- Despite all the press it got and its initial success, the Cybertruck’s sales have trailed off.
- In January, Tesla reportedly reassigned workers from the truck’s line to that of the Model Y.
- Meanwhile, Musk is hyping up the Optimus robot, claiming that he’ll build millions each year.
Here are three things you probably already know but, in light of what will follow, are worth repeating. First, Tesla is not your average car company. Second, the Cybertruck is as far removed from your average truck as can be. And third, Elon Musk is definitely not your average CEO, seems to have an opinion about everything, and makes sure that it’s heard. Loud and clear.
Tesla’s success story and how it managed to disrupt the automotive industry has been told so many times that we won’t bore you with it. The Cybertruck, though, is worth exploring because it’s a relatively new product and was touted as the truck to end all trucks, electric or not. So, did it?
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When it comes to publicity, the answer is a resounding “yes”. Hardly a day goes by without a story (or five) involving Tesla’s angular pickup truck, whether it be how ugly divisive its looks are, how its frame snaps in a YouTuber’s test while an old Ram’s doesn’t, the time a terrorist chose one to detonate an explosive device outside a Trump Hotel, and so on and so forth.
The Hype Is Still On, But Sales Are Falling
But first, let’s take a small trip down memory lane to October 2023. A month before the Cybertruck’s launch, Musk boasted that Tesla had already received “over 1 million reservations” and demand for the unconventional truck was “off the charts”. Of course, you could make a reservation for a refundable $100 (later raised to $250) deposit, but that was a minor detail…
Naturally, no one, not even Musk himself, expected all those reservations to translate into actual orders. In fact, Stephanie Valdez Streaty, director of industry insights for Cox Automotive, told Wired that “The automotive industry aims for a conversion rate of around 2 to 16 percent”. Since a couple of weeks ago Tesla revealed, as part of a recall campaign, that it has delivered 46,096 Cybertrucks from November 13, 2023, to February 27, 2025, it represents a conversion rate of less than 5 percent. That’s within the aforementioned range, but not exactly music to Musk’s, or Tesla fanboys’, ears.
While nobody would dare accuse the world’s richest man of making misleading statements (except, maybe, the “crooked” SEC), 46,000 sales do not indicate that demand is “off the charts”. Granted, initially it was the new shiny toy everyone who’s someone had to have, and in the first half of 2024 the Cybertruck was America’s sales leader in the six-figure-priced car club. However, compared to the sub-$100k one, which is most carmakers’ that aren’t called Ferrari, Bentley, Aston Martin or Lamborghini, bread and butter, it’s quite an exclusive club, wouldn’t you agree?
Model Y Production Is Prioritized Over That Of The Cybertruck
In early January, Business Insider reported that, according to its sources, declining sales led to Tesla moving some of its workers in the Austin plant from the Cybertruck to the Model Y production line. The company told its workers in a survey where it asked them about their reassignments that “As we continue to assess schedules to meet business needs, we’ll be making a change to Model Y and Cyber schedules and we want to ensure that your preferences are considered”.
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Two workers said that this was an unusual move as such changes are only implemented for new vehicles. Then again, maybe the brand considers the Model Y Juniper an all-new model, so this was justified. After all, the Model Y is Tesla’s bread and butter product – and an extremely successful one, at least until last year when sales dropped sharply. But that was natural as everyone knew the updated Juniper was soon coming our way, so they probably decided to wait a few months rather than buy the “old” model.
Forget Tesla And Sales, Let’s Talk About Robots Instead
As we’ve come to expect, though, the really hot stuff usually comes not from the company or its products, but from its head honcho who’s not afraid to speak his mind – and then some – at any given opportunity. Never mind the Cybertruck’s performance or Tesla’s rapidly declining sales; at a staff meeting on March 20, Musk focused on a non-automotive product: Optimus.
“This year, we hopefully will be able to make about 5,000 Optimus robots,” he declared. “That’s the size of a Roman legion. Which is like a scary thought. Like a whole legion of robots. I’ll be like, ‘whoa.’” Then he upped that target by stating that Tesla will make “probably 50,000-ish [Optimus robots] next year” (so, 10 legions), and subsequently corrected himself, saying that his company would actually make “maybe 100 million robots a year”.
Veni, Vidi, Vici – And Then, What?
Now, I don’t care to do the math, I don’t know whether Musk’s promises will turn out to be true (though he does have a less that perfect track record on that) and, last time I checked, I don’t have an BA in History. I’m no gambler either, but I’m willing to bet not even Julius Caesar had that many legions at his disposal when he crossed the Rubicon to march towards Rome.
After emerging victorious in the ensuing civil war, he was declared dictator perpetuo – that’s “dictator for life” in Latin – in January, 44 BC. Little did the great general know how short-lived that title would turn out to be; he was assassinated two months later, in March.
Well, the only sure thing is life is death (and taxes…), so it all boils down on how you wanna be remembered. Julius Ceasar, apart from his conquests, is also famous about his one-liners – even the one uttered while he was being stabbed to death (“You as well, Brutus?”). I believe Elon Musk will also go down in history, though I can’t predict for what. Perhaps you care to speculate in the comments?