Tesla Is So Cooked That It's Now Refusing to Accept Cybertrucks as Trade-Ins

Embattled carmaker Tesla is sitting on almost 2,400 unsold Cybertrucks, worth roughly $200 million.

It's a harsh reality check. According to its latest — and eighth — recall issued last month, the carmaker has only sold around 46,000 of the divisive pickup trucks so far, despite a $7,500 tax credit. That's a far cry from the over 1 million pre-orders the company gloated over years ago.

And those currently in possession of one are often struggling to get rid of them. As Electrek reports, Tesla is refusing to accept its own Cybertrucks as trade-ins, due to a massive backlog. That's bound to sting, as used Cybertruck prices have fallen off a cliff, down 55 percent year over year.

Some owners are reportedly being forced to go through the Lemon Law process, which some states have implemented to protect car buyers by requiring carmakers to repurchase or replace vehicles with significant defects.

The Cybertruck, which Musk has previously claimed should be able to float in water and eventually be capable of roaming the surface of Mars, has quickly turned into a massively expensive and issues-prone liability.

And that's not to mention the sheer amount of hate being directed at it. As anti-Elon Musk sentiment continues to spike due to his embrace of far-right extremism and dismantling of federal agencies, the Cybertruck has become astonishingly unpopular.

That negative sentiment has spawned an entire movement called, "Tesla Takedown," in which countless protesters have demonstrated — overwhelmingly peacefully — in front of showrooms across hundreds of cities.

Tesla is in a tight spot, with sales tanking worldwide. Earlier this month, the company revealed a 13 percent drop in deliveries in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period last year, a three-year low.

Competition is quickly catching up with the EV maker as well, which could spell disaster going forward.

Beyond its controversial design and poor choice of materials, the Cybertruck has failed to live up to Musk's lofty promises. The truck was initially advertised to start at a relatively affordable $40,000, have a range of over 500 miles for its top trim option, and feature bulletproof glass.

Less than a year and a half into production, Tesla has failed to live up to any of those expectations. Even a previously announced, $16,000 range extender accessory — which would occupy half the truck's bed — has yet to materialize.

As Electrek reported over the weekend, Tesla quietly removed the extender option, indicating it's given up on bringing the accessory to market, despite collecting a $2,000 non-refundable fee to reserve it.

With president Donald Trump's disastrous tariff war throwing international supply lines into chaos, it remains to be seen how Tesla will weather the storm.

With its brand in the gutter, the company has a lot of catching up to do — and encouraging anybody to take a major hit and spend $80,000 on a Cybertruck is bound to get more difficult as fears of a recession continue to mount.

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