Tesla’s Cybertruck just became somewhat more affordable, but anyone buying one now can’t exactly claim they didn’t know the truth about Elon Musk’s political leanings or general unpleasantness.
The EV company announced Thursday that a new version of the Cybertruck is available to order in the U.S. The all-wheel-drive model starts at $59,999. This is the lowest price for the vehicle ever.
“This is our most affordable Cybertruck yet,” Tesla’s Cybertruck X account wrote in a post announcing the new version. “Tough as nails with ultra-low cost of ownership.”
At the same time, Tesla cut the price of its most expensive version, the Cyberbeast, by $15,000 to $99,990. This is the company’s latest move to boost sales of the struggling electric pickup.
When Elon Musk first unveiled the Cybertruck in 2019, he said it would start at $39,000 and begin deliveries in 2021. Those were just the first promises broken by Musk regarding the truck.
Tesla didn’t begin delivering the Cybertrucks until late 2023, and with significantly higher price tags.
Musk later predicted the Cybertruck could sell as many as 250,000 units annually by 2025. He was very far off. Tesla sold just 38,965 Cybertrucks in 2025, down 48% from the previous year, according to Cox Automotive. Overall, Tesla deliveries fell 9% to 1,636,129 vehicles.
Part of that decline can be attributed to the expiration of the federal EV tax credit last year, but many analysts also point to Musk’s declining popularity among the demographics most likely to buy electric vehicles.
Several studies suggest Musk’s political involvement may be hurting Tesla and possibly the broader EV market. In 2024, Musk endorsed and contributed millions to Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and later went on to lead the controversial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
An October study from Yale University and the National Bureau of Economic Research estimates Musk’s political activism cost Tesla at least 1 million vehicle sales between October 2022 and April 2025.
Another study published in Nature in July found Musk’s politics alienated liberal consumers and even impacted their interest in buying Tesla and EVs in general. Conversely, Musk’s support for Trump did not translate into a surge of interest in EVs among conservative voters.
Musk’s deteriorating reputation also helped spark a cottage industry of bumper stickers that allowed Tesla owners to signal they don’t support him and they’re stuck with a very expensive purchase.
In March, one seller offering stickers with phrases like “I bought this before Elon went crazy” reported making roughly $100,000 in monthly sales.
It’s always been a bit dubious that Cybertruck owners would fall into the category of people who couldn’t have known about Musk’s politics, but new models are now rolling out at a significantly lower price. Be warned before you pull the trigger on such a purchase.
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