A Foundation Series Tesla Cybertruck fetched a remarkable $244,000 at auction via Cox Automotive's Manheim platform, surpassing its MSRP by more than $120,000 and capturing widespread attention. It's crucial to take into account Tesla's distinctive contract stipulations related to the resale of this highly sought-after, iconic vehicle.
BREAKING: The first pre-owned Tesla Cybertruck has sold at auction.
Tesla has outlined specific terms for the resale of the Cybertruck, given its initial limited release. Although the information is not on the website, it does appear with the purchase agreement. According to the contract, owners are prohibited from selling or attempting to sell the vehicle within the first year of delivery. Should an owner need to sell the vehicle within this period due to unforeseen circumstances, they must notify Tesla in writing, allowing the company to repurchase the vehicle at the original purchase price, adjusted for mileage, wear and tear, and repair costs to meet Tesla's standards.
This policy highlights Tesla's intent to control the resale market and maintain the vehicle's exclusivity. Owners found breaching these terms face the possibility of significant penalties, including a $50,000 fine or the full value received from the sale, emphasizing the seriousness with which Tesla views compliance.
However, are we supposed to believe celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Lady Gaga, and Jay-Z were sitting at their computers waiting for the reservation list to open? A-list celebs driving Teslas is good for the brand, but it's questionable how they scooped up the Cybertruck so quickly if it wasn’t a private sale.
Buyer's Intent and Tesla's Stance
The purchase by a Porsche dealership in Orlando adds another layer of intrigue, as it remains unclear whether the vehicle will be showcased, resold, or used for comparative analysis. Automotive manufacturers often acquire competitors' models for research and development purposes, suggesting that this acquisition could offer Porsche valuable insights into Tesla's cutting-edge electric vehicle technology.
This high-profile auction sale could inspire other Cybertruck owners to explore the resale market, hoping for similar financial gains. However, Tesla's stringent resale conditions may deter some, casting a shadow of speculation over how the company will enforce its policy. The effectiveness of Tesla's strategy compared to other automakers' efforts to prevent flipping remains to be seen, with this incident possibly setting a precedent for future transactions.
This isn't the first instance of a Cybertruck making waves at auction. Previously, a Cybertruck was auctioned at the Petersen Museum Gala event, fetching an impressive $400,000. Whether this sale will encourage more owners to navigate Tesla's resale policy for profit or if it will underscore the company's control over its secondary market remains to be seen. What is clear, however, is the Cybertruck's undiminished impact on both the electric vehicle landscape and the broader automotive industry.
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Tesla signaled its intention to launch its first Robotaxi network in Austin, Texas, with company-owned and operated vehicles, back in January. This network will be Tesla’s first foray into truly autonomous vehicles - ones that aren’t being directly supervised by a driver. Later in February, Tesla’s executive team confirmed that the plans were on track for the launch of the Austin network both on X and during several interviews that they participated in.
At the end of February, we also found out that Tesla has applied for a Supervised Robotaxi license in California, where the network will also launch, but with safety drivers in place.
This is an ambitious plan, but FSD has really come a long way in the past year. FSD V12 was a massive step forward from V11, and V13 has made the experience smoother and safer than ever before. FSD V14 is expected to be another big step up with auto-regressive transformers and audio input.
Still on Track
Now, Elon has tripled down on the fact that Tesla will be launching their first autonomous robotaxi network in Austin - just two months away at this point. It seems that Tesla is fully set to launch their first fully unsupervised self-driving vehicles that will carry paying passengers in June.
Additional Cities
The best part is that Elon also confirmed that they’re targeting robotaxi networks launching in many cities within the United States by the end of this year. However, remember that this will be a Tesla-run network at first - Tesla owners won’t be able to add their vehicles to the Robotaxi fleet right away.
Adding Customer Vehicles
It will take some time before Tesla meets their strict internal safety requirements before it lets customers add their own vehicles to the network. Tesla’s executive team mentioned that they intend to let owners add their own vehicles to the fleet sometime in 2026. This happens to be the same time frame that Tesla plans to launch the Robotaxi across the United States, Mexico, and Canada — something that could only be done with customer-owned cars.
That final step will be bold—and it may come with complications, especially given that autonomous vehicle approval spans municipal, state or provincial, and even federal levels. There are plenty of regulatory hurdles ahead, but this is undoubtedly shaping up to be one of the most exciting times for Tesla.
Launch Event
With the Robotaxi network launching and Unsupervised FSD just around the corner, there’s a lot to get excited about. Tesla is expected to host a launch event at Gigafactory Texas in Austin to mark the debut of its first Robotaxi network. The company previously hinted that referral code users could receive invites—offering a rare chance to score an early ride in a Robotaxi outside the Hollywood studio lot.
Tesla’s engineering mule vehicles—used to test autonomy for future platforms—have resurfaced after an extended absence. The last time we saw them was back in July, when Tesla was gearing up for its initial We, Robot event. Since then, sightings have been scarce.
These vehicles typically signal that Tesla is testing new camera placements or validating FSD ground-truth data. This time, however, they appear to be outfitted exclusively with the updated camera hardware seen on the Cybercab.
New Sightings
The mules have now been spotted in Boston, Massachusetts, and Concord, New Hampshire—their first known appearances this far east. This suggests Tesla is actively collecting data to evaluate and optimize FSD performance in new regions. Thanks to Reddit user Ready_Medium_6693 for catching the one in Concord.
Elon Musk recently mentioned that Tesla plans to expand Robotaxi networks beyond the initial Texas and California launches. So while these sightings aren’t entirely unexpected, the speed of their arrival is. It suggests Tesla is confident in its ability to train FSD for local traffic rules and driving behaviors to the point it no longer needs a driver.
Bumper Cameras
The vehicle that’s been spotted in Boston is the usual Tesla engineering Model 3… except with one unique twist. It includes a front bumper camera. Shout out to @Dylan02939106 for catching the bumper camera in these photos.
The Refreshed Model 3 Mule with a Bumper Camera!
@Dylan02939106 on X
We previously released an opinion piece regarding whether the front bumper camera would be required for Unsupervised FSD. In our eyes, Tesla will require a bumper camera for Unsupervised FSD - if only to improve direct visibility in the bumper area of the vehicle. This is key for low-speed maneuvering in crowded areas like parking lots and garages, as well as for key features like Actually Smart Summon.
It isn’t surprising that Tesla is continuing to evaluate vehicles with a bumper camera - the Cybertruck, Cybercab, and Refreshed Model Y all have them now - and the rest of the lineup, including the flagship Model S and X, as well as the refreshed Model 3 - were supposed to eventually receive them as well.
With the Model S and Model X set for refreshes this year—and the front bumper camera on this Model 3 looking well-integrated rather than a temporary setup—it seems likely that front bumper cameras will soon become standard across Tesla’s entire lineup.
The Robotaxi Mule in Boston
@Dylan02939106 on X
In fact, Tesla’s newest iteration of the FSD computer has a slot for the Bumper Camera on all AI4/HW4 vehicles, so a future retrofit could even be possible.
These are some pretty exciting times - we may see Robotaxi networks actually deploy in time for Tesla’s lofty goal of “sometime in 2026” for cities throughout North America. Once many American cities begin to accept their deployment, it will be easier to seek homologation in Mexico and Canada, enabling deployment throughout the continent.
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