Tesla will stop making the Cybertruck next year, according to CEO Elon Musk, who said on X that the company will use the factory space to build more two-seater Cybercab robotaxis.
The decision to wind down the futuristic, steel-clad EV comes after just a few short years of underwhelming sales. When Musk handed over the first few Cybertrucks in late 2023, he predicted Tesla would sell around 250,000 per year. It was supposed to be such a cornerstone of Tesla’s future that, before construction began, the company talked about its Texas factory as the “Cybertruck factory.” But Tesla has instead sold just tens of thousands — total — over the last three years.
I hate these things of course but has anyone ever studied whether they got more EVs into the hands of people who would never have bought them otherwise? That might be the only positive thing about them.
The Cybertruck specifically, or Tesla in general?
I will happily admit that Tesla helped demonstrate that there is a viable market for EVs, which pressured other auto-makers to produce them. The auto industry has become very risk-averse over the last several decades, so convincing them that EVs weren’t a risky R&D investment was a big step.
The Cybertruck has been a phenomenal failure. Sales have been far below what Tesla projected, for a number of reasons. Not least of which is that, in the time between their original announcement and actually getting the thing to market, other parties released EV pickups with much more conventional designs and, more importantly, better value.
I meant the Cyberfuck. Yeah I would have thought everyone knows that EVs in general would not be where they are now without Tesla.
Not to mention they just turn into a brick when they get wet without first be putting into rain mode.
The model 3 was their big mass market car. The garbage truck probably turned off more people than it turned on.
Anecdotal, but I don’t think so. My many right wing family members that hated everything EV until the muskrat went full nazi still never actually bought an EV despite now loving everything about Elon. The closest thing to one any of them drive is a Prius and they acted like they were making the biggest concession to environmentalism by doing so, when really it was just because they couldn’t afford to drive everywhere they wanted to otherwise.
I think maybe the most precise way to phrase the question is: take people who bought the Cyberfuck. If it had not existed, do you think they would have bought some other EV?