Tesla Cybertruck's High-Profile Auction Sale Underlines Strict Contractual Resale Conditions

February 29, 2024

By Kevin Armstrong

Cybertruck Sold at Auction

Not a Tesla App

A Foundation Series Tesla Cybertruck fetched a remarkable $244,000 at auction via Cox Automotive's Manheim platform, surpassing its MSRP by more than $120,000 and capturing widespread attention. It's crucial to take into account Tesla's distinctive contract stipulations related to the resale of this highly sought-after, iconic vehicle.

BREAKING: The first pre-owned Tesla Cybertruck has sold at auction.

The price? A whopping $244,000.

I wonder what the Buyer will price it at… 🤔

(Image via Brian Kramer) pic.twitter.com/aOCn11XZY8
— Car Dealership Guy (@GuyDealership) February 28, 2024

Tesla's Resale Terms

Tesla has outlined specific terms for the resale of the Cybertruck, given its initial limited release. Although the information is not on the website, it does appear with the purchase agreement. According to the contract, owners are prohibited from selling or attempting to sell the vehicle within the first year of delivery. Should an owner need to sell the vehicle within this period due to unforeseen circumstances, they must notify Tesla in writing, allowing the company to repurchase the vehicle at the original purchase price, adjusted for mileage, wear and tear, and repair costs to meet Tesla's standards.

This policy highlights Tesla's intent to control the resale market and maintain the vehicle's exclusivity. Owners found breaching these terms face the possibility of significant penalties, including a $50,000 fine or the full value received from the sale, emphasizing the seriousness with which Tesla views compliance.

The “no resale” provision is BACK for Cybertruck orders! 🙂 pic.twitter.com/WMtJPF2PeM
— Greggertruck (@greggertruck) December 9, 2023

However, are we supposed to believe celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Lady Gaga, and Jay-Z were sitting at their computers waiting for the reservation list to open? A-list celebs driving Teslas is good for the brand, but it's questionable how they scooped up the Cybertruck so quickly if it wasn’t a private sale.

Buyer's Intent and Tesla's Stance

The purchase by a Porsche dealership in Orlando adds another layer of intrigue, as it remains unclear whether the vehicle will be showcased, resold, or used for comparative analysis. Automotive manufacturers often acquire competitors' models for research and development purposes, suggesting that this acquisition could offer Porsche valuable insights into Tesla's cutting-edge electric vehicle technology.

This high-profile auction sale could inspire other Cybertruck owners to explore the resale market, hoping for similar financial gains. However, Tesla's stringent resale conditions may deter some, casting a shadow of speculation over how the company will enforce its policy. The effectiveness of Tesla's strategy compared to other automakers' efforts to prevent flipping remains to be seen, with this incident possibly setting a precedent for future transactions.

This isn't the first instance of a Cybertruck making waves at auction. Previously, a Cybertruck was auctioned at the Petersen Museum Gala event, fetching an impressive $400,000. Whether this sale will encourage more owners to navigate Tesla's resale policy for profit or if it will underscore the company's control over its secondary market remains to be seen. What is clear, however, is the Cybertruck's undiminished impact on both the electric vehicle landscape and the broader automotive industry.

Tesla Increases Price of Model S; Starts Offering Free Lifetime Supercharging

December 14, 2024

By Karan Singh

Not a Tesla App

For the first time in quite a while, Tesla has increased the price of one of its vehicle offerings. The Model S Long Range and the Model S Plaid have both received a hefty price increase. However, not all is bad - as Tesla also added a new benefit for buyers.

Price Increase

The price increase for the Model S is $5,000 - currently only in the United States. This price increase will likely impact other markets, including Canada, in the coming days.

The Model S Long Range now starts at $79,990, while the Model S Plaid now starts at $94,990. The Model S and Model X now have the same starting price. Interestingly, that’s also the same pricing point for the Cybertruck AWD and Cyberbeast Trimotor non-Foundation Series.

The vehicle configuration does not appear to have changed, so the new pricing is simply an increase rather than the addition or removal of features. Tesla previously cut the price of the Model S and Model X by 15% in 2023, so this could simply be an adjustment to ensure that the vehicle pricing stays in line with inflation and other factors.

Free Lifetime Supercharging

For those on the fence about ordering a Model S, Tesla has brought back Free Lifetime Supercharging when you order a new Model S on or after December 13, 2024. As always, Free Lifetime Supercharging is restricted to the buyer’s Tesla account and to that specific vehicle. It cannot be transferred to another vehicle or another owner after ownership transfer. It’s worth noting, that it also doesn’t exclude the owner from receiving Supercharger idle fees or congestion fees. There is currently no end date for this promotion.

There are currently no changes to the Model X, neither a price increase nor the addition of Lifetime Superchargering. However, when Tesla makes changes to one of their premium vehicles, it usually affects the other one as well. So be on the lookout for potential changes to the Model X offering in the coming days.

We’ve seen Tesla value Lifetime Supercharging at $5,000, so this falls in line with the price increase we’re seeing. It’s possible that Tesla will begin to bring back Lifetime Supercharging as a perk for buying into their more premium Model S and Model X cars, or this could be another temporary promotion to get buyers who are on the fence to go ahead and make their purchase while this promotion lasts.

Tesla’s Optimus Robot Learns to Walk Without Vision [VIDEO]

December 13, 2024

By Karan Singh

Optimus Falls - but catches itself!

Not a Tesla App

Tesla recently showed off a demo of Optimus, its humanoid robot, walking around in moderately challenging terrain—not on a flat surface but on dirt and slopes. These things can be difficult for a humanoid robot, especially during the training cycle.

Daily walks help clear your mind pic.twitter.com/dUsW58trS6
— Tesla Optimus (@Tesla_Optimus) December 9, 2024

A Look Behind the Curtain

Most interestingly, Milan Kovac, VP of Engineering for Optimus, clarified what it takes to get Optimus to this stage. Let’s break down what he said.

Optimus is Blind

Optimus is getting seriously good at walking now - it can keep its balance over uneven ground - even while walking blind. Tesla is currently using just the sensors, all powered by a neural net running on the embedded computer.

Essentially, Tesla is building Optimus from the ground up, relying on as much additional data as possible while it trains vision. This is similar to how they train FSD on vehicles, using LiDAR rigs to validate the vision system’s accuracy. While Optimus doesn’t have LiDAR, it relies on all those other sensors on board, many of which will likely become simplified as vision takes over as the primary sensor.

Today, Optimus is walking blind, but it’s able to react almost instantly to changes in the terrain underneath it, even if it falls or slips.

What’s Next?

Next up, Tesla AI will be adding vision to Optimus - helping complete the neural net. Remember, Optimus runs on the same overall AI stack as FSD - in fact, Optimus uses an FSD computer and an offshoot of the FSD stack for vision-based tasks.

Milan mentions they’re planning on adding vision to help the robot plan ahead and improve its walking gait. While the zombie shuffle is iconic and a little bit amusing, getting humanoid robots to walk like humans is actually difficult.

There’s plenty more, too - including better responsiveness to velocity and direction commands and learning to fall and stand back up. Falling while protecting yourself to minimize damage is something natural to humans - but not exactly natural to something like a robot. Training it to do so is essential in keeping the robot, the environment around it, and the people it is interacting with safe.

We’re excited to see what’s coming with Optimus next because it is already getting started in some fashion in Tesla’s factories.