Officials upset with Tesla over strange situation at local mall: 'Currently occupying several rows of parking'
As detailed by Carscoops, a report from Crain's Detroit Business revealed that dozens of unsold Cybertrucks and other Tesla models are being stored at "a run-down mall" in Farmington Hills outside of Detroit, and local officials are far from pleased. The vehicles reportedly "are currently occupying several rows of parking bays at the Hunter's Square shopping center," but using the land for vehicle storage is a violation of city code.
It appears that the surplus of Cybertrucks could be coming from the brand-new showroom that Tesla recently opened near Hunter's Square in West Bloomfield. The lot that houses the vehicles is home to an open Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant and used to house both a Torrid as well as a Bed, Bath & Beyond.
The Cybertruck is a unique innovation that combines the functionality of a truck with the performance of an electric vehicle. It is by far a more climate-friendly option compared to traditional gas-powered trucks because it produces significantly less harmful carbon pollution.
Despite its extensive benefits and positive impact on the environment, the Cybertruck "failed to live up to sales expectations since its official debut in late 2023," per Carscoops. Forbes reported that only 40,000 were sold in 2024, falling well short of Tesla's prediction of 250,000. To make matters even more concerning for the company, the Ford F-150 Lightning recently outperformed the Cybertruck in sales.
The dwindling number of Cybertrucks and other Tesla models being sold could cause a setback in the fight against human-induced climate change, as the continued adoption of electric vehicles is a crucial step toward reducing air pollution and creating a healthier future.
Charmaine Kettler-Schmult, director of planning and community development for Farmington Hills, told Crain's Detroit Business that the shopping center landlord has already been informed of the violation of housing the unsold Cybertrucks in the lot. However, she noted that the enforcement process "takes time."
Tesla has also made attempts to make the Cybertruck more accessible, releasing a single-motor, rear-wheel drive, entry-level model for $69,990 in April. Owners of other Cybertruck models have been offered perks like free supercharging and discounts.
If you're looking to make a positive impact on the environment while still enjoying the benefits of a powerful and versatile vehicle, it's still worth considering making your next car purchase an electric vehicle or truck. Every purchase makes a difference in the quest for a cleaner environment.
Do you think Tesla's vehicles have lost some of their appeal?
Definitely
No way
Some models — but not others
For some drivers — but not others
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Insider
22 minutes ago
- Business Insider
Don't believe the hype around robotaxis, HSBC analysts say
Tesla and Waymo are racing to build their own robotaxi empires, but not everyone is convinced the hype is justified. A new report from analysts at HSBC found that the potential market for driverless taxis was "widely overestimated" and warned that it could take years before robotaxi fleets began returning a profit. In a Monday note, HSBC analysts suggested that the idea robotaxis would be more profitable than their human-driven counterparts was based on a misconception. Although robotaxi operators do not have to worry about the cost of paying a driver's wage, they said that driverless taxis face a slew of "overlooked" extra costs that would likely cut into profits. According to HSBC's analysts, those include parking, charging, and cleaning fees, as well as teams of remote operators to intervene when things go wrong. "When we factor in these costs, we believe robotaxis won't be break-even on a cash flow basis until 7-8 years after launch," the analysts wrote, adding that projections for robotaxi revenues vary from the "ambitious to the unrealistic." Industry figures have been making bold claims about driverless cars for years. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said that robotaxis will add trillions of dollars to the company's market cap, and in May told CNBC that Tesla would have one million self-driving cars on the road by next year — a promise he also made back in 2019. Amid the hype, driverless taxis are gradually becoming a reality. Tesla finally launched a pilot of its robotaxi service in Austin last month, and Alphabet-owned Waymo's autonomous Jaguar I-Paces have provided over 5 million paid rides over the past three years. However, the division of Alphabet that includes Waymo continues to lose billions of dollars a year, and analysts estimate that Waymo's vehicles, which are outfitted with expensive sensors and lidar arrays, cost around $150,000 each. The economics of Tesla's robotaxis are unclear, but Musk has suggested that the company's decision to use cameras and AI rather than lidar means they are cheaper to run than Waymo's. Despite this, HSBC's analysts said the automaker faces numerous challenges in scaling its autonomous ride-hailing operation, ranging from regulatory barriers in China and Europe to upgrading the roughly 5 million Teslas on the road with hardware that is too old to run the company's robotaxi software. They estimated that Tesla's robotaxi fleet would hit 20,000 to 25,000 cars by 2030, rising to 75,000 by 2035, and would not turn a profit until 2033.
Wall Street Journal
34 minutes ago
- Wall Street Journal
Elon Musk Floats a New Source of Funding for xAI: Tesla
Elon Musk said Tesla TSLA 1.17%increase; green up pointing triangle shareholders would vote on investing in xAI, the latest move by the billionaire entrepreneur to tap his own companies to help fund his artificial-intelligence startup. 'If it was up to me, Tesla would have invested in xAI long ago,' Musk said Sunday evening in a post on X, his social-media platform. 'We will have a shareholder vote on the matter.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Musk Suggests a Tesla Shareholder Vote on xAI Investment
Elon Musk said Tesla Inc. shareholders will vote on whether to invest in xAI in response to an account on X that said the carmaker must be able to invest in xAI to be fair to Tesla retail investors. Tom Mackenzie reports on Bloomberg Television.
