Cybertruck production ramping up, starting to show up in the numbers (a little). Long way to go.
By Wolf Richter for WOLF STREET.
Tesla’s deliveries across the globe in Q3 rose by 4.3% from Q2 and by 6.4% year-over-year, to 462,890 vehicles, its best Q3 ever, but still behind Q1 and Q4 2023 (red in the chart).
Over the three quarters of the year, Tesla’s delivered 1.294 million vehicles, down by 2.3% compared to the same period in 2023, which had been a record. Compared to the same period in 2022, deliveries were up by 42%.
To eke past its 2023 deliveries record (1.809 million), as Elon Must predicted Tesla would do, it will have to deliver a record 515,000 vehicles in Q4, which would be up by 6% from the record in Q4 2023. So now, Tesla is like some of the big US legacy automakers, where beating 2023 by a few units would be an accomplishment? This year is when Tesla’s high-growth story shattered, due to the plunge in Q1 and the insufficient bounce in Q2.
Deliveries of the Model 3 and Model Y rose by 4.2% from Q2 and by 5.0% year-over-year to 439,975 vehicles, also the best Q3 ever, but behind Q1 and Q4 2023 (blue in the chart above).
The Model Y was the #2 bestselling vehicle in the US, only a hair behind the Toyota RAV4 and ahead of the Ford F-150 in Q2, according to Experian’s report on vehicle registrations.
Total EV sales by all automakers reached a record market share of 9% in Q2. Despite all this nonsense in the media about flagging EV demand, EV sales are growing and are eating share from ICE vehicle sales. It’s just that Tesla’s share of the US EV market has been dropping and is nearing 50%, as other big players have surged.
The Cybertruck is showing up in the figures ever so slowly as Tesla is trying to ramp up production amid numerous challenges. Deliveries of “Other Models” – the Cybertruck, the Model S, and the Model X – rose by 6.3% from the prior quarter and by 43.4% year over year to 22,915 vehicles, also the best Q3 ever, but a few units behind Q4 2024 (green in the chart above).
Tesla said last year that it expects to be able to ramp Cybertruck production to 250,000 units in 2025. Musk said that the Cybertruck will not be material to Tesla’s financials until 2025 or beyond. In April, Tesla reached a milestone: production of 1,000 units a week, or an annual run rate of 50,000 units. So a long way to go to get significant production.
In China, which accounts for about one-third of Tesla’s deliveries, the company has run into very tough competition from domestic EV makers, especially BYD, and a price war has broken out. In response, Tesla introduced discounts on some paint options, 0% financing plans, insurance deals, and other incentives, which helped reanimate sales in China, where sales increased in July and August, after two quarters of declines, according to data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA), cited by Reuters.
In California, Tesla’s largest market in the US, sales have gotten crushed for the four quarters through Q2, even as other EV sales have soared, based on registrations reported by the California auto dealer association CNCDA in July, which caused us to speculate that many Californian EV buyers have had it with Musk’s barrage of BS about California.
Per new vehicle registrations in Q2, that kind of trend in California cannot be helpful to Tesla’s overall numbers. We’ll update this when the CNCDA releases the Q3 figures later this month:
- Tesla: -24% year-over-year, to 52,211 vehicles.
- Non-Tesla EVs: +45% year-over-year, to 49,232 vehicles
The Model Y was still by far the #1 bestseller in California in Q2, ahead of the Toyota RAV4. But sales plunged 15% year-over-year to 36,343 vehicles. So Q3 will be interesting:
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I’m starting to see the Cyber trucks around Texas, some of them complete with wraps. I think some businesses are using them as rolling billboards like during the initial Hummer craze.
Hummer is exactly what I think of when I see them. Seems like a fad product.
It looks like something that a guy built in his own garage.
A drunk guy with bad eyesight. Every time I see one I burst out laughing. Some people love them, good for them but where I live the reg fee is based on weight and they’re going to go through tires which ain’t cheap. I get being the guy with the latest greatest but I just don’t see the functionality of an electric truck. Love my electric dirt bike though, been on some epic rides.
I can absolutely see the functionality of an electric truck. I see electric semitractors making short runs here in SoCal all the time.
