Tesla is an impressive company by many metrics but one place where it has noticeably struggled is glue. Specifically the glue the EV company has been using to stitch together its beleaguered monstrosity the Cybertruck. Earlier this year, Wired reported that nearly all of the Cybertrucks on the market had been recalled because Tesla used the “wrong glue” to attach the stainless steel panels the car is known for. As a result, the panels were at risk of falling off mid-ride.
Now, the company appears to have yet another adhesive-related problem on its hands. A regulatory filing made by Tesla this week shows the company is recalling another 6,197 Cybertrucks because yet another piece of its overpriced car is at risk of falling off onto the road. “On affected vehicles, the service-installed optional off-road light bar accessory may have been inadvertently attached to the windshield using the incorrect surface primer,” the filing states. The filing was originally reported by Business Insider.
The document goes on to note that the improperly glued light-bar might, in certain circumstances, be hazardous to other drivers on the road: “If the service installed optional off-road light bar accessory separates while the vehicle is in drive, it could create a road hazard for following motorists and increase their risk of a collision,” the filing states.
Nobody wants to be hit by a flying light bar, so the fix is obviously much appreciated. It sounds, again, like Tesla used the wrong glue to attach the fixture: “The remedy component is attached with a bracket anchored to the vehicle structure and, if necessary, an adhesive tape, whereas the recalled component was installed using a potentially incorrect adhesive primer,” the filing states.
Tesla has said that, as of this month, it had only “identified 619 warranty claims and 1 field report that may be related to the condition.” The company added that it was not aware of “any collisions, fatalities, or injuries that are or may be related to the condition.”
The Cybertruck has been broadly derided as an ugly failure. Originally, Tesla is said to have planned for a production capacity of 250,000 trucks per year, but sold a little less than 40,000 units last year, according to estimates from Cox Automotive. Since then, sales haven’t picked up much and, earlier this year, the U.S. Air Force finally found a good use for the vehicle: target practice.
People claim Elon Musk is a genius and Musk, himself, has often cultivated this image by claiming he wants to do many impressive and Herculean things—stuff like “colonize Mars,” make humanity a “multiplanetary species,” and save the world from a slew of perceived threats (the “woke mind virus,” etc.). However, before Musk becomes the messianic technocratic leader he dreams of being, he is going to have to first master that oldest of rudimentary technologies: the goop that holds stuff together.
The parents of two college students who died in a Cybertruck crash last fall are suing Tesla, alleging the truck’s door design trapped the victims inside.
Separate lawsuits filed Thursday by the families of 20-year-old Jack Nelson and 19-year-old Krysta Tsukahara claim that the Cybertruck’s design, including electric-powered doors with hidden manual releases, made it nearly impossible for the students to escape after the crash, according to Bloomberg.
The lawsuits come as Tesla’s signature electric door handles have already been under scrutiny in recent months. In September, U.S. regulators launched a probe into faulty door handles on certain Tesla models. And a Bloomberg investigation earlier this year also revealed multiple cases in which people were hurt or even died when Teslas lost power, typically after crashes, and their doors wouldn’t open.
This crash happened on the night of November 27, 2024, in Piedmont, a suburb of San Francisco. According to a California Highway Patrol report, the Cybertruck was speeding down a residential street when it slammed into a tree and burst into flames. The accident caused the truck’s electric doors to malfunction, trapping all four passengers inside. Three of them—Nelson, Tsukahara, and another passenger—did not survive. The fourth passenger survived after being pulled out through a broken window.
Tesla’s Cybertruck lacks traditional exterior door handles. Instead, doors open with small electronic buttons near the windows. There are manual releases inside the truck, but they are hard to find, especially for passengers in the back. To open the truck’s rear doors, riders have to lift up a mat in the door’s storage pocket and tug on a cable hidden underneath. Combined with the Cybertruck’s stainless steel panels and reinforced armor glass windows, which make rescue operations especially difficult, the lawsuits argue these design features are at fault for the passengers’ deaths.
Tesla didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from Gizmodo.
The complaints land at a time when Tesla’s electric door handles are already under regulatory scrutiny. Just last month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened a preliminary investigation into failing door handles on 2021 Model Y vehicles after receiving several reports of parents being unable to get back inside their cars with children left trapped inside them. This probe covers nearly 175,000 cars and will assess whether the defect poses a serious safety risk.
Bloomberg’s investigation found that the NHTSA has received over 140 complaints since 2018 about Tesla doors sticking, not opening, or otherwise failing.
The family of Krysta Tsukahara, one of three victims in a fatal Piedmont Tesla Cybertruck crash last November, filed a lawsuit against Tesla in an Alameda County court on Thursday, alleging the vehicle’s design failed to provide a manual door to allow their daughter to escape the vehicle.
The filing represents an escalation in the family’s pursuit of legal remedies connected to the death of their daughter in late November 2024, taking aim at the Cybertruck automaker which has come under scrutiny for eight recalls since 2024 and ongoing concerns about battery combustion.
“Her death was preventable. She was alive after the crash. She called out for help. And she couldn’t get out. We are filing this lawsuit not just for accountability, but because there are other families out there who may never know the risks until it’s too late,” Krysta’s parents, Carl and Noelle Tsukahara, said in a statement.
Krysta Tsukahara, 19, died from smoke inhalation and burns suffered in a fatal car crash on Nov. 27, 2024, in Piedmont. Her family is suing the owner of the vehicle, Charles Patterson, and the family of the driver, Soren Dixon. Courtesy of the Tsukahara family
The Tsukaharas’ lawsuit alleges Tesla had ignored concerns from customers, bystanders and first responders about the company’s reliance on electronic doors for its vehicles, according to the complaint. The lawsuit further states that Tesla was aware of the threats its electronic doors posed to vehicle occupants, according to the lawsuit, but continued to “design, market and sell” vehicles with this feature.
“Consumers lodged dozens of complaints with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), many warning that rear-seat passengers — especially children — could be trapped inside during a crash or a fire,” the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit calls out Tesla founder Elon Musk for being personally aware of the problems with Tesla vehicles’ doors. At a 2013 earnings call, Musk acknowledged these issues, saying that “occasionally the sensor would malfunction … so you’d pull on the door handle and it wouldn’t open.” Musk assured investors that the design flaw had been fixed, even as failures continued to happen for years, with the lawsuit citing more than 30 examples of customers’ complaints about Tesla vehicles’ doors refusing to open.
