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Why a Day 1 Cybertruck reservation holder is getting a Lightning

pjy

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I had the same experience with the test drive of the CT. I wanted to be blown away and justify dropping double what I paid for my pro but just wasn’t. Someone suggested that for the test drive it may have been in chill mode but I’m unsure.
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BennyTheBeaver

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If I ordered/bought a 2024, that is the configuration I'd get (minus the Ford Charger). Best bang for the buck. Congratulations and enjoy the ride!
 
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kubel

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Made the same mistake at first glance on the Tesla webpage. It’s said commercial credit only 🥺 but it pops out at you like it’s the regular EV credit.

Very misleading!
Attached is what their site used to say.

Ford F-150 Lightning Why a Day 1 Cybertruck reservation holder is getting a Lightning Screenshot 2024-10-16 233642
 

detansinn

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Not having paint that scratches and using dent resistant panels is very practical for a truck that's expected to be tough. I hope Ford copies the HFS idea.
I certainly hope not. A modular Aluminum body on frame is a superior solution to Tesla's steel unibody wearing a stainless steel costume.

Given the rust problems with the Tesla 3/Y, you can expect that Cybertrucks being operated through Northeast winters to turn into rusting hulks under those bird dropping and sap stained "HFS" body panels. Cybertruck owners are going to learn all about the exciting galvanic issues that Tesla has done nothing to mitigate.
 
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kubel

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I certainly hope not. A modular Aluminum body on frame is a superior solution to Tesla's steel unibody wearing a stainless steel costume.

Given the rust problems with the Tesla 3/Y, you can expect that Cybertrucks being operated through Northeast winters to turn into rusting hulks under those bird dropping and sap stained "HFS" body panels. Cybertruck owners are going to learn all about the exciting galvanic issues that Tesla has done nothing to mitigate.
F-150 has a steel frame. It's very susceptible to rust and is what sends them to the crusher where I live. You won't see Cybertrucks going to the crusher from a rusted frame since it uses two aluminum castings joined together by a structural battery pack.

Are you sure Tesla has done nothing to mitigate galvanic corrosion?

Ford F-150 Lightning Why a Day 1 Cybertruck reservation holder is getting a Lightning rot
 

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detansinn

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F-150 has a steel frame. It's very susceptible to rust and is what sends them to the crusher where I live. You won't see Cybertrucks going to the crusher from a rusted frame since it uses two aluminum castings joined together by a structural battery pack.

Are you sure Tesla has done nothing to mitigate galvanic corrosion?
When you see the stainless steel panels removed on a Cybertruck, you will see a steel unibody of stamped steel pieces underneath. The Cybertruck is a steel unibody vehicle. Given the failures of Tesla's aluminum castings, those massive and unrepairable castings are not a benefit. There was an article and video on the problems with the Cybertruck construction, including the lack of galvanic mitigation. For fun, you should see the warranty exceptions that Tesla carved out if you venture offroad in a Cybertruck.

As for the "structural battery pack", I'll take Ford's modular and repairable approach over a giant unrepairable disposable big epoxy brick.

Ford has been engaged in constant improvements to the corrosion resistance of their trucks over the decades. While it's fun to show pictures of frame corrosion, more than 16m F150s still on the road says a lot about what Ford puts into their trucks.
 

JRT

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Nice feedback, I did have a CT order reservation too, but after Ford reduced the price in late 2023, I got my XLT ER to replace my 2022 Mach-e SR and 2024 RAM 1500 with 140k miles. I'm happy, but road trips were terrible till I bought the A2Z adaptor and started just using Tesla SC. I never use the build in Navigation and use Google maps only.

I actually see more CT in Huntsville then Lightning, several with wraps.
 

Randall Stephens

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Disagree a bit that the Cybertruck beats the Ford on _every_ truck metric.
F150 has more interior cargo volume, larger interior, bigger frunk, higher frunk payload, larger usable cargo bed (the roof line does not overhang), more versatile cargo bed, is lighter, is faster than the CT AWD, includes a spare tire (and the spare tire weight is included in the payload calc), larger battery in the ER, largest 3rd party accessory ecosystem, better rearward visibility and ease of parking, more available factory colors and trim options, significantly lower price options, and better service availability.

CT is a fad.
F150 is a decades-proven sales leader for good reasons.
They made the right choice, let’s not argue with them and try to help when an issue crops up 😃
 

Firn

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As for the "structural battery pack", I'll take Ford's modular and repairable approach over a giant unrepairable disposable big epoxy brick.
Fords modular battery was a big point for me too. The previous Tesla vehicles were repairable, this new foam filled structural pack is just terrible.
 
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kubel

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Fords modular battery was a big point for me too. The previous Tesla vehicles were repairable, this new foam filled structural pack is just terrible.
It's very good for TSLA shareholders because it's cheap to manufacture. Not so great for consumers because it's not servicable (or as reuseable at end of life), but it should drive the cost down hopefully benefiting everyone. Ford can't sustain their current design, but it does make for a great value for us. :)
 

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BlueLightning

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Seems that 1,970,000, also reserved CT and didn’t purchase.

