Ford CEO Says The Cybertruck Is More For “Silicon Valley People” Instead of People That Do Real Work

The Tesla Cybertruck has been on the internet’s mind ever since CEO Elon Musk first revealed the concept vehicle in 2019. With the real, road-ready versions of the truck entering production, many would assume that they would provide a lot of strong competition for other truck brands. But according to Ford CEO Jim Farley, he isn’t worried about it.

Why The Cybertruck Doesn’t Pose A Threat To Ford

While speaking with CNBC’s Jim Cramer, Farley says how he doesn’t see the Cybertruck as a real threat to existing and future Ford customers, as well as sales for the Ford F-150 Lightning. “The reality is, America loves an underdog and we are the market leader for EV trucks and vans, and we know those customers better than anyone,” said Farley. ‘”And if he wants to design a Cybertruck for Silicon Valley people, fine.”

The Tesla Cybertruck will be the first pickup truck in the brand’s fleet, and the latest in the growing electric pickup truck market where Ford, Chevrolet, Rivian, and GMC have their own contenders to duke it out. According to Ford, the company delivered over 13,000 F-150 Lightnings in its first year and intends on fulfilling its goal of 200,000 produced units. While Tesla leads the pack in terms of EV sales overall, Ford’s F-Series have been dominating the pickup truck market for well over four decades in a row.

Does The Cybertruck Resonate With Working-Class Professionals?

Farley later described the Cybertruck as “like a cool high-end product parked in front of a hotel.”

Farley later says that while the Tesla’s truck does look like a futuristic toy, it doesn’t quite resonate well with your average, working-class professional like contractors, plumbers, and electricians. “I don’t make trucks like that,” adds Farley. “I make trucks for real people who do real work, and that’s a different kind of truck.”

While Tesla has yet to reveal the official MSRP for the Cybertruck, Kelley Blue Book estimates its price tag will be around $50,000. For comparison, this is $10,000 less than that of a 2023 Ford F-150 Lighting.

While Tesla has teased some of the Cybertruck’s real-life working functionalities, the actual specs for its towing capacity, payload, hauling ability, etc. have yet to be announced. Meanwhile, the Ford F-150 Lightning has a towing capacity of 5,000 to 8,500 pounds, a max payload ranging from 1,657 to 2,235 pounds, and its electrified platform can produce 580 horsepower and 775 lb-ft of torque.