Cybertruck Sales Collapse, Drawing Comparisons to Ford Edsel
N.R. Finch
Tesla's Cybertruck logged just 7,133 U.S. registrations in the first five months of this year — a trajectory now being compared to Ford's Edsel, the most famous flop in American auto history. This means Musk's most polarizing product is sliding from disruptor to cautionary tale.
How bad is 7,133 units?
S&P Global Mobility data shows 7,133 Cybertruck registrations in the U.S. from January through May — and that figure is propped up by bulk purchases from Musk's own SpaceX.
Musk once projected annual production could top 250,000 units. First-year sales came in at less than one-sixth of that target.
This means → Cybertruck didn't merely underperform; it missed by an order of magnitude.
Why compare it to the Ford Edsel?
The Edsel — Ford's mid-range car launched in 1957, widely regarded as the most iconic product failure in U.S. auto history — sold less than a third of its 200,000-unit first-year target.
Cybertruck's launch performance is worse than the Edsel's. Both were marketed as game-changers; both were rejected by the market.
In plain terms = being compared to the Edsel is the auto industry's way of stamping a product "doomed."
What went wrong with quality and price?
The stainless-steel body proved difficult to form and weld. The truck has faced multiple recalls and lawsuits since deliveries began.
Early buyers ended up paying over $100,000 — far above Musk's original promise of a $39,900 starting price.
Stephanie Valdez Streaty, director of insights at Cox Automotive, put it bluntly: "Cybertruck is very niche, polarizing in design, and expensive."
Which other cars failed this way?
John DeLorean's stainless-steel sports car produced only about 9,000 units before folding, plagued by quality issues and high prices.
GM's Pontiac Aztek peaked at just 37% of its 75,000-unit sales target and was killed off in 2005.
This reflects a recurring pattern: cars that bet on radical design to grab attention get corrected fast once quality and pricing fall out of line.
Will Cybertruck be discontinued?
CFRA Research analyst Garrett Nelson says Tesla is unlikely to announce a discontinuation in the next year or two.
Tesla may attempt a redesign or new variants to boost sales, but Nelson calls that effort "futile."
His bottom line: "It will probably just quietly fade away." In plain terms = no dramatic axing — just a slow, silent exit from the lineup.
Content is for reference only, not financial advice.