The Tesla Cybertruck was controversial long before it ever hit the streets. Some of that was due to the long delays ahead of the start of production and some to the “unique” design, but many lay blame at the feet of Tesla CEO Elon Musk, whose “wacky antics” and extreme political views have drawn ire. According to media outlet Autopian, those driving one of these polarizing trucks can expect harsh words and middle fingers, calling Cybertrucks “a magnet for haters – whether haters of EVs or haters of Elon Musk.” So, the ire apparently can come from the left or right of the political spectrum.
One Cybertruck owner reports “late-night hate messages and threats,” getting regularly flipped off and having other drivers deliberately slow down in front of him. He said he has also been “coal-rolled,” which is when a diesel truck dumps a large plume of black exhaust smoke on other cars. This is not only offensive, it’s also illegal as per the EPA. Another Cybertruck owner from Ohio said he’s seen a lot of responses, but they’ve been about 80% positive and 20% negative… although the negative has been “really negative.” In Washington D.C., a Cybertruck owner had a glass bottle thrown at his vehicle.
“Very few people say they like the truck because of Elon Musk; nobody really claims to like the guy,” said Don Turner, the LA-based Tesla owner whose Facebook post inspired the Autopian article. “That jackass… I like his technology, I like his truck… he [just] doesn’t shut his freakin’ mouth. Once he gets into the political stuff, it really ruins his brand, it ruins the Tesla brand.”
Source: Autopian
