Tesla's Cybertruck sales dropped sharply to 20,237 units in 2025, a 48.1% decline from 38,965 in 2024, according to Cox Automotive data. This marked the largest absolute sales drop among U.S. electric vehicles, amid broader EV market challenges including the end of a $7,500 tax credit. Despite the setback, Tesla remained the top EV seller in the U.S. with about 589,160 vehicles sold.
Tesla's unconventional electric pickup, the Cybertruck, experienced a significant sales decline in 2025, falling nearly 50% from the previous year. Data released on January 13, 2026, by Cox Automotive showed 20,237 Cybertrucks sold in the U.S., compared to 38,965 in 2024. This 18,728-unit drop was the steepest in absolute terms for any electric vehicle model.
The broader electric vehicle market also contracted slightly, with 1,275,714 units sold in 2025, down 2% from 1,301,441 in 2024. Sales peaked in the third quarter at 365,830 units, driven by buyers rushing to claim the $7,500 federal tax credit before its expiration on September 30, 2025, under President Donald Trump and Congress. Fourth-quarter sales fell to 234,171 units.
Tesla attributed its overall U.S. sales dip—589,160 vehicles in 2025, a 7% decrease from 633,762 in 2024—to 'near-term uncertainty from shifting trade, tariff and fiscal policy,' as stated in a third-quarter investor presentation. Analysts highlighted additional factors, including CEO Elon Musk's political involvement with Trump and conservative stances. A November 2025 Yale University study estimated the 'Musk partisan effect' cost Tesla 1-1.26 million vehicles from October 2022 to April 2025, while boosting rivals' sales by 17-22%.
Stephanie Valdez Streaty, director of industry insights at Cox Automotive, emphasized structural issues: 'Tesla faced a tough year in 2025, a second tough year in a row, because its product line is aging, and the company hasn't been able to bring a high-volume product to market to offset that.' She noted the Cybertruck's low-volume, high-priced nature limited its impact on Tesla's trajectory, amid rising EV competition.
Among Tesla's models, the Model Y led with 357,528 sales (down 4% from 372,613), followed by Model 3 at 192,440 (up slightly from 189,903). Luxury models struggled: Model S at 5,889 (from 12,426) and Model X at 13,066 (from 19,855). Despite the Cybertruck's woes, Tesla held a 46% U.S. EV market share.
The pickup segment proved resistant to electrics, with Ford discontinuing the F-150 Lightning and Ram shelving full-electric plans. Cybertruck sales lagged 38% behind 2024 in the first three quarters, suggesting waning early-adopter enthusiasm.