This particular one looks like absolute crap, is absurdly shaped, and would require me to give money to somebody I fervently wish had less money.
I would be very tempted if one of the “legacy” automakers put out an electric truck about the size of, and with most of the utility of, an older Tacoma at a non-batshit price. (Big technical challenge with current battery tech, I know)
Why not a hybrid? Better suited for a variety of conditions and climates
A hybrid is an ICE vehicle. You put expensive gasoline in the tank. We have one. They’re a relatively low-powered (compared to EVs) economical alternative to regular ICE powertrains (we get 40-50 mpg in our mid-size slow-moving sedan). The trend is that ICE powertrains in the future will incorporate hybrid tech. But they don’t replace EVs, they replace regular ICE vehicles, and that’s what we’re seeing now. That’s what the sales numbers show. Sales of non-hybrid ICE vehicles are plunging.
Now that’s funny!
Delighted to see bad news for Tesla. I would never spend a dime on any product from an Elon Musk business, and I know from people I have spoken to that I am not alone. It’s one thing to own a platform such as Ex that allows disinformation to flow freely, no matter how dangerous. It’s even worse when Musk himself spreads such garbage, including messages that could easily incite political violence, to his millions of followers. I fully expect him to get into politics in the years to come. Trump is not going to be around forever. The only bright spot is that Musk was not born in the U.S., so he can’t be president here. (Unless of course someone tries to change that. It’s probably already in the fine print of the Project 2025 manifesto, lol).
Neil – Breathe in, breathe out. All is fine now.
My observation is people who claim “disinformation” are often the ones who don’t understand or respect the first amendment. If you think information is wrong, you should provide a counter argument. Stifling someone’s opinions and speech is what real dictators do.
My observation is that people who start yelling about the First Amendment when someone mentions disinformation do so because they know they can’t defend it directly.
Is that you John?
The 1st Amendment stops when, to use an old Supreme Court example, someone yells “fire” in a crowded theater. Hence, the 1st Amendment is not, as you seem to imply, an absolute right. So I do not agree with your assertion that simply because I raise the topic of disinformation I do not understand or respect the 1st Amendment.
As the Supreme Court made clear, the 1st Amendment, while it is enormously important, also must be balanced against the interest of society. Often, that balance includes concern about violence and public safety.
When Musk reposts tweets that demonize the trans community, potentially leading to anti-trans violence, should be still find cover under the 1st Amendment? When he reposts tweets that openly wonder why no-one has tried to do to Biden or Harris what has recently been attempted against Trump, should he still find cover under the 1st Amendment?
Perhaps he should, perhaps he shouldn’t. Like many 1st Amendment issues, it’s a balancing act, and one which often ends up in the courts.
“You can’t yell ‘fire’ in a crowded theater. That’s the test. That’s the Supreme Court test.” This is incorrect. It’s a common misconception that shouting “fire” in a crowded theatre isn’t protected by the First Amendment—a myth that originates from a hypothetical used in Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes’ 1919 Supreme Court opinion in Schenk v. United States.
Holmes wrote that “the most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man in falsely shouting fire in a theatre and causing a panic.” Not only was this a purely hypothetical example used to explain Holmes’ opinion, but the ruling itself was largely overturned 50 years later in Brandenburg v. Ohio.
“Demonize the trans community…”
You just did it. Used the verb demonize to contrast what exactly? Sainthood?
Shut it down, people are noticing again!
Good lord, the media truly sets the topics of public discourse.
“demonize” in this case contrasts with “treat with the basic respect that normal humans are due”
A first amendment violation is when Ron DeSantis tried to crush Disney for not going along with one of his stupid anti-woke bills.
Shouting FIRE in a theater is not a first amendment violation. It is a criminal act.
Elon is shouting FIRE…
……… And the preamble of the Constitution dictates the State Government to ” provide for the general welfare of the people”. Free speech isn’t guaranteed for sex with minors, selling cigarettes and liquor to minors, making a child work for pay, adultery without legal dissolution of a marriage, the list endless. Libertarians talk such nonsense about human behavior.
