The Tesla Cybertruck is, quite possibly, the most misunderstood vehicle since the Pontiac Aztek, except unlike the Aztek, the Cybertruck is faster than a 911, tougher than a Silverado, and looks like it was forged in a dystopian sci-fi fever dream. It was supposed to be the future. And on a good day, when the build quality is good, it absolutely is. But the Cybertruck hasn’t just become a conversation piece or a marvel of engineering; it’s become a lightning rod in a country too busy arguing to appreciate the machine itself.

If you can find one that isn’t falling apart at the seams, the Cybertruck is legitimately impressive. The tri-motor "Cyberbeast" version hits 60 mph in under 3 seconds and tows boats without breaking a sweat.
Whisper-Quiet But Carry a Big Stick
It’s whisper-quiet on the highway, absurdly powerful off it, and wraps its driver in stainless steel like some post-apocalyptic chariot. It redefines what a truck can be. But that all hinges on a simple “if”: if it’s built properly. Sadly, that’s a big if. Tesla’s build quality continues to echo the worst days of American manufacturing misaligned panels, squeaky trim, glue where there should be welds. And the kicker? It’s not just a Tesla problem anymore. Like GM and Ford, quality control has taken a back seat to volume, velocity, and viral marketing.
Tesla’s Addition To The Economy
- As of the end of 2024, Tesla employed approximately 125,665 individuals globally. This marked a 10.54% decrease from the previous year, reflecting adjustments in response to market dynamics.
- Tesla's operations in California have had a substantial economic impact. Between 2018 and 2021, the company's activities contributed $16.6 billion in economic activity, averaging $44.4 million injected into the state's economy daily.
- Tesla's Gigafactory in Texas has been a significant economic driver. By the end of 2022, the facility supported approximately 15,000 jobs in the state, contributing $2.1 billion in total sales activity in Travis County.
Still, what makes the Cybertruck uniquely volatile isn’t the craftsmanship, or lack thereof, but what it has come to represent. The truck is no longer just a vehicle. It’s a badge. A battle flag. A statement. In 2025 America, to drive a Cybertruck is to announce, willingly or not, where you stand on Elon Musk. One frustrated owner recently took to Facebook with a plea:
"Tesla has over 100k employees. You’re not a fan of one person working there.
Elon’s not the one bolting my Cybertruck together, yet here you are, taking it out on the hardworking folks at Tesla Service centers. Elon Musk is literally protected by Secret Service. What is your goal?"
One commenter, Jim King, didn’t pull punches:
“Ask the Tesla board what their goal is… Musk has been the one working relentlessly to alienate a large share of the Tesla customer base.”
Jeremy van Hagen had this to say:
“Cybertrucks are NOT bolted together – they’re stuck together with glue.”
Meanwhile, Lars Kyhnau Hansen upped the stakes:
“The goal is to bankrupt Tesla so that people can work somewhere else. It will be better for them and the world.”
Of course, not everyone joined the mob. Xtian Merck fired back with:
“You wanna bankrupt a company because you don’t like the CEO? What about the other companies in the world that have CEOs that do terrible things? None of them matter because they aren’t Elon?”
His defense may not have changed many minds, but it did lay bare the real issue here, nobody’s talking about the truck anymore. The conversation around the Cybertruck has evolved beyond engineering and aesthetics and into a referendum on one man, a man who, as the original post pointed out, isn’t even the one bolting or gluing them together.

Many Cybertruck owners have fallen in love with the vehicle and would happily buy it again, but despite this, people who don’t own the vehicle have influenced people to not even consider it.
But even setting aside Musk’s influence and Tesla’s workforce contributions, owning a Cybertruck comes with its own set of unusual financial realities that some prospective buyers might not anticipate. The true cost of Cybertruck ownership can be unexpectedly high over a five-year period—not just due to its sticker price, but because of insurance premiums, maintenance quirks, and depreciation that doesn't always follow the usual EV curve. If you’re thinking about buying a Cybertruck or are just curious how the numbers stack up, you might want to read this detailed cost breakdown: "I Break Down the Real Cost of Tesla Cybertruck Ownership Over 5 Years – Be Prepared to Be Scared, It's That Way". It may suddenly change how you view the truck’s long-term value.