On Nov. 27, 2024, Krysta Tsukahara, after returning home for Thanksgiving break from Savannah College of Arts and Design, attended a party with other graduates of Piedmont High School. The party, held at a private residence, included alcohol consumption by minors.
Around 3 a.m., Soren Dixon, 19, convinced Tsukahara and a handful of other partygoers to go to his home at 6861 Estates Dr. to pick up a Cybertruck that was owned by his grandfather, according to court documents. Dixon drove the Cybertruck with Jack Nelson, 20, Jordan Miller, 19, and Tsukahara as his passengers as they drove along Hampton Avenue toward another Piedmont residence, according to authorities.
Dixon had consumed approximately eight alcoholic beverages that evening, according to an unidentified witness in a California Highway Patrol report. Dixon’s autopsy also confirmed the presence of 180 nanograms of cocaine and 55 nanograms of methamphetamine per milliliter of blood at the time of the crash.
Just blocks away from their destination, Dixon accelerated out of a stop sign, crashed into a tree and struck a retaining wall. Another Piedmont High graduate, Matt Riordan, had followed in a vehicle behind the Cybertruck when he came upon the wreck as flames began to consume the vehicle. Riordan used a tree branch to break the passenger door window, where he pulled Jordan Miller from the vehicle. He returned moments later to save Krysta, Nelson and Dixon.
“I could hear Krysta yelling and the car saying ‘crash detected,’ ” Riordan told authorities, according to court documents. “I went back to the broken window and yelled for them to try to get out at this window. … Krysta tried to come up, sticking her head (out) from the back, I grabbed her arm to try and pull her towards me, but she retreated because of the fire.”
In April, the Tsukaharas filed a lawsuit against Dixon’s family, claiming they had been barred from accessing the vehicle and kept in the dark by the other families affected by the crash. The Tsukaharas alleged that Dixon “negligently and carelessly drove” the vehicle, causing their daughter’s death.
The Tsukaharas’ latest lawsuit blames Tesla, too, claiming its “negligent” door design caused the sudden and tragic death of their daughter.
“Krysta was a bright light in our lives — an honors student, a creative soul, and a beloved daughter,” Carl and Noelle Tsukahara said in a statement. “We never want this to happen to anyone else.”
Tesla’s Cybertruck is widely viewed as an “unmitigated”commercial disaster, but that hasn’t stopped the company from deploying a variety of sales gimmicks to try to squeeze just a little more money out of the flop vehicle.
This week, Tesla launched a new version of its most expensive Cybertruck variants, known as the “Cyberbeast.” Tesla has marketed the “beast” as its most heavy-duty, high-powered variant, and originally promoted it with a video of the truck towing a Porsche while also racing a Porsche—and winning. The company was subsequently accused of faking the race.
When the “beast” was first announced back in November of 2023, it cost $99,990, which was $10,000 more than Tesla’s previously announced all-wheel drive model. Now, the company has hiked the beast’s price by $15,000, but added a few new features to justify the substantial increase. What do you get for that chunk of change?
Reuters reports that the newest version of the Cyberbeast includes something called the “Luxe Package.” This package includes a number of benefits, including Supervised Full Self-Driving, as well as four years of “premium service,” which includes tire and windshield protection and other services. You also apparently get free charging at Tesla’s network of 70,000 supercharging stations. The car now costs $114,990, the outlet says.
It seems likely that the demographic most likely to buy a Cybertruck already has so much money that they don’t really know what to do with it. After all, who else would drop six figures on a car that looks like an armored dumpster? Maybe Tesla presumes that its target audience has so much money and so little sense that another $15k won’t really matter to them, so why not try to bilk the customers for just a little bit more?
Since its launch, the Cybertruck has obviously struggled to find its footing. According to reports, Tesla originally planned for a production capacity of 250,000 trucks per year but sold less than 40,000 units in 2024, according to estimates from Cox Automotive. Since then, the model has limped along with anemic sales, and reportedly sold some 7,100 during the first quarter of this year. The car has been called a “flop,” a “failure,” and “the stupidest vehicle ever designed,” among other things.
The TeslaCybertruck is unlike most trucks that have come before it, and thus it has attracted a new set of buyers who wouldn’t normally drive a big pickup. Owning and driving a truck that’s over 18 feet long, nearly 8 feet wide, and built like a Frigidaireisn’t for the faint of heart, as one Salt Lake City man recently found out when he tried to negotiate a way to get rid of his Cybertruck.
Blaine Raddon reserved a Cybertruck after watching the vehicle’s launch online, but since he ordered the truck his living situation changed. He and his wife separated and he moved from a home with a garage into an apartment complex with tight parking slots. Once he picked up his new truck and realized it wouldn’t fit comfortably into his parking spot, he reached out to the dealer that delivered his truck to see if he could return it. The manager told Raddon that his situation wouldn’t likely warrant an unforeseen circumstance that would trigger Tesla’s re-purchase of the truck, and reminded him that he signed a Tesla Vehicle Order Agreement which states if a Cybertruck owner sells the EV during the first year, they can be fined $50,000 and be banned from buying future Teslas. According to Business Insider:
”Making me keep a truck that does not fit my circumstances appears to be unfair and not at all the spirit of the no sale language in the contract,” he added in the note.
Raddon told BI that he’s a rule-follower and he doesn’t plan to go against Tesla’s verdict on the matter or hire a lawyer to dispute the decision. He also said his building is okay with him keeping the vehicle there, but they won’t be held liable if the truck gets damaged by another car while protruding from the parking spot.
Tesla did not respond a request for comment.
A week after sending his longer note to Tesla in an attempt to appeal the decision, Raddon said he’s still waiting for a response
There are a few things about this situation that boggle my mind. Raddon separated from his wife and had to move into an apartment building that doesn’t have the space to comfortably house his new truck, and Tesla’s response was a reminder that if he tries to sell it he could be sued for $50,000 and be barred from ever purchasing another Tesla again. How can anyone justify this treatment? How can people continue to make excuses for such an objectively flawed and compromised vehicle? It’s looking like Stockholm syndrome to me.
