[Source/Observer Network by Zhou Shengming, edited by Gao Shen] According to a report by Britain's The Sun on June 7, approximately 100 unsold Cybertrucks are parked in the parking lot of a closed shopping mall in the United States.

Due to occupying public parking spaces, local residents expressed dissatisfaction. It is speculated that this parking lot is not far from Tesla's West Bloomfield service center, so it is likely being temporarily used as a backup location for storing stagnant inventory.

About 100 unsold Cybertrucks are parked in a Michigan parking lot The Sun

The angular and futuristic Cybertruck has been a hot topic in the global automotive industry since its debut. The public eagerly anticipates that this model will bring another major innovation to the world after Tesla's Model 3.

Musk hopes that the Cybertruck can open up the lucrative truck market and has high expectations for its future sales. He once told investors that the Cybertruck would be "Tesla's best product ever."

At the launch event, Musk prepared an iron ball to test the bulletproof performance of the Cybertruck's glass. When the iron ball was released, the Cybertruck's glass shattered under the gaze of a global audience.

Musk's presentation "crash" Wall Street Journal

In a way, this somewhat "black humor" incident at the launch event seemed to foreshadow the ups and downs of the Cybertruck's fate.

Frequent problems, the Cybertruck has been recalled nine times

The Wall Street Journal stated that quality issues with the Cybertruck emerged shortly after delivery - the windshield cracked and rust-like spots appeared on the body surface.

Since its launch in November 2023, Tesla's Cybertruck has had eight recalls. According to publicly available data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), some of these issues can be resolved through remote software updates (OTA), but there are also many hardware quality issues among them, some of which pose significant safety risks.

The Cybertruck has been recalled nine times Wall Street Journal

For example, Tesla recalled the Cybertruck due to a safety risk with the accelerator pedal. This issue occurred because the rectangular pad on the vehicle's accelerator pedal could detach and get stuck on the trim, causing the vehicle to accelerate uncontrollably.

The accelerator pad of the Cybertruck may jam the accelerator Tesla

For instance, due to the large area and thickness of the Cybertruck's windshield, some owners reported that it spontaneously shattered when the vehicle left the dealership or when the glass was wiped. Additionally, because of the large windshield area and the fact that the Cybertruck only has one wiper, this could cause the motor to fail due to excessive pressure.

The Cybertruck only has one windshield wiper Tesla

A former Tesla employee told The Wall Street Journal that Tesla was already aware of the quality and safety risks related to the accelerator pedal and wiper before the Cybertruck was delivered, but it is rumored that there was pressure within Tesla to rush the product to market.

What is most amusing is that due to the seemingly cool stainless steel exterior of the Cybertruck being fixed with glue, these adhesives become brittle and ineffective in extremely cold weather, causing the panels to fall off.

Cybertruck metal panel falling off Social Media X

An American Cybertruck owner said, "They (Tesla) are always testing the limits of technology, rushing to market, and we owners have become testers."

Another owner driving across the U.S. found that the metal panels of his Cybertruck flew off in winter. Upon checking the vehicle, he discovered that almost all the panels connected with adhesive were loose, including the stainless steel plate above the rear wheels, the front wheel arches, and the front doors.

"I was thinking, why didn't they recall all the panels?" the owner said.

Musk made Tesla "uncool"

Due to Musk's outspoken political involvement, his political stance and some extreme words and actions have sparked discussions globally. Some consumers do not agree with Musk's views and have begun to boycott the Tesla brand.

Last December, Musk openly supported Germany's far-right party, Alternative for Germany (AfD). On the eve of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp, he expressed to supporters of the party that Germans should not feel guilty about the crimes of their great-grandparents.

Additionally, during Musk's honeymoon period with Trump, Musk was designated by the White House as a "special government employee" to lead the work of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Subsequently, tens of thousands of federal jobs in the U.S. were cut.

This backlash came fiercely. According to Bloomberg citing U.S. website data, on March 8 and March 9 alone, there were 72 protests targeting Tesla showrooms, supercharging stations, and other facilities across the U.S., with severe damage occurring at many locations.

Protesters hold a demonstration outside a Tesla store in New York City NPR

According to The Washington Post, in March, multiple Tesla Superchargers at a shopping mall in Littleton, Massachusetts, were set on fire. In Maryland, vandals sprayed "No Musk" and similar Nazi symbols.

Naturally, the Cybertruck, which bears a distinct "Musk stamp," has also become a target of criticism. Insider Business reported that some owners were targeted by protesters, their cars maliciously defaced, other drivers screamed at the owners at red lights, someone shot paintballs, and heavy trucks refused to let the owners merge...

The Cybertruck was maliciously attacked with paintball Insider Business

Under various reasons, the sales of the Cybertruck fell far short of expectations.

In 2024, Tesla's sales in the U.S. were less than 40,000 units, far below Musk's annual production target of 250,000 units. In the first quarter of 2025, Tesla's sales in the U.S. were only 7,100 units, falling short of Ford's comparable model, the F-150 Lightning.

To boost sales, Tesla even introduced a lower-priced Cybertruck model and began offering buyers zero-interest financing, inventory discounts, and free supercharging.

A microcosm of the problem

From the story of the Cybertruck, all the absurdity and turmoil seem to echo the shattered glass at the Cybertruck launch event.

From the dazzling debut to the embarrassing recalls, from Musk's "best product" to the "inventory vehicles" piling up in the parking lot, the Cybertruck no longer represents the future but has become a microcosm of Tesla's real-world problems. It carries Musk's ambitions while exposing Tesla's anxieties.

Just as Tesla faced difficult times, Musk and Trump's honeymoon period also came to an end. After a verbal spat on social media, Tesla's market value plummeted more than 14% on June 5, wiping over $150 billion off its valuation overnight and falling below $1 trillion.

In March, Musk and Trump posed together outside the White House Wall Street Journal

Facing sluggish sales, political pressure, supply chain risks brought by tariffs, and declining brand image, Tesla finds itself in an awkward situation.

Under the dual impact of the market and public opinion, Tesla is no longer the synonym of revolutionary progress it once was, and Musk is no longer the "Iron Man" who could ignite the stock market with just dreams of technology. He built what seemed to be an invincible Cybertruck, but it might just become the piece of metal that brings down the myth.

This article is an exclusive contribution by Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7514250832355901993/

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