The 1st amendment means the government can’t arrest you for stating your opinions. It does not allow dangerous or illegal speech and it does not mean anyone else, company or individual, is required to repeat or forward your speech.
Wolf street is a “safe space” Neil. Unless Wolf attacks you, the beach dude was mauled recently.
Not following. Neil is mentioning the man’s dangers to our society, this should be welcomed. Some seem to need more education about it.
And cybertrucks are the dangers to people around it.
The rubber particles from tires, the size potentially putting other streets users in danger (does it provide WIDE LOAD signs back and front?), the sharp body that could decimate humans, the huge amount of earth resources (pollution) to make it, wasted energy to power the tank etc, etc. And for what purpose? None. Just a toy for narcissists and insecure males (hello Ramzan Kadyrov). Musk did mockery of non-ICE autos as a salvation from burning fossils.
The Cybertruck is no bigger than the Ford-150 4×4 4-door crew cab. what is this bullshit?
And smaller than dirt excavators. But they have features to be useful and practical.
Biker,
An excavator has exactly zero useful features for me. It’s too slow, it handles badly, it has a very limited range (I mean talk about range anxiety, try to drive your excavator from Dallas to Houston!), it uses a huge amount of fuel, it seats only one (maybe two, with my wife riding on my lap), etc.
What is this BS about trying to talk OTHER people out of buying a Cybertruck? You go buy your excavator and be happy with it. Let other people buy a Cybertruck and be happy with it.
Curb weights
Cyber truck – 6,500-7,000 lbs
Ford F150 4×4 crew cab – 5,000-5,700 lbs
The EPA is considering going after particulate matter next. Protecting the environment is actually their job. The largest generator of particulate matter is tire debris. This will be interesting as all vehicles have been getting larger for some time with no end in sight. The gas mileage per horsepower has steadily been improving but we keep increasing the horsepower needed to move these beasts.
Electifying vehicles is an improvement over combustion but reducing consumption is the best option for the environment. There needs to be a hard limit on curb weight for non-industrial vehicles.
Your comparison is wrong.
You have to compare the weight of a Ford truck that has the power/torque of the Cybertruck (600 hp plus and huge torque). Big power is heavy. And there are not many Ford truck models that compare in power with the Cybertruck. Here are two:
F-150 SuperCrew Cab 4×4 Raptor R: 5,950 pounds
F-250 Crew Cab, 4×4 with the big 6.7 L turbo diesel: up to 7,700 pounds.
Fake comparisons function as anti-EV BS.
Wolf – The point is the Ford and Tesla trucks are way heavier now than trucks in previous years and getting heavier, much bigger than is necessary for how they are used. It’s not about EVs vs. ICE. I know you have a strong opinion in that area. It’s about the incessant need for bigger/faster/stronger.
Neil: let’s be clear. Tesla is not Musk’s business. He didn’t start it, he bought in to it. he currently only owns 13% of the company. 87% owned by others. Tesla has tens of thousands of employees and they are the ones who build the products; not the toddler that is a minority owner.
Yes, I guess if would be better if we let the government tell us all what is the correct information. Life would be much simpler if we were Stepford wives.
I know the current astronauts of the ISS are happy to have use of a Musk product. As are the people of North Carolina who now can communicate using Starlink. After the Feds are squandered 42 billion and haven’t hooked anyone up with internet, Starlink practically connected NC in a few days.
Political violence? Think about which side is violent.
This is true that Musk has delivered a few useful services/products.
But that was the prev Musk, pre politics. He has changed in the last several years. Looks like technical toys are not entertaining him any more. Ego grew bigger. He soon will want the world, in not a positive way.
Has Musk changed? Has he simply put himself out there more? Is he simply still playing a character?
If you are going to cite a person (Musk) as spouting BS you should be specific and factual.
Our country is divided when we should be united – we need good factual discourse.
Well, his company is retrieving the astronauts stuck in the Space Station so
yo could be grateful for that.
Silly me, I thought the Wolf Street comment section was a political free zone?
Wow. You really made an article about Tesla and its sales very political.
Musk is a union busting billionaire. What else do you need to know about him ?