The Chevy Silverado EV Stacks Up to Its EV RivalsChevrolet
Even though the Chevrolet Silverado EV is late to the electric pickup game, its first venture into the growing segment is a strong one, as our own Executive Editor Mike Austin found out recently. With over 400 miles of range, a respectable if battery-draining towing capacity of 10,000 pounds, as well as a beefy 754 hp and 785 lb-ft of torque, the Chevrolet Silverado EV RST comes off as perhaps a better all-around truck than the gas version next to it on the dealership floor.
But a comparison between decades of gas-powered performance and the initial entrance of an electric truck doesn’t really seem fair. In fact, it’s highly unlikely that buyers will be cross shopping a Silverado EV and a Silverado 1500. Rather, a prospective Silverado EV buyer is certain to be found at a Ford dealership lot or a Rivian pop-up location before succumbing to the dirty ways of gasoline.
So, it’s only right that the Silverado EV gets put against its true competitors: Ford’s F-150 Lightning, the Rivian R1T, and Tesla’s Cybertruck. The inclusion of Tesla’s Cybertruck is not one of generosity, exactly, as it’s currently leading the Rivian in (very provisional) sales numbers. And it does have a bed, technically.
Tesla
Size
The Silverado EV reigns supreme as the largest of the bunch, with a length of 233.1-inches, a width of 83.8/94.1 inches (with/without mirrors), a height of 78.7 inches, and a 5 foot, 11 inch bed.
Ford’s F-150 Lightning comes in second, with a length of 232.7 inches, a width of 80/96 inches (with/without mirrors), a height of 78.3 inches, and a 5.5-foot bed.
Though it may not look it, the Tesla Cybertruck is actually bigger than the Rivian in some metrics, with a length of 223.7-inches, a width of 86.6/95 inches (folded/unfolded mirrors), a height of 70.5 inches, and a 6-foot bed. Rivian’s R1T also falls short of the two legacy domestic models, with a length of 217.1-inches, a width of 87.1/81.8 inches (with/without mirrors), a height of 72.1/78.3 inches (lowest/highest suspension mode), and a 4.5-foot bed.
Curb weights on all of these trucks are ridiculous, with a low weight of 6843 pounds from the Cybertruck. Ford’s F-150 Lightning is the next lightest, at 6855 pounds, followed by the dual motor Rivian R1T at 6914 pounds. Chevy’s Silverado EV is the chunkiest, at around 8800 pounds.
Ford
Battery Capacity and Power
Quantifying the size and power of the legacy trucks from Ford and Chevrolet gets a bit confusing, as both are offered with a variety of battery packs and power figures.
The Silverado EV comes with a minimum of 510 hp and 834 lb-ft of torque (in Wide Open Watts mode) and a maximum of 754 hp and 1064 lb-ft of torque. All that power is delivered by the 24-module Ultium battery cells as the GMC Hummer EV pickup, but with a usable 205 kWh of battery capacity in Silverado form. Similarly, the Silverado EV uses two electric motors instead of the three on its GMC sibling.
Tesla’s Cybertruck is currently available in only two powertrain configuration with a third to follow shortly. For now, only dual- and tri-motor models are available, with 600 hp and 834 hp respectively. Both variants of the Tesla Cybertruck are said to have a 123.0-kWh battery.
Rivian’s R1T is offered in two variants as well, with dual-motor and quad-motor versions available for 2024. As a base model, the dual-motor makes 533 hp and 610 lb-ft of torque while the quad-motor version makes 835 hp and 908 lb-ft of torque. Standard, dual motor Rivian R1T models feature a 106.0-kWh battery pack, though 121.0-kWh and 142.3 kWh battery packs are also available.
Ford’s F-150 Lightning can come with two different battery packs, ranging from 98 kWh of usable energy to 131 kWh of usable energy. Power figures start on the low-end at 452 hp and 775 llb-ft of torque and rise up to 580 hp and 775 lb-ft of torque on the high-end. Both powertrains use two inboard three-phase fixed magnet AC motors.
All-wheel-drive is standard on all four models.
Rivian
Range
Operated under the EPA test cycle, the Chevrolet Silverado EV boasts an estimated range from 393 miles to 450 miles of range depending on the trim. Note that those are for the two current WT trims. The RST model has a gross vehicle weight above 10,000 pounds, thus making it exempt from light-duty reporting rules, but Chevy’s representatives say the 440-mile range is calculated from the same procedure.
Tesla’s Cybertruck, also excused from official EPA figures, comes with some qualifiers. The shortest range is 250 miles on the single-motor model, an intermediary figure of 301 miles per charge on the quad-motor Cyberbeast, and a maximum of 340 miles on the dual-motor truck. Tesla plans to offer a range-extender battery pack that will stretch the dual- and quad-motor models to 440 and 470 miles, respectively, but it is not available as of this writing.
Rivian’s R1T has as little range as 270 miles on the Standard Pack and as much as 410 miles on the maximum pack, with in-between figures of 315 miles on the Standard+ pack, 328 miles with Quad-Motor and large battery pack, and 352 miles with Dual-Motor equipped with the large pack.
Finally, the smaller standard battery pack of Ford’s F-150 Lightning results in 230 miles of range, with the larger pack providing 320 miles on the high end. Those are official EPA estimates for both the Ford and Rivian
Towing
The Silverado EV has a maximum towing capacity of 10,000 pounds. A big number, but not the class leader. It’s matched by the Ford F-150 Lightning with the extended range battery pack and optional towing package included. That goes down by half to 5000 pounds with the standard battery pack on the Ford.
Both dual-and tri-motor Cybertrucks have a maximum towing capacity of 11,000 pounds, besting Ford and Chevrolet. Only the impending single-motor Cybertruck model does worse. It will be limited at 7500 pounds.
Rivian’s R1T puts up a strong fight against Tesla, also showing off a 11,000 pound towing capacity.
Chevrolet
Price
It’s no secret that these electric pickup trucks are, well, very expensive. In other words, they’re not for the common man just yet, but some are cheaper than others.
The Chevrolet Silverado EV starts at $74,800 and goes up to $96,495.
The Ford F-150 Lightning starts at $57,090 and goes up to $95,090, with four trim levels in between these starting and ending price points.
