Four years after unveiling the futuristic pickup truck, people began to spot the 3,878 Tesla Cybertrucks rolling down the city or suburban streets.
Four months later, Tesla announced that it would be recalling all of the Cybertrucks it had shipped to date due to a problem with the accelerator pedal.
The Cybertruck Recall
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that the Cybertruck’s accelerator pedal getting stuck poses a high risk of a crash for drivers.
Reports of this issue began surfacing in recent weeks, prompting Tesla to reportedly pause deliveries of the truck to address the problem before more drivers received their Cybertrucks.
Tesla Addresses the Issue
Tesla said it received a notice of one of these accelerator pedal incidents from a customer on March 31. The second notice came on April 3. Without waiting for a third notice, Tesla started to test the problem to find a solution.
On April 12, the company issued a recall after determining that an ‘unapproved change introduced lubricant (soap) to aid in the component assembly of the pad onto the accelerator pedal,” and that “residual lubricant reduced the retention of the pad to the pedal.”
Elon Musk Addresses the Recall
Tesla CEO Elon Musk took to his social media platform, X (formerly known as Twitter), to state that the company was ‘being very cautious’ and reported to the NHTSA that it was not aware of any crashes or injuries related to the problem.
Musk’s company later confirmed to the NHTSA that the pedal can dislodge, making it possible for it to slide up and become caught in the footwell’s trim.
The Future for Cybertrucks
Tesla said that it will replace or rework the accelerator pedal on all existing Cybertrucks, eliminating the risks that it currently poses to drivers.
The company also informed NHTSA that it will begin manufacturing Cybertrucks with a new accelerator pedal. This pedal will replace the faulty ones in vehicles currently in transit or sitting at delivery centers.
One More Problem for Tesla
The Cybertruck’s faulty brakes are just one of Tesla’s headaches. Although the issue may seem minor, the truck has been available for only four months and has already faced two recalls.
Earlier this year, Tesla had to recall the software on nearly all of its vehicles because the font sizes of the warning lights were too small.
Massive Layoffs at Tesla
The Cybertruck recall comes days after Musk told workers that the company would be cutting 10 percent of its workforce–about 14,000 people–and two senior executives resigned.
“As we prepare the company for the next phase of growth, it is extremely important to look at every aspect of the company for cost reductions and increasing productivity,” Mr. Musk told employees in a Monday morning email, (via The New York Times).
Two Executives Resign
Drew Baglino, a senior vice president who played a big role in the company’s rise, resigned hours after Musk sent the email out. “I made the difficult decision to move on from Tesla after 18 years yesterday,” Mr. Baglino said in a post on X.
Rohan Patel, a former aide to former President Barack Obama and Tesla’s head of policy and business development, confirmed reports that he was leaving Tesla on X.
The Decline of Tesla
This massive job cut comes as a result of the company’s declining sales as the competition increases. Musk has not laid a plan to reverse a decline in Tesla’s sales. Instead, he is focused on innovative ideas like self-driving taxis.
Tesla, the largest electric vehicle manufacturer in the United States and the once glimmer of a more advanced future has been a point of stress for investors.
Steep Competition
Musk has not formulated a plan to reverse the decline in Tesla’s sales; instead, he is focusing on innovative ideas like self-driving taxis.
Tesla, the largest electric vehicle manufacturer in the United States, was once the glimmer of a more advanced future and has been a point of stress for investors.
Tesla’s Declining Sales
This lingering fear of delayed innovation and production has left investors worried about their investments.
Tesla’s market share in the U.S. dropped to 51 percent in the first quarter from the 62 percent it held at the beginning of 2023, according to Kelly Blue Book, according to Kelly Blue Book (via The New York Times).
The Future of Tesla
Tesla’s decline in sales has caught everyone’s attention. However, Musk seems to lack concern, which has caused many to question whether the billionaire has stretched himself too thin trying to push technology and the world into a faulty future.
Despite slashing prices, Tesla seemingly needs to unveil a new model or project in the upcoming months to stay afloat.
