Cybertruck was the 5th bestselling EV in 2024

[HaulingAss]

Pretty freaking good stat considering it unlike those that beat it is a $100k+ EV!

Of course, since late last year you could get a nicely equipped Dual Motor for less than $80K. That's how it qualifies for a $7500 tax credit. I mean, how many pickups come standard with 35" tires and an electric hard tonneau cover that opens and closes automatically?

Plus, no other pickup is available with FSD, and even adding that feature won't push it over the $7500 tax credit price limit of $80K (because software options don't count towards the purchase price limit).

In other words, I can see why the Cybertruck has become the 5th best-selling EV in America! It really is a screaming value that most people have no clue about.

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[Gigahorse]

Of course, since late last year you could get a nicely equipped Dual Motor for less than $80K. That's how it qualifies for a $7500 tax credit. I mean, how many pickups come standard with 35" tires and an electric hard tonneau cover that opens and closes automatically?

Plus, no other pickup is available with FSD, and even adding that feature won't push it over the $7500 tax credit price limit of $80K (because software options don't count towards the purchase price limit).

In other words, I can see why the Cybertruck has become the 5th best-selling EV in America! It really is a screaming value that most people have no clue about.

It did well last year as it was the first year for sales. Based on Q1 Tesla is going to have to step it up to keep the Cybertruck in the top 10 sold this year.

 

[YDR37]

Tesla reported combined global deliveries of 12,881 Model S, Model X and Cybertruck in 1Q 2025. Cybertruck deliveries in the US are probably around half of that, so something like 6,000-7,000. We should get more a more exact estimate by the end of the month.

We can assume that US sales of the Model Y and Model 3 in 1Q 2025 were better than the CT. Four other EVs reportedly had over 8,000 sales in the US during 1Q 2025: the Ford Mustang Mach-e, the Chevy Equinox EV, the Honda Prologue, and the Hyundai Ioniq5. They should all outsell the CT, which would put the CT in 7th place at best.

In addition,, there are other EVs that had 6,000-8,000 sales in 1Q 2025, like the BMW i4, Ford F-150 Lightning, VW id.4, and Chevy Blazer EV. They could potentially knock the CT down to 8th place or lower, depending on the final CT number.

Not much point arguing about it now, we'll find out in a few weeks when Cox Automotive releases the 1Q 2025 EV Sales Report.

 

[HaulingAss]

It did well last year as it was the first year for sales. Based on Q1 Tesla is going to have to step it up to keep the Cybertruck in the top 10 sold this year.

Are you new to analyzing car and truck sales? Just curious because the first year of a new model is typically the lowest sales year of the next 5-7 years of sales. The addressable market increases greatly once you move beyond the early adopters. Most buyers like to wait for at least the second year of production of a brand new platform, based on the adage their dad taught them, "Never buy the first model year".

I would be surprised if the Cybertruck doesn't sell a lot more in 2025 than they did in 2024 as they are already ahead of Q1 2024 sales, and it should only grow from here. I doubt that even the tariffs on the custom alloy imported stainless steel rolls that Tesla can only source from Europe (Finland) could prevent the Cybertrucks sales lead from growing this year.

At least three other EV pickups in 2024 already had one to two years of production under their belts and yet, in the Cybertrucks first year, it outsold all of them making it the most successful launch of an EV pickup in history. The Cybertruck offers much more value for your money than any other EV pickup on the market, so I expect its lead to only grow from here.

If FSD happens this year, 2026 sales will go parabolic. What contractor wouldn't want a pickup they could send to Home Depot for last minute supplies without a paid driver?

 

[HaulingAss]

Not much point arguing about it now, we'll find out in a few weeks when Cox Automotive releases the 1Q 2025 EV Sales Report.

I would argue that one quarter is not a good way to judge trends, especially not Q1 which is always the lowest sales quarter of the entire year. When it came to the Cybertruck, Q1 2025 had a lot of noise and confusion on the part of buyers with pricing changes, uncertainties about FSD, fake narratives about weak trailer hitches, election noise, tax incentive uncertainties, etc. etc. It was not a normal quarter. Things are starting to settle down and sales are picking up.

