Elon Sends Cybertruck to Gigafactory in the Sky After Sales Pull a Houdini Act (-48%, RIP 2023–2027)

Goodbye sweet prince, you will be missed… not by me… but somebody.

It’s been only 6 years since the infamous unveiling that left a supposed bullet proof window shattered… and only 3 years since the thing hit Tesla dealers…

And now, the Cybertruck is flying high in the clouds next to Harambe, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Donnie’s political legacy.

“The future is here!” -Elon Musk, 2023

“The future has been discontinued.” -Elon Musk, 2026

That’s right ladies and gentlemen, after years of broken promises, disappointing sales, and one of the most spectacular product unveilings in automotive history…

The Cybertruck is officially headed for the automotive graveyard.

Part-time CEO Elon Musk announced Friday that the company will wind down Cybertruck production at its Texas Gigafactory around mid-2027, freeing up factory space for his latest four-wheeled science experiment: the Cybercab. 

And boy, the numbers behind this stainless-steel funeral are something to behold.

According to Kelley Blue Book, Tesla sold just 20,237 Cybertrucks in the U.S. last year, a whopping 48% decline from the 38,965 it managed in 2024.

Grok, how many of those units were bought by wantrepreneurs just trying to impress their friends?

For context, Musk originally envisioned selling 250,000 Cybertrucks annually.

Meaning Tesla achieved approximately 8% of Elon's original sales ambition before deciding it might be time to put Old Yeller down.

Turns out the demand was about as bulletproof as those windows.

And the problems didn't exactly stop there.

Despite being marketed as the pickup truck of the future, Cybertruck's enormous stainless-steel body and sharp, angular design made it virtually impossible to sell in Europe under pedestrian safety regulations.

Former Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer put it rather succinctly: "That Cybertruck won't go, can't go."

Meanwhile, even with Elon going full “black MAGA hat,” American truck buyers weren't exactly lining up around the block either. 

Though the Cybertruck wasn't alone in that department. Electric pickups from legacy automakers have also struggled to attract buyers.

But few arrived with quite as much hype.

Or quite as spectacular a gap between expectations and reality.

Not to ever completely fall on the sword and admit failure… Musk insists the Cybertruck is the "best vehicle Tesla has ever made," calling its production wind-down the "end of an era."

I think the Toyota Tacoma would like a word…

Technically, Tesla hasn't confirmed whether production will disappear entirely or move somewhere else. But Austin is currently the only known factory equipped to manufacture the truck's specialized components.

And the replacement?

The Cybercab.

That's Elon's futuristic autonomous taxi he’s been crying wolf about for three years now…

It’s equipped with butterfly doors, no steering wheel, no pedals, and the reassuring promise that the software is only three updates away from perfection. 

Tesla began offering paid Cybercab rides in Austin in September, although federal safety regulators still have questions about the vehicle's compliance with safety standards.

Which brings up Elon’s bigger “strategery” at play.

Musk wants Tesla to evolve beyond selling electric cars into an AI-powered robotics and autonomous transportation business.

And the SpaceX merger Cybercab is supposed to be his ticket to the promised land.

As for the Cybertruck?

It promised to revolutionize the pickup truck industry, humiliate Detroit, and make the F-150 look like a horse-drawn carriage.

Instead, it became the automotive equivalent of a SPAC that went public in 2021.

All hype. Barely any buyers. And a whole lot of depreciating collectibles.

At the time of publishing this article, Stocks.News holds positions in Tesla and Ford as mentioned in the article.