Tesla's Cybertruck failing to meet expectations or garner significant sales.
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, has made bold predictions about the Cybertruck, but its sales performance has been disappointing. The electric pickup truck, inspired by the dystopian movie "Blade Runner," was unveiled in 2019 with much fanfare, but its sales have been significantly below the expectations set by Musk.
Musk predicted that Tesla would sell 250,000 units of the Cybertruck per year by 2025. However, in the first three months of 2022, Tesla sold about 12,900 "other models," of which approximately 7,100 were Cybertrucks. This suggests that Tesla likely sold between 5,000-6,000 Cybertrucks in the second quarter of 2022 if consumer trends held steady.
The Cybertruck faces several challenges, including its high price tag ($80,000-$100,000), the imminent erasure of EV tax credits, its oddball design, repeated recalls, a reported real-world range of 200 miles, the lack of the initially-promised range extender, association with the MAGA right wing, and vandalism.
The story has been updated from the version that was published in the Nightcap newsletter with additional context. Tesla did not respond to a request for comment regarding the Cybertruck's sales performance.
The Cybertruck is facing serious competition from Rivian, Ford, and GM, as well as Chinese rivals in key markets overseas, particularly Europe and China. Tesla's deliveries of "other models," which includes the Model S sedan, Model X SUV, and Cybertruck, decreased by 52% in the second quarter of 2022 compared to the same quarter in 2021.
Despite the Cybertruck's underwhelming sales, Tesla's stock (TSLA) is down about 17% this year, but it has increased nearly 300% over the last five years. The Tesla faithful on Wall Street still support Musk, viewing him as a visionary and a showman who has made them rich. They may not be concerned that Musk's MAGA turn has affected the company's core business of selling cars, as they believe Tesla's future lies in an AI-powered, driverless utopia.
It can be estimated that Tesla likely sold between 5,000-6,000 Cybertrucks in the second quarter of 2022 if consumer trends held steady. However, the company did not sell any Cybertrucks in Q2 2022 because the Cybertruck had not yet been released or started production at that time. The earliest available data on Cybertruck sales comes from much later years. For example, Tesla sold about 5,000 Cybertrucks in Q2 2025, and delivered around 39,000 units in 2024.
Tesla's stock price increase is attributed to Musk's history of promises and predictions, which have driven share price increases and Musk's personal wealth. However, the question remains whether the Cybertruck's sales performance will continue to meet Musk's ambitious expectations.
[1] Tesla's stock price increase is attributed to Musk's history of promises and predictions, which have driven share price increases and Musk's personal wealth. [2] Tesla sold about 5,000 Cybertrucks in Q2 2025. [3] Tesla delivered around 39,000 units of the Cybertruck in 2024.
[1] The more Elon Musk makes bold predictions and promises regarding Tesla's ventures, such as the Cybertruck, the higher the company's stock price tends to increase, contributing to Musk's personal wealth.
[2] Despite the underwhelming sales performance in the first few quarters of the Cybertruck's release, Tesla did reportedly sell approximately 5,000 units in Q2 2025.
[3] According to Tesla's sales data, around 39,000 units of the Cybertruck were delivered in 2024.
