Tesla US sales dropped to 20,237 last year, almost half the 38,965 units sold in 2024|Mr.choppers|CC BY-SA 3.0

Tesla is preparing to move on from one of its most talked-about vehicles. The electric carmaker plans to stop making the Cybertruck at its Texas factory by mid-2027, Elon Musk said yesterday.

He further added that the move will make room for the autonomous Cybercab.

Sales fall short of expectations
The decision reflects a growing gap between Musk’s expectations and the truck’s actual performance. Once a highly anticipated model, the electric pickup has reached just 10% of its sales target, prompting the production shift.

When Tesla introduced the Cybertruck, the billionaire envisioned annual sales of 250,000 units. However, the vehicle attracted far fewer buyers. US sales dropped to 20,237 last year, almost half the 38,965 units sold in 2024.

The tumble followed Musk's embrace of President Donald Trump, turning the Cybertruck into a polarizing symbol of his controversial government-downsizing push.

The truck also struggled to win over traditional pickup buyers, a market it wanted to dominate.

The Cybertruck was supposed to start at $40,000, with a 500-mile-range version that could have made Tesla a dominant force. Instead, the much-hyped vehicle struggled to live up to its promise. But its price rose to $60,000, and its range fell well short of the promised 500 miles, never topping 325.

Its unusual stainless-steel body, safety concerns, and repeated recalls made it hard to sell. European markets presented another obstacle, as its sharp exterior design failed to meet pedestrian-safety requirements.

Tesla turns toward robotaxis
Tesla now wants to give its factory capacity to the Cybercab, a two-seat autonomous vehicle designed for robotaxi services. The company has already started offering paid rides in Austin, but the service remains relatively small.

The move signals a broader change in Tesla’s business strategy. Rather than relying mainly on electric car sales, Musk is betting that self-driving vehicles and robotics will become the company’s next major growth drivers.

With the Cybertruck gone, Tesla will have only two human-driven models in production: the Model 3 and Model Y. The long-awaited Roadster isn’t due to hit production lines until 2028.