Tesla’s Cybertruck was marketed as a starting closer to $62,985 a rear-wheel-drive variant, but is currently only available in $81,895 dual-motor and $101,985 quad-motor (Beast) variants.
The Rivian R1T is a bit cheaper, starting at $71,700 and going up to $88,800.
In summary, the Silverado EV is the heaviest in its class, with the biggest battery. But those are the only stats where it is a far and away standout. In terms of power, it is not leagues ahead of the beefiest Rivian or Tesla, both of which slightly edge it on max capacity towing, though the Silverado does similar figures with two motors that Tesla and Rivian do with three. The Silverado EV does start off expensive but it only very nearly tops out the highest price, pipped by the Influencer-spec Cyberbeast. Where the Silverado EV may shine is in the real world, and we’re excited to see how they fare as they make their way from dealership lots into driveways.
Elon Musk touted the Tesla Cybertruck as the perfect vehicle for an apocalypse at a launch event in Texas a few weeks ago. And on its website, Tesla claims the futuristic electric vehicle is “built for any planet,” being “durable and rugged enough to go anywhere.”
Many recalled such boasts when a video went viral this week showing a Cybertruck, with a single harvested Christmas tree, struggling to navigate a snowy off-road hill in California’s Stanislaus National Forest. In the video, a Ford pickup truck on a road wrenches the Tesla vehicle up the slope.
The phrase “sport futility vehicle” spread on social media as the video went viral, with one X user posting, “Ok, seeing the Cybertruck called a ‘sport futility vehicle’ after having to be rescued by a Ford made my day.”
Others argued the problem was more about an inexperienced driver and less about the Cybertruck itself, noting other trucks also get stuck on snowy hills. But there may have been an issue with that particular Cybertruck, too, which as one Tesla follower noted appeared to be a prototype with some equipment issues.
Ford CEO Jim Farley, for his part, posted to X: “Just to be clear… this is a Super Duty and NOT advertising. Glad a Ford owner was there to help.”
Yesterday, the National Forest Service released a press release cheekily offering to partner with Tesla on “an education campaign regarding off-road vehicle use on public lands.”
It posted the press release on Facebook, where a user commented that they thought the video “was a spoof.”
The Forest Service replied, “while we may have been a touch cheeky in our response, our offer to Tesla is real and this really happened out on Corral Hollows on the Calaveras side.”
Stanislaus National Forest Supervisor Jason Kuiken said in the release, “We are always thrilled when new opportunities to explore our public lands become available, but feel there may be work to be done in educating users about our Motor Vehicle Use Maps (MVUM).”
He added, “You never have to worry about a software update at an incredibly awkward moment with one of our MVUM maps.”
The Forest Service continued, “We feel confident that had the driver of the Cybertruck had a better understanding of the topographical feature indicated on our maps, practiced Leave No Trace principles, and generally been more prepared, this whole incident could have been not only avoided, but also provided much-needed education to many new off-road users.”
The Cybertruck has generated significant excitement among Tesla fans.
Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, who already had a Model X, was among the first customers to pick up a Cybertruck in Austin, Texas, a few weeks ago. He said in a livestream that driving it felt “super futuristic.”
Whether the vehicle attracts the kind of drivers who usually opt for the F-150 pickup truck or a similar no-nonsense workhorse remains to be seen, however.
Fair or not, the Cybertruck was roasted by many on social media this week following the video going viral. One Facebook user quipped about the Cybertruck driver in the clip, “Bless his heart…he thinks he’s in a truck.”
After keeping some key specs close to its proverbial chest, Tesla is finally sharing more details about the final production versions of the Cybertruck electric pickup.
Tesla published battery, speed and other stats during its delivery event on Thursday, during which the automaker went out of the way to compare the Cybertruck to some of its competitors, including Ford’s F-150 Lightning and Rivian’s R1T.
We know the more affordable Cybertruck isn’t coming for a while, but Tesla aims to deliver its maxed-out variant — the Cyberbeast — sometime next year. Here we’ll check in on how the high-priced model compares (as far as specs go) to a few other fancy electric trucks on the market.
Range-wise, Tesla estimates the Cyberbeast will go 320 miles on a single charge (or more, with an external battery pack). Ford, meanwhile, says its 2023 F-150 Lightning Platinum features a 300-mile range. Rivian says its maxed-out RT1 (quad-motor AWD) will go farther: 328 miles on a single charge.
The Cyberbeast is indeed a beast — weighing in at 6,843 lbs, Tesla says. Yet, that’s less than an F-150 Lightning Platinum (6,893 lbs) and Rivian RT1 (7,148 lbs). Increasingly, supersized EVs are simply the standard, to the detriment of basically everyone else on the road.
As for maximum towing, Tesla markets 11,000 lbs for the Cyberbeast, tying Rivian’s claimed max towing capability and falling short of Ford’s advertised max of 15,900 lbs.
Length-wise, the Cybertruck sits in the middle of the pack at 223.7″ long. Ford’s high-priced EV pickup is a bit longer, at 232.7″, while Rivian’s measures 217.1″ long. At 70.5″ tall, the Cybertruck is a bit shorter than EV pickups from Rivian (78.2″) and Ford (77.2″).
Lastly, speed: Tesla says the Cyberbeast tops out at 130 MPH, while Ford and Rivian both top out at 110 MPH.
A coalition of almost 20 consumer protection organizations is united in the view that Meta’s switch to railroading users into agreeing to being tracked and profiled so it can keep profiting from microtargeting them is “unfair” and “illegal” — breaching EU consumer protection law “on several counts”.
Starting this month, EU users of Meta’s social networks, Facebook and Instagram, are being offered the ‘choice’ of agreeing to being tracked and profiled by the behavioral ads business in order to continue/get free access to its products — or else they must pay it a monthly subscription (of at least €9.99pm) for an ad-free version of its mainstream social networks. So Meta’s updated offer to EU users is either hand over your privacy or hand over your hard earned cash.
“This is an unfair choice for users, which runs afoul of EU consumer law on several counts and must be stopped,” said the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) in a press release announcing the complaint will be filed with the network of consumer protection authorities (CPC) today.
BEUC has been joined in the complaint by 18 of its member organizations — a variety of consumer advocacy groups which are located in the following EU member states: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.
