Like Elon Musk’s Political Career, Cybertruck Sales Go Down the Drain

Tesla’s much-hyped Cybertruck has hit a speedbump — or is it a brick wall?The company sold just 4,306 Cybertrucks in the second quarter of 2025, marking a 50.8 percent decline from the 8,755 units delivered during the same period last year, according to new data from Kelley Blue Book. The sharp drop in sales is sparking fears that Tesla’s most ambitious and unconventional vehicle may not survive.The Cybertruck made its debut to global fanfare in November 2019, when Tesla’s billionaire CEO, Elon Musk, boldly claimed it was “a better truck than an F-150, faster than a Porsche 911.” Its stainless steel exterior and angular, futuristic design captured the internet’s attention, leading to widespread debate and pre-order enthusiasm.However, nearly six years later, the Cybertruck’s groundbreaking design, coupled with its hefty price tag, delayed launch, and technical shortcomings, seems to have shifted it from revolutionary to niche in the eyes of buyers.Launched in November 2023 after years of delays, the base Cybertruck carries a starting price of $72,235, with premium models surpassing the six-figure mark. Some buyers have been less than impressed, griping about software glitches, poor build quality, and a short driving range on its batteries.A Tesla Cybertruck will cost about $5,360 for maintenance and repairs during its first 10 years of service, more than the industry average for luxury pickup models, according to CarEdge. There is also a 22 percent chance that it will require a major repair in the first five years of ownership, the car site says.Perhaps it didn’t help sales that a Tesla Cybertruck was used in a terror attack this past January at the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas. An active-duty U.S. Army Special Forces soldier filled the vehicle with explosives, but the explosion caused limited damage to the vehicle and did not break the glass doors of the hotel’s lobby entrance. Tesla isn’t the only automaker struggling with electric trucks this year. Ford’s F-150 Lightning, long seen as a major competitor but pricey at nearly $70,000, also had a difficult quarter. Ford reported a 26.1 percent drop in sales, slipping to 5,842 units compared to 7,902 in Q2 of 2024. The poor performance across the electric pickup sector is fueling speculation that the market for high-priced, experimental electric trucks may have been overestimated.While Tesla and Ford faced setbacks, Chevrolet’s Silverado EV — priced nearly $20,000 less than the Cybertruck for a base model — posted a surprising success story. The Silverado, with a more traditional design, saw its sales climb by 39 percent year-over-year to 3,056 units. Although still trailing Tesla and Ford in raw numbers, the growth underscores that demand for electric trucks remains strong, but mainly for options that stay closer to traditional truck characteristics.The Cybertruck’s slump comes amid broader challenges for Tesla. The company’s overall U.S. electric vehicle sales dropped 12.6 percent in Q2, adding to an industry-wide slowdown. With total American EV sales down 13 percent globally in Q1 and continuing their decline, Tesla’s reliance on its Model 3 and Model Y is becoming increasingly apparent. Those two models accounted for 97 percent of the company’s Q2 sales, leaving just 3 percent shared among the Model S, Model X, and Cybertruck. Despite styling updates for the Model S and X in June and the release of a more affordable Cybertruck variant in April, the combined sales for Tesla’s premium and specialty models fell to just 10,394 units in Q2, a drop of more than 3,000 vehicles compared to the first quarter.

Like Elon Musk’s Political Career, Cybertruck Sales Go Down the Drain

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