Fans react strongly to footage of Tesla Cybertruck release candidate prototype captured off road: ‘Leaving a lot to be desired’

As it stands, a crowd-sourced order tracker has over 2 million Tesla Cybertruck reservations, but there’s still no evidence of the electric pickup truck’s release date.

But release candidate (RC) prototypes are being tested, giving us all a glimpse of what we can expect when the much-anticipated zero-pollution light-duty vehicle finally makes it to the nation’s roads.

TikToker Brian Mello (@realbrianmello) commented on footage obtained by the MuddyRuttzz (@MuddyRuttzz) YouTube account showing the Cybertruck on a dirt road test, and Mello wasn’t particularly impressed.

“The fit and finish on these is leaving a lot to be desired,” he says in his video.

While emphasizing this isn’t the final model, Mello notes that the RC prototype branding suggests this is one of the last models to be tested before a full release.

“But these Cybertrucks look like they still have a long way to go,” he comments, observing the poor build quality.

Among his criticisms are that the paneling on the driver’s side didn’t seem to match up, he noticed “weird gaps” all over the machine, and the stainless steel finish didn’t look right.

“These look terrible,” he laments.

The comment section isn’t much kinder, either.

“Officially for me this car it’s the new Delorean. Not for being iconic, just because it’s a hot mess,” one commenter said.

“Just one of the most ridiculous designs ever. Wait until you have to replace the windshield on a regular basis!” added another.

But not everyone was put off by the footage.

“Say what you will, I still think the Cybertruck looks ridiculously awesome and will be buying it no matter what iteration comes to production,” one user said.

It’s safe to say the Cybertruck is dividing opinion, but its potential is huge. Tesla has said the pickup can achieve 500 miles of range on a single charge, which is unprecedented for an electric vehicle of this size.

Statista presented data that showed light-duty trucks, including pickup trucks, accounted for 37.1% of planet-heating pollution caused by the United States’ transportation sector in 2021.

If the Cybertruck offers the efficiency and high performance it has promised, it could herald the beginning of the end for similar dirty-fuel-powered models.

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