The Tesla Cybertruck was supposed to become the futuristic magnum opus of Elon Musk, a rough, sci-fi-looking electric truck that could withstand anything, including the apocalypse. Rather, it is a moving punchline. Bemoaned by design flaws, eight recalls, and nonfunctional stainless steel panels, the Cybertruck has failed to deliver on its hype. But it is even worse now.
S&P Global Mobility estimates that Tesla only sold 7,100 Cybertrucks in the U.S. in the first quarter of 2025, almost half of the Q4 2024 sales (approximately 13,000). That sharp drop is more than just a dip; it’s a freefall.
What changed? Musk, at least. His outspoken far-right politics and coziness with the Trump administration, especially in the attempts to eliminate essential governmental operations, have led to a massive backlash. There were protests worldwide, and the image of Tesla suffered significantly. Overall sales of the brand in the U.S. fell by nine percent in Q1 of 2025.
More than any other Tesla model, the Cybertruck appears to have received the collective frustration of the population. It was a brave new thing; now it is a 100,000 dollar albatross (despite last-minute price reductions to 70,000 dollars). Its actual range fell over 150 miles short of Musk’s original promise. In 2024, Tesla sold fewer than 40,000 Cybertrucks—far from the half-million annual units Musk once claimed they’d move.
In May, Tesla supposedly had an inventory of 10,000 unsold Cybertrucks, or $800 million, gathering dust in empty parking lots. It can only get more painful: pending tariffs and the expiration of EV tax credits promise to make prices even more prohibitive and buyers even more distant. The Cybertruck saga has come to represent overpromise, underdeliver, and what happens when a CEO turns on his base.