The groups are objecting both to how Meta has gone about implementing the “pay-or-consent model” — using what they assess as “unfair, deceptive and aggressive practices” — and to the model itself, which they dub “illegal”. They have also raised data protection concerns which are already the focus of the complaint sent to the Austrian data protection authority earlier this week by the privacy rights not-for-profit, noyb.
Commenting in a statement, Ursula Pachl, deputy director general of BEUC, said:
The choice the tech giant is currently providing to consumers is unfair and illegal — the millions of European users of Facebook and Instagram deserve far better than this. Meta is breaching EU consumer law by using unfair, deceptive and aggressive practices, including partially blocking consumers from using the services to force them to take a decision quickly, and providing misleading and incomplete information in the process. Consumer protection authorities in the EU must now spring into action and force the tech giant to stop this practice.
Summarizing the issues identified with Meta’s model under consumer protection law BEUC writes:
Meta is partially blocking the use of Facebook and Instagram until users have selected one option or the other, which constitutes an aggressive practice under European consumer law. Through persistence and by creating a sense of urgency, Meta pushes consumers into making a choice they might not want to take.
In addition, many consumers likely think that, by opting for the paid subscription as it is presented, they get a privacy-friendly option involving less tracking and profiling. In fact, users are likely to continue to have their personal data collected and used, but for purposes other than ads.
Meta provides misleading and incomplete information to consumers which does not allow them to make an informed choice. Meta is misleading them by presenting the choice as between a paying and a ‘free’ option, while the latter option is not ‘free’ because consumers pay Meta through the provision of their data, as past court rulings have already declared.
Given the market power of Meta’s Facebook and Instagram services in the EU and the very strong network effects of social media platforms (since all your friends are on Facebook and Instagram), consumers do not have a real choice because if they quit the services they would lose all their contacts and interactions built over the years. The very high subscription fee for ‘ad-free’ services is also a deterrent for consumers, which means consumers do not have a real choice.
“The company’s approach also raises concerns regarding the GDPR,” Pachl further noted. And a spokesman for BEUC told us it might, at a later stage, file a complaint about Meta’s data protection compliance with the relevant privacy authority, once it has completed its own assessment of the issues. Although he emphasized it’s too early to say whether or not it will take that step.
Meta’s lead data protection authority in the EU, Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC), has, for several months, been assessing its pay or consent offer. But it has yet to communicate a conclusion. In the meanwhile, Meta maintains that the model it has devised for obtaining users’ consent to its ads processing complies with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). (Although the adtech giant also said that when it was claiming performance of a contract and then legitimate interests for the processing — both of which were subsequently found to be incompatible with the GDPR.)
The ‘pay or okay’ model Meta is seeking to impose on EU users wasn’t actually its invention; it was ‘pioneered’ in Austria, by the daily newspaper Der Standard — after which copycat cookie paywalls quickly sprung up on a raft of news publishers in Germany and elsewhere in the EU.
Some DPAs appear to have been sympathetic to local newspapers’ use of cookie walls, seeing it as a way to support the production of journalism. However when it comes to Meta, that argument evaporates as it’s definitely not in the journalism business. Moreover the adtech giant doesn’t even need to produce content to pump around its social networks; it gets all that filler for free from the self-same users it’s now demanding pay a fee if they want to use its services without being tracked and profiled for behavioral advertising. Which, well, makes Meta’s ‘pay or okay’ model feel like even more of a rip off.
Back in April, a decision by Austria’s DPA on a noyb complaint about cookie paywalls said users must have the ability to say yes or no to specific data operations — meaning blanket consent is not an option. But the result left it unclear how cookie paywalls might be operated in a way that’s GDPR compliant and the privacy rights group vowed to fight the decision in court. “The final decision on ‘pay or okay’ may be made by the European Court of Justice (CJEU) in the long run,” noyb predicted at the time.
Meta is likely banking on another multi year round of GDPR complaints, legal challenges and — finally — a referral to the CJEU, followed by another long wait before a ruling gets handed down, buying it several more years to run with its new legal basis fix and keep feeding its profits by doing what it likes with Europeans’ data.
But the consumer protection challenge could complicate its usual playbook.
The CPC has brought more coordinated action on consumer protection concerns in the EU in recent years, bringing multiple organizations agencies together to tackle common concerns — helped by one or more national consumer protection authority which gets appointed to drive the effort. The process also loops in the European Commission to help facilitate dialogue, assess issues and bring pressure to bear on unfair practices.
The CPC alert and mobilization process can be quicker than GDPR enforcement when it comes to forcing changes to unfair behaviors. Although it still typically takes months, plural, for the network to coordinate and arrive at a position to press on a trader they believe is infringing the law.
The network also can’t impose fines itself. But if issues aren’t resolved through the dialogues and commitments process it shoots for, national consumer protection authorities can still pursue enforcement at a local level. So if, at the end of the day, these consumer advocacy groups aren’t happy with whatever the process of pressing Meta for changes will have achieved they can still press complaints to national authorities to urge them to take enforcement action (and those CPAs have the ability to impose penalties of up to 4% of global annual turnover).
In recent times, a raft of complaints to the CPC about TikTok led — just last year — to the video sharing social network pledging to improve user reporting and disclosure requirements around ads/sponsored content; and to boost transparency around its digital coins and virtual gifts. Although BEUC was not ecstatic about the outcome, saying “significant concerns” remained unaddressed.
Still, the CPC network may be able to extract some ‘quick win’ concessions from Meta — such as requiring it to amend how it presents the available ‘Hobson’s choice’ to users. Meta could also potentially face pressure to lower the subscription fee to make it more more affordable for users to deny tracking. (Just spitballing here but imagine if it were offering a choice of tracking ads vs paying €1 a year not to be trackedwhich wouldn’t look so evidently self-serving.)
Asked whether the issue for consumer protection authorities is the ‘pay or consent’ choice Meta is offering or how it’s gone about implementing it, BEUC’s spokesman said the questions are hard to separate as they’re “closely interlinked”.
“Under consumer law, you need an informed and fair choice to purchase such a subscription. The first question is also dependent on compliance with data protection law. If the practice infringes the GDPR, the fact that it infringes a law which aims to protect fundamental rights should in our opinion be considered unfair and illegal under consumer law too,” he told us, adding: “In any case, the choice is designed in a way that is unfair, aggressive and misleading.”
