Things are looking bleak this year for Tesla’s futuristic electric truck, the Cybertruck.
In 2024, the Cybertruck was gaining momentum with nearly 40,000 trucks sold and coming for its biggest competitor: Ford’s electric F-150 known as the Lightning. The gas-powered F-15o has been America’s top-selling truck for nearly 50 years. The all-electric version is one of the top options among a small pool which also includes Tesla’s truck, the Rivian R1T, GMC Hummer EV Pickup, Chevy Silverado EV and GMC Sierra EV. In 2024, Ford sold 33,510 Lightning trucks, placing it behind Tesla.
Recurrent’s Liz Najman, who put out the EV research firm’s latest market report this week, confirmed that EV sales set records in the third quarter—but not for the Cybertruck even if Tesla still dominates with 32% of EV market share. Overall EV sales were up 20% this quarter compared to 2024’s peak in the fourth quarter.
“The Lightning pulled ahead while the Cybertruck lost sales,” Najman wrote in an email. Ford went hard in the third quarter to boost sales before the EV tax credit expired, but so did Tesla. Tesla’s other vehicles like the Model Y and 3 had banner quarters with a total of 481,166 deliveries. The company overall had an 8% gain compared to last year.
From Ford’s earnings reported last week, the company noted it was the best quarter ever for its electrified vehicles. It set a quarterly sales record with 30,612 EVs sold between the Mustang Mach-E and the F-150 Lightning. It hit a record 10,005 electric pickups sold, up nearly 40 percent. The Lightning clinched the title of America’s best-selling electric pickup.
Meanwhile, Cybertruck numbers fizzled. Combined with deliveries for Tesla’s high-end Model X and S, the Cybertruck contributed to only 15,933 vehicles for the quarter. Data from Baum and Associates estimates only 5,385 trucks were sold, down more than 60% from the same time last year.
This leaves Tesla in an awkward position, especially after CEO Elon Musk predicted 250,000 sales per year after the truck’s 2023 launch. Forecasts for the last quarter of 2025 aren’t looking hopeful for the Cybertruck, especially after the end of up to $7,500 in federal tax credits as of Sep. 30.
The Cybertruck, which Tesla calls an “electric utility truck,” starts at $79,990 with 325-mile range. The top trim, known as the Cyberbeast, starts at $114,990 with tri-motors and 2.6 second acceleration from zero to 60 mph. It also includes FSD, Tesla’s handsfree full self-driving system that works on city streets, not just highways.