Tesla Halted Orders for the Cheapest Cybertruck Model In Favor of More Expensive Variants
Like many EVs, the Tesla Cybertruck is more expensive than initially promised, but recent changes have made it impossible to order the cheapest configuration. The automaker stopped taking orders for the $61,000 variant, leaving only the more expensive models on sale.
Tesla made the $100,000 Cybertruck available for immediate order, offering deliveries as soon as a few weeks out. Though beloved by fans of the brand, many have expressed hesitation to buy at the higher price, saying that they’d wait for a more affordable version down the road.
Tesla sold almost 4,800 trucks in July, making it the best-selling vehicle in the over-$100,000 price range. Analysts believe that sustaining pace will be challenging with the Cybertruck’s six-figure price tag. The $61,000 version hasn’t yet been released, as it’s scheduled for a 2025 arrival.
Despite Musk’s claims, the automaker likely isn’t seeing the extreme demand it expected. Some in the industry have noted the company’s growing inventory of two- and three-motor trucks, with Tesla forced to stockpile unsold units near production facilities.
Outside of the price, the Cybertruck’s extremely polarizing styling and the growing backlash against Elon Musk’s politics haven’t helped its fortunes. The vehicles have become rolling memes that seem to attract every Tesla hater in a three-block radius, leaving only the most dedicated fans as motivated buyers.
[Images: Tesla]
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Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.
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