Like many automotive manufacturers, Tesla offers prospective buyers the opportunity to test-drive vehicles before making a purchase. The brand’s policy, a bit more generous than that of some manufacturers, allows customers to take a half-hour drive in the vehicle (enough to get a reasonable feel and possibly even find somewhere to test out some ludicrous speed). A Florida man allegedly had a quite liberal interpretation of “half an hour.” He reportedly extended his Tesla Cybertruck “test-drive” for five days before the brand repossessed the electric truck.
Key Takeaways
- A Florida man allegedly test-drove a Tesla Cybertruck Cyberbeast
- His alleged “test-drive” lasted five days until Tesla reclaimed the vehicle
- He was apprehended returning to the Tesla dealer to reclaim items he had left in the truck
- He now faces a first-degree felony grand theft charge
The Florida Man Allegedly Test-Drove a Tesla Cyberbeast
According to the report, the Florida man, 51-year-old Dexter Smithen, visited a Tesla store in Tampa on March 26. He allegedly requested the full-bore Cyberbeast version of the Tesla Cybertruck, signed an agreement to return it in half an hour, and provided a driver’s license for Tesla to retain (police found him carrying licenses and credit cards in several names). He then took off with the truck and did not return. Smithen did not respond to an email from Tesla, and the phone number he had provided to Tesla was disconnected.
Tesla tracked down the car five days later, on March 31, when Smithen was allegedly engaged in what may have been the most mundane of joyrides: running an errand at Home Depot. A Tesla employee videotaped Smithen with the Cybertruck and repossessed the vehicle when he entered the store. Smithen was not apprehended after being stranded at Home Depot. He, incredibly enough, returned to the Tesla store the next day to reclaim belongings he had left in the vehicle.
The Florida Man Is Facing Serious Charges
Unfortunately for Smithen, the Tesla Cybertruck Cyberbeast starts at $99,900 (a new Long Range trim dropped the base MSRP below $70,000). The delivery, destination, and handling fee pushes the sticker price over $100,000. So, the Florida Man is now facing a charge of grand theft over $100,000, which is a first-degree felony instead of a second-degree felony and comes with a potential 30-year prison sentence.
TopSpeed’s Take
The clear moral of this story is: don’t commit felony grand theft at any price. However, it’s worth reiterating that test-driving new vehicles before purchasing is some of the most helpful buying info one can obtain. That’s especially true for EVs, where many buyers will be driving one for the first time. It’s even more true for Teslas — the brand doesn’t provide traditional loans or test drives to journalists, which would create a rich repository of expert reviews online (although we were able to test one). It’s important to take that privilege responsibly.
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