Tesla’s highly anticipated Cybertruck has suffered one of the steepest sales declines in the U.S. electric vehicle market, signaling growing uncertainty around consumer demand for polarizing EV models.
Sales of the Cybertruck dropped more than 48 percent year over year in 2025, according to industry data, marking one of the sharpest declines among electric vehicles that remain actively on sale. The slowdown accelerated dramatically in the final quarter of the year, when Cybertruck deliveries fell by more than two-thirds compared with the same period a year earlier.
The slump places the Cybertruck among the worst-performing EVs in the U.S. market, trailing only a handful of models that experienced even deeper declines. Analysts say the late-year collapse is particularly striking given that the vehicle is still relatively new and was expected to benefit from early-adopter momentum.
By contrast, Tesla’s core models showed far greater resilience. The Model Y remained the top-selling electric vehicle in the U.S., posting only a modest decline, while the Model 3 recorded a slight increase in sales. The widening gap between Tesla’s mainstream vehicles and its experimental pickup is raising questions about whether novelty alone can sustain long-term demand.
The Cybertruck’s struggles come as the broader U.S. EV market faces headwinds. Electric vehicle sales declined slightly in 2025 following the expiration of key federal incentives, even as total EV adoption remains significantly higher than just a few years ago. Industry data still shows EV sales are more than 160 percent higher than in 2021, underscoring that growth continues despite short-term volatility.
Competition is also intensifying. Chinese automaker BYD overtook Tesla globally in 2025, delivering more than two million electric vehicles and pushing Tesla into second place worldwide. Tesla’s international sales fell sharply in Europe and softened in several major markets, adding pressure to the company’s global position.
The Cybertruck is not currently sold outside North America, with regulatory and design challenges limiting its expansion into Europe and other regions. Tesla has yet to confirm whether the model will ever be adapted for broader international markets.
Industry analysts say the Cybertruck’s performance highlights a broader shift in consumer preferences, with buyers gravitating toward practical, familiar EV designs rather than high-profile experiments. As automakers reassess product strategies and governments recalibrate incentives, the Cybertruck’s decline may serve as an early signal of how quickly enthusiasm can fade when innovation outpaces mainstream appeal.
