No matter if you’re a fan of pickup trucks or not you can’t deny their popularity. In fact, the Ford F-series trucks have been the best selling vehicle in the U.S for 39 years straight, and last year’s top 3 best selling vehicles were all trucks. As we enter the second half of 2021 it’s clear that electric vehicles are the future, but EVs cannot overtake gas until one important goal is met: there needs to be multiple affordable electric pickup trucks on the market for customers to choose from. Here are the top 10 all-electric pickup trucks on the horizon.
Teslas are considered luxury vehicles and are relatively expensive, so right now is probably not a good time to buy one. Or is it? Some crazy things are happening in our economy right now. People are losing jobs, stock market’s crashing, so this is going to sound like first world problems, but it’s relevant to my channel and it begs the question: is it dumb to buy a Tesla during a pandemic or possible recession?
First of all, disclaimer: I’m not a financial expert. None of this is legal advice. Nobody knows if a recession will even happen. We could be back to normal in a few weeks or things could get worse. But in this video I want to talk about the pros and cons if you’re thinking about buying a Tesla during uncertain times like these.
First and foremost make sure you have the budget to afford a Tesla. There’s never a good time to buy a Tesla just for the sake of flexing on fools ok? To see if a car is within your budget you should follow these three rules: put down at least 20 percent, finance the car for no more than 4 years, and keep your total monthly car payment at or below 10 percent of your gross monthly income. For example: the Model Y I have on order is right around $60,000 so according to these rules I should put down at least $12,000 cash, and then get a loan for the other $48,000 which should be no longer than a 48 month loan which puts the monthly payment right around $1,000 per month. That means for me to afford this particular Model Y my monthly income should be at least $10,000. So it’s super important to make sure your monthly budget allows for the car payment, and if an emergency happens where you lose your income for a while you want to make sure your emergency fund can cover your car payment. Do those calculations for yourself and if you can’t make it work, try to find a cheaper vehicle that fits your budget if you absolutely need one right now.
Buying a new car means you’re buying a depreciating asset. We all know that as soon as you drive a new car off the lot, it decreases in value by thousands of dollars which is why a new car is usually frowned upon when it comes to personal finance. However, Teslas do seem to keep their value pretty well. According to a study by automotive research firm iSeeCars, the average one-year-old used car costs 20 percent less than its new version. However, some models have as little as a 5 percent difference and after analyzing over 6 million cars it identified the Tesla Model 3 as the best car to buy new. According to Kelly Blue Book, the Model X has the best electric vehicle resale value for 2020 with a predicted resale value of 44% after 5 years of ownership. Last year, Elon tweeted that when Tesla’s ride sharing network comes online all Tesla vehicles with the Full Self Driving option will actually become appreciating assets that increase in value. That’s obviously extremely far fetched, but if and when that does happen it will allow a Tesla to potentially make money for the owner which is a feature that does differentiate Teslas from other cars and is a factor to consider when deciding to buy a car.
But you don’t always need to get a new Tesla. The good news is right now with the Model Y coming out there are many people selling their Model 3’s which are only 2 years old at the most so you may be able to save some money by finding a used Model 3 if that fits your lifestyle. Don’t plan on buying mine though because like I’ve said before, the Model 3 is the best car I’ve ever driven and I plan to keep it for at least 10 years. The Model Y I have on order is mostly for my wife.
If you are adamant on buying a car during a pandemic or potential recession, I highly recommend you plan to keep the car for as long as possible. The good news is that Tesla is probably the most forward thinking car company right now. They build their cars with the long term future in mind by giving their cars all the hardware capabilities that they think it needs to be able to fully drive itself when the software and regulations reach that point, which is something that no other car company is doing on the level that Tesla is.
If you decide you want a new Tesla during these times it’s possible that auto loan interest rates will be super low right now. However the rates can change at anytime and will depend on your own personal situation so it’s best to shop around and get multiple quotes from different sources to find the best rate for you if you plan to finance. I guess a potential downside of buying a Tesla is that sometimes during hard financial times for car companies you can negotiate a good deal with a dealership that’s trying to sell off their inventory. With Tesla, they don’t have dealerships which I actually love, but that means you won’t be negotiating the price with Tesla. They prefer to set prices and allow you to purchase it anytime online. I personally think that is still way better than having to go to a dealership to buy.
Also, as with any electric vehicle, buying a Tesla means you’ll never buy gas again, and Tesla likes to show you the potential gas savings when you go to purchase one of their cars online. During the first year and a half of driving my Model 3 I saved nearly $3,000 in fuel alone. Also no more oil changes which is another added savings over the lifetime of the car. Plus during a crazy time like this, not having to go to gas stations is actually really nice. Even though gas prices are super cheap right now, the price can change any minute. You don’t want to be affected by how careless and evil that industry is, trust me. And if you’re practicing social distancing, driving an electric vehicle like a Tesla is so much better because it charges at home overnight while you sleep. No stopping at gas stations so no risking yourself or others or having to touch a gas pump that is most likely loaded with germs. Sounds petty but it’s true.
