Tesla’s Cybertruck Is a Bust

The hype is lifeless. The Tesla Cybertruck, as soon as billed as the way forward for electrical automobiles, is now wanting like a industrial bust.

Within the second quarter of 2025, Tesla offered simply 4,306 Cybertrucks, down a staggering 50.8% from the 8,755 models it delivered throughout the identical interval final yr, in response to new information from Kelley Blue Book. This plunge is a sign that America’s most hyped truck could already be out of fuel.

When the Cybertruck was first revealed in November 2019, Elon Musk known as it a “higher truck than an F-150, sooner than a Porsche 911.” Its sci-fi stainless-steel exoskeleton and futuristic angles made it an instantaneous viral sensation, and a lightning rod for debate. However nearly six years later, the truck’s surreal design, awkward dimension, excessive value, and late supply have turned it into a distinct segment curiosity, not a mass-market hit.

The Cybertruck formally launched in November 2023, years delayed, with base fashions starting at $72,235 and top-tier variants pushing properly past $100,000. Early evaluations raised purple flags over software program glitches, poor match and end, and disappointing vary for a car of its dimension.

Now the numbers verify what critics and former followers have been warning: the Cybertruck just isn’t resonating with patrons.

Cybertruck seems to be like the longer term https://t.co/K2GAhH0vaN

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 31, 2024

It’s not simply Tesla feeling the ache. Ford’s F-150 Lightning, one other flagship electrical pickup, additionally had a tough quarter, with gross sales dropping 26.1% to five,842 models, down from 7,902 in Q2 2024. The decline means that enthusiasm for large, costly electrical vehicles could also be cooling quick.

Against this, Chevrolet’s Silverado EV, which leans right into a extra typical design and pricing technique, is gaining traction. GM offered 3,056 Silverado EVs within the quarter, up 39.2% yr over yr. That’s nonetheless behind Tesla and Ford in uncooked numbers, however the development reveals there may be urge for food. Simply possibly not for experimental luxurious vehicles.

For Tesla, the Cybertruck collapse comes at a tough time. The corporate’s total U.S. EV gross sales fell 12.6% in Q2, a part of a broader business slowdown. However whereas the Mannequin 3 gained traction and the Mannequin Y remained the best-selling EV, the Cybertruck is already wanting like Tesla’s weakest hyperlink.

The Cybertruck was purported to be a cultural occasion, a product that broke all the principles and redefined what a truck may very well be. As a substitute, it’s shortly changing into a case examine in overpromising and underdelivering.