Tesla’s Cybertruck is losing momentum in the U.S. market, with sales plunging sharply in the third quarter of 2025 even as overall electric vehicle (EV) demand reached record highs.
According to data from Cox Automotive and Kelley Blue Book, Tesla sold just 5,385 Cybertrucks between July and September — a 62.6% drop compared to the 14,416 units delivered in the same period last year.
The picture doesn’t look any better when zoomed out, as the automaker has sold 16,097 units this year, down 38% from the same January to September time period in 2024.
The decline is striking given that Tesla’s other models, particularly the Model Y, remain dominant in the EV market. CEO Elon Musk had previously predicted the Cybertruck would achieve an annual production rate of 250,000 units “probably sometime in 2025.”
With fewer than 20,000 expected to be delivered this year, the stainless-steel pickup remains far from that goal.
Competitors on the Rise
While Cybertruck deliveries slumped, domestic rivals saw gains. Ford reported 10,005 sales of its F-150 Lightning in Q3 — up nearly 40% year-over-year — giving it a 2.2% market share in the electric pickup segment, compared to the Cybertruck’s 1.2%.
General Motors also posted solid results, selling 3,940 Chevrolet Silverado EVs, almost double its volume from last year. GMC’s new Sierra EV added 3,374 more, while Rivian’s R1T rose 13% year-over-year to 2,378 units.
EVs overall accounted for a record 10.5% of total U.S. vehicle sales in the third quarter, up from 8.6% a year earlier. Despite the lackluster Cybertruck sales, Tesla remained the market leader with 179,525 vehicles sold, though its growth of 7.5% lagged behind the industry-wide increase of nearly 30%.
Price Changes and Setbacks
The Cybertruck’s sales slump follows a turbulent rollout year marked by recalls, price increases, and shifting configurations. Tesla introduced a lower-cost Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD) variant in spring 2025 for US$69,990, but quietly discontinued it just five months later in September.
Around the same time, the company launched a “Luxe Package,” bundling Full Self-Driving (FSD), lifetime Supercharging, Premium Connectivity, and premium service for the Cyberbeast— but that also raised the truck’s price by US$15,000.
Tesla had also offered 0% financing for buyers who purchased Cybertrucks with FSD before the new package was introduced. Still, incentives failed to reverse the downward trend. Earlier this year, the automaker recalled over 46,000 Cybertrucks due to a defect in a trim piece, further impacting momentum.
While Cybertruck sales are struggling in the U.S., the company is expanding availability outside of North America for the first time, recently launching sales in South Korea, as well as the Middle East.