I live in Santa Clara, CA in a middle class neighborhood of 70 year old tract homes. I do a 4 mile walk around the neighborhood every morning and I recently counted electric cars.
I counted 2 Rivians, 3 Hyundais, 1 Mustang Mach e, 1 Nissan Leaf, and 50 Teslas including 2 Cybertrucks. There were quite a few houses with more than 1 Tesla.
One house has 3 Tesla model 3s, two houses have a model S and a model X, several houses have both a model Y and a model 3, and another house has 2 new model 3s.
There are 2 houses that are all in on Tesla. One has a Tesla solar tile roof, a power wall, a model 3, and a Cybertruck. The other one has the Tesla solar tile roof, a power wall, and a model Y. I talked with the woman that lives there the other morning and she said the model Y was the 3rd Tesla they’ve owned. She was very enthusiastic about Tesla.
I’m in Telluride Co. Ski country indeed.
The prevalence of Tesla sedans is increasing. They do well enough in the snow, have great power and people love the tech features. They’re affordable too.
The trucks are mostly relegated to the wealthier class, as most truck owners around here are the blue collar types. The trucks are less affordable and more expensive (maintenance, needing a charging station etc) and much less functional for the real “truck stuff.” They don’t have giant cabs and long beds on the EV trucks…yet.
A couple years ago the first Rivian I saw in the area was on a flatbed (ICE)… they seem to be doing much better now! I still see various oddities in using the EVs, increasing complexity and such gives them some frustrating qualities.
Range and cold weather operation (similar to range), then the desired “American sizing” are the final frontiers?
Article should be required reading for the TSLA meme investor waiting to be thrilled by Elon’s next overhyped robo taxi event.
“Tesla said last year that it expects to be able to ramp Cybertruck production to 250,000 units in 2025.”
Yeah, good luck with that. There’s a very limited market for ugly, poorly made, and very expensive vehicles with little use.
So there’s more demand for Cybertrucks than there are Cybertrucks. The waiting list is still huge, but little by little, people are getting their trucks.
Don’t extrapolate from what you like to what other people like.
I’m guessing the waiting list has shrunk considerably since Tesla is not offering the originally-promised $60K version. My neighbor’s dad had been on the waiting list from the very beginning, but he pulled out when the less expensive trim was dropped. I sent him the Hot Wheels RC version as a consolation ;-)
Unfortunately they won’t be a success in the UK or Europe because the roads are too small and you wouldn’t be able to park them anywhere.
Other than that stainless steel for cars, great!
Come back DeLorean all is forgiven!
Not to mention there are shreds of common sense in EU regulation and Cybertruck will not pass…unlike good Ol’Murica….big A$$ heavy trucks or ugly sharp edge heavy death machines mowing down kids and pedestrians with ease.. no problem, regulation won’t stand in the way
Cybertruck is built to US specs. ALL full-size pickups are. No automaker is trying to sell 4×4 4-door 600 hp full-size pickup trucks in large volume in Europe. Why should the Cybertruck be different??? What is this stupid BS?
> What is this stupid BS?
4×4 4-door 600 hp full-size pickup trucks . . .
“The Cybertruck is showing up in the figures ever so slowly as Tesla is trying to ramp up production amid numerous challenges. Deliveries of “Other Models” – the Cybertruck, the Model S, and the Model X – rose by 6.3% from the prior quarter and by 43.4% year over year to 22,915 vehicles, also the best Q3 ever, but a few units behind Q4 2024 (green in the chart above).”
Since I see more and more of them all over SoCal freeway, definitely looking forward to getting run over by one soon enough especially when I am on my bike splitting lane. The damage it can inflict with all those sharp angle and weight…at least I will be run over by the best in class…although all the giant trucks out there with massive battering ram grills do give it a run of its money on that front…
How about the big trucks that put sharp pointy cones on their front wheel lug nuts?
Just a friendly hello to pedestrians, cyclists, and various wildlife !
I remember that movie.
I only put the massive battering ram grill on my work truck
after the invention of the cell phone.
If I could figure out a grill for the back of my work trailer
it would have one as well.
