Tesla threatened to sue buyers who resell Cybertruck without written permission

Enlarge / The Tesla Cybertruck. (credit: Tesla)

With Tesla’s first Cybertruck deliveries expected later this month, a now-deleted update to the electric carmaker’s terms of service said the firm could sue customers for $50,000 or more if they resell during the first year of ownership without first getting written permission from Tesla. The provision seemed designed to deter scalping for a car expected to be available only in limited quantities after CEO Elon Musk’s statement that Tesla “dug our own grave with the Cybertruck.”

But the clause was deleted from Tesla’s terms just days after people noticed its appearance. It was still in the Tesla Motor Vehicle Order Agreement Terms & Conditions earlier today, but was removed from the document while we worked on this article. The document still has a more general rule against quick resales but without the lawsuit threat.

Tesla may have decided to remove the clause after several news reports spread word of the change over the weekend. It’s not clear whether the company will bring the clause back in a modified form. We contacted Tesla and will update this article if we get a response.