- Tesla’s new rear-wheel-drive Cybertruck with just one motor prices $10,000 much less however provides poor worth, argue followers, who say consumers are higher off with its twin motor, all-wheel-drive sibling.
Clients ready to get behind the wheel of a extra inexpensive Cybertruck have, in the end, an entry-level choice courtesy of CEO Elon Musk.
However they could be in for a sticker shock—all informed, Tesla shaved solely $10,000 off the value of the brand new rear-wheel-drive pickup whereas concurrently stripping away quite a lot of options prized by truck consumers.
Though it comes with a slight enhance in vary, general vital reception was muted at greatest, provided that this third model rounds out the vary, which was thought of the ultimate probability to reignite curiosity in what threatens to turn out to be a historic flop.
With eight remembers in nearly 15 months of manufacturing, the stiff value and perceived poor worth for cash make it the newest bitter disappointment for a as soon as extremely anticipated mannequin that originally appeared poised to turn out to be Musk’s subsequent breakout hit.
“We expect little if any incremental volume will be added to [Wall Street] Tesla delivery estimates as a result of the CT RWD addition,” wrote Gary Black, Tesla investor and managing associate of the Future Fund.
We estimate $TSLA will ship simply 20,000 Cybertrucks complete in FY’25 vs 37,000 CTs delivered in FY’24. Given only a $10K value low cost vs the CT AWD model and the removing of many CT AWD options, we anticipate little if any incremental quantity shall be added to WS Tesla supply… https://t.co/sbzIE0AojM
— Gary Black (@garyblack00) April 11, 2025What options have been shaved off the brand new Cybertruck?
Initially slated to start out at $39,990 when it was first unveiled in late 2019—simply shy of $50,000 in in the present day’s {dollars}—the brand new single-motor Cybertruck, anticipated to reach as early as June, weighs in at a chunky $69,990 earlier than any U.S. federal tax credit.
Along with shedding the second motor driving the entrance axle, consumers may say goodbye to air suspension, a beforehand customary characteristic that lifts up the chassis and helps when driving off-road.
As a replacement are adaptive coil dampers that don’t provide the identical excessive floor clearance mixed with a decrease towing functionality.
It additionally swaps out the premium vegan leather-based seats with air flow for cheaper material, and eliminates the rear console show for back-seat passengers.
The motorized hardtop tonneau, which extends from the highest of the cab to cowl the flatbed on the push of a button, is gone in favor of a mushy materials that unrolls by hand for a cool $750 added value.
Even the 240-volt energy outlet within the mattress that makes it engaging to craftsmen has been eliminated.
The RWD Cybertruck does include an extended 350-mile vary, however these 25 added miles it positive aspects are successfully the results of its smaller 18-inch rims.
In the event you improve to the 20-inch for an additional $3,500, the vary drops again to 331 miles, solely six greater than the AWD model.
VIN information (Automobile Identification Numbers) reveals that Cybertruck efficiency model gross sales returned to regular in This fall 2024. Tesla pulled a intelligent trick in Q3 2024 to make the Cybertruck worthwhile for one quarter by holding again efficiency model deliveries from earlier quarters… pic.twitter.com/ctGdVNsDoO
— Troy Teslike (@TroyTeslike) January 5, 2025Cybertruck gross sales might already drop in 2025
With all this content material stripped out, even Tesla followers are choking on the value.
As a substitute of interesting to cost-conscious clients who couldn’t afford the costlier dual-motor or tri-motor, most consider the brand new single-motor model is designed to deliberately push them into upgrading.
“The AWD trim for $10K more is absolutely worth the extra cost compared to the new Cybertruck,” argued Sawyer Merritt, one of many main members of the net Tesla group.
Musk put in sufficient annual capability in his Texas plant to construct 125,000 Cybertrucks per 12 months, with plans to finally double that to 250,000 to satisfy what he claimed to be off-the-charts demand.
Since deliveries started in late 2023, solely about 46,000 have been bought. A variety of analysts beforehand urged that the million clients who had put down a deposit for one might have simply been ready for the low-cost entry model unveiled on Thursday. If that’s the case, they’re in for a impolite awakening. Black estimates Cybertruck volumes will drop to simply 20,000 vehicles in 2025, in solely its second full 12 months of manufacturing.
What this implies for income is unclear.
Tesla did say that the truck had achieved a constructive gross margin within the third quarter of final 12 months, however retail analyst “Troy Teslike,” who tracks manufacturing volumes, ascribed this to a brief impact stemming from an unusually massive variety of high-priced fashions delivered in that interval.
Tesla didn’t reply to a request from Fortune for remark.
This story was initially featured on Fortune.com