The Average Tesla Owner's Income
- The average Tesla owner in 2025 has a household income of approximately $144,341, significantly higher than the U.S. median. Notably, 97% of Tesla owners own their homes, with a median home value exceeding $500,000, reflecting the brand's appeal to financially established individuals.
- Tesla ownership skews male, with about 74% of owners identifying as male. The median age of a Tesla owner is 48, aligning with Generation X. Model S owners tend to be older, with a median age of 53, while Model Y owners are slightly younger, averaging 48 years.
- A significant portion of Tesla owners hold advanced degrees, with over one-third possessing a master's or doctoral degree. Common professions among Tesla owners include engineers, operations managers, and software engineers, indicating a strong representation of technically inclined individuals.
The fallout? Some owners are being harassed. Their trucks were vandalized. Scratched. Dented. Plug cables yanked. And in a society where disagreement too often turns into destruction, the truck has become a rolling target. Not because it’s ugly (though some think so), but because it means something. And meaning, in this age of social media gladiators and bad-faith discourse, is a dangerous thing.
Rivian Enters The EV Field
And yet, in the midst of all this chaos, there’s Rivian, the quiet counterpoint. The R1T isn’t flashy, but it works. It delivers consistent build quality, thoughtful design, and the same electric muscle without the culture war. Rivian customers don’t return to their trucks to find them keyed or spat on. They don’t argue in the Whole Foods parking lot. They just drive. Quiet competence is winning, one defected Tesla customer at a time.
The Cybertruck is a paradox and a slight parody of society. It’s both revolutionary and regressive. A truck that could change the world, if only it could get out of its own way. Or rather, if the world could separate the metal from the man. Until then, every Cybertruck will roll down the road carrying more than just a battery pack. It carries a nation’s fragmented conversation about tech, politics, wealth, identity, and yes, even glue.
As a Cybertruck owner, have you faced harassment over owning the vehicle? If so, how did you handle it, and do you think it’s fair?
Leave a comment down below with your thoughts.
Image Source: Pexel, Facebook Page (teslacybertruckflorida) used under Fair Use rule.
Noah Washington is an automotive journalist based in Atlanta, Georgia. He enjoys covering the latest news in the automotive industry and conducting reviews on the latest cars. He has been in the automotive industry since 15 years old and has been featured in prominent automotive news sites. You can reach him on X and LinkedIn for tips and to follow his automotive coverage.

Comments
To be clear, the CT is not…
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To be clear, the CT is not an engineering marvel. It's actually an example of incomplete engineering and poor or non-existent testing. What did Tesla think was going to happen, right?
CT's are the Deloreans of a…
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In reply to To be clear, the CT is not… by Buzz Wired (not verified)
CT's are the Deloreans of a new century. For those of you not around then, John Delorean was a brilliant, arrogant, drug addled megalomaniac, who believed he was wealthy and influential enough to be untouchable. Sound familiar? He was caught up in a drug sting and lost his company and his reputation. For a while after Deloreans were considered a joke. The only thing that saved their reputation was Back To The Future, and in the original movie, the fact that he used a Deloreans as the time machine was supposed to be a joke. I don't think any of the Hollywood great producers today would build a movie around a CT, even as a joke. A CT located in Clemson, SC, was recently defaced while sitting in a restaurant parking lot by someone with a glass marker who wrote "FOOL" on the front window and the back tailgate. What other car does this happen to? And this has to be taken into consideration when purchasing any Tesla these days. At a recent Tesla protest, they had a "debadging" booth, where people lined up to get the Tesla emblem badges removed from their vehicles. Some owners even got fake Audi emblem badges applied to their vehicles after. That's like taking a brown marker to a Louis Vuitton bag. If you're willing to do that to a super expensive vehicle, that sends a message to other buyers and stockholders. Like it or not, the public does love EV's but they do not love Elon Musk and he is the face of Tesla.