EV, ice, or pedal, it is amazing how little attention is given to actual driving.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder but for me the Cybertruck is just an impractical eyesore. Surprised there is still demand but have to assume it runs out fairly quickly. I thought the Hummer was impractical but I also thought it was very cool looking and could see the appeal.
I see them everywhere now. Neighbor down the block now has one too. I’m starting to find them handsome, they’re growing on me. My wife thinks they’re hideous and look like the vehicles the Soviets rolled into Prague with in 1968. So no Cybertruck in our house. It’s another divisive thing that splits this nation and families into two 🤣
It is kind of crazy that even the cheaper model can do 0-60 in around 4 seconds.
Wolf,
It’s the same for me … but about EV’s in general. I feel that an EV would meet at least 95% – if not higher – of our transportation needs. Goodness … they’ve even started to install EV charging infrastructure in our building.
But the wife doesn’t want one. So … no EV in our lives.
EVs would supply 100% of our trans needs if that’s all we had.
But we have gas stations with gas for our cars….goodness.
I wouldn’t mind some electric eyes when they come out. I could see further, magnify and night vision. Simple procedure, pop out the old ones and pop in the new electric eyes. Do the same thing with the cars.
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. This is more to it than just personal sensitivity to beauty.
It is more like setting a city on fire and then enjoying the fireworks from it. This just against the law. There is no law preventing such cars on roads, unfortunately.
Over the last couple of weeks, I have seen a noticeable number of Rivians on the road in Dallas. Before I had just seen one every now and then.
I’m also seeing more cybertrucks too, both in Dallas and in a smaller East Texas city. I don’t like to drive behind a cybertruck, though. Even in an SUV, they are impossible to see around. Worse than some of the old minivans.
Tesla has a marketing problem, STFU Elon!
Tesla only reports global deliveries, correct? I read that EU EV sales were down 44% in Q3 compared to 2023, wonder how Tesla fared.
wow a lot of anti-elon vibe going on here. i personally think the Full self driving is amazing. I use it all the time and think the robo-taxi is going to be a deal-breaker. we shall see.
Musk be a full moon out tonight, all the Tesla lovers are congregating.
Free trip to Mars for all you heathens.
Yeah you get that a lot with cult leaders..don’t worry though the Church of Elon is thriving
A recent “full” self driving test found that human intervention was required, on average, every 13 miles. (over >1,000 miles)
Do you really think cities will let robotaxis onto their roads if it is not just suspected, but known, they will commit life-threatening maneuvres dozens of times a day?
deal-breaker, indeed.
Just some causal observations (as this is a topic I generally wouldn’t respond to). First, I do see more and more Tesla Sedans in the neighborhood I live in (in the north Phoenix, AZ area). My only comment is that the Tesla Sedans style has become, for lack of a better term, boring. I don’t doubt the cars perform well but I’m just not seeing much new with these cars in terms of style, performance, and features. Might be time for a “refresh” of the car’s design as this can help drive sales higher (just ask Apple and their strategy with the iPhone every year).
As for Tesla’s truck, am I missing something here as the design seems to be more of a fad and the payload capacity seems to be limited? If I’m going to buy a truck and need maximum functionality and capacity, I’m not sure I would even take a look at a Tesla truck.
Finally, I have to figure a large number of people are in the same boat as my wife and me. That is, we have two ICE cars with relatively low mileage and years of use left. Our thinking is to drive these cars for quite a bit longer as they are reliable, have all the features we need, and aren’t that expensive to operate/maintain. When the time comes, we’ll take a look at an EV but this is probably 3 to 5 years down the road. At this time, I would expect more EV options to be available, and hopefully EVs which look and perform better than Teslas. The Rivian SUV is of interest as well as some initial nice styling alternatives from the European auto companies.
Long story short, I really hope expanded EV options are available down the road as it would pain me to buy a Tesla. And if the market trends are similar to where my wife and I stand, then the transition to EVs (as well as hybrids) should begin to accelerate further as people finally let go of those old ICE autos (as we will have run them into the ground) and adapt to the realities of the evolving EV market. Should make for interesting times in the used ICE auto market as well as for gasoline/oil/energy as with gasoline demand destruction just starting to appear, the oil/energy industry may find itself having to move quicker than anticipated (especially if a major breakthroughs are achieved with EV power efficiencies including battery performance).
