- Tesla just launched two new products exclusively for Cybertruck owners.
- One is a tailgate protection pad and the other is a rear-facing jumpseat for the tailgate.
- Neither appear to be a great value but they do have some Cybertruck branding for those who care.
Tesla Cybertruck owners have a new set of accessories to get excited about. Each is built to add just a little more utility and practicality to the slab-sided pickup. They also come with hefty premiums no doubt due to their branding. Let’s break down the Cybertruck’s new tailgate pad and rear-facing jump seats.
First, the tailgate pad is sort of the central part of this puzzle. Priced at $300, it wraps around the tailgate and locks into place. It also has a nice Cybertruck logo on it and is appropriately tailored to the truck itself. Built to help protect gear that one wants to set against it, like a mountain bike, it features foam padding and Molle webbing on the inside.
More: Tesla Cybertruck Touted As Best-Selling Model Over $100,000 In June
Secondly, Tesla launched some jump seats for the Cybertruck that come in angular-shaped cases. Once open they expose Cordura nylon fabric covering more foam. The automaker says that three can fit across the tailgate but each one will set you back $100. Interestingly,
Tesla appears to be limiting these products to Cybertruck owners only so the chances of seeing them pop up on eBay for several times the price appear less likely.
It’s worth mentioning that Tesla is getting quite a bit of flack for designing something to ‘protect’ its ‘bulletproof’ truck but that’s missing the point. As an avid cyclist, I can assure you that people who carry their bikes in the back of this thing care a lot about the finish on their bike(s). It’s not the truck that needs protecting so much as the gear even though Tesla describes the product thusly “PROTECT YOUR TAILGATE WHILE TRANSPORTING YOUR GEAR.”
What is worth complaining about though is that these jump seats are almost completely pointless without the protective tailgate pad. Without the pad, there’s nowhere for the jump seats to clip into so that they’re stationary. In effect, to use the seats as intended you must also buy the pad which seems pretty pointless if you don’t plan on using it otherwise.
Maybe Tesla has a workaround for this but that’s not evident from the product description or photos. If it doesn’t, then these $100 jump seats seem to be an even worse value than they might already be.
