Tesla's first Cybertrucks cost $120,000 — the reintroduced threat against flippers hints cheaper ones are still far away

Tesla’s “Foundation Series” Cybertrucks appear to come with a $50,000 resale fine.
The Cybertuck is at least $20,000 more expensive than Elon Musk originally promised.
You can still flip your truck if you get permission from Tesla.

A controversial $50,000 resale fee has reappeared in Tesla’s Cybertruck purchase agreement.

Screenshots of a “For Cybertruck Only” clause circulated on a Cybertruck owners’ forum over the weekend on an order agreement for the expensive Foundation Series trucks that Tesla started offering last week.

At $120,000, the first appear models being delivered appear to be the “Cyberbeast” tri-motor version of the truck and come fully loaded with features, including “Full-Self Driving” capability. To distinguish them from other Cybertrucks, the Foundation Series also sports limited-edition laser-etched badging.

These bells and whistles are likely designed to court early adopters (and assumably help boost Tesla’s bottom line) while it works to ramp production of other models coming in the next two years.

It’s unclear if this clause is limited to these early editions of the truck or if the restriction will be applied more widely, and some Foundation order holders reported that the clause is not visible in the terms and conditions for the $250 non-refundable order fee.

Some Tesla fans have praised the clause as a barrier to keep scalpers out of the Cybertruck order line, while others were frustrated with the company for trying to put restrictions on their purchases.

Experts told Business Insider the threat likely indicates small batches of production, at least to start, as these fines are typically used on limited-production vehicles.

In the days leading up to the Cybertruck launch, Tesla quickly scrubbed a clause in the truck’s purchase agreement that threatened $50,000 lawsuits for purchasers who attempt to resell their Cybertruck in the first year of ownership.

Now, the clause states that purchasers agree not to resell their Cybertruck in the first year after delivery unless given permission by the company. A breach of this may lead Tesla to “seek injunctive relief to prevent the transfer of title of the Vehicle or demand liquidated damages from you in the amount of $50,000 or the value received as consideration for the sale or transfer, whichever is greater,” according to a screenshot of the clause posted online.

Cybetruck cost of ownership continues to rise

For some potential Cybertruck buyers, the threat of a $50,000 fine from Tesla only adds to an already growing price tag for their truck.

Some order holders were shocked last month when the truck’s official prices were released, and the cheapest model starts at $20,000 more than CEO Elon Musk originally promised, despite falling short on previously lofty range promises for the truck.

For others, this jump in price wasn’t a surprise, as Musk had been hinting recently that early editions of the truck wouldn’t be cheap.

Right now, the cheapest option for the Cybertruck (not available until 2025) starts at nearly $61,000. Two other models, available this year, start at $79,990 and $99,990.

For comparison, the F-150 Lightning, Ford’s electric pickup truck, starts at around $50,000 while a Riviant R1T will run you about $73,000 at minimum.