Really, the only accurate and meaningful way to make sales comparisons of competing models is on a full calendar year basis, everything else is subject to noise in the sales and production figures.

 

[JDin NFLA]

Funny stuff. Maybe you are not aware that legacy auto reports their trucks as sold as soon as they hit dealership lots. But we know there are tens of thousands of them sitting unsold all over the country, yet they are still considered "sold" (because the dealership "bought" them). This type of channel stuffing is not illegal but that doesn't make them "sold".

Tesla doesn't count a vehicle sold until the end user accepts delivery. Legacy auto dealerships do not take unconditional possession of vehicles from the manufacturer, the manufacturer is still on the hook for further discounting if the dealership can't move them (it's in the contracts). And that is what is happening right now.

I don't like false narratives, and, in light of the above facts, it looks like you are pushing what is essentially a false narrative. Because no one cares how many are sitting on dealership lots, they care how many customers actually bought them.

In other words, the numbers reported by Ford and GM include unsold inventory sitting on dealership lots. How meaningful is that and why do you want to hold Tesla to a different standard?

The Cybertruck easily takes the crown of being the 5th best-selling EV in the U.S. and the #1 best-selling EV pickup truck.

completely false. sorry.

 

[Gigahorse]

Are you new to analyzing car and truck sales? Just curious because the first year of a new model is typically the lowest sales year of the next 5-7 years of sales. The addressable market increases greatly once you move beyond the early adopters. Most buyers like to wait for at least the second year of production of a brand new platform, based on the adage their dad taught them, "Never buy the first model year".

I would be surprised if the Cybertruck doesn't sell a lot more in 2025 than they did in 2024 as they are already ahead of Q1 2024 sales, and it should only grow from here. I doubt that even the tariffs on the custom alloy imported stainless steel rolls that Tesla can only source from Europe (Finland) could prevent the Cybertrucks sales lead from growing this year.

At least three other EV pickups in 2024 already had one to two years of production under their belts and yet, in the Cybertrucks first year, it outsold all of them making it the most successful launch of an EV pickup in history. The Cybertruck offers much more value for your money than any other EV pickup on the market, so I expect its lead to only grow from here.

If FSD happens this year, 2026 sales will go parabolic. What contractor wouldn't want a pickup they could send to Home Depot for last minute supplies without a paid driver?

Not a car analyst by any means, but I think that most of the attention for the truck was used in year 1.
I think that due to there being 2,000,000 reservations and them getting through the whole reservation list selling 40,000 trucks or essentially 2% of reservations shows that a lot of people who planned on buying the truck did not, or are waiting (skippers club).

I HOPE the CT sells way more than 35k units in 2025 but it does not look like Q1 was a great start. More trucks = less expensive mods, cheaper repairs, lower insurance, etc etc. Everyone that owns one should be pulling for them to sell more, I know I am, but right now I don't think the data supports an optimistic case for 2025, 6, or 7 having a significant increase in CT sales. I hope that is not the case.

 

[YDR37]

I HOPE the CT sells way more than 35k units in 2025 but it does not look like Q1 was a great start.

In my part of California, Tesla inventory currently has tax-credit-eligible 2025s available for immediate pickup, plus a large selection of discounted 2024s (both new and demo), including discounted Foundation Series vehicles that also receive Free Supercharging. These don't seem like signs of high demand.

Getting similar results from spot checks of other zip codes. But don't take my word for it; check for yourself.

 

[Gigahorse]

In my part of California, Tesla inventory currently has tax-credit-eligible 2025s available for immediate pickup, plus a large selection of discounted 2024s (both new and demo), including discounted Foundation Series vehicles that also receive Free Supercharging. These don't seem like signs of high demand.

Getting similar results from spot checks of other zip codes. But don't take my word for it; check for yourself.

