Tesla Admits Its Cybertrucks Lose Their Value Insanely Fast

The struggles never seem to end for Tesla. Elon Musk's embattled electric vehicle empire is floundering on its long-anticipated Robotaxi launch as sales plumet to record lows and Tesla bulls dump their stocks. Tesla's Cybertruck — the garish luxury all-electric truck — is no exception to the carnage. With a reputation for breaking down constantly and drawing the ridicule of just about every other driver on the road, the stainless steel tanks aren't exactly a popular choice for car buyers. Earlier this month, it was found that Tesla was sitting on over 10,000 unsold Cybertrucks, an estimated $800 million worth […]

May 21, 2025 - 03:40

Tesla Admits Its Cybertrucks Lose Their Value Insanely Fast

Tesla's new buy-back strategy is revealing the staggering loss of value the Cybertruck experiences when it drives off the lot.

The struggles never seem to end for Tesla.

Elon Musk's embattled electric vehicle empire is floundering on its long-anticipated robotaxi launch as sales plummet to record lows and Tesla bulls dump their stocks.

Tesla's Cybertruck — the garish luxury all-electric truck — is no exception to the carnage. With a reputation for breaking down constantly and drawing the ridicule of just about every other driver on the road, the stainless steel tanks aren't exactly a popular choice for car buyers.

Earlier this month, news emerged that Tesla was sitting on over 10,000 unsold Cybertrucks, an estimated $800 million worth of inventory.

Now, Tesla has decided to start taking Cybertruck trade-ins after over a year of deliveries, and disgruntled customers are already revealing what Tesla is willing to pay for a used rig.

Though an AWD foundation series Cybertruck will set you back $100,000, Tesla's only willing to pay $65,400 to take it off your hands — and that's presumably if it has 6,000 miles or less on it, according to Electrek.

A screenshot of the trade-in estimate was obtained from a disgruntled poster in the Cybertruck Owners Club, noting that it gives the Cybertruck a depreciation rate of about 34.6 percent in just one year.

A typical pickup truck, claims Electrek, should take three to four years to lose that kind of value.

It's not exactly shocking news. The cracks had started to show as early as spring of 2024 — just months after Cybertrucks hit the market — as news of the EV's shoddy production quality became well-known. Back then, Tesla didn't accept returns, while resellers were understandably reluctant to get involved, sending the aftermarket price of a new Cybertruck into the toilet.

Of course, this is all in stark contrast to Musk's absurd claim that Tesla vehicles would only increase in value, a promise he made back in 2019.

"If you buy a Tesla today, I believe you are buying an appreciating asset, not a depreciating asset," he said in an interview.

The Cybertruck isn't the only floundering Tesla product. By last year, a 2021 Tesla Model 3 — which retailed for about $40,000 — was reselling for just $23,700, a 29 percent markdown compared to its price in 2023. The used-car average over the same period was just 19.5 percent, according to Edmons.com, a used car site.

Tesla is also facing fallout from a bizarre leasing program revealed by Reuters last week. Typically, customers will have an option to buy a car outright at the end of their lease. Instead, Tesla's internal policy made potential buyers send their cars back to Tesla, to be part of Musk's "robotaxi" network.

Of course, that robotaxi network has yet to actually materialize. In reality, those cars were being outfitted with the latest software updates and flipped to new buyers for much more than they would have sold to those wrapping up a lease.

Basically, the writing's on the wall: don't count on a new Tesla's value to go anywhere but down.

More on Tesla: Doomsday Preppers Say the Cybertruck Is a Horrible Choice for the End of the World

The post Tesla Admits Its Cybertrucks Lose Their Value Insanely Fast appeared first on Futurism.