In just nine years, EV sales have increased from 120k in 2014 to 1.2 in 2023, an almost 10x increase, representing roughly 8% of the total sales (assuming 15 to 16 million new auto sales, passenger and light trucks, in 2023). This represents an CAGR of roughly 29% per year. Even if the annual growth rate is cut by 50% to approximately 15% per year, total EV sales would reach roughly 5 million units by 2034 (roughly 30+/-% of the total car market). Needless to say, these represent very big numbers and market dynamics that auto manufacturers can simply not ignore (nor the energy industry as gasoline demand destruction should be in full swing by then). There is no question that Tesla is in a leading position today. The real question is can Tesla maintain this leading position as global competition really heats up.
“If I’m going to buy a truck and need maximum functionality and capacity, I’m not sure I would even take a look at a Tesla truck.”
1. Very few people ever buy a truck for their functionality. You hold that against Tesla, but full-size trucks are mass-produced best sellers in the US that people with zero interest in towing or hauling buy to drive to work and to Starbucks and go out on dates with, they buy them because they LIKE them. That’s why Americans buy vehicles. Why can’t Americans buy a Cybertruck because they LIKE them? What is this bullshit???? Are you this clueless about AMERICANS????
2. “I would even take a look at a Tesla truck.”
If you haven’t looked at a Cybertruck and wouldn’t look at a Cybertruck, how the hell can you even judge its “functionality.” What is this idiotic bullshit????
“full-size trucks are mass-produced best sellers in the US that people with zero interest in towing or hauling buy to drive to work and to Starbucks and go out on dates with, they buy them because they LIKE them. That’s why Americans buy vehicles. Why can’t Americans buy a Cybertruck because they LIKE them? What is this bullshit???? Are you this clueless about AMERICANS????”
Wolf, why are you so angry about this? And why are you letting it show? Also, how do you know the reasons why Americans buy pickup trucks? What data can you point to? Finally, just to include anecdotal evidence from my part of the world (Connecticut) I see loads of pick-up trucks around. Mostly, they do seem to actually be working trucks, driven by people who look like they are working at something. And Tesla cyber trucks are almost non-existent around here, so far.
1. “why are you so angry about this? And why are you letting it show?”
I’m sick and tired of this anti-EV bullshit getting spread around in the media. If you try to abuse my site to spread anti-EV bullshit (propaganda circulated by Big Oil and Putin’s propaganda machine), you go on my list, and you stay on it. I’m so done with it. I have cleaned house over this issue.
2. “Also, how do you know the reasons why Americans buy pickup trucks?”
I spent 10 years of my life selling them – by running a large Ford dealership. I saw every day who bought pickups and why. Pickups was the majority of vehicles we sold at the time. Americans love pickups. And I have absolutely no problem with that. People should buy what they want. That’s America. But they can’t abuse my site to spread anti-EV bullshit in order to persuade OTHER people not to buy EVs.
@ Wolf
I think you misinterpret the comments. I don’t think that people here against EV. I’m not. They/we are just tired of Musk BS (as a world saviour) that could be represented by the Cybertruck. This is a caricature of the man.
Biker
If people are tired of “Musk’s BS,” they can just say so, and many did, as you can tell.
But if people abuse my site to spread anti-EV bullshit, that’s a ticket to my list – in addition to either getting an appropriate reply from me, or getting the comment deleted.
Whenever I walk through a parking lot I have a habit of looking in the truck beds to see if I can even find a paint scratch. Having grown up on a farm with people who actually used their trucks I find it amusing. After 20 years of practicing this habit, I’d estimate about 70% of trucks without rust (hard to tell once they’re that old) have a cover or not a single scratch in the bed, 15% have some evidence of actually being used, and the rest have a spray in bed liner, or camper top so again… hard to tell. Even less show any paint chipping or blemish on the receiver to indicate that they have ever even had a hitch in it, or they have some step or light in the slot. The numbers don’t change for 3/4 or 1 ton trucks either, although many of those are not being driven to the store or on normal errands and really are work trucks.
