Latest: 'Like having to learn to drive again' - we test drive the Cybertruck
An entrepreneur specialising in distributing in-demand technology has finally got his hands on the rare Tesla Cybertruck and will begin renting out the robust off-roader from next week.
The dual-motor electric vehicle has a bulletproof exoskeleton, shatterproof windscreen and a range of 400km after an eight-hour charge.
It can also race to 100kph in 6.7 seconds and has a top speed of about 180kph. Rental rates are Dh700 ($190) by the hour or Dh2,800 a day.
It may have arrived two months later than expected but it has been worth the wait, according to Russian entrepreneur Kirill Sosnovyi, founder of Dubai-based Connect Ai.
“The main reason these cars are so hard to get into the UAE is because there is a big waiting list and the US market is overpriced,” said Mr Sosnovyi, who has the vehicle on show alongside a Tesla Roadster in a showroom in Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai.
“Not many people know that it's possible to buy from the secondary market in the US. It is a relatively fast delivery but it is really expensive to get one here.
“If you bring it by sea, it will take at least three months.”
Mr Sosnovyi had hoped to receive the car in March, after paying $50,000 over the $81,000 list price for the vehicle, several months before the official UAE Tesla launch.
He was also the victim of a fraudster in the US, who acted as a broker offering two of the vehicles for sale from their registered owners, which later proved to be a scam.
Tesla has attempted to restrict the resale of Cybertrucks in the first year of ownership, although that has been difficult to enforce, with buyers in the US looking to capitalise on surging demand in a limited market.
Owners have posted online that Tesla has blacklisted those attempting to sell on their vehicles after taking delivery, banning them from making future orders.
Meanwhile, some of the first vehicle orders were recalled in April after complaints over a sticking accelerator pedal that if pushed hard could become trapped and unintentionally cause the powerful truck to accelerate.
Of the vehicles made between November 2023 and April 2024, Tesla recalled 3,878 Cybertrucks to fix the problem, without charge.
Production
Although Tesla does not reveal sale numbers for specific vehicles, the recall gave an indication of how many Cybertrucks have been sold to date.
Production at Tesla’s Gigafactory in Austin, Texas, has been estimated to potentially reach 48,500 vehicles this year, according to investment banks Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and UBS.
Early teething problems have not dampened enthusiasm for the unusual stainless steel truck which is already turning heads in Dubai.
“The reaction from people walking past the showroom who have seen it has been crazy,” said Mr Sosnovyi, who has three other Cybertrucks on order, two dual-motor vehicles and a top-of-the-range Cyberbeast that can reach 97kph in a mere 2.68 seconds.
“I have never seen anything like this before.
“The car looks completely different to anything else on the roads at the moment.
“People are more interested in this than a Lamborghini or Ferrari, as there are many of those.
“The Cybertruck looks huge and aggressive.
“It really is a unique car with an amazing design and because it is so new – there is a lot of interest.”
