One of the most important markets when it comes to electronic raw materials is electric vehicles, because not only do they require the biggest batteries but also a market in an unusual position of both strength and weakness.

Depending on who you ask and when, the EV market is undergoing a slump or is in the strongest position it has perhaps ever been in, well-positioned for a future transition away from petrol and diesel cars.

The answer is that it is both, with the huge successes of the market as a whole offset by the struggles of its market leader, Tesla.

A recent disappointing “Cybercab” event caused the company to lose $67bn in market value in an evening, thanks to an event that characterises why Tesla has faltered and started to squander its significant market share.

If there is one single model that epitomises all of Tesla’s issues, however, and created a level of negative impact that took the successes of Renault, BYD, MG and countless other companies to offset, it is the disastrous launch of the Cybertruck.

Whilst initially unveiled to a particularly potent degree of fascination, it has within a year after its actual launch become so hated that a virtual version of the machine released for the game Fortnite has players targeting it on sight.

Broken Glass And Broken Dreams

The initial showcase event for the Cybertruck in 2019 was highlighted by the vehicle’s purported armour glass shattering after a metal ball was thrown at it, something that would unwittingly set the tone for the vehicle’s misguided design issues.

Ultimately, whilst originally slated to be rolled out in 2021, it would not be until 2023 when Cybertrucks started to make their way into the hands of early adopters and enthusiasts, where it immediately started to develop issues caused in no small part due to design decisions that led to such delays.

It was originally claimed to have a range of 320 miles, something that whilst ambitious is also something that has been seen with similar electric trucks which cost significantly less.

However, early reports suggested a range closer to 200 miles, significantly lower than was advertised and suggesting issues with battery capacity caused by parts shortages and delays.

A much larger issue was the bodywork. It was made of stainless steel and did not have any kind of protection or lacquer, meaning that it would easily get discoloured and and even rusty when rain hit it, something that was not seen as terribly indicative of a hard-wearing all-terrain vehicle.

The body shape is also extremely sharp, which has led to the Cybertruck being banned in Europe, even if there have been attempts to rubberise some of the edges and skirt regulations.

The back hood and especially the front bonnet were infamously sharp, to the point that several people have cut themselves, chopped carrots to pieces and broken fingers as a result of it trapping people with sharp edges.

It is a stiff, heavy car, one that was described as a “guideless missile” that would increase the risk of injuries to not only pedestrians and other road users but also to the driver themselves due to the lack of a crumple zone.

It also featured the rather infamous Autopilot system, a self-driving system that has led to 47 deaths and hundreds of injuries across the entirety of the Tesla range of cars that have the feature.

Compounding this was the choice of tyres and suspensions that were not as capable off-road as advertised, with countless demonstrations of Cybertrucks ending up in ditches or trapped in mud and snow during a particularly chilly winter in 2023. There has not been a surface that the poor Cybertruck has not gotten stuck in.

There were also issues that a vehicle advertised as being capable of fording rivers would completely stop working when used in a conventional car wash, something that is not an issue for any other electric vehicle on the market.

Finally, a broken accelerator pedal cover led to the first of five complete recalls for the Cybertruck, something largely without precedent in the motoring world as a whole, let alone for electric vehicles.

There were also several “catastrophe failures” that occurred whilst the car was in motion, which due to the vehicle having a fly-by-wire throttle, brakes and steering-by-wire meant that the vehicle simply became a mobile hazard.

All of this has caused a barrage of negative publicity, most of which is targeted exclusively at the Cybertruck and Tesla vehicles more broadly, but it has hurt the image of EVs as responsible machines.

Whilst it is far from a mortal wound to the market, it is telling that a single vehicle managed to do a lot of market damage.