Automotive

Some facts I've known and have come to realize; hopefully some of these facts are useful for WatchProSite readers outside of the USA:

1.  In USA, the top selling truck models outsell the top selling car and SUV models.  For instance, 400,000 units of the Ford F-150 are sold per annum in the USA. 

2.  A large percentage of trucks sold in the USA enter a corporate fleet.  For instance, the Power and Water Utility Company may purchase thousands of trucks per year for their fleet vehicles. 

3.  Lots of these fleet trucks are modified to add boxes and other parts to adapt the truck to be more useful for their line of business.  For instance; a truck used to inspect power lines will be adapted for such and a truck used by a plumber will probably be adapted differently.  

4.  Americans are handy.  They like trucks themselves.  Even individuals who work at jobs where they would never need a truck still often buy a truck for themselves.  Despite trucks consume a lot of fuel, are larger and therefore more difficult to park (even parking lots in USA are getting smaller than before), and are typically expensive to insure; many Americans like the idea of owning a truck.

5.  One of the largest complaints of truck operators is this; trucks need to be more durable, when a builder is carrying a long piece of wood, sometimes he turns too quickly and hits the wood against his truck.  This scratches, dents, and sometimes even breaks the glass of his truck.  Many truck operators wished that trucks had tougher paint, body panels, and glass. 

Considering these facts, and applied towards a context of, "Will Tesla's Cybertruck sell?" 

1.  It will likely sell well among consumer truck buyers.  Especially the one mentioned in section 4 above. 

2.  The metal folding process is an unconventional way to build a truck.  Instead of using stamped sheet metal, using folded thicker metal is definitely a very different way to build a truck.  Curves are difficult to achieve since stamping is not scalable.  This limits the design possibilities of the truck. 

3.  Notice in the current design iteration the window has a large peak.  That peak will be strange as it's not likely to be able to be fully retracted into the door, possibly leaving a pointy edge exposed when the window is folded down. 

4.  Cybertruck is not likely to appeal to corporate fleet buyers.  Due to the unconventional design of the truck, corporate fleets are not likely to adopt it. 

5.  Cybertruck is not likely modifiable for many corporate fleets, at least not until modification companies are able to create products and services tailored for Cybertruck. 

6.  Honda Ridgeline's original unibody structure was a big difficulty for many truck buyers and subsequently the Honda Ridgeline truck didn't sell well among professionals and fleets.  The Tesla Cybertruck also has this unibody structure (traditional trucks have two succinct and separate structures, a cab and a bed; the Honda Ridgeline and Tesla Cybertruck essentially have the two structures integrated as one). 

7.  The unibody structure aforementioned is therefore likely to be a major limiting factor in Cybertruck's adaptability for professional tradesmen. 

8.  The Cybertruck's covered vault or rolling tonneau cover may be prone to failure; leaves, rocks, seeds, sap, and dust will potentially create problems in certain environments. 

9.  The coolness of the Cybertruck does attract a new audience to the world of trucks.  Someone like me who never seriously considered owning a truck before is now intrigued about this specific truck. 

I'd have to dig deeper into some greater data to make a determination about whether or not Tesla's Cybertruck will sell.  But it's definitely an interesting product and I'm very intrigued! 

Full disclosure; I'm a Tesla vehicle owner, a Tesla stockholder, and a former corporate audit analyst who covered Tesla. 

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