Elon Musk Is Back, Defending The Troubled Cybertruck

Forbes

11 hours ago

Tesla Cybertruck electric vehicles sit parked in a storage lot in San Diego, California on April 11, ... More 2025. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP) (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)
Elon Musk is back in form at Tesla and championing the Cybertruck, which has taken a nosedive in deliveries.
On Thursday, Musk responded with flexing bicep and flame emojis to a post defending the Cybertruck as 'the apotheosis of design and utility." That post went on to call Cybertruck detractors 'tasteless hordes' and that abandoning the novel design for a 'mediocre me-too creation would be tragic and unacceptable.' The original offending post asked if it's time for Tesla to build a 'normal truck.'
Cybertruck is tough – in case you forgot
On X, Musk also stepped in to promote the Cybertruck's toughness, which has always been part of Tesla's marketing strategy ever since the armor-glass-smashing event in 2019. The most recent (June 26) X video shows the Cybertruck door getting hit by a shopping cart, resulting in no discernible damage. The video also shows a variety of hard substances and/or items hitting the door and window of the vehicle without causing any noticeable damage.
Cybertruck scrutinized as deliveries fall
Deliveries of the Cybertruck plummeted in the first quarter of this year—essentially cut in half—falling to 6,406 versus 12,991 in the fourth quarter of last year, according to Cox Automotive. Tesla has been discounting the Cybertruck on its new inventory website in response. And used Cybertrucks, many with low-mileage, have also seen a steep drop in price from a year ago. Trade-in value for the truck has also been a shock for some owners, after Tesla began accepting trade-ins.