Tesla’s Threat to Cybertruck Resellers: A $50,000 Dilemma

Tesla’s warning to Cybertruck resellers and scalpers appears to be back.

An apparent early Cybertruck buyer claims they spotted Tesla’s $50,000 legal threat again in an order agreement for the electric pickup. On Friday, they posted a screenshot of the clause to the Cybertruck Owners Club forum. It restates the punitive rules Tesla seemed to walk back in November.

The screenshot says Cybertruck buyers must agree not to sell the vehicle during their first year of ownership without permission from Tesla. Spotted by Electrek, the text adds that the automaker “may seek injunctive relief to prevent the transfer of title of the Vehicle or demand liquidated damages from you in the amount of $50,000 or the value received as consideration for the sale or transfer, whichever is greater.”

The language mirrors the reseller clause that first stirred up controversy about a month ago.

Tesla hasn’t commented one way or another on the apparent legal threat. We also have no indication if these restrictions would apply to all Cybertruck sales, or just the first production edition, which Tesla dubbed the “Foundation Series.”

Still, Tesla has taken steps to discourage scalpers and resellers in the past. That includes putting some buyers on its “do not sell list.”

Tesla delivered its first few Cybertrucks nearly two weeks ago, during a livestreamed event that offered some updates on the supersized electric truck. The day gave us a clearer idea of how the Tesla EV compares to other high-end pickups. We also learned that the cheapest Cybertruck, a variant with rear-wheel drive and one motor, will arrive in 2025 with an estimated $60,990 price tag.