There's little left for us to say that can further embarrass the Tesla Cybertruck, a vehicle that was supposed to be the culmination of Elon Musk's genius.
And maybe this is what Musk's genius looks like. The luckless EV has faced eight recalls so far, and its trademark stainless steel panels, when they aren't flying off, have demonstrated that they're better at serving as a shiny canvas for spray paint than as the armor of an "apocalypse-proof" tank.
But somehow, its already dire sales are now even worse than expected. In the entire first quarter of 2025, Tesla has managed to sell just 7,100 Cybertrucks in the US, according to registration data from S&P Global Mobility cited by the Wall Street Journal. It's an astounding and rapid plummet, when in the fourth quarter of 2024, Tesla sold close to double that amount, with roughly 13,000 Cybertrucks.
A lot changed between those two quarters — like Musk embarking on a spectacular speedrun to destroy his and Tesla's image, mainly by leading the Trump administration's charge to gut the federal government.
These actions, and Musk's personal espousing of far-right politics, sparked worldwide protests against him and his automaker. It has yet to recover, with Tesla's total sales in the US dropping nine percent in the first three months of this year. There are other factors at play, too, like the success of its Chinese competitors and its aging vehicle lineup, but the imploded brand reputation looms largest.
And more than any other of its vehicles, the Cybertruck for one reason or another has embodied the public's souring sentiment on Musk, becoming prime targets for vandalism. They're also notoriously unreliable, sold for nothing less than $100,000 before cheaper $70,000 versions were desperately rolled out, and launched with a range over 150 miles shorter than what Musk promised.
In all of 2024, the company sold fewer than 40,000 Cybertrucks. The most recent quarter's tally makes Musk previous boast that the automaker would sell up to half a million Cybertrucks per year even more ridiculous.
Is it any wonder that buyers are staying away? So few people want to buy these things that in May Electrek reported that Tesla was sitting on an inventory worth $800 million of 10,000 unsold Cybertrucks — an embarrassment as much as it is a logistical headache. Dealerships have resorted to dumping their glut of the unorthodox pickup trucks in deserted parking lots.
The pain isn't likely to stop anytime soon. Trump's tariffs, which factored into Musk's fallout with the president, will drive up the costs of car parts. The administration also plans to axe tax credits for purchasing EVs, demolishing a huge incentive for American consumers to buy from automakers like Tesla.
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