Tesla Slashes Cybertruck Prices by $10K as Sales Stall and Inventory Piles Up
Tesla is feeling the heat in 2025. As its stock continues to slide and Cybertruck sales lag far behind Elon Musk’s lofty projections, the company has been forced to cut prices—knocking up to $10,000 off its flashy electric pickup.
Despite Musk’s new role as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency—where he’s been aggressively trimming the federal workforce—Tesla is also making major cuts on the business front. The Cybertruck, once hyped as a futuristic game-changer, is now in fire-sale territory.
Originally promised to debut at $39,900, the Cybertruck instead hit the market in late 2023 at prices of $74,000 and $94,000 for the top-tier ‘Cyberbeast.’ While it captured headlines and generated hype, the reality has been messy: recalls, production slowdowns, and an oversupply of unsold inventory.
Tesla’s early 2025 sales report shows just 6,406 Cybertrucks sold in Q1—half of what it sold the quarter before. And out of the million-plus reservations Musk once boasted about, fewer than 50,000 have actually been delivered. According to Electrek, Tesla is sitting on a stockpile of around 2,400 unsold Cybertrucks, worth a staggering $200 million, most of which are outdated 2024 models that don’t qualify for the federal tax credit.
Now, with production scaled back and employees being quietly moved off the Cybertruck line, Tesla has rolled out aggressive discounts—averaging $8,000, with some hitting $10,000, more than the tax incentive would have offered.
Insiders say morale is low at Cybertruck production facilities, with one employee noting, “It feels a lot like they’re filtering people out. The parking lot keeps getting emptier.”
Even with a newly launched $69,990 rear-wheel-drive version, the response has been lukewarm. Critics say it cuts too many corners, ditching key features like adaptive suspension, the rear lightbar, and bed outlets.
Meanwhile, the broader picture isn’t much brighter. Tesla’s overall sales are down 13% year-over-year, and controversy continues to swirl around the brand. Violence at company facilities, ongoing calls for boycotts, and political pressure—including new tariffs under President Trump—aren’t helping.
And while Tesla shares are oddly up 53% compared to this time last year, thanks in part to investor volatility, key shareholders like Kimbal Musk have been cashing out, raising fresh concerns.
Adding fuel to the fire: a Tesla whistleblower recently accused Elon Musk of fostering a toxic environment. The former employee, who says she was forced to resign after flagging safety issues, described Musk as a “monster” and “pure evil.”
Still, Musk is doubling down on his vision, promising to ramp up U.S. production over the next two years. Whether that’s ambition or denial remains to be seen.
Tesla Whistleblower Moves One Step Closer to Taking Elon Musk to Court Over Safety Claims
Tesla has faced intense scrutiny in recent years over a string of safety concerns and high-profile recalls—ranging from software bugs to more alarming incidents like cars reportedly driving off rooftops or crashing due to brake failures. But while some owners credit the vehicles’ design for saving lives in accidents, the broader narrative has been far less reassuring.
One of the most prominent voices behind these concerns is former Tesla engineer and whistleblower Cristina Balan, who has now scored a major legal victory in her long battle against Elon Musk and the automaker.
Balan, who worked on the Model S, was reportedly forced to resign in 2014 after raising alarms about a design flaw involving floor mats that curled under the brake pedal—posing a potential safety risk. Despite Musk’s stated encouragement for employees to speak up about problems, Balan claims that “90% of those who did got fired.” She says she was told her entire team could be deported unless she resigned and dropped the investigation.
In 2019, Balan filed a defamation suit against Tesla, accusing the company of falsely claiming she misused resources for a “secret project.” While the case was initially pushed into arbitration and dismissed on a statute of limitations technicality, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit recently reversed that decision, reviving her case and allowing it to proceed.
“I want to clear my name,” Balan told BBC News, adding that she still hopes for a public apology from Musk. “I wish Elon Musk had the decency to apologize.”
Balan’s legal journey has been compounded by personal hardship—she’s currently battling stage 3B breast cancer and fears she may not live to see the case reach trial. Her attorney, Bill Moran, praised her perseverance, calling her “the epitome of strength and resolve.”
“We’re confident this ruling brings us closer to getting her case heard on the merits,” he said.
Elon Musk Responds to Protesters: “I’m Trying, I’m Trying”
As backlash against Tesla and Elon Musk intensifies—fueled in part by his role in President Donald Trump’s administration—protesters have taken to the streets and social media, with viral signs calling to “Send Musk to Mars.”
Musk, now heading the controversial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), responded in typical fashion on X (formerly Twitter), jokingly posting, “I’m trying, I’m trying,” with laughing emojis. He followed up with a meme of himself and his son wearing an “Occupy Mars” shirt, continuing to stoke both amusement and frustration online.
Tesla Stock Drops Hammer Musk’s Net Worth
Elon Musk’s fortune has always been tightly linked to Tesla stock—and in 2025, that link is proving costly. With shares plummeting from a peak of $479.86 in December 2024 to just under $283 today, Musk has seen over $116 billion wiped from his net worth.
According to the International Business Times, every $2.43 dip in Tesla stock translates to roughly $1 billion in lost wealth for Musk, who owns more than 410 million shares. Tesla’s recent struggles—including slow Cybertruck sales, production cuts, recalls, and political backlash—have all contributed to the slide.
Though Musk still tops Forbes’ rich list with $342 billion, he’s a long way from the record-breaking $400 billion he briefly held last year. And with critics targeting Tesla stock specifically as a way to hit Musk where it hurts, the billionaire’s fortune could continue to fluctuate sharply.
