RIP Cybertuck: The Vehicle We Loved to Hate

It’s ugly, expensive, and has been the butt of more jokes – and more safety recalls – than we can count since it was introduced in 2019. Now, its days are numbered.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has announced on X, formerly Twitter, which he also owns, that Cybertruck production is “winding down” at the gi-normous factory he built for it in Texas.

Tesla Cybertruck side view_ecoxplorer.com — Photo courtesy Kelly Blue Book

Musk is expected to re-configure this factory to produce his driverless EV Cybercab, a purpose-built autonomous vehicle, designed in part to compete with Waymo, the current robotaxi leader.

Unlike current Waymo vehicles, the Tesla version has no steering wheel or pedals.

This can have a major impact on Waymo because –

Waymo uses EVs produced by manufacturers including Jaguar, using the iPace, which are reconfigured for use as a robotaxi.

The Musk driverless vehicle is specific to its use as a robotaxi, and production theoretically can be ramped up to over-ride (pun intended) the capacity of suppliers like Jaguar.

It’s also less expensive than reconfiguring Jaguars, and can help propel Musk’s current goal to transform Tesla from an electric car manufacturer into a major player in autonomous transportation.

Tesla Cybercab robotaxi_ecoxplorer.com — Cybercab photo courtesy Kelly Blue Book

Why the Cybertruck Failed

The Cybertruck failed because of price, a four-year wait-time between its announcement and first deliveries, and because of numerous safety recalls. And, of course, its radical design.

At ⁠the 2019 unveiling, you could reserve a single-motor model at $39,900, a dual-motor version at $49,900 and a tri-motor flagship at $69,900. By late 2023, the base price had risen to $60,990. And in 2025, Tesla killed the least expensive Cybertruck model, effectively rising the price even further.

Tesla raised prices again just a day before Musk announced the production wind-down, listing that trim at $82,490, the Premium trim at $92,490 and the Cyberbeast at a whopping $102,490.

Tesla once targeted annual production of 250,000 units, but actual sales have been a pitiful percentage of that.

According to Kelley Blue Book estimates, Tesla sold 11,586 Cybertrucks in the United States during the first nine months of 2026, down 28 percent compared to the same period last year. Cumulative sales stand at just under 71,000 units, according to Car and Driver.

Cybertruck Recall History

The truck also faced multiple recalls and quality-control complaints, further complicating its commercial journey.

Reuters lists these eleven recalls for Cybertruck in its short drive to the junkheap – according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Some vehicles needed ⁠physical repairs, while others were fixed with over-the-air software updates.

A January 2024 recall over the fonts used in warning lights covered more than 2.19 million Tesla vehicles, including the Cybertruck.
In April 2024, Tesla recalled 3,878 Cybertrucks over an accelerator pedal pad that could come loose and get stuck in the interior trim.
A March 2025 recall covered 46,096 Cybertrucks because of a light bar that could delaminate and detach.

And, finally, its divisive appearance didn’t help either. There simply weren’t enough customers to love the design, the pricetag or the safety issues.

What do you think of the Cybertruck? What do you think of robotaxis?

ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter is an award-winning journalist with 25+ years of experience as a newspaper and magazine writer, radio & TV news producer & reporter, and author of guidebooks and smartphone apps – all focusing on travel, automotive, the environment and your rights as a consumer.