The European Commission itself has an additional oversight role on Meta directly as the company is also subject to the EU’s shiny new Digital Markets Act (DMA) and Digital Services Act (DSA). In the latter case its social networks, Facebook and Instagram, were designated as very large online platforms (VLOPs) earlier this year. And, since late August, they’ve been expected to be compliant with that digital rulebook.
Both pan-EU laws put restrictions on the use of personal data for advertising — explicitly requiring consent is obtained from users for such a purpose; and that consent must be as easy to withhold as to affirm. So one issue the Commission — which is the sole enforcer of the DSA on VLOPs — might weigh in in the coming months on is whether clicking accept vs digging out a credit card to pay an ongoing monthly charge are equivalently easy.
The regulation also contains provisions which are intended to combat unfair/deceptive design, such as targeting choice interfaces that make it “more difficult or time-consuming” to pick one option over another. Although the DSA’s provisions against dark patterns are only intended to be applied where consumer protection and privacy laws, which also take aim against unfair choices, don’t.
The Tesla Cybertruck, the first of which will be delivered Thursday four years after its debut, is loved and loathed. For fans, it’s a symbol for what Tesla and its CEO Elon Musk stand for: creativity, irreverence, rebellion. Others see it as an act of hubris. It could be both.
Either way, the stakes are high. The automaker hasn’t produced a new passenger model — save for refreshes or variants of existing vehicles — in more than three years, and profit margins have shrunk due to price cuts aimed at preserving its market share. The Cybertruck could be Tesla’s magnum opus or its albatross.
Where the Cybertruck lands in the history books (or more likely, Wikipedia) will depend on the company’s ability to navigate production woes and customer reception — particularly if it isn’t embraced lovingly once it’s in owners’ hands. And of course, there’s the other hurdle of producing a vehicle at scale that people love without losing money.
The next important step on this precarious journey begins at 2 p.m. CT November 30, when Tesla is expected to deliver the first of its long-awaited Cybertrucks to patient customers. The angular, stainless steel, futuristic-looking trucks will be revealed and delivered during the Thursday afternoon event at the Tesla Gigafactory in Austin — and likely with all the pomp, circumstance and electronic dance music we’ve come to expect from Tesla.
Some Tesla shareholders, Cybertruck customers and other VIP guests will attend in person. The event will be livestreamed for everyone else on a special landing page and likely on its YouTube channel and, of course, on X.
The stakes
If Tesla pulls off the Cybertruck, it might prove that it’s still the rebellious upstart at heart, with the vision and dedication to break the norm. It could also give its bottom line a much needed boost and forever differentiate it from legacy rivals.
But the truck has faced many challenges and delays in getting to production. Musk has confessed that building the Cybertruck has been difficult due to its unique design and stainless-steel body, which has reportedly led to issues like gaps in between the panels. We don’t yet know how much the Cybertruck will cost, but Musk has warned it will take time before it’s a profitable vehicle for the automaker.
During Tesla’s Q3 earnings call, Musk told investors that Tesla “dug our own grave with the Cybertruck.” He said that scaling it will be tough and it will take at least 18 months before the pickup is profitable. The truck has already taken a chunk out of Tesla’s earnings as the automaker’s operating expenses increased 43% year-over-year. Musk said that Giga Texas will be able to produce about 250,000 Cybertrucks a year starting in 2025, but his timelines are often skewed and unreliable.
Stainless steel frame: A risky bet
Musk’s goal for the Cybertruck was to be surprising, bold and to build something no one would expect because it didn’t look like any other pickup truck out there.
“I don’t care if anyone buys it,” Musk said to his design team in 2019, according to Walter Isaacson’s biography of the billionaire executive. “We’re not doing a traditional boring truck. We can always do that later. I want to build something that’s cool. Like, don’t resist me.”
As he and lead designer Franz von Holzhausen spitballed design ideas, they spoke about doing something revolutionary with the form and manufacturing process of the vehicle, which hadn’t changed for pickups in 80 years. That caused them to shift their focus to the material used to make it. Rethinking the material, and even the physics of the vehicle’s structure, opened their minds to new designs.
After discussing the possibility of aluminum and titanium, they settled on stainless steel, according to information revealed in Isaacson’s biography. Charles Kuehmann, VP of materials engineering at both Tesla and SpaceX, had developed an ultra-hard stainless steel alloy that was “cold rolled” rather than requiring heat treatments. The team reasoned it was strong enough and cheap enough to use for both rocket ships and trucks. The steel body wouldn’t need to be painted, could resist dents and would be able to bear the vehicle’s structural load without relying on a chassis.
“Let’s make the strength on the outside, make it an exoskeleton, and hang everything else from the inside of it,” Musk told his engineers.
Building with stainless steel also meant that Tesla couldn’t use its stamping machines to sculpt carbon fiber into body panels with curves and shapes. The truck would have to be sharp and angular, which was fine with Musk, who had been inspired by vehicles like those in the video games Cyberpunk 2077 and Halo, as well as films like “Blade Runner” and “The Spy Who Loved Me.” In fact, Musk bought the 1970s Lotus Esprit that was used in the James Bond film for almost $1 million and displayed it in the Tesla design studio.
The choice of using stainless steel created its own unforeseen problems, though, and has caused the delay of the Cybertruck’s launch. In theory, building a truck body with stainless steel panels should create a smooth, angular design. In practice, it’s difficult to get those panels to line up properly without exposing large gaps. It’s also hard to flatten the steel panels, reports The Wall Street Journal, citing people who have worked on the pickup. The metal is produced in coils, like giant rolls of paper towels, so when it’s unrolled, it has a tendency to spring back into its rolled-up form.
Once the Cybertruck is on the road, customers might encounter challenges of their own. While the metal is likely to make it more resistant to dents and scratches, if it does get dented, fixing it will likely be a nightmare. Tesla already has a bad rep for inadequate servicing, with limited service centers, limited stock to replace parts, bad communications and long wait times for repair appointments. Given the difficulty of getting the Cybertruck to production at all, fixing one will probably be equally frustrating.
A bullet-proof truck?
