ǿմý

Autos

    • Can anyone explain the Cybertruck?

    Tesla CEO Elon Musk introduces the Cybertruck at Tesla's design studio Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019, in Hawthorne, Calif. Musk is taking on the workhorse heavy pickup truck market with his latest electric vehicle. (AP / Ringo H.W. Chiu) Tesla CEO Elon Musk introduces the Cybertruck at Tesla's design studio Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019, in Hawthorne, Calif. Musk is taking on the workhorse heavy pickup truck market with his latest electric vehicle. (AP / Ringo H.W. Chiu)
    Share
    NEW YORK CITY -

    There’s a mystery taking root in my neighborhood. It’s the story of a person who dropped somewhere between 80 and 100 grand (U.S.), and maybe even more than that, on a Tesla Cybertruck that is consistently parked on the street — exposed to the elements, far from a charging station, losing value by the second.

    That person — I promise to ask them for comment if we ever cross paths — and thousands of others in the United States have elected to put their money into one of the most divisive consumer products ever made. And as a business reporter, I can’t help but wonder what pushes people to drop such serious money on such a novel, decidedly weird-looking car that has been plagued by performance problems from day one.

    And driving something different than anything else on the road certainly says… something.

    “It’s a vehicle that’s certainly meant to make a statement,” said Jonathan Elfalan, the director of vehicle testing at Edmunds. “You can almost be a pseudo-celebrity by owning one.”

    Of course, Elfalan notes, it’s not one that Edmunds recommends for people looking for, like, a truck.

    Since Tesla unleashed the Cybertruck late last year — fully two years behind schedule and tens of thousands more than the originally promised purchase price — owners and professional reviewers haven’t been shy about broadcasting the vehicle’s flaws. And I’m not even talking about its futuristic dumpster aesthetic, though that certainly gives critics plenty of ammunition. I’m referring to its chronic recalls and design features that make it a unique beast to encounter on the road.

    Here’s a brief look at some of the Cybertruck’s problems.

    In less than a year, the truck has been recalled four times — two of which required the vehicles to be brought into service centers for repairs, and two of which were simpler over-the-air software fixes.

    Last week, Car and Driver magazine said the Cybertruck didn’t even rank its “EV of the Year” list because the one they reviewed bricked on its second day of testing.

    Tesla markets the Cybertruck as “bulletproof,” but at least one owner found that his vehicle was rendered useless for several hours after taking it through a car wash.

    And then there are the videos.

    Multiple viral videos have circulated showing Tesla Cybertrucks getting bogged down in all sorts of situations – situations that maybe a more typical pickup truck would be able to get out of. But whether or not that’s the fault of the truck itself or its typical owner, Tesla’s Cybertruck lead engineer, Wes Morrill took to X to acknowledge that “real people” were experiencing issues, and said that he was considering adding a “stuck detection” mode to the vehicle’s software, which would “give drivers a pop up suggestion when stuck with ideas on how to get un-stuck.”

    Unresolved safety questions

    And then there are the specs: The Cybertruck is a sharp-angled, 7,000-pound stainless steel box that can go from zero to 60 mph in 2.6 seconds. Like many big electric trucks, that’s double the weight of the average car on the road, and much, much faster. (For reference: A 2015 Toyota Rav 4, like the one I drive, does zero-to-60 in about eight seconds).

    And that presents a physics problem for anyone who might be unfortunate enough to be hit by a Cybertruck.

    “I can’t think of another vehicle I would say that looks as lethal to like a pedestrian as a Cybertruck does — just going off of looks and actually having run my finger along that edge,” Elfalan tells me.

    Tesla, which rarely returns media inquiries, didn’t respond to CNN’s request for comment Wednesday. In December, CEO Elon Musk said the company was “highly confident that Cybertruck will be much safer per mile than other trucks, both for occupants and pedestrians.”

    To be sure, any heavy, high-profile truck poses risks to pedestrians and cyclists, and the Cybertruck isn’t even the heaviest one on the road. The GMC Hummer EV, for instance, weighs more than 9,000 pounds. EV trucks in particular create a nightmare hazard for pedestrians and cyclists, given their weight and power.

    But the Cybertruck’s sharp edges and massive blindspots (mitigated by cameras) have raised concerns among safety experts from the beginning.

    Part of the reason a lot of new cars on the road these days all look sort of alike, with rounded edges and inflated hoods, is because carmakers are thinking of pedestrian safety, Elfalan says.