Yea, exactly my point. I am on the other side of the country from you but it is the same here. 2025s ready for pickup and dozens of slightly discounted 2024s and probobly 100 different inventory Foundation Series. Tesla needs to turn the corner on these image and price issues and start getting these trucks on the road.

 

[YDR37]

completely false. sorry.

What he said. There is a persistent myth on this forum that pops up whenever legacy automakers have good sales relative to the Cybertruck: supposedly legacy automakers report wholesale numbers (i.e. sales to dealers), while Tesla reports retail numbers (i.e. sales to customers). Therefore any EV sales number reported by (for example) Ford is suspect, because it could include huge numbers of unsold vehicles sitting on dealer lots.

Strangely, this concern doesn't seem to arise when legacy automakers report bad results.

In any case, it's not true. For example, Ford's 4Q 2024 sales numbers were released here. The release indicates that Ford sold 16,119 Mustang Mach-e and 10,703 F-150 Lightnings in 4Q 2024. These exact numbers were then used in Cox's 4Q 2024 EV Sales Report, which concluded that the Cybertruck was the #5 best selling EV in 2024 (behind the Mach-e at #3 but ahead of the Lightning at #6).

The fine print in the Ford sales release states the following:

U.S. sales volume reflects transactions with (1) retail and fleet customers (as reported by dealers), (ii) government, and (iii) Ford management

So Ford is reporting retail numbers from dealers. The total also includes smaller volumes sold outside of the dealer network: some to government agencies, and some internally to Ford execs (who get sweet lease deals because it's vitally important for the suits to study the products).

Ford also keeps track of the wholesale numbers (i.e. the numbers sold to dealers, rather than the numbers sold by dealers). Both wholesale and the retail numbers are reported in financial filings, such as the 10-K Form for 4Q 2024. But the numbers that are generally circulated, and used in the Cox reports, reflect retail sales as reported by dealers. The wholesale numbers are different.

 

[CTInProcess]

Amazing! It destroyed all competition even though all other brands also had all new models. God Bless Elon!

 

[HaulingAss]

I think that most of the attention for the truck was used in year 1.

Huh? Attention doesn't get "used" up, it builds over time. You make zero sense when you surmise most of the attention was "used in year 1". For decades the Toyota Corolla was the #1 best selling car in the world and it got very little "attention". You appear to have a misconception about how a vehicle becomes a best seller. It's not about how much attention it recieves, it's all about the value it offers. And, compared to the competition, the Cybertruck offers huge value. That's probably why it was the number 1 selling electric truck in it's first year of production, even at higher prices than it's currently offered at. Not many people can afford a new $100K-$120K truck, But the value was there. Lowering the price increases the addressable market and makes it an even better value.

I think that due to there being 2,000,000 reservations and them getting through the whole reservation list selling 40,000 trucks or essentially 2% of reservations shows that a lot of people who planned on buying the truck did not, or are waiting (skippers club).

I never understood the people who put a lot of faith in most of those reservations converting to sales, even before the price went from $39.9k-$69.9K all the way up to $99.9K to $119.9K (with the forced inclusion of FSD and accessories). It was a given that only a small percent would covert. I still hold two unconverted reservations (because they only cost $100 each I am not in a hurry to cancel them). I know I will be buying more Cybertrucks in the future too, I just don't know when.

The reason the low conversion rate doesn't matter in terms of predicting future sales is because Tesla always sells many times the number of a new model AFTER the initial reservations have burned through. Most new vehicle buyers refuse to reserve in advance. Pre-reservations that covert to sales is always a miniscule portion of any models total sales.

 

[HaulingAss]

In my part of California, Tesla inventory currently has tax-credit-eligible 2025s available for immediate pickup, plus a large selection of discounted 2024s (both new and demo), including discounted Foundation Series vehicles that also receive Free Supercharging. These don't seem like signs of high demand.

Getting similar results from spot checks of other zip codes. But don't take my word for it; check for yourself.

Wait a minute. The exact same thing could be said for gas powered F series trucks, the best-selling truck in America.

Are you saying the F-Series trucks aren't showing signs of high demand either?

