Tesla let a man sell his Cybertruck because it didn’t fit in his garage
Tesla overturned its rule against customers reselling the Cybertruck in part because one of them couldn’t fit the stainless steel tank into his apartment complex’s parking garage.
Blaine Raddon, a self-proclaimed Tesla superfan from Salt Lake City, was one of the first to reserve Tesla’s newest vehicle, the New York Post reported. But just after he received the $100,000 electric truck, Raddon went through a divorce and moved from a house with an ample driveway to an apartment complex where he had to fit the 18-foot-by-8-foot long vehicle in a smaller parking space.
Yet, thanks to a “vehicle order agreement” specific to the Cybertruck, Raddon was also in a tight spot. He couldn’t sell the truck within one year of delivery without incurring a $50,000 fine and a lifetime ban from buying Tesla products.
Raddon took to X, controlled by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, to complain about the policy in a now-deleted post that soon gained traction online and caught the attention of news outlets. Finally, Tesla’s team reached out to him, he told the New York Post.
“I got a call from the executive office,” he said. “It was a response to the article, and she said, ‘We changed those terms and conditions. You are free to sell your truck. We just haven’t published it yet.’ I made her send me an email, to make sure I had it in writing that I was okay to sell.”
Raddon finally sold his Cybertruck last month for $109,000 within a week of listing it. Thanks to the long waiting list to get a new one, he actually made a $2,000 profit. Despite the Cybertruck hiccup, the longtime Tesla admirer said he was replacing the electric pickup with a Tesla Model 3 Performance.
“I haven’t been to a gas station since 2005,” Raddon told the New York Post. “Teslas have been very, very good to me.”
Now that word of the policy change has spread, some Cybertruck owners are putting their vehicles up for sale, too. Online, some Cybertrucks can be found listed for up to $150,000, significantly more than what the 2024 model retails for.
The Cybertruck has faced other roadblocks since its release. Last month, the company issued two recalls affecting nearly all of the roughly 12,000 Cybertrucks out on roads over issues with the vehicle’s windshield wiper and a piece of trim along the truck bed.
Reviewers have criticized the electric truck for its build quality and ability to operate offroad. Others, though, have praised its handling and the smoothness of its regenerative braking.
Some of Tesla’s most loyal supporters are looking forward to a new Cybertruck model, especially after Musk on Monday tweeted a cryptic image of the truck in a cyberpunk style photo with a rainy city backdrop.
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