    The Cybertruck’s design, including its stainless steel panels, seem to fly in the face of those advancements.

    One driver posted to an owners forum in May, saying he sustained a gash that needed stitches after clipping the door on his leg. (“I still love the truck!” he wrote.)

    Safety experts have also raised questions about the truck’s apparently small “crumple zone” — the section of a car designed to absorb the impact of a collision. In response, Tesla released a video in December of an in-house crash test, along with a statement on X saying the “Cybertruck’s front underbody casting is designed to break into small pieces” to help “reduce occupant impact.”

    But right now, all we have to rely on for safety promises is Tesla.

    So far, neither of the two main organizations that conduct independent safety tests in the U.S. have weighed in on the Cybertruck, and they are unlikely to do so unless sales pick up significantly.

    That’s not a total surprise. As Consumer Reports recently explained, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the industry-backed Insurance Institute for Highway Safety together cover the vast majority of new cars. But they are unlikely to conduct crash tests on the Cybertruck or other niche vehicles, given their limited resources

    NHTSA tests about 86 per cent of new vehicles, “a broad cross section that will help consumers make purchasing decisions about the vehicles that best fit their needs,” it said in a statement. An IIHS spokesperson said its budget for crash-tests is limited, so it targets big sellers.

    “While it has certainly created a lot of buzz, it’s unlikely we would invest resources to test it unless it were selling in numbers comparable with other popular large pickups,” IIHS spokesperson Joe Young told Consumer Reports, in a statement confirmed by CNN.

    The difference may be the point

    Bottom line: Tesla isn’t a traditional carmaker, and its customer base is unusually loyal.

    Elfalan notes the Cybertruck has some innovations — fantastic steering, roomy cabin, smooth ride — but the one Edmunds purchased suffered multiple system failures. That reflects Tesla’s move-fast-and-break-things Silicon Valley roots.

    Though that might lead the electric car maker to make mistakes similar to those of traditional at-home mechanics working on their gas guzzlers.

    “They’re a tech company that builds cars, and I think they’ve done a lot of innovative things, but in moving fast… I think there are oversights that can happen with things like this, like forgetting to fill a car with coolant.”

    He adds: “But the customer base is so loyal that these things can happen, and you still love the vehicle that you’ve just spent [US]$100,000 on.” 

    CTVNews.ca ǿմý

    Charred stumps and the remains of fire-ravaged trees still cover large tracts of land on the Jasper landscape, but life is returning quickly down below.

    A 12-year-old collie was killed by three pit bulls in the B.C. Interior Sunday morning, according to authorities.

    video

    video

    Heather Appleton just renewed her passport for another ten years. “I’m not checking out yet,” said Appleton, 61, who has the incurable cancer, Multiple Myeloma.

    At the end of a side street in Slave Lake, Alta., Lynn Bowes looks at a grey job-site trailer with boarded-up windows and doors that once operated as her town's only homeless shelter.

    According to police, during a traffic stop in Waterloo, officers noticed firearms and ammunition inside the vehicle.

    Cher, Anthony Hopkins, Heath Ledger, Alec Baldwin and Tom Hardy are just a few of the celebrities John Cumming met while growing up in his family's military surplus store.

    Canada

    • Around 50 people participated in Sunday's annual Kidney Walk in Barrie to raise awareness and funds for kidney health, including a wife who donated a kidney to her husband.

    • video

      video

      Heather Appleton just renewed her passport for another ten years. “I’m not checking out yet,” said Appleton, 61, who has the incurable cancer, Multiple Myeloma.

    • A 12-year-old collie was killed by three pit bulls in the B.C. Interior Sunday morning, according to authorities.

    • Mounties in Northern B.C. have set up a dedicated tip line as part of their ongoing investigation into the disappearance of an Indigenous woman two months ago.

    • Quebec provincial police (SQ) handed out over $15,000 in a two-day span to a series of drivers who were caught speeding and street racing on highways, including some that were construction zones.

    • According to police, during a traffic stop in Waterloo, officers noticed firearms and ammunition inside the vehicle.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    • It’s been just over a week since the federal government banned nicotine pouches from being sold anywhere other than a pharmacy.

    • Mary Grace Rico is seeking help in getting treatment for a rare spinal condition.

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    Business

    Lifestyle

    Sports

    Autos

    • Nearly two-dozen drivers were caught in a speed trap outside a Vancouver elementary school on Thursday – as students were settling back into their daily routines.

