By Arielle Nguyen
In 1832, Scottish inventor Robert Anderson constructed the first electric car. However, his invention was dismissed until the 1870s — when electric cars became practical. And it wasn’t until 2003 that this new concept evolved into the largest electric car company in the world.
Tesla, an American multinational clean energy company that designs, manufactures and sells electric vehicles and related products, has garnered worldwide popularity as the most recognizable electric car company. It’s become so frequent that my family and I have started counting the number of Tesla cars we see on a daily basis. Typically, we average around twenty per car ride, give or take.
Tesla has released six cars — the Model S sedan, the Model X SUV, the Model 3 sedan, the Model Y, the Tesla Semi Truck and the Cybertruck — as of 2023. However, the Semi Truck is currently unavailable to the public, as it’s been delivered to PepsiCo, a large food and beverage company. All of the cars share similar features including the iconic touchscreen, a simple interior, a usable front trunk (or the “frunk” if you’re really into Teslas), autopilot driving and access to Tesla’s network of electric chargers. Only the Model X has the rear doors that flap up — the Falcon Wings. Why? Just why?
If in any case you decide to invest in these cars based solely on appearance, most people would highly advise against the Tesla Cybertruck. But why?
The Cybertruck features the infamous rugged and angular design, as well as its exterior being made with rolled stainless steel, making it different from every other car in the market. I’ve seen about five of these “trucks” out in public so far, and each time, I’ve commented on their appearance. Something about the sharp corners, the man-esque feel and the overall blandness of the design captivated me. It doesn’t deserve the obnoxious hate it gets, though perhaps the weird glances, I understand. It deserves criticism, however.
Tesla claims their automobiles to be the safest cars in the world. What about the countless reports of the Cybertruck’s accelerator getting stuck, resulting in Tesla having to recall 3,878 Cybertrucks?
Elon Musk also claimed his Cybertruck’s windows to be bulletproof. Sure, as long as your attacker doesn’t have an infinite supply of ammunition. I wouldn’t place all your bets on it, however.
Furthermore, if you were to have the delightful experience of trapping your fingers in the car doors, it wouldn’t hurt! In fact, you’d be perfectly fine. For now. YouTuber Out of Spec Reviews posted a video that tested the Cybertruck’s reaction to finger-like foods including carrots and hot dogs. Alarmingly, there was no reaction as the frunk chopped each appendage off.
It doesn’t sound very safe, Elon!
To be completely honest, I wouldn’t want to get my hands anywhere near that steel box anyway.
Perhaps the car’s angularity attracted the wealthy, but it’s just not as “modern” as I had expected. And yet, I can’t think of anything else that would fit the future’s criteria for us.
To be honest, I feel like the ideal Tesla electric car would have to be the Model 3. It’s compact, it’s simple, it does not have the flappy doors that look as inconvenient as they function; it’s just a nice, cheaper electric car. And it’s not scary or angular, and it does not look like it will chop me in half. But that’s just an opinion from someone who has a Model 3, with much love.
