After months of being a commercial disaster, something curious is happening with the Tesla Cybertruck. For the first time since its troubled launch, Elon Musk’s futuristic pickup is showing signs of life.
The wait time for the Cybertruck’s cheapest model has suddenly stretched to over a month, suggesting a spike in demand for a vehicle that, until now, almost no one seemed to want. The question is whether this is a genuine turnaround for the polarizing pickup or just a temporary sugar rush fueled by a looming government deadline.
From Hype to Flop: A Brutal Reality
The Cybertruck was never a normal vehicle. Unveiled in a now-infamous 2019 event where its supposedly “bulletproof” windows shattered on stage, the sci-fi pickup, with its radical stainless-steel design, was hyped by CEO Elon Musk as an indestructible truck that would change the world.
But after years of production delays, the reality has been brutal. In the second quarter of 2025, Tesla sold just 4,306 Cybertrucks, a staggering 50.8% plunge from the same period last year, according to data from Kelley Blue Book. The used car market has been just as unforgiving, with resale values crashing over 30% in the past year, according to data from CarGurus.
By all metrics, America’s most hyped truck has been a commercial bust.
A Sudden Spike in Demand?
That’s what makes the latest change on Tesla’s website so bizarre. As of Sunday, anyone ordering the base model “Long Range” Cybertruck (starting at $72,235) will now have to wait 3 to 5 weeks for delivery. Meanwhile, the two more expensive variants, the All-Wheel Drive and the top-of-the-line Cyberbeast, are listed as available for immediate delivery.
This suggests the sudden delay for the cheapest model is being driven by a surge in new orders. This theory is supported by the fact that other popular Tesla models, like the Model 3 and Model Y, have also seen their wait times increase from a few weeks to over a month in the last 48 hours.
The most likely culprit for this buying frenzy is the expiration of the $7,500 federal EV tax credit on September 30. For last-minute buyers, the base model Cybertruck is the most attractive target. Once the credit is applied, its price drops to a more palatable $64,735.
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