Elon Musk was wrong when he thought Cybertruck could help Tesla.

Initial reviews of the Cybertruck have been released and Elon Musk was certainly wrong in thinking that his powerful ‘army’ would help Tesla.

Typically, a campaign to launch new car models will maximize media coverage, then take advantage of press interest to reach potential customers.

However, Musk did not do that. Over the years, Tesla has cut back on the number of journalists invited to its events. Musk believes that he can use his personal influence to convey messages directly to customers and this means that at the Cybertruck launch, many press agencies were not allowed into the building. Instead, Tesla relied on social media influencers to touch, feel and express their emotions with the Cybertruck.

Tesla’s different approach is nothing strange, especially since Musk’s unique perspective has opened up many new paths for the auto industry. However, this launch was extremely difficult, even for someone as talented as Musk.

Wall Street does not expect Cybertruck to become a ‘money printing machine’, but sees it as a flashy product that will attract attention, thereby accelerating Tesla’s sales.

However, KOLs participating in the Cybertruck experience were quite confused because the announced fee was higher than expected. The cheapest version costs an additional $20,000 and won’t even be available until 2025. The most expensive version jumps to about $100,000 from the previous target of $69,900.

“This is definitely not the influential truck that Tesla advertised,” YouTuber Zack Nelson told his more than 8 million subscribers.

“The initial feeling is softness, pleasant scent, big but not bulky,” Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit, shared his feelings.

A generation ago, auto shows were places where automakers competed for attention. However, according to former Detroit CEO Bob Lutz, the current media world has changed. Musk holds unique power as a famous CEO with more than 165 million followers on X.

Elon Musk was wrong when he thought Cybertruck could help Tesla.

“I wasn’t surprised when he said he would do it all himself. He doesn’t need television, nor does he need newspapers. He will do it his way,” Lutz said.

Tesla limited its presence at exhibitions, but did not completely abandon the traditional way of playing. A number of carefully selected journalists were approached by Cybertruck to shoot videos promoting its smooth features.

“I’m very impressed,” said technology review expert Marques Brownlee.

However, for YouTuber Dan Markham, the car’s range made him quite disappointed. “Not everything goes exactly as they want. It feels like the company missed something.”

“They didn’t let us sit in the Cybertruck,” said one YouTuber. “We also get into trouble if we touch the screen. It feels like the company is hiding something. Quite uncomfortable.”

First revealed in 2019, Cybertruck is designed with an angular design, sturdy, and even bulletproof. Tesla executives continually emphasize the benefits of stainless steel, such as that it is corrosion-resistant so the company can eliminate some costly manufacturing steps.

However, some employees who participated in the Cybertruck production process found that using stainless steel was ineffective. Vertically lifting doors are annoying and, at times, frustrating for customers.

“No matter how difficult it is to produce, I think he will still try to sell everything he can produce,” an executive who worked at Ford said about Musk’s Cybertruck. “In California, everyone wants the newest, hottest things. Cybertruck will attract more attention than a Lamborghini.”

According to industry experts, stainless steel is difficult to bend and shape. It’s also so stiff that it’s difficult to flatten, which has disrupted Tesla’s plans to launch its first new passenger car model in more than three years.

Tesla aims to begin delivering its first trucks on November 30 – a milestone it plans to mark with an event at its factory near Austin, Texas. However, CEO Elon Musk warned during the October meeting that Tesla would face “tremendous challenges” both in increasing Cybertruck production and making money from it.

“We dug ourselves a hole with the Cybertruck,” Musk said.

Excessive costs are making many people worried. Musk said in the October earnings call that he expected the company to be able to produce about 250,000 pickup trucks per year, but certainly, this roadmap will be slow due to complex design.

According to Mr. Philippe Houchois, Tesla’s use of cast metal pieces instead of taking advantage of expensive presses is one of the reasons why production is delayed.

“In warning of production difficulties, Musk made clear what we had long suspected,” Houchois told the Financial Times. “Something so different will always come with risks. This could be a nightmare for production.”