AUSTIN, TX – Early adopters of Tesla ‘s highly-anticipated – and long-gestating – Cybertruck electric-powered pickup will finally get a chance to get behind the wheel of one on November 30, albeit with a slight caveat: they will be forbidden by the automaker to resell their vehicle for the first year they own it, under penalty of a potential $50,000 lawsuit.
Under its Motor Vehicle Order Agreement, Tesla recently included a new section entitled “For Cybertruck Only” featuring a number of draconian new rules governing the unusually designed stainless steel EV, including possible legal ramifications if buyers try to sell it too soon after taking possession.
You agree that you will not sell or otherwise attempt to sell the Vehicle within the first year following your Vehicle’s delivery date,” the agreement says. “Tesla may seek injunctive relief to prevent the transfer of title of the Vehicle or demand liquidated damages from you in the amount of $50,000 or the value received as consideration for the sale or transfer, whichever is greater. Tesla may also refuse to sell you any future vehicles.”
However, under extraordinary circumstances Tesla is willing to offer an out for those who need to part with their Cybertruck. If there is a good enough reason, the company noted it may be willing to buy back the EV pickup truck from the customer for the original price paid with $0.25 subtracted for every mile driven, in addition to other fees covering “reasonable wear and tear” and whatever it costs to restore the vehicle to “Tesla’s Used Vehicle Cosmetic and Mechanical Standards.”
In this situation, if Tesla ultimately decides not to purchase the vehicle back from the customer for whatever reason, they may instead allow them to sell it to someone else.
In addition, reselling Tesla EVs in general can be a convoluted process, given the fact that the majority of the software that the vehicles utilize function on subscription-based models, many of which are unable to be transferred to new owners. Examples of such subscription features include the Tesla ‘s Full Self-Driving feature, which costs upwards of $199 a month to use.
Christopher Boyle is an investigative journalist, videographer, reporter and writer for SEARCHEN NETWORKS® as well as other independent news and media organizations in the United States. Christopher works on a wide variety of topics and fields, has been featured in print and online in a variety of publications, from local to national, and helps keep a keen-eye on what’s happening in the automotive world for Auto Buyers Market.