    • An Ontario man said he couldn't believe an electric car he bought three years ago for $20,000 would need a new battery at a cost of more than $33,000.

    Local Spotlight

    Mary Grace Rico is seeking help in getting treatment for a rare spinal condition.

    Swimmer Nicholas Bennett and para canoeist Brianna Hennessy have been named Canada's flag-bearers for Sunday's closing ceremonies of the Paralympic Games in Paris.

    Halifax resident Tucker Bottomley started feeling the painful effects of rheumatoid arthritis at the age of 21.

    Roger Barker was looking forward to exchanging a book at one of the Little Free Libraries that had been erected in his neighbourhood, until he found it vandalized.

    You never know what you might find in your doorbell camera footage...

    Brenda Tremblay has been an avid gardener for the last 40 years, but this year’s harvest in Colpitts Settlement, N.B., is a tough nut to crack.

    A group of seniors in Ontario is offering their time and experience as parents struggle to find reliable child care spaces.

    Saskatchewan man Clyde Hall has been collecting and restoring antique farm equipment for five decades. He's now ready to part with his collection.

    An Ottawa man has won the $3.8 million prize in the 'Catch the Ace' draw in Maniwaki, Que. Local radio station CHGA 97.3 has been playing their version of 'Catch the Ace' for nearly a year without a winner.

    • The "volume and severity" of complaints against a B.C. condo owner for violating building bylaws were sufficient to justify hiring a lawyer to handle them, a tribunal has ruled, dismissing the man's bid to be let off the hook for $15,000 in legal fees.

    • A 12-year-old collie was killed by three pit bulls in the B.C. Interior Sunday morning, according to authorities.

    • A driver was seriously injured in a single-vehicle collision in Delta early Sunday morning, according to local police.

    • JUST IN

      JUST IN

      Police are investigating a smash-and-grab robbery at a jewelry store in Mississauga.

    • One person has died following a head-on crash in Brampton late Sunday morning.

    • Toronto police say they have now located a missing 11-year-old girl who was last seen in North York late Saturday afternoon.

    • Cher, Anthony Hopkins, Heath Ledger, Alec Baldwin and Tom Hardy are just a few of the celebrities John Cumming met while growing up in his family's military surplus store.

    • Some Jasperites have moved back to their community and tourists are being allowed in, but efforts to rebuild the third of the town that was destroyed by July’s wildfire remains the priority.

    • Calgary water consumption ddropped Saturday to 496 million litres, a dip of nine million litres from Friday’s 505 million.

    • Ottawa Mayor's "Fairness for Ottawa" campaign continues, as the city seeks more funding from all levels of government.

    • Beachwood Cemetery held it’s annual historical tour Sunday, offering visitors a chance to connect with the past through a living library.

    • Ottawa Fire Services says its Hazmat team has successfully contained a fuel leak that was coming from a transport truck on Highway 417 near Bayshore mall Sunday afternoon.

    • As Quebec politicians continue to point to immigration -- a common justification for the province's ills -- as the main culprit for the province's teacher shortage, education experts say newcomers are not the underlying cause of the widespread teacher shortages.

    • Watch the CTV News Montreal broadcast at Six for Sunday, September 8, 2024 with anchor Matt Grillo.

    • Residents in Oka, Que. are preparing to take matters into their own hands to try to prvent the illegal dumping of contaminated material in the Kanien'kehá:ka (Mohawk) community of Kanesatake.

    • At the end of a side street in Slave Lake, Alta., Lynn Bowes looks at a grey job-site trailer with boarded-up windows and doors that once operated as her town's only homeless shelter.

    • Charred stumps and the remains of fire-ravaged trees still cover large tracts of land on the Jasper landscape, but life is returning quickly down below.

    • Mounties are searching for a man who went missing on a hiking trail west of Grande Prairie on Saturday.

    • The first residents of the 32 new affordable homes for women and their children in Dartmouth, N.S., have moved in, with more to follow in the coming weeks.

    • A 37-year-old woman from Bathurst, N.B., has died following a two-vehicle collision in Allardville, N.B.

    • Bookstores often come with a table full of recommended reads, and it was no different at St. Mary's Polish Parish in Whitney Pier, N.S., on Sunday.

    • Indigenous leaders came together Saturday to honour the life and legacy of Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Cathy Merrick.

    • More than 300 people laced up their walking shoes Sunday for the 21st annual Walk of Hope for ovarian cancer in Winnipeg’s Kildonan Park.

