collisions. Added to this are the two investigations Tesla is subject to concerning Autopilot assistance technology and Full Self-Driving.
In short, it is not the best of times for the company and especially not for the Cybertruck, which remains an unrivalled and emotionally impressive vehicle for several reasons: from its boxy look to the absence of logos, not to mention the three electric engines of the Cyberbeast version—not forgetting the off-road numbers, not only for the 0-100 km/h acceleration in 2.6 seconds, because there is 515 km of autonomy which, with the installation of the range extender, can increase to 708 km.
