When Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiled the Cybertruck to the world in 2019 it was already one of the most hyped cars in history. Everyone already knew Tesla had a vehicle in the works designed to shake the huge North American pick-up truck market right down to its all-terrain tyres. 

The incredible trapezoidal, stainless steel creation that glided on stage through the strobe lights and flame cannons was even crazier than anyone expected. At that point Cybertruck fever really took hold. 

In hindsight, there may even have been a clue to the Cybertruck’s eventual fate at that event. It came when Tesla chief designer, Franz Von Holzhausen, tried to demonstrate the durability of his ‘indestructible’ truck by hurling a steel ball at the window: the glass shattered. 

The chorus of whooping Californians in the audience were undeterred. Musk laughed off the mishap with a jovial; “Well, maybe that was a little too hard”. The Cybertruck hype train rumbled on. 

Almost 150,000 deposits were taken over the following few days but volunteers to sit behind the wheel and test Musk’s claim that the truck was bulletproof against 9mm handgun rounds were in shorter supply. 

Fast forward four years to 2023 and the first deliveries of Elon’s truck eventually began. Three years on from that, it’s dead. We learned this week that production of Cybertruck is being wound down to make way for Tesla’s new flavour of the month; the autonomous Robotaxi or ‘Cybercab’. 

It’s estimated that the hugely complex Cybertruck cost some $2billion to bring to market. At the launch, Tesla said it planned to sell 250,000 a year at prices starting from just under $40,000. In reality, total sales numbered around 71,000 for a vehicle costing from $80,000 that was plagued by quality issues.