Here's a classic business school move: when sales of your product start to slump, you try lowering the price. Tesla Inc. (TSLA) is putting that theory to the test with its Cybertruck, but CEO Elon Musk isn't making it a permanent experiment. The electric pickup is getting a temporary price cut, and the clock is already ticking.
The dual motor, all-wheel drive version of the Cybertruck is now on sale for a starting price of $59,990. The key word there is "sale." In a social media post, Musk made it clear this isn't a new permanent sticker price. The deal, he said, will last only 10 days.
This feels like a very public market research project. Musk told a user online that the price after this promotion ends will depend "on how much demand we see at this price level." Tesla is essentially running a 10-day experiment to see if a sub-$60,000 price tag is the magic number to get people buying Cybertrucks again. The answer will literally determine the truck's future cost.
The move makes sense given the headwinds. Federal EV tax credits have ended for many models, overall electric vehicle demand has cooled off from its peak, and the Cybertruck's original pricing—which was a far cry from the promised $40,000 starting point—likely turned some potential customers away. This sale could be a small step toward rebuilding sales momentum, but the big question is whether Tesla will commit to a price low enough to keep that demand high over the long term.
The urgency for a boost is clear in the numbers. After selling 39,965 Cybertrucks in 2024, the company sold only 20,237 units in 2025. That's a 48% year-over-year drop. It's a far cry from the initial vision. Musk once talked about annual production of 250,000 Cybertrucks. Current demand suggests production needs are less than 10% of that ambitious target.
All of this is happening while Tesla is making other big bets, like shifting production capacity to make room for its Optimus Bot humanoid robot. The company has to decide how much manufacturing muscle and executive attention the Cybertruck deserves when sales are falling so sharply.
There is a potential bright spot: Cybertruck sales have recently begun in international markets, which could help drum up new demand. The real mystery, as with many things at Tesla, is whether the company will be transparent about the results of this 10-day test. Will they share the demand figures that decide the new price? Investors and Tesla watchers will be waiting to see if Musk sticks to his deadline and, more importantly, what the price tag says when the timer hits zero.
