The Cybertruck era is over, but America’s electric truck experiment isn’t

Résumé détaillé

Despite recent flops, there's hope that the next round of electric pickups will be cheaper — and less polarizing.

After barely three years on the road, Tesla is planning to kick the Cybertruck to the curb after flagging sales. Elon Musk announced on Friday that the company would wind down production next year to make room for the production of Cybercabs, the robot taxis Tesla hopes will reshape transportation.

In its short lifespan, the Cybertruck managed to become a top candidate for the most polarizing vehicle on the road — ever. Critics called it a “MAGA hat on wheels” and compared it to a dumpster — a resemblance that may have fooled some hungry raccoons that once chewed on the vehicle’s rear vault. It’s already being declared “one of the greatest flops in automotive history,” on par with Ford’s 1957 Edsel. But the polygonal, supposedly bulletproof truck did appeal to a certain demographic.

“It’s the kind of vehicle, as a kid, you imagine for the future,” said Dan Krassner, executive director of the American EV Jobs Alliance, an advocacy organization working to end the partisan divide over electric vehicles. He’s a Republican and a wrestling fan, and noted that some of his favorite pro wrestlers drove Cybertrucks, including the married WWE superstars Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch, along with The Miz and Liv Morgan (though the latter has said it was the “worst investment” she ever made).

Weeks before the Cybertruck rolled out in late 2023, Musk told investors that Tesla would sell 250,000 vehicles a year. But it never came close: Last year, it sold just over 20,000. It’s the latest sign that the attempt to make EVs macho is falling flat, after Ford announced last December that its F-150 Lightning pickup truck, the all-electric version of the country’s most popular vehicle, would be discontinued since it was a money-loser. Sales of Rivian’s electric pickup have been sliding downward each year since 2023; they have also dropped sharply for GMC’s Hummer EV, which was dubbed “the worst-selling pickup truck of 2026.”

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