
Tesla's 'most affordable' Cybertruck is here. But Musk hints it won't stay cheap for long.

Tesla has launched its most affordable Cybertruck model at $59,990, significantly lower than its other trims. However, CEO Elon Musk hinted that this price may not last long, stating it is only available for the next 10 days. The company has also reduced the price of its premium Cyberbeast model to $99,990. Despite these efforts, Tesla's Cybertruck sales have been disappointing, with a 48% drop in deliveries in 2025. The EV market is facing challenges, including the end of federal tax credits and declining sales for Tesla's luxury models.
By William Gavin
The newest trim of the electric pickup truck costs $59,990, or $20,000 less than the next-cheapest model - for now
Tesla's angular pickup truck hasn't been nearly as popular as the company expected, and pricing has been one reason.
Tesla is rolling out its "most affordable" version of the Cybertruck as the electric-vehicle maker attempts to turn things around for its futuristic pickup truck.
The company said late on Thursday that it would begin selling a $59,990 dual-motor all-wheel-drive Cybertruck model and lowered the price of its most expensive trim, the Cyberbeast, to $99,990 from $114,990. Tesla (TSLA) also sells a premium all-wheel-driven Cybertruck that starts at $79,990.
It's unclear whether the new Cybertruck will stay at its pricing level for long. In a post on the social-media website X, Tesla CEO Elon Musk wrote "only for the next 10 days" in reply to Cybertruck lead engineer Wes Morrill's touting of the new trim's price.
Tesla's stock fell 0.8% in premarket trading.
Tesla also discontinued its "luxe package" for the Cyberbeast, which included free access to the company's Supercharger network and supervised "Full Self-Driving." The slashed price for the Cyberbeast effectively reverses an earlier hike that came with the package.
Tesla's moves may help the company sell more units of the Cybertruck, which has been a relative sales disappointment; Tesla delivered just 20,237 trucks in 2025, a 48% drop from a year earlier, according to Cox Automotive data. Musk had once touted more than 1 million reservations for the vehicle.
Read: Tesla's Cybertruck is turning 2. It's been a big flop.
The vehicle's potential was bogged down by quality-control issues and recalls, as well as the higher-than-expected price. Musk in 2019 said the Cybertruck was set to be priced as low as $39,900 for its lowest-end trim and as high as $69,900 for its most expensive.
Tesla has often relied on price cuts to help boost sales. Last April, Tesla debuted a $72,000 rear-wheel-drive Cybertruck, but that model was discontinued after a few months. It also introduced cheaper Model Y SUVs and Model 3 sedans, its most popular vehicles, last fall.
That's helped Tesla sell more EVs as its core business comes under pressure in both the U.S. and abroad. Still, Tesla's annual deliveries in 2025 fell short of its performance a year earlier, marking the company's second consecutive year of falling sales.
The U.S. market for EVs has also slowed since last September, when $7,500 federal tax credits for purchases were ended. While 2025 was the second-best year on record for EV sales, deliveries fell 36% in the fourth quarter compared with a year earlier, according to Cox Automotive.
Tesla last month announced that it would kill off the Model S and Model X luxury vehicles as it doubles down on autonomous vehicles and robotics. Production lines for the vehicles will be overhauled to produce humanoid robots, according to Musk.
"We are really moving into a future that is based on autonomy," Musk said on a January earnings call. When asked about the Cybertruck's future, he said that the pickup will eventually be transitioned to a "fully autonomous line" and described a market for local cargo delivery.
See: How Tesla can turn energy into a nearly $200 billion business.
Tesla's stock has declined 8.5% this year through Thursday, while the S&P 500 index SPX has edged up 0.2%.
-William Gavin
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(END) Dow Jones Newswires
02-20-26 0911ET
