Cybertruck is different 'same way the iPhone was different'
According to Canaccord Genuity's survey on Tesla's (TSLA) newly launched Cybertruck, two-thirds of respondent car buyers would not purchase the long-awaited electric truck.
Canaccord Genuity Managing Director George Gianarikas discusses the survey results and gauges consumer sentiment on the Cybertruck's market debut.
"Our survey is very, very simple: Would you buy Cybertruck?" Gianarikas tells Yahoo Finance. "But, if you ask me based on the discussions I've had individually, which have probably been in the hundreds, it's really the look of the vehicle that gets people excited or revolts people. It's really controversial and it's different.
Click here to watch the full interview on the Yahoo Finance YouTube page or you can watch this full episode of Yahoo Finance Live here.
This post was written by Luke Carberry Mogan.
Video Transcript
PRAS SUBRAMANIAN: Hey, George.
Pras here.
So do you think.
GEORGE GIANARIKAS: Hi, Pras.
PRAS SUBRAMANIAN: How are you doing, man?
So do you think that one of the main reasons why potentially there was some negativity towards it in terms of your survey was because of pricing, pricing was a bit more expected than what people had seen at least originally?
And then secondly, touching under the-- under the skin features, do you think that will actually help sentiment if people learn more about that 48-volt system, that rear wheel-- wheel steering system, things like that under that kind of controversial skin?
GEORGE GIANARIKAS: So I think the 2/3 that didn't like it yet-- our survey was very, very simple.
Would you buy Cybertruck?
But if you ask me based on the discussions that I've had individually, which have been probably in the hundreds, it's really the look of the vehicle that either gets people excited or revolts people, you know.
It's really controversial, and it's different.
And the future should look like the future according to Elon Musk.
It excites me.
It revolts my wife, for example.
So I think it has everything to do with the way the vehicle looks.
What was your second question again, Pras?
PRAS SUBRAMANIAN: I was basically asking you about-- mentioning the-- the-- the fact that under-- under the skin features.
Are those going to help sort of improve buying sentiment if people understand what's going on with the 48-volt architecture and things like that?
GEORGE GIANARIKAS: Totally.
I mean, look, it has stuff that you have to get used to.
Right?
There's no rear view mirror.
There's an enormous real-- I'm sorry, front windshield wiper.
There's an enormous windshield.
This is all different.
You know, I haven't-- I've seen the vehicle in person.
I haven't driven it.
But based on the reviews that I've seen, people sort of like it, you know.
And also it's incredibly fast.
Right?
It's-- beats a Porsche 911 off the line while carrying a Porsche 911.
So I think the technology is going to get people excited.
It's different the same way the iPhone was different when it first came out.
But it's got incredible stuff underneath the hood, so to speak.
PRAS SUBRAMANIAN: So George, sort of looking at Tesla big picture here.
You know, the truck you might see is having about 250,000 unit sales down the line.
And then below the $80,000, it could get that federal tax credit.
We're hearing now that Tesla is-- is anticipating that it's going to lose half that credit for its Tesla Model 3 because of the new rules that Treasury put in place for entities of concern.
What's your thoughts on that?
And do you think it really-- will it sort of hurt the brand there, or can they actually work around it and maybe source some different battery materials for that car?
GEORGE GIANARIKAS: It's a great question.
So look, the government is trying to do the right thing here.
Right?
They're trying to induce companies to create a battery infrastructure in the United States.
And currently, some of Tesla's vehicles use batteries from China.
You know, despite all their efforts to make batteries here in the US, and Tesla's been leading that for many, many years, they still use batteries, we think, from CATL in China.
At the end of the day, what really matters here is, in our opinion for the stock, is what they guide to for next year.
There's a lot of negative sentiment with regard to what the volumes will look like in 2024.
We're at 2.3 million and in-- and in around.
There's a lot of whisper out there that they'll be in the low twos.
And what this-- this does the lack of an incentive is potentially create an air pocket in the first quarter.
Maybe it means that the fourth quarter estimates or the actual volumes are really good because people rush to the store or rush online to buy their Tesla, leaving a little bit of an air pocket.
So we'll see how this all shakes out.
But at the end of the day what really matters globally, can Tesla sell 2.3 million plus or minus vehicles next year.
And for now, we think the answer is yes.