Also during this unique situation, food delivery services like Uber Eats and Post Mates have surged so you could make some money while helping people out, and with a Tesla you could do it without having to pay for gas and while being way less harmful to the environment. Plus whenever Tesla’s robo-taxi network becomes a reality in the future if something like this happens again you could send your Tesla out by itself with no human inside while you practice self distancing at home and watch more of my YouTube videos hopefully.
Teslas are also some of the safest cars in the world which should in theory help reduce your car insurance bill especially now that Tesla is starting to offer insurance directly to their owners at seemingly good prices. Right now, anything that gives you a chance to lower your bills is pretty crucial.
I guess a potential downside to buying a Tesla is that they are the youngest car manufacturer out of all the major car companies so they may have a tougher time ramping up production through all this. However, it turns out that this might actually help them take a breather from trying to frantically deliver cars and instead fix bottlenecks and optimize their workflow at their factory, something they probably couldn’t have focused on if they were at 100% full speed production ramp. I think their biggest struggle will be making sure their service centers and mobile technicians are prepared for the increase in Tesla ownership throughout the country with the deliveries of the Model Y. Service is definitely something to consider when purchasing a car for the long term. I’ve owned a Model 3 for two years and so far the service has been minimal but we’ll see how it continues. I also believe that this pandemic will lead to people wanting to live a more “green” and healthy lifestyle, and when people do that it may lead to more people getting interested in Teslas and going solar which will in turn help Tesla succeed in the long run.
So is it dumb to buy a Tesla right now? Well, if you absolutely need a car, if you can afford it even if you lose your job temporarily, and if you plan to keep it for a long time then no it’s absolutely not dumb in my opinion. In fact if all of those things apply to you it’s probably smart to buy a Tesla given everything we talked about.
I’m still planning to go through with my Model Y purchase as of now. I’m patiently waiting for Tesla to notify me of my delivery date. Stay tuned and subscribe so you don’t miss my upcoming videos. I hope you’re doing well through all this. Stay safe and best of luck with your decision. Let me know what you’re planning to do in the comments below. Thank you for watching. My name is Andy, and I’ll talk to you in the next one.
It’s been one week since Tesla revealed the Cybertruck. I was at the event and got to ride in it. I laughed, I cried, I ordered, but one of things I said in my first impressions video was the Tesla Cybertruck looks like it would be perfect for the zombie apocalypse. Well, a few days later, The Walking Dead tweeted about how it would be great for the zombie apocalypse and Elon responded to it saying “the finest in apocalypse protection technology” so I decided to this video and explain all the cool features of the Cybertruck that would make it useful in a real zombie apocalypse. If/when the zombie apocalypse happens, there are really 4 things you need to focus on to survive: Nutrition, Supplies, Shelter, and Travel. Let’s see how the Cybertruck can be beneficial in all of these areas.
Let’s start with nutrition. The Cybertruck isn’t actually going to provide you physical food and water. That’s totally up to you to gather. I recommend canned goods and sour straws mostly, but the Cybertruck offers an ample amount of storage space for your food and water. It can also keep it safe. The Cybertruck’s 6.5ft bed is actually called the Vault because it has an automatic garage style door that can be securely closed at the push of a button. There are also numerous hidden compartments throughout the truck including storage space in both sail pillars, a hidden compartment under the truck bed, and of course there is a front trunk for even more storage because after all all there’s no engine since it’s an all-electric vehicle. We all know with any zombie apocalypse there’s always those “bad humans” who have survived only because they’re looking out for themselves and stealing other people’s resources. Having the Cybertruck’s large amount of hidden storage is great for hiding your food and water from those bad guys. As long as they haven’t watched this video they’ll have no idea where you hide your food and water unless they’re one of the 250,000 people who have already pre-ordered a Cybertruck.
Since we’re talking about storage let’s talk about supplies because it’s similar – you can also use the Cybertruck’s storage space for not just food and water but for weapons and supplies that you need to use and hide from zombies and other human adversaries. But unlike food and water which the Cybertruck cannot physically offer, the truck can provide some unique utilities such as its on-board air compressor. The Cybertruck has adaptive air suspension so it can just tap into that and use it as an air compressor in case you need to air up a tire for example. The Cybertruck also has built-in power outlets for running power tools or recharging devices. Maybe you need to run an electric chainsaw to cut down some trees. And we all know how torturous it is even without zombies, to not have any power so having a truck that acts as a portable generator would be extremely valuable in a zombie apocalypse. And if the cell towers are still working the Cybertruck has a built-in LTE connection and on-board navigation maps so you can utilize that for your escape plan. Heck if the zombies aren’t around and you’re a little bored you can even watch Netflix or YouTube from the built-in 17″ touch display. You can’t survive without a little bit of entertainment right? Another important part of supplies is having weapons. If you’re lucky you’ll have the optional Tesla not-a-flamethrower flamethrower that can fry zombie heads instantly, but if you don’t have that, the Cybertruck itself can be used as its own weapon. You could just slam zombie heads directly onto one of the many angular points, because there are no curves on the Cybertruck whatsoever. Probably the most efficient way would be to straight up drive into and over zombies – just plow right through them, that’s how big and powerful this truck is. In the tri motor version of the Cybertruck that goes 0-60 in 2.9 seconds, you could probably disintegrate any walking zombie in the Cybertruck’s path with its instant torque and solid front end. With a gasoline vehicle if you run into a good amount of zombies you risk damaging the grill and the radiator or engine. With a Cybertruck, there is no grill or engine in the front – just a solid piece of metal.
