The War on Cars
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EPISODE 124: Tesla Cybertrash with Ed Niedermeyer
🕑 Added 2024-04-16 09:00:08 +0000 UTCDear Patreonistas:
On the one hand, you don't want to give Elon Musk any more attention. After all, it's the thing he craves most. On the other hand, the world's only podcast dedicated to counter-programming car culture bears a heavy responsibility. We must discuss the absolute piece of trash that is the Tesla Cybertruck. To help us fulfill our grave obligation we invited journalist Ed Niedermeyer back to the show. Ed is the author of Ludicrous: The Unvarnished Story of Tesla Motors. We had a lot of fun taping this one and we hope you enjoy it too. Let us know what you think in the comments!
- Aaron, Doug and Sarah
Elon Musk’s gigantic, stainless steel, 1980s sci fi movie–inspired Cybertruck is starting to show up on city streets. Perhaps you’ve had the misfortune of seeing one rolling through your neighborhood. If not, you’ve almost certainly seen some of the vehicle’s many truly epic fails on the Internet. The Cybertruck might not work very well, but it still appears to be wildly popular. More than two million people have deposited $250 to get in line for the opportunity to buy one. Journalist Ed Niedermeyer is the author of “Ludicrous: The Unvarnished Story of Tesla Motors.” In this episode, Ed joins us to analyze the Cybertruck as a cultural text and also just to revel in its overwhelming absurdity. What is the Cybertruck? And what does its apparent popularity say about who we are and where we are headed collectively? This is the Cybertruck launch event we’ve all been waiting for.
LINKS:
Buy Edward Niedermeyer’s book, Ludicrous: The Unvarnished Story of Tesla Motors from your friendly neighborhood bookshop.
You can follow Ed Niedermeyer on Bluesky and Threads.
The Cybertruck fails are being collected and shared on r/CyberStuck on Reddit. This week’s big one? Cybertruck accelerator pedals are falling off.
This, by journalist Victoria Scott is a good read: A Cultural Critique of the Tesla Cybertruck in Road & Track.
If the audio clips in this episode weren’t enough, you can watch Elon Musk’s bizarre performance at the New York Times DealBook Summit.
Buy t-shirts, stickers, hats and more in The War on Cars merch store.
Find us on Bluesky, Mastodon, Instagram, Facebook and Threads.
Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps people find us!
This episode was recorded by Josh Wilcox at the Brooklyn Podcasting Studio. It was edited by Yessenia Moreno. Our theme music is by Nathaniel Goodyear.
Comments
John Gear
Speaking of Elmo’s dreams: Cruise Settles for Millions After Self-Driving Car Drags Pedestrian A pedestrian struck by a hit-and-run driver in San Francisco was then dragged by a self-driving Cruise taxi in 2023. The woman sustained serious injuries and was hospitalized. The exact details of the settlement are unknown, but the General Motors-owned Cruise has agreed to pay between $8 million and $12 million. The Cruise vehicle initially attempted to brake to avoid the woman, but a software error led it to misjudge the situation. The car then dragged the woman, who sustained “multiple traumatic injuries.” for 20 feet before stopping. Following the incident, California suspended Cruise's driverless car license and accused the company of withholding information. Cruise resumed testing self-driving cars in Arizona this week, but with a safety driver present as a precaution.
floatybirb
Having learned that Tesla shot their cybertruck with a tommy gun, a mere submachinegun, I think they shoot it with a regular-sized machinegun. Until they do that, Elon Musk is a coward; tell all your friends.
