Tesla tells early Cybertruck reservation holders to 'prepare for delivery'
Tesla (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk warned the production ramp for its Cybertruck would be painful.
But despite Musk's caution, it seems that for early Cybertruck customers Christmas might be coming a bit early.
Some early Cybertruck reservation holders configured their trucks after being invited to do so and just a few days later were sent "prepare for delivery" emails as recently as Dec. 10, according to a new report from EV blog Electrek.
Electrek noted several prospective owners posted these updates on the Cybertruck Owners Club website after receiving the email. The outlet noted, however, that reservation holders for prior Tesla vehicles who received similar emails waited a few months for delivery.
An online tracker on the Cybertruck Owners Club forum shows delivery windows beginning as early as December.
Most of these invites seem to be orders to configure the limited edition, $120,000 "Foundation Series" truck, though reservation holders appear to be able to configure the AWD and Cyberbeast versions as well.
Still, these early deliveries don't indicate Tesla will be making a significant dent in the 1 million+ reservations the company has taken for the Cybertruck.
Musk said it will take 12 to 18 months of "blood, sweat, and tears" to achieve volume production of 250,000 units by 2025.
Nonetheless, Tesla noted in its third quarter earnings report that it currently has installed capacity to produce 125,000 Cybertrucks at Giga Austin. CFRA analyst Garrett Nelson wrote at the time this should "reassure investors concerned about the ramp-up of the highly-anticipated new model."
Tesla looks to (again) punish Cybertruck scalpers
In the configuration email sent from Tesla to customers, there are strings attached for anyone who had plans to flip their new Cybertruck on the open market.
Tesla reintroduced a clause in its purchase agreement for the Cybertruck dictating that an owner "will not sell or otherwise attempt to sell the Vehicle within the first year" following the delivery date, or will owe Tesla $50,000 in damages or the value received from the sale, whichever is larger.
Tesla said it will seek "injunctive relief" to prevent transfer of the vehicle or obtain damages, according to contract screenshots on the Cybertruck Owners Club forum. In the event an owner has to sell the Cybertruck due to "unforeseen" circumstances, Tesla may purchase the vehicle back at its sole discretion.
Tesla had previously included this clause in purchase agreements, but removed it following backlash.
Other brands like Ford (F), with its GT supercar, and GM (GM), with its Cadillac Escalade V and Chevrolet Corvette Z06, have in the past put limitations and penalties on reselling their in-demand enthusiast cars.
Pras Subramanian is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. You can follow him on Twitter and on Instagram.
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