かつみ

Tesla Cybertrucked the Cybercab. A few of my favorite fun facts from reviewing the Cybercab terms: It costs $30k to “own” a car you can’t operate without paying a $300/month subscription. Tesla reserves the right to change the price of that subscription with only one month’s notice (good luck if you’ve already bought the car and they jack the subscription up to something you don’t want to pay…congratulations, you now have a $30k loveseat in your garage). If Tesla determines you are operating “your” car (that you literally cannot operate—it does not have a steering wheel or pedals) in “unauthorized” or “inappropriate” ways, they can lock you out of using “your” car for a week or indefinitely. You can only operate it within Tesla’s geofenced areas and those can change at any time; you have no assurance that even currently advertised operating area will remain available after your purchase: “Tesla may expand, reduce, relocate, or otherwise modify the operating area at any time.” And the icing on the cake: you must allow Tesla to collect personally identifying data at all times during trips, including interior cabin image data (the camera above the rear view mirror that faces you inside the car). Smile! You never know when the interior of your car might turn into Candid Camera! Basically, it’s just an endless variable-rate lease with a ridiculous down payment and usage terms that are both draconian and deeply invasive. Disappointing is an understatement.