A Tesla enthusiast and technology journalist canceled his Cybertruck order after the vehicle’s price more than doubled from its starting price this month.
Alistair Barr, global technology editor at Business Insider, explained the situation and his final decision not to purchase the Cybertruck in an article about the pricing situation.
The excited editor placed a $100 Cybertruck registration deposit in June 2022 before ordering the vehicle.
Over the next two years, Barr followed news about the Cybertruck and visited Tesla’s showroom last December.
“I wanted a Cybertruck more than ever afterward,” Barr wrote.
Car enthusiast Alistair Barr canceled his Cybertruck order after the vehicle’s price more than doubled from its starting price this month
Barr had deposited a $100 registration fee for the Cybertruck in June 2022 before ordering the vehicle
Tesla confirmed in emails to Barr and other potential customers last June that the Cybertruck was available to order.
The email read: “As an early reservation holder, you have been invited to order your Foundation Series Cybertruck with early delivery access.”
However, Barr was amazed to see Tesla offering him the opportunity to purchase a Cybertruck for more than $100,000.
He was also shocked that the offer for Tesla’s Cybertrucks came so early, even though he had thought the company would not bring them to market for several years.
“I expected to get a call from Tesla in mid-2025 or 2026. Right now, I just don’t have the money to afford a new car,” Barr wrote.
Tesla confirmed in emails to Barr and other potential customers last June that the Cybertruck was available to order
Barr admitted he “naively” believed a Cybertruck would cost about $50,000 in 2022, after Elon Musk claimed three years earlier that the vehicle would start at $40,000.
The publisher’s goal was to save $50,000 within three to four years to purchase the vehicle.
The former buyer of the Cybertruck is now at a loss after accepting that $100,000 is the current price of the vehicle.
Tesla has continued to raise prices, and according to Business Insider, the best options for car lovers right now are to buy an all-wheel-drive Cybertruck for $99,990 or the Cyberbeast for $119,990.
Barr was also concerned about the financial prospects of the purchase, as one of his daughters is starting college in the fall.
Barr did not reveal which school his daughter would attend, but called it “overwhelmingly expensive.”
When Barr realized how much tuition would cost, he decided it would be better to invest in his children’s education than in a Cybertruck.
Barr admitted he “naively” believed a Cybertruck would cost about $50,000 in 2022, after Elon Musk claimed three years earlier that the vehicle would start at $40,000.
According to Kelley Blue Book, Tesla has sold more than 11,500 Cybertrucks by 2024. Tesla could deliver around 23,500 Cybertrucks this year alone
Despite the shocking prices, Barr is still interested in Cybertrucks and hopes to buy one someday.
Barr added that the vehicle makes him smile every time he sees it and that he is impressed by the design, which could have been either a hit or a flop.
The publisher is not the only one who is deterred from buying a Cybertruck by the six-figure price tag.
According to Kelley Blue Book, Tesla has sold more than 11,500 Cybertrucks by 2024.
The expensive trucks also beat the Ford F-150 Lightning in the second quarter, posting 8,755 units sold in the second quarter compared to the F-150.
Experts estimate that Tesla could deliver around 23,500 Cybertrucks in 2024. However, company executives believe that all vehicles built this year could be sold out.
