Tesla has removed its threat to hit flippers of its Cybertruck with a potential $50,000 lawsuit and other measures, a day after it made headlines.
Tesla plans to start deliveries of the Cybertruck electric pickup on Nov. 30 and has started telegraphing that volumes will be limited, meaning early owners will likely be able to make a profit by reselling the highly anticipated vehicle.
In an attempt to prevent this, Tesla on Monday added a paragraph relating specifically to the Cybertruck in the terms and conditions section of its sales agreement, which buyers sign when purchasing a vehicle from the company. The addition stated that the buyer agreed to not resell the electric truck for at least one year after taking delivery, or face consequences which could include a lawsuit.
By Tuesday, that paragraph was no longer included in the sales agreement. It likely means owners will be able to resell their Cybertrucks without Tesla coming after them, though the company could always reinstate the policy or something similar once the Cybertruck is actually on the market.
Tesla Cybertruck concept (Courtesy of Tesla, Inc.)
Business Insider reported on Wednesday that the paragraph had spooked some investors and reservation holders, particularly the comment that the Cybertruck would be “released in limited quantity.” That goes against previous comments Tesla has made about high-volume targets for the electric truck.
CEO Elon Musk as recently as last month said the Cybertruck has over one million reservations and that Tesla aims to get production capacity up to 250,000 units per year by 2025. The Cybertruck is built at Tesla's plant near Austin, Texas.
The Cybertruck was first shown as a concept in 2019. Production was originally planned to start in late 2021 but multiple delays put it behind schedule. Some of the delays were caused by changes to the original specification and the need to implement new technologies, Tesla has previously said.
One of the new technologies is a battery cell that's more energy-dense than what the company currently uses. It isn't clear whether the new cell will allow Tesla to deliver more range than what the company has already announced. Tesla has previously announced various grades offering range estimates of 250, 300, and 500 miles. The company has also previously announced a starting price of $39,900. That was during the Cybertruck's 2019 reveal but the information was pulled from Tesla's website in 2021. Given the inflation of recent years, the Cybertruck will likely have a different starting price once sales begin.
