Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Cars
  3. News

Tesla U-turns on controversial rule for Cybertruck resellers

Add as a preferred source on Google

Tesla CEO Elon Musk behind the wheel of a Cybertruck.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk behind the wheel of a Cybertruck. Tesla

Tesla has removed a clause in its purchase agreement that said it could sue Cybertruck owners for at least $50,000 if they tried to sell it within a year after purchase without first getting a written agreement from the company.

Recommended Videos

The clause threatening to take action against resellers of the Cybertruck, which launches on November 30, was added to the agreement last week and was viewable online.

It even said that resellers may be prevented from buying Tesla vehicles in the future.

But following a rethink, the automaker has removed the controversial clause from its purchase agreement, giving Cybertruck owners total freedom over what they do with their electric pickup once they take ownership of it.

Electrek, which first reported on the removal of the clause, points out that it seemed like an odd rule to impose in the first place. Such a clause sometimes appears with rare or pricey motors, and automakers like Ferrari, Ford, and Porsche are known to sometimes use them. The Cybertruck isn’t expected to enter mass production until 2025, so it’s possible Tesla wanted to discourage scalpers and sell the early trickle of Cybertrucks to genuine customers, rather than seeing them immediately hitting the used market at a vastly inflated price. But for whatever reason, the automaker appears to have had a change of heart on the issue.

Tesla unveiled the Cybertruck in 2019 and the electric pickup will be presented to the first customers at a special event on Thursday, November 30. The new owners can then take a look at the final purchase agreement to confirm its wording on reselling — not that many of them will be thinking of immediately putting it on the market.

Reports in July claimed that Tesla had received around 1.9 million orders for the long-awaited Tesla Cybertruck, with each customer asked to put down a $100 deposit. In the same month, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that demand for the Cybertruck is “so off the hook, you can’t even see the hook.”

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Apple edges out a win in the PC market’s worst quarter by stumbling less than everyone else
Apple basically has a bigger share of a shrinking pie.
Computer, Electronics, Laptop

Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.

PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?

Read more
GM is giving OnStar AI smarts and a new way to monitor your parked car
GM's 2027 OnStar overhaul will introduce an AI assistant for natural-language vehicle controls and a new camera feature that records certain incidents around parked cars.
GM OnStar featured

Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.

General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.

Read more
Musk says you can’t just buy the Cybercab. It’s primarily for Tesla-owned cab service
Plan on riding a Cybercab, not parking one.
Tesla Cybercab at night

Missing out on the self-driving future is a tough pill to swallow, especially as a car enthusiast. But that is what Tesla handed us on Wednesday, without a hint of mercy.

During its October 21, 2026 earnings call, Elon Musk told investors the Cybercab is meant mainly as a ride service. Further, nearly all of them will be owned and managed by Tesla.

Read more