During Tesla’s initial Cybertruck reveal event in 2019, Musk asked his lead designer, Franz von Holzhausen, to demonstrate the strength of the truck’s “armor glass” by throwing a metal ball at the window. Rather than bouncing off, it cracked the window significantly. They tried again with the back window, leaving yet another baseball-sized shatter in the glass.
Musk has said he wants the Cybertruck to be bullet-proof. Might we get yet another, potentially louder and more dangerous, demonstration at this week’s event? When in Texas…
Only 10 Cybertrucks delivered
Tesla’s global director of product design Javier Verdura said at a keynote address in November that the company intends to deliver 10 Cybertrucks at the event, according to Mexican newspaper Milenio. As Tesla has done before, those first 10 trucks will probably go to Tesla employees and possibly a high-profile individual. For instance, during the Tesla Model X event in 2015 early investors Ira Ehrenpreis and Steve Jurvetson took the stage to take their cars.
Tesla could not be reached to confirm.
The automaker often only delivers a handful of cars during its delivery events. A year ago at Tesla’s Semi delivery event, the automaker handed out about five trucks to Pepsi. And back in 2017, the Model 3’s initial delivery event saw just 30 cars being delivered, mostly to employees.
Whether 10 is an accurate number, we can also assume a small number of first units to be delivered based on Tesla’s order agreement that threatened to sue Cybertruck buyers who resell the vehicle without permission during their first year of ownership. Tesla quickly walked back on that language, but automakers usually only include such clauses if they have a limited quantity of vehicles.
While Tesla has clearly set a precedent for anticlimactic delivery events, customers who have been waiting for this day for years may still be disappointed in the modest offering. Musk estimated the Cybertruck has about 1 million reservations during Tesla’s third-quarter earnings call.
Tesla first announced its Cybertruck in 2019, claiming first deliveries would be scheduled for 2021. The automaker continued to push out the production and delivery dates, due to supply chain headaches and challenges in building the unique vehicle.
Shares of Rivian Automotive Inc. were being driven toward a third-straight loss Monday, after Tesla Inc.’s first Cybertruck was rolled off the assembly line over the weekend.
“We see competitive pricing and specs for the Cybertruck as a fundamental and headline risk to [Rivian],” wrote Baird analyst Ben Kallo in a note to clients.
Rivian’s stock RIVN, -3.25%
dropped 2.5% in premarket trading. It has shed 4.2% over the past two sessions, after closing July 12 at a seven-month high.
Tesla shares TSLA, +3.38%
gained 2.0%, putting them on track to open at a 10-month high.
Meanwhile, Baird’s Kallo also said despite Rivian’s (RIVN) strong second-quarter deliveries report, he was “cautious” about Rivian’s stock ahead of second-quarter results, which are due out Aug. 8, given concerns over the costs of the development of the electric vehicle maker’s Georgia facility.
“As both a positive and a negative, RIVN will need to raise capital in the near to medium term in order to fund the project and note that the recent stock appreciation may create an attractive opportunity for RIVN to execute an equity raise,” Baird wrote.
Rivian’s stock has run up 80.8% over the past three months through Friday, while Tesla’s stock has run up 50.4% and the S&P 500 index SPX, +0.07%
has gained 7.1%.
Tesla Cybertruck owners can choose from nearly 100 colors and have Wrapmate’s massive network of 2,000 installers execute the wrap anywhere in the country.
DENVER, June 28, 2023 (Newswire.com)
– After Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, said: “Cybertruck can have any color you want, so long as it’s nothing,” that Henry Ford-like statement led Wrapmate to create a solution to allow customers to personalize and stand out from having a “nothing” colored Cybertruck.
Wrapmate’s interactive Cybertruck wrap configurator and e-commerce-like experience allow customers to unlock new opportunities to design and purchase vehicle graphics from the comfort of their homes, just like they bought their Cybertruck.
“We are extremely excited to launch our Tesla Cybertruck wrap configurator to help consumers visualize their wrap,” says Javier Lozano, Jr., Chief Marketing Officer of Wrapmate. “Wrapmate is the first and only national vehicle graphics company that offers customers the ability to place a no-risk, fully refundable, Initial Project Deposit. This gives them a highly personalized Cybertruck wrap created and designed by our world-class, in-house design team.”
Customers will be able to showcase their new Cybertruck utilizing best-in-class 3M vinyl material. 3M™ Wrap Film offers nearly 100 colors, textures, and finishes. Plus, individuals can add more personalization to their Cybertruck with a one-of-a-kind designed wrap. Whether it’s to promote a business brand or simply make their plain, blank Cybertruck standout – a professionally designed wrap will garner immense attention.
To try Wrapmate’s interactive Cybertruck wraps configurator visit https://cybertruck.wrapmate.com. Tesla Cybertruck wraps by Wrapmate will be available for purchase by mid-summer of 2023.
About Wrapmate Wrapmate is a technology-driven managed marketplace that is reimagining the buy-and-sell experience in the vehicle graphics industry. With innovative customer interaction and a network of 2,000+ local installation service providers, Wrapmate efficiently serves business owners, fleet managers, franchises, and consumers coast-to-coast. Learn more about Wrapmate’s vehicle wraps solutions at https://wrapmate.com.
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Lance King chose transformation over layoffs and invented a high-tech luxury camper for Tesla’s Cybertruck
Press Release –
updated: Jul 20, 2021
AUSTIN, Texas, July 20, 2021 (Newswire.com)
– Lance King, the CEO of AI and real-time analytics firm Stream It, faced a dilemma: When the COVID-19 pandemic decimated his business, he had to either lay off most of his employees or create a new product in a completely different arena.
King is a Tesla fan. He loves his Tesla 3 Performance sedan and had just placed his order for the company’s groundbreaking Cybertruck. But there was one downside: He wanted a camper and no camper on the market would fit the Cybertruck’s unique design.
So he decided to invent one and to have his company create it.
The result: The CyberLandr, a high-tech, luxury pop-up camper that turns Tesla’s Cybertruck into the basecamp for urban or wilderness adventures. The innovative camper disappears into the bed of the Cybertruck, is powered by AI and solar energy, and features zero aerodynamic drag — crucial for electric vehicles, where aerodynamics greatly affects range.
