When the Tesla Cybertruck launched, we could have predicted several things about its future. One of them would have concerned its sales results during its second year on the market, as a significant drop was easy to foresee. Why? Let’s take a closer look.
Only a significant price reduction could help the Cybertruck in 2026
Other models in history have experienced a similar fate, such as the AMC Pacer
The Cybertruck’s unconventional design is clearly working against it
Sales Numbers
Let’s start by looking at what happened with Cybertruck sales. In 2024, during its first full year on the market, the company sold nearly 39,000 units. This made the model the most popular electric pickup on the market, ahead of the Ford F-150 Lightning and General Motors’ representatives, the Chevrolet Silverado EV and GMC Sierra EV.
In 2025, the model experienced the steepest sales decline among electric vehicles, with a nearly 50% drop. According to Cox Automotive, American consumers (sales remain more marginal in Canada) purchased approximately 20,200 Cybertrucks last year.
Predictable
If we mention that we could have predicted this, the reason is simple. When a model arrives on the market with a design as unconventional as the Cybertruck’s, it tends to generate very strong initial interest, but that interest quickly fades.
In other words, those who found the Cybertruck attractive quickly made their purchase. We could also mention those who could afford it, as the model is not cheap. Once initial sales are in, the company faces a significant challenge: convincing other customers to reconsider the model.
This challenge is colossal in the case of the Tesla Cybertruck, because the model’s design is far from unanimous, and we’re being polite.
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Add to that the antics of Elon Musk, the company’s CEO, with the Trump administration, and you have an explosive cocktail. What’s more, the withdrawal of electric vehicle purchase credits in the United States ($7,500 USD) and declining enthusiasm for electric vehicles in Uncle Sam’s country have also contributed to a decline in sales.
In fact, in 2025, more than 20 electric models saw their sales decline in the United States, with the Cybertruck leading the way. On the other hand, other products experienced significant increases, such as the Chevrolet Equinox EV, whose sales nearly doubled last year to reach almost 58,000 units south of our border.
Other Similar Cases
What we want to demonstrate here is not so much the Cybertruck’s specific demise as to illustrate the fact that when a model arrives with a controversial design, the outlook isn’t auspicious.
Let’s take a few examples to illustrate this.
1 — 1958 Edsel
We’re going back a long way, but the case of the Edsel and its vertical grille is striking. In 1958, the company sold just over 63,000 models. It dropped to nearly 45,000 the following year, then to only 2,846 in 1960, as the model was withdrawn from the market.
2 — 1975 AMC Pacer
When AMC launched the Pacer in 1975, it was an incredible success, with more than 145,000 models sold in the first year. The fact that the vehicle proved unreliable and its aquarium-like design turned the cabin into a sauna didn’t help matters going forward. In 1976, just over 117,000 models. A significant drop in 1977 with about 58,000 versions. In 1980, it was down to less than 2,000.
3 — Pontiac Aztek
Who doesn’t remember the Pontiac Aztek and its jack-in-the-box design? We started with about 27,000 sales in 2001. It dropped to less than 20,000 the following year, and in 2005, the product’s last year on the market, we were down to less than 5,000.
4 — 2010 Acura ZDX
The case of Acura’s first ZDX model is also fascinating. This monstrosity on wheels had managed to convince 6,200 buyers during its first year of sales. The following three years saw results drop to 3,200, 1,500, and 800 units.
5 — Nissan Juke
Finally, we could include the Nissan Juke in this brief analysis. North American sales of the model went from about 40,000 units in 2013 to less than 10,000 in 2017.
Final Word
For a company, marketing a model with an unconventional design represents a considerable risk. If the model is well-received, success will be there for several years. Otherwise, interest will be short-lived, and the product’s decline will be spectacular.
Examples proving the contrary also exist, however. The case of the Kia Soul is one, as is that of the Chrysler PT Cruiser in the early 2000s.
What can we expect from Tesla Cybertruck results in 2026?
We don’t anticipate a sales increase, unless massive price adjustments change the narrative.