That’s an interesting…
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In reply to CT's are the Deloreans of a… by Terok Nor (not verified)
That’s an interesting comparison. Public perception definitely plays a big role in a brand’s success, and it’s clear Tesla and the Cybertruck stir up strong opinions.
I'm surprised the NTSB didn…
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In reply to To be clear, the CT is not… by Buzz Wired (not verified)
I'm surprised the NTSB didn't declare the vehicle unfit to drive on US roads. The vehicles are poorly made, period. second they are built like a tank. third because of this tank like quality its crash test results are similar to a 1940's Chevrolet. No crumple and a massive danger to the occupants and the people that the vehicle hits. I've seen enough videos to note that regardless of its launch speed, it is an incompetent vehicle on the road. Without noting all the negatives, Ill give the positives. It can move forward and backward. the end. If high end trucks are for you get a Rivian at least the accelerator pedal isn't just glued on.
Poorly made and built like a…
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In reply to I'm surprised the NTSB didn… by skildude (not verified)
Poorly made and built like a tank all in the same vehicle, wow.
I've never seen a propaganda…
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In reply to I'm surprised the NTSB didn… by skildude (not verified)
I've never seen a propaganda piece on an automobile before, but all bets are off when Elon Musk is involved, I suppose. This article omits the body panels that fly off (from not being bolted or welded on), people receiving electrical shocks when touching the vehicle while it charges, or the fact that the headlight design is such that if it snows enough, the recessed headlight eventually gets blocked because snow fills the 1½" to 2" channel it sits in, creating one of the most hazardous vehicles available today. If anyone wants to see what these trucks are truly "capable of", go to reddit..... r/cyberstuck
Not to mention the bullet…
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In reply to I'm surprised the NTSB didn… by skildude (not verified)
Not to mention the bullet proof windows... when your battery catches fire and you can't open your doors or windows, know that you aren't getting out and Elmo considers that a feature, self cremating.
Valid points! safety and…
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In reply to I'm surprised the NTSB didn… by skildude (not verified)
Valid points! safety and quality matter. It’ll be interesting to see how Tesla responds.
He may not be the only one…
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In reply to To be clear, the CT is not… by Buzz Wired (not verified)
He may not be the only one behind the cyber truck, but he's the face of it.
And what an awful face it is.
He's a narcissistic bully, and I'd hate to be associated with him.
You won't catch me driving a cyber truck, despite the fact that it's a technical marvel with a ridiculous number of recalls against it. I'd rather push a paperweight around town like a Flintstones car.
I got your point bro
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In reply to To be clear, the CT is not… by Buzz Wired (not verified)
I got your point bro
Tougher than a silverado???…
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Tougher than a silverado??? Your kidding right?
Hard to take that seriously!
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In reply to Tougher than a silverado???… by Steve-o (not verified)
Hard to take that seriously!
Concerned about the cyber…
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Concerned about the cyber truck tie rod ends design. A failure of the tie rod ends was reported a week ago when steering failure at 70 mph. Photos didn't look like standard tie rod ends, they were unique to Tesla.
Definitely a valid concern…
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In reply to Concerned about the cyber… by Ken Brehm (not verified)
Definitely a valid concern. Critical parts like tie rods are no joke, especially at high speeds.
"tougher than a Silverado" 😂
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"tougher than a Silverado"
😂
The employees are helping to…
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The employees are helping to feed the beast. People buying Teslas are feeding the beast. The beast is harmless without food. They're all at fault here.