Speaking of that metal let’s talk about shelter and protection. The Tesla Cybertruck isn’t as vulnerable as a traditional truck that’s made with a frame and body. The Cybertruck’s entire foundation is a 30X cold rolled stainless steel exoskeleton meaning it’s extremely hard and nearly indestructible. It’s made from the same alloy that SpaceX uses for rockets so in this scenario, zombies could literally run into the Cybertruck and hit it with their hands all they want or even beat it with hammers and you’ll be fine. You can probably even laugh at the zombies while they do this if you’re brave enough. And of course if there are any of those human traitors who are trying to shoot you and steal your food and weapons, the stainless steel exoskeleton is actually bullet proof. It can withstand 9mm bullets with ease. The glass that makes up the windows and windshield is actually called Tesla armor glass, and it’s exponentially stronger than normal glass and the only zombie who can break it is the Franzombie who throws steel balls, one of the more rare zombie species. Tesla will need to improve their armor glass, but even now it’s still the best zombie apocalypse glass on any consumer vehicle. And during this apocalypse you’ll want the maximum amount of space in your shelter, and it looks like it could be possible to fold down the center armrest to get from the cabin to the bed without having to get out of the truck. Since the vault is secured by the automatic tonneau cover you could potentially make the Cybertruck your own little bachelor pad that you could move freely throughout. And if you have the Tesla Cybertruck camper mode, oh it’s a done deal. You’ll be living like a king. Heck the zombies might even let you live if you grill for them. They’ll just wanna hang out with you. This truck may also have Tesla’s Bioweapon defense mode that currently exists for their other vehicles in case you need to fend off an airborne zombie virus like in I Am Legend. Last but not least Tesla is known for safety. In fact many people buy Teslas solely because they’re the safest in their class, and I’m sure the Cybertruck will live up to the same standards. If you’re flying down the road at 80 miles an hour trying to get away from a flock of zombies then you’ll want to be in the safest vehicle. You don’t want to be that person who dies from a car crash during the zombie apocalypse. If you’re going to go out, at least get your face eaten off.
Speaking of driving you’ll also need to travel and escape. We all know that traveling with zombies nearby the most important thing is to be quiet. You don’t want to have a big gasoline truck that you have to start up and attract all the zombies when you rev the engine. The Cybertruck on the other hand is super quiet because it’s all electric, and if you haven’t driven an all electric vehicle then believe me when I tell you it’s nearly silent when driving at lower speeds. And even better if you have one of the matte black Cybertrucks which Elon agreed to offer as a color, you’ll be able to travel in super stealth mode without attracting attention from zombies. Another advantage is if you are somewhere with no power you’ll want the brightest lights for maximum visibility at night. For this, the Cybertruck excels with its two LED light bars, a long one on the very front of the truck and a shorter one above the windshield instead of smaller individual headlights. Now you might be thinking “Well if there’s no power then how’s this all electric Cybertruck going to get around?” Well first of all if there’s no power the gas stations will be useless without any power to the pump to pump the gas. However, with the Cybertruck, there’s actually a solar power option that Elon has said will provide 15 miles of range per day OR even better if the fold out solar wings come to fruition those can provide 30 to 40 miles per day. In my opinion this is the absolute best feature for the zombie apocalypse. Imagine the ability to always travel when all other power resources are gone. That’s amazing. But let’s just say your measly old Cybertruck doesn’t have the solar options BUT it is the tri motor version which should be able to travel 500 miles on a single charge. That means you’ll have one of the longest range electric vehicles ever to get you out of scary situations. But what if your Cybertruck is just the single motor version that only has 250 miles of range? Well, the good news is all Cybertrucks are capable of 250kW charging at any of the Tesla V3 Superchargers in the 14,000+ global Supercharger network where you can quickly charge your Cybertruck within minutes. That is awesome. But again, what if there’s no power to the grid? Well, hopefully by this zombie apocalypse Tesla will have fulfilled its promise of installing solar powered V3 Superchargers. With these you will always have power to charge your Cybertruck no matter what happens as long as the sun is shining. Those are all the reasons why the Cybertruck is the perfect vehicle to have for the zombie apocalypse. I guess the only negative is that people will be trying to tag along with you because you’ll have this ultimate food-storing weapon-shelter on wheels and it only seats 6 people so just pick the 5 people you want to live with for the rest of your life, and you’ll be fine. What do you think of the Cybertruck? Is it perfect for the zombie apocalypse or is there something better? Let me know in the comments below.
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