@ Biker
No. It’s just YOU, not they/we, who are tired of, “Musk BS (as world saviour,) ” as you put it. It’s just YOU, you could easily be the only one, who is “tired.” I’m tired of you and people like you who are quick to judge, judgmentally wrong and then kick out hysterically at other people who disagree with you. Keep your virtue signalling to yourself, please.
Wolf, I’m going to keep my reply simple. If you read my entire post, I’m actually bullish on EV sales which are well on their way to taking over 30% of the market in the next ten years. I reference data points to support this fact. What I’m questioning is the ultimate value of the Tesla truck as after five recalls this year alone, this is what I mean by functionality (i.e., can’t keep it out of the shop). What I’m hoping for is a better EV truck comes to market. Rivian has made some headway but I would like to see a much wider range of EV truck options, including more from the US Mfg. You read too much into my post as I’m not spreading anti EV BS, just providing observations on market trends and where opportunities lie in the EV market.
How many of those “recalls” were simply corrected with OTA software upgrades? Answer is most of them.
How many recalls of other brands were sent out this year? Answer is many more than on any Tesla.
As of right now the Cybertruck is outselling in the US ALL of the other EV trucks combined. Most of the owners of them are ecstatic over their vehicle. The technology is head and shoulders over any of the other trucks, ICE or EV. Look it up.
While you are at it, take a look at the Tesla semis. A factory to mass produce them is underway. Their specs are thrilling their test customers.
Tage Tracy,
“What I’m questioning is the ultimate value of the Tesla truck as after five recalls this year alone”
There are millions of ICE pickups that have been recalled for all kinds of things, including risk of engine fires. And you don’t care. It’s only if an EV gets recalled that you drag it into there. More anti-EV bullshit.
“hopefully EVs which look and perform better than Teslas”
You’re joking…right? My Model Y can go from 0-60 in 4.5 seconds. It’s practically glued to the road with a very low center of gravity. In 50k miles over 3 years, my total maintenance has been $3 for 2 gallons of windshield washer fluid and $32 for an interior air filter. It’s the safest vehicle in the world. AND, I like the way my Y looks.
How many miles do you have behind the wheel of a Tesla?
I just recently saw a cyber truck on the road and all I could think of was a dumpster that could deliver itself.
I know I’m not alone here but Tesla and Elon break my brain. It is difficult to remain objective. It’s either love or hate.
On one hand, it is obvious Tesla is succeeding in some ways. On the other hand, there are so many red flags about Tesla products, the feasibility of its highly ambitious plans, and the numerous side ventures of its dear leader.
Perhaps there are some nuggets of legitimate business buried beneath the mountains of BS. I’ll continue to watch from the sidelines. Quite the show.
Oh I have to say that I couldn’t care less about him. Lots of self-promotion there and the occasional double-dealing… but he has changed things for the better far more than for the worse.
“Perhaps there are some nuggets of legitimate business buried beneath the mountains of BS.”
Tesla is making the #2 bestselling vehicle in the US, the Model Y, only a hair behind #1, the Toyota RAV4. It may soon catch the RAV4 and be #1 bestseller in the US. That’s a “legitimate business,” no?
Starlink is working, the rockets are working… that’s a big deal.
Sure he came up with some stuff that flopped. So what.
But he should stop trying to piss off his customers and clients with his crap on X. That’s really not helpful for his businesses
Tesla does some boneheaded things related to selling the cars too. If you lease one from them, you can’t buy it out at the end. I was all set to lease a new Model Y until I found out about that.
Just about all leasing companies removed the buyout option from their leases in 2021-2022 when used vehicle prices spiked by 50%-plus in two years. What happened was that people bought out their leases and sold the vehicles as used for a $20,000 profit.
Eventually, the buyout option might be brought back. Some leading companies might already have brought them back. But this was one of the results of the distortions caused by used-vehicle prices spiking 50%-plus in two years. There were other results too, such as auto insurance premiums spiking by 50%.
Delivery numbers are beating the expectations. But we will need to see profit margins when results are announced.