Designing an ultra-modern camper might seem like a stretch for a company like Stream It, makers of an analytics solution based on artificial intelligence and advanced sensors, with transit companies as its main clients. But King realized that his dream and his team were a match.
Just as Tesla, an outsider, had revolutionized the automotive experience, King knew it would require an industry outsider to revolutionize the RV. And, like Tesla, that outsider would need to be a company with a track record in innovative technology and AI and the ability to apply “first principles” and systems thinking to re-invent what a camper is.
The more King thought about it, the more convinced he was that his own team had the perfect skillset. “The talent, hard work and ongoing determination of our Stream It team made the decision to pivot an easy one,” he said. “They are the force behind the CyberLandr, and have played a critical role in re-inventing the RV to create the ultimate adventure vehicle.”
King recalled the moment when he pitched his idea to his team: “After about 30 seconds of stunned silence, Bill French, our chief analytics officer, said, ‘A disappearing camper? That’s cool as hell, count me in!’ His enthusiasm was infectious and the team agreed.”
Their gamble has paid off, with more than $75 million in pre-orders and an estimated demand of 10,000 units per year. And that demand is likely to grow after CyberLandr recently got the ultimate in one-word endorsements: “Cool,” from Tesla founder Elon Musk himself.
Musk was responding on Twitter to a post from the Tesla Owners of Silicon Valley group, which shared a video of how CyberLandr lets people take a bedroom, bathroom kitchen, living room, and office with them anywhere and everywhere they go. Other features include a recirculating shower, wireless connectivity through a Starlink satellite, free-standing seating, and much more.
Now through July 30, register to win a free CyberLandr at get.cyberlandr.com. And, for a limited time with just a $100 deposit, save $5,000 during the launch promotion discount by reserving a CyberLandr at CyberLandr.com, by contacting sales@cyberlandr.com or by calling 888-815-9790. For more information, visit www.cyberlandr.com.
About CyberLandr
CyberLandr is a high-tech, luxury camper that turns Tesla’s Cybertruck into the basecamp for urban or wilderness adventures. Powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and solar energy, CyberLandr lets you make your home any place your wheels and imagination can take you thanks to its zero aerodynamic drag. CyberLandr is a product of Stream It®, the developer of the first mobile-capable, real-time analytics platform that turns video and sensor data into business intelligence. To learn more, visit www.cyberlandr.com.
CyberLandr™ ushers in a new era of adventure vehicles. Unlike the recreational vehicles that preceded it, CyberLandr encourages you to go more places and be
more active.
Press Release –
updated: Apr 6, 2021
LAS VEGAS, April 6, 2021 (Newswire.com)
– The Best Trailer is the One You Don’t Have to Tow
Stream It, Inc., headquartered in Las Vegas, NV announces the CyberLandr, an innovative camper/overlander for the Tesla Cybertruck. Rather than being tethered to RV parks for power, water/sewer, or Internet access, CyberLandr lets you take a kitchen, living room, bedroom, bathroom, and office anywhere and everywhere for ultimate wilderness and urban adventures.
When stowed, CyberLandr disappears entirely within the bed of the Tesla Cybertruck allowing the tonneau cover and tailgate to close, creating an exceptionally low center of gravity, zero aerodynamic drag, and minimal effect on range. This allows you to take CyberLandr through terrain more rugged than you would dare take most overlanding trailers, while still being able to take it into a parking garage at the mall or a Starbucks drive-thru.
The Best Camper Is the One You Always Have With You
Because CyberLandr fits in normal parking spaces and doesn’t obstruct outward visibility, you can take it more places and use it more often—including urban adventures like soccer tournaments and little league games so you can keep snacks cold in the fridge, have a place to relax between games, and provide a restroom for the team. And you can also take a hot shower after a day at the beach or a bike ride before you drive home or go out to dinner.
With the included StarLink dish providing Internet access (subscription required), you can stream HD movies to the 32-inch SmartTV/monitor, play video games, participate in a Zoom conference, and even make and receive cell phone calls using WiFi Calling from just about anywhere (except Antarctica). The CyberLandr’s plush, freestanding chairs also recline and transform into an RV-size queen bed.
Even with all the storage provided by the Cybertruck’s cavernous frunk, sail panel storage, and generous interior space, you may occasionally find the need to remove Cyberlandr to haul 4×8 sheets of plywood or a load of mulch. For those times, there is an available dolly to make it easy to remove and store the CyberLandr.
The Ultimate Cybertruck Accessory
CyberLandr’s aesthetics, features, and accompanying app are all designed to complement and enhance the Tesla Cybertruck experience. For example, the CyberLandr’s marble-look porcelain kitchen countertop mirrors the Cybertruck’s dashboard. And just like the Cybertruck, CyberLandr has voice activated automation to control features like lights, its electrochromic dimming windows, and even the faucet. You can also use the app to control these features, to deploy and stow CyberLandr, and to view the 360-degree surround surveillance system. CyberLandr even supports OTA (over-the-air) updates so it continues to improve over time. Can any other RV or adventure vehicle do that?
A recirculating shower means you won’t run out of hot water if you decide to take a longer shower. Radiant heated floors keep you comfortable when it gets cold, and the dry flush toilet means there is never a black-water tank or cassette to empty, clean, or smell. And because the CyberLandr is all electric, you never need to run around town to buy propane, gas, or diesel fuel – a simple charge is all it takes. And 500 Watts of included solar panels help replenish the Cybertruck’s batteries.
An on-board four-stage water filtration system with UV sterilization ensures the water always tastes great regardless of the source, and the fresh water can be replenished when boondocking using clear water from a stream or lake.
You Are Now Free to Roam Around the Earth
People yearn for adventure and exploration. It invigorates, renews souls, dispels depression, and provides a new outlook on life. That is why people like to travel and experience new places. But even when air travel is no longer restricted due to a pandemic, having a vacation dictated by flight schedules, hotel check-in and check-out times, and car rental return deadlines can take a lot of joy out of travel. With CyberLandr, people are free to roam around the Earth on a whim.
With CyberLandr people are better prepared for emergencies like fires, floods, earthquakes, and social unrest should they need to leave on a moment’s notice. CyberLandr is here to usher in the post-SUV era of the eco-friendly adventure vehicle so people can enjoy more of the nature they love while treading more lightly upon it.