    • A 23-year-old Winnipeg man is facing charges after he was found in possession of a loaded zip gun during a traffic stop by police.

    • The second Sunday in September has been a solemn day at the RCMP's Depot Division in Regina since 1935.

    • Regina's annual Queen City Marathon took place on Sunday, and it attracted quite the crowd. The start and finish line at the Conexus Arts Centre hosted people of all skill levels looking to try their hand at a race.

    • An investigation is underway after a fire broke out at a residential apartment building in Regina’s Rosemont-Mount Royal neighbourhood.

    • According to police, during a traffic stop in Waterloo, officers noticed firearms and ammunition inside the vehicle.

    • Faye Dzikewich continues to fight for answers for her 36-year-old son, who died after spending the night in an Ontario Provincial Police cell in Rockwood, Ont.

    • One person was airlifted to hospital by Air Ornge with life-threatening injuries. Two other people were transported by ambulance with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

    • Online fundraisers have been launched to support the victims of an incident that saw a student set on fire at Evan Hardy Collegiate on Thursday.

    • Three years have gone by since the death of nine-year-old Baeleigh Maurice at the intersection of 33rd St. W. and Avenue G. Three years marked by court dates, committee meetings, and pleas to the city to improve safety conditions.

    • The victory moved the Bombers into top spot in the CFL's West Division, while the Roughriders remain in third after failing to win for a seventh straight outing.

    • According to police, during a traffic stop in Waterloo, officers noticed firearms and ammunition inside the vehicle.

    • VIDEO

      VIDEO

      As fall quickly approaches, leaves have begun to change colours and temperatures have started to dip in northeastern Ontario – perhaps starting to bring unwelcome wintry weather.

    • video

      video

      Heather Appleton just renewed her passport for another ten years. “I’m not checking out yet,” said Appleton, 61, who has the incurable cancer, Multiple Myeloma.

    • Owen Sound police are searching for witnesses after a pedestrian was dragged by a vehicle.

    • Sarnia police officers have arrested two suspects after a break and enter investigation.

    • Familiar faces were brought back together as more than a hundred CKVR alumni gathered at Donaleigh's Irish Public House Saturday night for a special reunion.

    • A Saturday evening fire in the Town of the Blue Mountains caused significant damage at a residential chalet near the ski resort.

    • Fire crews responded to a fire at Berczy Park in Barrie early Sunday morning, where a group of people using the area as a campground received a three-day eviction notice from the City earlier this week.

    • One person has died following a collision Saturday night.

    • Windsor fire was on scene of a blaze at a former school on Norman Road Sunday afternoon.

    • The Windsor police said Pillette Road is closed from Grand Marais to Plymouth due to an active investigation.

    • A 12-year-old collie was killed by three pit bulls in the B.C. Interior Sunday morning, according to authorities.

    • Mounties in Northern B.C. have set up a dedicated tip line as part of their ongoing investigation into the disappearance of an Indigenous woman two months ago.

    • Swimmer Nicholas Bennett and para canoeist Brianna Hennessy have been named Canada's flag-bearers for Sunday's closing ceremonies of the Paralympic Games in Paris.

    • A 12-year-old collie was killed by three pit bulls in the B.C. Interior Sunday morning, according to authorities.

    • Mounties in northwestern B.C. say they have arrested the suspect in a fatal shooting almost exactly a year after it occurred.

    • A man has now been charged for his alleged role in a hit-and-run that killed a teenager in Kelowna, B.C., last fall.

    • Rob Miyashiro was selected as the NDP candidate in Lethbridge-West Saturday to replace MLA Shannon Phillips.

    • It’s been just over a week since the federal government banned nicotine pouches from being sold anywhere other than a pharmacy.

    • A more inclusive and welcoming land acknowledgment has been released by the City of Lethbridge.

    • VIDEO

      VIDEO

      As fall quickly approaches, leaves have begun to change colours and temperatures have started to dip in northeastern Ontario – perhaps starting to bring unwelcome wintry weather.

    • The Robinson Huron Treaty of 1850 Gathering 2024 will take place in Greater Sudbury at the Anderson Farm Museum on Sept. 8 and 9.

    • A pasta shortage in Sault Ste. Marie is almost never the case, but for one local food bank, the common carb was a rare sight just a few weeks ago.

    N.L.

    Shopping Trends

    The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.

    Stay Connected
    Follow CTV News