When the Cybertruck was announced in 2019 it was supposed to have a more towing capacity than anything a 7-liter diesel engine could hope to produce. Its windows were bulletproof because (America)  and it would cost less than $40,000.

Four years later and two years after it was supposed to be released nothing has happened. 

Firstly, two of the vehicle’s supposedly armored windows shattered when a steel ball was lobbed at them. Then, the price was significantly hiked as production reality set in, and a global semiconductor shortage drove up costs across the board. Finally there were delays.

Even Elon [look at me] Musk is tired of overhyping the lemon. According to an internal email first seen on the enthusiastically named “Cybertruck Owners Club” forum, Tesla’s CEO has serious concerns about the heavily promoted vehicle’s build quality. The email, which was addressed to “everybody,” opens with Musk saying, “Due to the nature of Cybertruck, which is made of bright metal with mostly straight edges, any dimensional variation shows up like a sore thumb.”

The billionaire goes on to demand that all parts for the vehicle be “designed and built with a sub 10 micron accuracy,” before highlighting that both LEGO and soda can manufacturers have achieved such a feat with their respective products. He then signs the email off with “precision predicates perfection.”

Musk confirmed on X that he was testing a “production candidate” for the Cybertruck in August 2023. Both leaked and official photos of the electric truck also seem to show the inconsistent paneling Musk alluded to in the email.