Tesla Cybertruck Deemed a ‘Flop’ as Discounts Begin, Despite Outselling Ford and Rivian EV Trucks

Elon Musk’s vision of the Tesla Cybertruck driving 1 million reservations may have fallen short of its mark by a substantial margin, at least in the U.S. market.

According to Automotive News, Tesla is now offering discounts on the iconic — in whichever direction one perceives it to be — Cybertruck model only a little over a year after it hit showroom floors.

Cybertruck Discounts Run Anywhere From $1,600 to $2,630 as Sales Slow

Automotive News indicated that the new discounts range from $1,600 — as applied to newer 2024 models — to $2,630 for demo vehicles.

Despite having seen a flurry of premium pricing as soon as it became available to the general public, Cybertruck sales have stalled in the interim, falling far short of the claimed reservation pace set by Musk.

According to data from Kelley Blue Book, Tesla moved around 39,000 Cybertrucks in the U.S. over the course of 2024. Reinforcing this data further, Automotive News pulled S&P Global Mobility figures that suggested the model had seen 35,236 registrations nationwide between November 2023 and November 2024.

Regardless of the source, some analysts were critical of the vehicle’s sales numbers versus those bolstered by Tesla representatives and backers. Automotive News quoted two industry experts on the subject of Cybertruck’s recent fortunes.

“I think the Cybertruck can be officially considered a flop now,” said Karl Brauer, executive analyst at iSeeCars. “Remember, this was going to be Tesla’s F-150. The new benchmark, foundational vehicle for the Tesla brand to keep it super powerful, super profitable and high volume.”

“I think the initial fanfare, excitement and hype for the Cybertruck has quickly evaporated,” Robby DeGraff, manager of product insights at AutoPacific, said. “I’ve seen way more F-150 Lightning and R1T owners actually using their trucks for work or play, rather than showboating around town with tacky aftermarket wraps.”

Despite Discounts, Cybertruck Claims Its Spot as No. 1 EV Pickup Truck

Even with the headwinds facing Tesla’s Cybertruck, it did manage to nab top spot among its peers on the EV pickup truck sales charts, edging out competitors such as Ford’s F-150 Lightning and Rivian’s R1T pickup. The former is estimated to have sold about 33,510 vehicles, according to Cox Automotive data, while the latter moved around 11,085 units.

While the car drew a great deal of criticism over the level of hype afforded to the model, its undeniably unique look, and the provocative personality of Tesla’s Musk, many onlookers pointed to its price point as one point of relative failure. Despite Musk having initially mentioned a base MSRP around the $40,000 mark, limited-run early adopter sales ranged around the six-figure price point, and in October 2024, the first widely available models came in at nearly $80,000 (with an attendant $1,995 shipping fee).

There are no plans to approach a $40,000 trim for the model, according to Automotive News.