@jack_rix editor@bbctopgearmagazine.com
Tesla doesn’t operate like other companies, you’ve probably spotted that. Specifically, the way it engages with media is a little different. And by different I mean it normally doesn’t give a fig about what the automotive media does or says, plus it doesn’t have a traditional press department or press fleet. We normally hear about any product news around the same time you do, when a news alert pops up on our phones.
A bit like Ferrari shuns traditional advertising, because F1 does the brand awareness thing and every one of the 250,000+ Ferraris on the road are rolling billboards, Tesla has Elon Musk’s Twitter, sorry ‘X’ account, to do its marketing. Which is why getting the chance to drive and learn about the Cybertruck ahead of the global embargo felt like a moment. This was a media shy company opening its doors because it knew there was a hell of a story to tell. Once you’ve read the feature, watch the video – there’s even more detail crammed in.
After a couple of days with Tesla engineers and designers though, ‘shy’ wouldn’t be the word I’d choose. There’s an openness around how the big boss interacts with his employees, the Cybertruck backstory and thought processes, and where those choices might take them. Also, some rock and roll swagger in the way decisions aren’t made in reaction to customer feedback and sound financial advice, they’re made based on what excites them, what pushes boundaries and because the boss is cheer
