{
  "id": 18512238,
  "title": "RIP Cybertruck. You Were Unloved, Unwanted, and Utterly Absurd",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/06/rip-cybertruck-you-were-unloved-unwanted-and-utterly-absurd",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-11-06T14:20:59.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Wired",
    "slug": "wired",
    "url": "https://www.wired.com/story/rip-cybertruck-you-were-unloved-unwanted-and-utterly-absurd/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Cybertruck, a highly controversial electric pickup truck from Tesla, appears to be on the brink of cancellation as it struggled throughout its life cycle. The polarizing vehicle, in production for only a few years, faced a tumultuous journey riddled with design flaws, manufacturing issues, and a lack of consumer appeal. A leaked report from 2022 highlighted basic design flaws, while preproduction \"alpha\" versions faced challenges with suspension, body sealing, noise levels, handling, and braking. Musk attempted to showcase the durability of the truck's windows by throwing a steel ball at them, a demonstration that shattered the glass twice, prompting Musk to remark, \"There's room for improvement.\"\n\nThroughout its existence, the Cybertruck experienced multiple recalls due to various problems, including loose accelerator pedal pads, detached stainless steel trim panels, falling wheels, and faulty brake rotors. These issues even caught the attention of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which declared the Rear Wheel Drive model's brake rotors potentially faulty. Despite the truck's numerous issues, Tesla received over a million reservations, with Musk claiming demand was \"off the charts!\" However, sales remained disappointingly low, with less than 50,000 units sold by March of the previous year.\n\nKarl Brauer, executive analyst at iSeeCars, calculated that the Cybertruck's six recalls made it one of the worst-performing vehicles in 2024, worse than 91 percent of other 2024 vehicles. Nevertheless, a small but dedicated group of Cybertruck owners cherished their vehicles and endured insults and taunts from others. Despite its unreliable reputation, Musk announced on an earnings call that Tesla should no longer be seen as an automaker but as a robotics and autonomous vehicle company. He sees the Cybertruck as an incredible technology development platform and believes it will live on through the Cybercab, an autonomous EV central to Tesla's robotaxi ambitions. Currently, Tesla's Cybercab production is limited to Austin, with a fleet numbering only in the hundreds. Musk aims to ramp up production dramatically, emphasizing the importance of Cybercab as the vision for Tesla's future.",
  "summary": "The decision to halt production of Tesla’s polarizing polygonal pickup marks the end of an error.",
  "key_points": [
    "Cybertruck faced design flaws, manufacturing issues, and consumer unpopularity.",
    "Multiple recalls addressed loose pedals, detached trim, falling wheels, faulty rotors.",
    "Tesla pivots from automaker to robotics, sees Cybertruck as tech platform for Cybercab."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}