Less than two years after its hyped-up debut, Tesla is making an aggressive, almost desperate, move to salvage the Cybertruck, a vehicle widely seen as one of the biggest busts in recent automotive history.
Faced with production woes, quality control nightmares, and underwhelming sales, the company has added its polarizing truck to a massive sales event, offering a powerful incentive it has historically reserved for its most loyal customers: a free transfer of its $12,000 Full Self-Driving (FSD) software.
It’s a stunning concession and a clear signal that the company is willing to sacrifice a significant revenue stream to get the angular, stainless-steel behemoths off of lots and onto the road.
The offer, quietly added to Tesla’s “Current Offers” page, allows existing Tesla owners who have already purchased FSD to transfer that capability to a new Cybertruck, free of charge. For years, FSD was locked to the vehicle, not the owner. Making it transferable has been the single most requested feature from Tesla’s loyal fanbase, and until now, the company had only offered it for its high-volume Model 3, Y, S, and X vehicles during brief promotional periods.
Adding the Cybertruck to that list is a strategic gamble. On one hand, it’s a powerful lure for the thousands of dedicated Tesla owners who might be on the fence about the unconventional truck. On the other, it’s an admission that the Cybertruck cannot sell on its own merits.
The move comes amid a broader sales blitz as Tesla braces for the September 30 expiration of the $7,500 federal EV tax credit. The company is offering deep inventory discounts and 10,000 free Supercharging miles across its lineup. But the Cybertruck’s inclusion in the FSD transfer promotion is unique, targeting the only group of people who might still be interested: the Tesla faithful.
Since its launch, the Cybertruck has been plagued by problems. Early models were criticized for inconsistent panel gaps, susceptibility to rust spots, and a host of software glitches. More importantly, its radical design and high price point have failed to attract mainstream truck buyers, who continue to flock to established models like the Chevrolet’s Silverado EV, which leans into a more conventional design.
While Tesla does not release specific sales figures for the Cybertruck, industry analysts and registration data suggest that deliveries have fallen far short of initial projections. The truck is a rare sight on American roads, a far cry from the ubiquitous presence of the Model Y or Model 3. In the second quarter of 2025, Tesla sold just 4,306 Cybertrucks, down a staggering 50.8% from the 8,755 units it delivered during the same period last year, according to new data from Kelley Blue Book.
By offering the FSD transfer, Tesla is essentially subsidizing the Cybertruck with its most profitable product. It’s a short-term solution to a long-term problem: how do you sell a vehicle that the market seems to have rejected? For now, the answer appears to be leaning on the loyalty of existing customers and giving away the family jewels to close the deal. Whether it’s enough to turn the tide for the beleaguered truck remains to be seen.
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