It's all about value and availability. That's why the F-Series has discounting and inventory sitting on lots. Sales is not rocket science.

 

[Gigahorse]

Huh? Attention doesn't get "used" up, it builds over time. You make zero sense when you surmise most of the attention was "used in year 1". For decades the Toyota Corolla was the #1 best selling car in the world and it got very little "attention". You appear to have a misconception about how a vehicle becomes a best seller. It's not about how much attention it recieves, it's all about the value it offers. And, compared to the competition, the Cybertruck offers huge value. That's probably why it was the number 1 selling electric truck in it's first year of production, even at higher prices than it's currently offered at. Not many people can afford a new $100K-$120K truck, But the value was there. Lowering the price increases the addressable market and makes it an even better value.




I never understood the people who put a lot of faith in most of those reservations converting to sales, even before the price went from $39.9k-$69.9K all the way up to $99.9K to $119.9K (with the forced inclusion of FSD and accessories). It was a given that only a small percent would covert. I still hold two unconverted reservations (because they only cost $100 each I am not in a hurry to cancel them). I know I will be buying more Cybertrucks in the future too, I just don't know when.

The reason the low conversion rate doesn't matter in terms of predicting future sales is because Tesla always sells many times the number of a new model AFTER the initial reservations have burned through. Most new vehicle buyers refuse to reserve in advance. Pre-reservations that covert to sales is always a miniscule portion of any models total sales.

Some differences in opinion but for the most part I can see where you are coming from.

On this fine day on April 9th my guess for CT DELIVERIES in 2025 is 35,000 or less, which would be a real shame.
Based on your points above are you leaning towards sales not dropping by over 10% and tesla delivering more than 35,000 CTs this year?
(for simplicity lets use North America as the variables for selling in other countries gets tricky)

 

[YDR37]

Wait a minute. The exact same thing could be said for gas powered F series trucks, the best-selling truck in America.

Are you saying the F-Series trucks aren't showing signs of high demand either?

Certainly not. After all, Ford just reported its highest first quarter pickup sales in more than 20 years.

Many people don't realize this, but Ford and Tesla have different sales models. What's normal for Ford is not necessarily normal for Tesla.

Ford sells trucks through "dealers". The dealer buys trucks (at wholesale prices) from Ford, then resells them (at retail prices) to consumers.

The Ford dealer is motivated to maintain high inventory levels -- regardless of how well the trucks are actually selling. Suppose you want an F-150 in a specific configuration (and there are a lot of possible F-150 configurations). Suppose local Dealer A doesn't have it in stock. Sure, he could order it for you, but Ford has old-school manufacturing and supply-chain systems, so it probably won't show up for weeks.

Are you going to wait? No, you will probably check inventory at competing Dealer B (20 miles north) or competing Dealer C (30 miles south). If they have the truck you want in stock, you'll simply buy it there, and Dealer A will lose the sale. Dealer A's only defense is to have plenty of trucks in stock, so that he already has the one you want. It is expensive and inefficient for every dealer to store lots of trucks locally, but that is an inevitable downside of the dealer system.

Tesla, in contrast, sells trucks "direct to consumer". There are no competing "Tesla dealers", just "Tesla stores", which are all owned by Tesla Inc. It doesn't matter if you buy from Store A, B, or C; the profit goes to Tesla HQ regardless. And if the truck you want is not in stock anywhere nearby, that's no big deal, because Tesla has state-of-the-art "just-in-time" manufacturing and supply-chain systems, so it will be made and delivered quickly.

In theory, Tesla stores don't need to carry any inventory at all -- they just need to keep a few demo vehicles around that customers can sit in and take for test drives. if you decide to buy one, the exact vehicle you want will be delivered promptly.

So if you see lots of F-150s lined up in rows at the Ford dealer, that's normal. The dealer is motivated to keep plenty of trucks in stock locally, even though this is inefficient. If you see lots of Cybertrucks lined up at the Tesla store, something is off. That's not how an efficient "just-in-time" logistical system is supposed to work.

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