Tesla Limits Cybertruck Test Drives Due to Rising Demand. The EV Maker, Which Previously Offered Prospective Buyers Week-Long Test Drives, Has Now Reduced Them to 30 Mins

Tesla appears to have scaled back Cybertruck sales efforts following the success of the $59,990 base model Cybertruck.

A Cybertruck buyer who goes by the username Alpine on the Cybertruck Owners Club forum was among the first to notice Tesla's decreased interest in generating more Cybertruck demand.

Alpine already has a Cybertruck on order and was hoping to learn more about the all-electric truck before taking delivery by scheduling a test drive at a nearby Tesla showroom.

He went to his Tesla app to schedule a test drive; however, to his surprise, Tesla informed him that the company is no longer offering extended test drives for the Cybertruck.

The extended Cybertruck test drive previously allowed potential buyers to take the vehicle home overnight and drive it for a couple of days.

Some buyers even reported that Tesla allowed them to drive the vehicle for a whole week before making their final decision.

Given the size and unconventional style of the Cybertruck, these options helped buyers better experience the vehicle in their daily environment before making a purchase.

However, in Alpine’s case, Tesla informed him that the company is only offering 30-minute Cybertruck test drives at this time.

This is already disappointing; however, Alpine also shared that when he arrived to pick up the truck, he was told his test drive had been canceled.

The reason was that the only Cybertruck used for test drives at that location had a flat tire.

Alpine expressed his dissatisfaction with Tesla’s less-than-enthusiastic Cybertruck test-drive program and shared his views on the Cybertruck Owners Club forum.

He wrote...

This was my first visit to a Tesla Service Center, which is only a 5-mile drive from my house. Someone here recommended I schedule a 30-minute demo and then ask to keep the truck longer since a 1 or 2-day rental isn’t available online.

I left the house, and just before pulling into the service center, I received a cancellation email with no explanation.

I went inside to find out what was going on. The showroom was quite confusing. I thought I might have entered through the wrong door.

There were four cars parked in a space the size of a five-car garage, and a couple of people sitting at a small table in the corner, working on a laptop. They didn't say anything.

As I walked around, I found another person hidden behind one of the cars at a small table just big enough for his laptop.

He got up when he saw me and said the cancellation was because the Cybertruck had a flat tire. They only have one demo Cybertruck. 

He asked if I could drive something else, but I told him I have a Cybertruck on order, and that's the only vehicle I want to test-drive.

He told me to reschedule for Tuesday, and the best they could do was if I picked it up at the end of the day, I might be able to keep it overnight and bring it back at 10 am. 

I just want to drive a Cybertruck to get familiar with it, explore the screen, and measure it in my garage for the charger location.

An overnight test makes sense, but I was hoping for a two-day experience.”

What is surprising here is that a few months ago, Tesla lots were overflowing with Cybertrucks, and the EV maker was practically begging people to test drive the truck.

Now, however, the EV maker seems to be struggling to find enough Cybertrucks in stock to demo the vehicle.

This marks a significant change in Cybertruck availability, and looking at the comments, a lot of Cybertruck enthusiasts also said they, too, found it difficult to secure extended test drives.

A fellow Cybertruck enthusiast writes... 

“I was in the same situation, and they let me keep it for a maximum of 2 hours. They wouldn’t consider letting me keep it overnight.”

Overall, Tesla appears to be experiencing a rare Cybertruck shortage; however, please let me know what you think in the comments.

Share your ideas by clicking the red “Add new comment” button below. Also, be sure to visit our site, torquenews.com/Tesla, regularly for the latest updates.

For more information, check out: Early Cybertruck Owners Are Starting to Experience Multiple Failures Related To the Power Conversion System (PCS) – One Owner Says, “I Went Into Tesla For a New Tire & I Walked Out With a New PCS”

Tinsae Aregay has been following Tesla and the evolution of the EV space daily for several years. He covers everything about Tesla, from the cars to Elon Musk, the energy business, and autonomy. Follow Tinsae on Twitter at @TinsaeAregay for daily Tesla news.