Tesla Cybertruck to be discontinued after dismal sales — just 20,000 units a year despite 1 million pre-orders

The Cybertruck's noisy debut is fading to silence.

Tesla's Cybertruck, which generated strong buzz when it was unveiled, is being discontinued after years of sluggish sales.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk had boasted that the truck racked up more than 1 million pre-orders at launch, but actual annual sales turned out to be just over 20,000 units.

First unveiled in 2019, the Cybertruck drew wide attention for its distinctive angular design. But poor ride quality, repeated recalls, persistent quality issues and a steep price tag were cited as the main reasons for its weak sales. In South Korea, the vehicle was priced at 160 million won ($119,000).

Musk explained on X, formerly Twitter, on Friday (local time) that Tesla plans to "wind down Cybertruck production at the Texas Gigafactory around the middle of next year" to free up space for manufacturing the Cybercab.

Foreign media outlets said the announcement effectively signals the end of the Cybertruck, as the Austin, Texas, Gigafactory is the only facility capable of manufacturing the truck's specialized components.

Responding to a question from an X user, Musk called the Cybertruck "the best vehicle Tesla has ever made" and described the decision as "the end of an era."

According to automotive data platform Kelley Blue Book, US sales of the Cybertruck totaled 20,237 units last year. Cox Automotive, an auto market research firm, found that sales fell 28 percent year-on-year in the first nine months of this year. US registrations in October were limited to 1,914 units, according to Motor Intelligence data.

A significant portion of those sales went to SpaceX, the space company Musk leads, which was one of the Cybertruck's largest customers last year. According to SpaceX's initial public offering filing, the company purchased $131 million worth of Cybertrucks from Tesla in 2025 at list price.

Tesla has been shifting its strategic focus toward robotics and autonomous driving technology. The Cybercab — which features butterfly doors that open upward and lacks a steering wheel, pedals and mirrors — is one of the key bets Musk is placing on transforming Tesla from a simple automaker into an AI and robotics company.

Reuters noted, however, that the Cybercab is unlikely to offset the production volume lost from winding down the Cybertruck.