If reports about the number of reservations it has garnered are true, the Tesla Cybertruck may be the most eagerly anticipated new vehicle in history. Back in February, 532,000 people around the world were reportedly on the waiting list for one of Elon Musk’s segment-smashing vehicles. The no-obligation reservations are little more than a marketing tool for the company at this point. Tesla hasn’t even decided where to build the Cybertruck yet, let alone start constructing a factory. But that hasn’t stopped the company from taking orders for it on its Chinese website, according to Tesmanian.
Credit: Tesla China
If you have never heard of Chinese drivers clamoring for gargantuan American-style pickup trucks, you’re not alone. The chances are, Tesla is primarily interested in seeing how many customers there might be if and when it decides to actually sell the Cybertruck in China. Perhaps the Chinese are big fans of Mad Max style vehicles. Who knows?
Driving Cross Country In A Cybertruck
Ultimately, the number of reservations Tesla gets for its electromechanical wunderkind will be irrelevant. The number of people who actually buy one will be the measure of Musk’s genius. The company that never spends a dime on conventional advertising is certainly a master at generating publicity for itself.
The Cybertruck has had plenty of exposure on the West Coast, having appeared recently at the Peterson Automotive Museum and on a segment of “Jay Leno’s Garage.” That got Twitter user Michael Hodges thinking people in the rest of the country might like to see the Cybertruck up close and personal too, so he tweeted at Musk with a slim hope of a response.
Sure, we will aim to do a cross-country drive with Cybertruck later this year
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 3, 2020
Just think of all the free publicity that trip could generate! No route has been suggested as of yet, but driving a Cybertruck through Middle America, where the pickup truck is king, would be a golden opportunity to see how traditional truck owners react to the new kid in town.
In the meantime, Tesla has yet to pick a location for its Cybertruck factory. That process is ongoing, as negotiations are taking place with local officials in several locations, including Austin, Texas, and Tulsa, Oklahoma. Once production begins, we will see how many of those reservations turn into paid-for vehicles.
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