Tesla is said to be left with over $800 million worth of unsold Cybertrucks—over 10,000 units of them, gathering dust instead of accolades. A once-praised futuristic revolution in electric vehicles, the angular, stainless-steel juggernaut has now become a representation of overpromising and underdelivering.
Elon Musk bragged that Tesla would sell 250,000 Cybertrucks annually, backed by a million reservations. However, Tesla was only able to sell 6,400 units in Q1 2025. They could not even hit 20,000 by year-end at that rate. The car has been recalled several times, and even generous financing offers have not been able to shift the needle.
Public opinion has not helped the Cybertruck either. Its nickname, “Swasticar,” captures increasing discomfort with Musk’s controversial political associations, particularly as he increasingly openly affiliates with far-right movements around the world. In certain areas, the truck has become a protest symbol, attracting criticism rather than customers.
As part of an effort to get rid of the excessive inventory, Tesla introduced a stripped-down $69,990 rear-wheel-drive variant in April. It is cheaper, but it does not have vital features—and consumer confidence. It has been reported that Tesla has already started to divert resources from Cybertruck to the more profitable Model Y.
With European sales at rock bottom and public image in freefall, the Cybertruck is on the verge of becoming the DeLorean of the 21st century: futuristic in theory, infamous in hindsight. Although it is too early to write the Cybertruck off as officially dead, the writing is on the wall.
What was supposed to be the symbol of a new epoch in electric mobility is turning out to be a hugely overpriced dud—less “future of transportation” and more “midlife crisis on wheels.”
