Tesla’s Elon Musk Still Dissatisfied With Cybertruck, Looks Up To LEGO As Ideal
By Mikelle Leow, 31 Aug 2023
Illustration 220141462 © Mariusz Burcz | Dreamstime.com
It’s been a rather rocky road for the Tesla Cybertruck, whose arrival has been delayed for a couple of years. Although, that’s pretty much expected for a pickup truck that’s nothing like the others before it.
Thankfully, it seems the automaker has moved a mile forward with its schedule, as the first road-ready Cybertruck has already been produced. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, CEO Elon Musk proudly revealed that he had test-driven Cybertruck’s “production candidate… at Tesla Giga Texas.”
But there are still more hurdles to overcome, if a purported companywide email sent by Musk is to be believed. As quoted by Cybertruck Owners Club, it griped about imperfections made glaringly apparent by the vehicle’s bright stainless steel and distinct angles. You can read the unabridged message here.
Musk noted that owing to the pickup’s primary material and geometric form, any numerical variation would appear like “a sore thumb.”
Just drove the production candidate Cybertruck at Tesla Giga Texas! pic.twitter.com/S0kCyGUBFD
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 23, 2023
Emphasizing the exacting precision required for the Cybertruck, he highlighted that all components, whether internal or from suppliers, must adhere to “sub-10-micron accuracy.”
When the Cybertruck finally hits the road, it will retail for a base price of US$39,000. The premium means there will be no room for a less-than-satisfactory quality. Musk cited “low-cost” products like LEGO blocks and drinking cans as models of precision that Tesla should look up to.
“If LEGO and soda cans, which are very low cost, can do this, so can we,” the Tesla boss apparently wrote, before reminding employees: “Precision predicates perfectionism.”
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 24, 2023
[via Ars Technica, Electrek, Cybertruck Owners Club, images via various sources]
This article was crafted with assistance from an AI engine, and has been manually reviewed & edited.