From 1% financing offer to buying older cars from owners and giving deep discounts will affect margins. Couple of my co-workers bought in the end of last Quarter. Many freebies. Red color where its priced 2K more but when my friend walked in, Associate told to book White care but she will assign the Red color. Same thing for wheels etc.
Tesla is like US Builders selling homes after rate went high. Have to push the sales with lot incentives. Sales will go high but affect margins/profits.
I was respecting Musk years ago. The first shocker for me was when he promoted Dogecoin. I was thinking, why he was so playing people. The people who admired him would lose a lot following his crypto scams.
But he is just starting.
Dogecoin was around a LONG time before Musk said he liked the idea. Dogecoin by then was a very well known meme. Well known for being a joke meme, a joke coin. I reject your assertion Musk “promoted ” this
coin, he did not! He said he had bought some himself, because he liked the joke. He did NOT say, “Go buy some this is going to “moon.”
People were buying into Dogecoin years before he made his remarks. It is and was the Crypto evangelists, or “whales” that pump crypto that jumped on the Musk comments with glee and re-posted them, FOR THEIR OWN GAIN. They are the promoters!! That’s what the “whales” do, buy a ton of crypto, pump the heck out of it on any social media site where they believe any idiot crypto buyers may be lurking and then cash out as the cryptocoin in question “moons!”
He was not playing anyone. Only YOU think that, because you clearly hate the guy. Fair enough if that’s what you want to do. But that’s just your hysterical mentality getting the better of you. As you say, you respected Musk years ago. Yes, when the liberal left all wanted to believe he was one of their own. Then he bought Twitter, threw out the communist editorial team, who daily took to blocking and closing accounts of anyone who dared to challenge the far leftist narrative. And, in response to one of their own, now not behaving like one of their own, your leftist leaders demanded all the leftist minions should hate Musk.
And none of you stopped to consider if that was sensible. All you cared about was being ejected from the leftist herd yourself if you didn’t hate Musk as your cultist leaders demand of you and being ejected into some wilderness, i.e the real world, where the left think it’s impossible to exist without a mind of their own.
Oh wow. Thanks for your thoughts.
Dunning Kruger high scorer.
I’m seeing a structural shift, based on this and past Wolf articles (regarding overall vehicle sales having peaked). I did a quick search to reveal the average driving trip is about 10-15 miles.
I see the younger generations have less desire for car ownership, for “ownership’s sake,” and may be more prone to having some small electrical transportation.
The scooter craze went nuts, but now some people are owners. In my small town ebikes are the rule (I have studded tires for the winter).
There’s also various “cart” options available now, practical for various applications (6-seater, open/ closed cab, bed space etc). These are low-speed EVs, but with what is already made and sold abroad, there may be a shift away from the “soccer mom giant SUV” mindset.
@Wolf:
There was no “reply” button to your reply to my last comment, so I wanted to respond to it and pasted your reply in below.
You answered me 💯 as to where you get your data about why Americans buy pickup trucks. If you worked in that business for many years, you would know. So thank you for the information, and now I have learned something I didn’t know previously.
I am fascinated that anyone is trying to spread anti-EV propaganda. I really hadn’t thought about that before. I myself am note trying to spread it. I would rather like an EV some day, but I’ll wait until it’s easier to find charging stations before I jump in.
I get why Big Oil is anti-EV. Not so much Putin — I assume (without being certain) that he has his oil reserves in mind as well then.
Your post below:
1. “why are you so angry about this? And why are you letting it show?”
I’m sick and tired of this anti-EV bullshit getting spread around in the media. If you try to abuse my site to spread anti-EV bullshit (propaganda circulated by Big Oil and Putin’s propaganda machine), you go on my list, and you stay on it. I’m so done with it. I have cleaned house over this issue.
2. “Also, how do you know the reasons why Americans buy pickup trucks?”
I spent 10 years of my life selling them – by running a large Ford dealership. I saw every day who bought pickups and why. Pickups was the majority of vehicles we sold at the time. Americans love pickups. And I have absolutely no problem with that. People should buy what they want. That’s America. But they can’t abuse my site to spread anti-EV bullshit in order to persuade OTHER people not to buy EVs.