I went with reserving the Tri $69k with $7k FSD.

But Tesla bait and switched $119k for the BEASt so it didn’t happen.

I happily went with the Lightning and saved about $70k in the long haul. LOL!

Ford F-150 Lightning Why a Day 1 Cybertruck reservation holder is getting a Lightning IMG_8931
 

JonS

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Story time and rant below.

I was a day 1 Cybertruck reservation holder. I'm also an all-in TSLA investor and have been for several years. I'm currently driving a 6 year old Model 3 which was paid in part from TSLA stock, and have a 18 year old Crown Vic that's still running strong. With close to 80,000 miles on my Tesla, I was looking for an upgrade, but I wasn't about to pay $100,000. So I waited for the $80,000 model with the $7500 tax credit.

In the meantime, I test drove a Lightning and loved it, but it was too much back then. I then rented one on Turo, and loved it even more. Tesla then started offering test drives of the Cybertruck. I liked the Cybertruck, but to be honest, I wasn't as blown away by it as the Lightning. I don't know why not- Cybertruck is arguably the better truck in nearly every metric. I think because I already own a Tesla and I knew pretty much what to expect and it aligned with my expectations. But I wasn't expecting Ford to deliver such a nice comfortable truck with the Lightning. I can't tell if I like the massive frunk more, or the comfortable ride, or the Tesla-like acceleration.

A few weeks ago Tesla started emailing early reservation holders saying the $80,000 Cybertruck was available, so I immediately converted my reservation to an order at 2AM, put a non-refundable $250 deposit down, and then went to bed. The next morning I realize that despite Tesla previously saying Cybertruck would qualify for the tax credit (it even appeared on EPAs site), it in fact does not, because it uses some Chinesium in the 4680's which disqualifies it for the tax credit, even though it's below the $80,000 threshold. The non-Chinese sourced components were supposed to come in a few months when Tesla finalizes their dry electrode process.

I tried to reach out to Tesla's non-existent customer service (they only exist to sell cars and help get orders through, they aren't interested in actual customer service- in fact I was eventuallly ghosted by them). I was willing to eat the $250 fee if they could just put me back in my place in line, but they refused to hold the order and said the only way I could get out was to cancel my order (and reservation).

I was bummed out after having waited years for this truck only to be screwed. Maybe it was just a coping mechanism, but in pure spite, I decided to immediately save ~$30,000 and get the truck that I actually was more impressed by, from a company that put a roof over my head as a kid, put food in my stomach, and put me through college.

My truck should arrive this week, built in the same factory my dad worked at for years. :)
I think you made a good choice. I've been running a F150L for the last two years and it's been great.

I took a test drive of a Cyberbeast and wrote about a review about it on the Cybertruck Forum, they didn't really want to hear my perspective :)

https://www.cybertruckownersclub.co...rbeast-and-promptly-cancelled-my-order.23043/

All the best with the F150L!
 

maksimfa

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I'm still split, based on my experience, but agree that in the most practical sense the CT doesn't offer more overall for the price. The most disappointing thing to me with CT was the range, which was my major hangup with the extended range Lightning. They have similar ranges, and for that reason alone I wouldn't pay too much of a delta between the two. Anyway, my number is up with Tesla, but will hold off to make a decision until I see what happens with the tax credit, and then with the range extender. If Ford would throw in another 50-100 miles of range on the Lightning, plus the 2x faster charging as offered by Tesla and GM, I'd happily buy another one.

Currently, RST leads the pack for me when it comes to best package of capability, space, and range. Lightning so far has been the best driving experience of them all.
As far as the range, it totally depends on how you drive... I have an SR Lightning rated for 240, that I routinely get between 240 and 300... I do not drive 85+.... I suspect CT is similar scenario. If you floor it or drive 100% on highway, yeah, you are not going to get the advertised range...
 

maksimfa

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So I was about to pay for a CT but then decided to drive one... and decided to keep the lightning.

CT is definitely cool and 100% autopilot and awesome software... but the rest of it, is eh...

My ideal would be Lightning Plus Autopilot. lol. and well, software that actually works...

Biggest miss for me on the CT.... Frunk is TINY!
 

VAF84

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As far as the range, it totally depends on how you drive... I have an SR Lightning rated for 240, that I routinely get between 240 and 300... I do not drive 85+.... I suspect CT is similar scenario. If you floor it or drive 100% on highway, yeah, you are not going to get the advertised range...
I'm a bit of a "cake and eat it too" guy. I wasn't going to switch to EV if I had to change my driving behavior. Also, I live in TX where 75% of the highways I utilize have speed limits of 75-85mph. Final bit that I'm often away from home in areas with limited charging options.

Fortunately, I got myself the Sierra EV, and I'm in absolute love with it. No more range stress, and no sacrifices.
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