The Tesla Cybertruck was such a misfire that CEO Elon Musk, close to tears, told investors “we dug our own grave” in the effort to launch the vehicle. But after years of delays, failed promises, and on-stage gaffes, the truck finally made it onto the streets and into the hands of drivers. For better or worse, the Cybertruck is one of Tesla’s biggest bets, and it’s the product that could make or break the company’s reputation. Unfortunately for Musk, a lot of the truck’s earliest adopters are people with really bad ideas.
Many of these de-influencers made their mistakes for the sake of content. Some, like streamer Adin Ross, tested the company’s bolder claims with antics like firing a gun at the vehicle. Others took the Cybertruck places it shouldn’t go, like onto the beach or slamming into iconic road signs in Los Angeles. And then there are the Cybertruck owners who added their own aesthetic touches to Tesla’s already ostentatious design, with winning flourishes like gigantic bullhorns on the truck’s hood, or spraypainted graffiti-style art.
For Musk’s detractors, the litany of Cybertruck fails have been a never-ending source of entertainment. Tesla already had a hard road in its effort to prove this is a vehicle that should be taken seriously, and Cybertruck drivers’ public self-humilations could make that difficult task impossible.
Check out above for 10 of the most embarrassing moments from Cybertruck owners’ first few months. If nothing else, these marred, stranded, and defaced vehicles are artifacts of a truly bizarre moment in car history.