Its not who is putting the…
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In reply to The employees are helping to… by Veganpotter (not verified)
Its not who is putting the bolts in your truck, its about not supporting someone who is helping to ruin the country and the world for their own personal gain
That's what the Democrats…
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In reply to Its not who is putting the… by A forte (not verified)
That's what the Democrats did that's why voters kicked them in the face.😅
You don’t need to politicize…
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In reply to That's what the Democrats… by Rog (not verified)
You don’t need to politicize poor design and engineering. Being critical of the fact that these cars have many more problems than cars typically have when they are released and that their safety features are similar to cars from a different era is indisputable. You would likely be better off voting for your self interest rather than siding with billionaires who would never side with you.
im sorry but the cyber truck…
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im sorry but the cyber truck is fugly... it's a joke.
drawn by a 5 year old. It should die a quick painless death.
My dad said my new 67…
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In reply to im sorry but the cyber truck… by Rick (not verified)
My dad said my new 67 Corvette was ugly, I am still driving my ugly car. I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
"Bolting?" I thought they…
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"Bolting?" I thought they were glued together
I didn't see people…
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I didn't see people vandalizing GM cars when it was found that they were knowingly installing faulty ignition switches in millions of vehicles that occasionally killed people.
For 10 years after they understood the problem they continued to install the faulty ignition switches even though correcting the issue would have been pennies.
The lawsuit against them found the actual documentation from the leadership making the decision it was cheaper to keep installing the faulty ignition estimating the number of people that would continue to die and paying those claims as they occurred then to start using the fixed ignition.
They feared putting the fixed ignition in would be admitting liability on all the past deaths so better to keep killing people.
So until I see all these "moral" protestors holding GM's feet to the fire for far more evil acts than the alleged problems they have with Tesla they are all just demonstrating that they are ideologically captured twits.
You didn't see backlash to…
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In reply to I didn't see people… by Bobby McBobby (not verified)
You didn't see backlash to GM's ignition issues? Or do you just for some reason still expect the outrage to be fresh after 11 years?
They recalled 28 million cars (paying the costs of the recall, in the billions), paid a billion in fines, suffered a huge drop in sales, multiple boycotts, and vandalism, and had to set aside 550 million for compensation to victims.
Did I miss anything?
Tesla has a CEO making Nazi salutes and re-tweeting actual fascists... one with robust influence in the federal government. He's firing veterans and messing with cherished entitlement programs... and it's happening today, not more than a decade ago.
There's gonna be some backlash, especially when you start throwing that salute around. People don't take kindly to association with that sort of stuff.
Well said. Thank You I don't…
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In reply to You didn't see backlash to… by Ryan C (not verified)
Well said. Thank You I don't particularly like being told how we should feel about Something that affects Children, Senior Citizens or Our Veterans in a negative way. On top of trying to set us back 100+ years.
GM did face major backlash,…
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In reply to You didn't see backlash to… by Ryan C (not verified)
GM did face major backlash, but Tesla’s issues with Musk are fueling current scrutiny, especially with his controversial actions. Public perception is quick to react today.
Got it. Don't talk about a…
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In reply to You didn't see backlash to… by Ryan C (not verified)
Got it.
Don't talk about a corporation that actually murdered people because it happened 10 yrs ago.
Focus on a hand gesture that, yes could have been a Nazi salute, and then again perhaps not.
Then decide the hand gesture is the greater evil by comparing it to something that didn't happen a decade ago but 5 decades ago.
Sounds like 2025 is a…
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In reply to I didn't see people… by Bobby McBobby (not verified)
Sounds like 2025 is a difficult time for you.
Kinda. lol
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In reply to Sounds like 2025 is a… by Buzz Wired (not verified)
Kinda. lol
It's arguments like this are…
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In reply to I didn't see people… by Bobby McBobby (not verified)
It's arguments like this are why everything only gets worse.... Can never hold anyone accountable, never make any change, never acknowledge fault or failure because some stooge will come out of the wood work with "well what about....?"
The idea you can literally never change anything because of some previous time when that wrong wasn't adressed is peak Idiocracy and I think we found the "twit" in the comment section....
Pagination