--- title: "Original Tesla Cofounder Roasts Cybertruck for Looking “Like a Dumpster”" description: "One of the actual, original cofounders of Tesla is apparently not a big fan of the Cybertruck's bold styling." date: "2025-08-03" modified: "2025-08-03" authors: - name: "Frank Landymore" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/flandymore" url: "https://futurism.com/original-tesla-cofounder-roasts-cybertruck" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Tesla" tags: - "cybertruck" - "elon musk" - "tech" - "tesla" --- # Original Tesla Cofounder Roasts Cybertruck for Looking “Like a Dumpster” ![One of the actual, original cofounders of Tesla is apparently not a big fan of the Cybertruck's bold styling.]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* Martin Eberhard, one of the original cofounders of Tesla — who actually started the company and didn't retroactively bestow himself a title giving that impression, unlike a certain billionaire — isn't too pleased with his baby's newest crowning jewel: the [Cybertruck](). In comments made in a recent interview with YouTuber Kim Java [spotted by ]()[*Electrek*](), Eberhard vented his frustration with Tesla's recent direction — which is when the highly heterodox pickup truck caught a stray. "I am actually disappointed that Tesla canceled its low-end car program," he said in the interview. "Because that's what the world needs — not a truck that looks like a dumpster." Eberhard cofounded Tesla with Marc Tarpenning in 2003. Musk joined the next year after investing $6.5 million in the startup, and became chairman of the board. They were hardly ever on good terms. The first major blow was dealt by Musk, who sacked Eberhard as CEO in 2007, eventually stepping into the role himself. Eberhard clapped back by suing Musk in 2009 for libel and defamation, and later settled out of court. As part of that settlement, Musk was allowed to call himself a cofounder of Tesla. There's still bad blood between the two, and Eberhard has occasionally been publicly critical of Musk. In 2023, for example, Eberhard took a dig at Musk's alleged hot temper and [hair-trigger firings](). "I'm a believer of treating employees with respect, and I'm not into random firings and things like that," Eberhard said in an [interview with ]()*[Business Insider](),* ruminating about how he would run things instead. "So maybe the culture inside the company would have been a little bit nicer." His latest criticism is one echoed by many of Tesla's investors and even its fans: that it's sat on its [promise]() of delivering an affordable, [$25,000 EV](). Proponents argue this would unlock millions of more customers that were reluctant to buy EVs due to their price and rescue the company's faltering sales. Recent [comments]() from Musk, however, have all but confirmed [reports]() that Tesla is [abandoning the idea](), despite teasing it for years. And in retrospect, the Cybertruck should've been a clear death knell. It's in every respect a giant F-U to sensible, frugal-minded buyers. It's large, heavy, expensive to maintain, and [infamously]() [unreliable](). When it launched, it cost an eye-watering $100,000, and [cheaper versions]() that have since been released are still well within the luxury SUV price range with the tradeoff of being a downgrade in every way possible. And with its staggeringly poor sales, which in the second quarter [collapsed]() by more than 50 percent from the year before, Eberhard may be getting the last laugh. **More on Tesla:** *[The Cybertruck Is Aging Like Fast Fashion on Temu]()* ## Author At Futurism, my work has often centered on bringing a sense of clarity and insight to complex topics ranging from the regulation of emerging technologies to the esoteric ideologies of Silicon Valley executives, while striving not to lose the poetic sense of awe inspired by often-obscure fields like astrophysics and quantum computing. I broke the story of CNET using AI to produce articles that turned out to be riddled with factual errors and plagiarism — a dam-breaking inflection point, as I've reported, that's inspired copycats and endless discourse while beguiling stakeholders ranging from tech giants to purveyors of spam around the web. My work at Futurism has been cited by publications including CBS News, the Los Angeles Times, Vice, Gizmodo, Engadget, the Verge, and Vanity Fair. I grew up in locales ranging from India to China, and now live in the exotic suburbs of Virginia. In my free time, I'm an avid reader of weird sci-fi literature, an aficionado of East Asian cinema, and, regrettably, a relapsed gamer. Allegedly, I’m working on a debut novel, currently untitled. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()