Have you seen the Tesla Cybertruck out on the roads yet? They became available in November 2023, but experts think they may have already become the bestseller among electric pickup trucks in the U.S.
It's a difficult stat to pin down, because some makers, including Tesla, do not break down their sales reports by model.
However, you can make an educated guess about how many of the futuristic-looking trucks Tesla produced between April and June by looking at recent recall reports, according to an analysis by Electrek writer Fred Lambert.Â
"It is safe to assume that Tesla delivered between 8,000 and 9,000 Cybertrucks during the second quarter," confirmed Lambert. "... [The company is] second to none when it comes to ramping up EV programs."
Rising to the top of the electric pickup truck market in just eight months is no small feat, considering the category has other top-selling makers. Ford delivered over 7,900 of the F-150 Lightning in the same period, while other models — from Chevrolet and Rivian — also performed well.
That competition is a good sign. It means more vehicle makers could be inclined to produce electric models with lower price tags, making it easier for people to say goodbye to expensive and polluting fuel while helping create cleaner, healthier air.
As of July, it became cheaper to lease a Model 3 than it is to lease a Toyota Camry, and Tesla has also been working to reduce insurance costs as consumers look for affordable ways to switch from gas-powered vehicles to more eco-friendly electric ones.Â
"Tesla benefits from years of pent-up demand for the Cybertruck," Lambert added. "It will be interesting to see how it fares once production is ramped up and it works through its backlog."Â
Still, he remained confident that the Cybertruck was the probable winner of electric pickup truck sales in Q2, and noted that if it wasn't, it has a good chance to be no. 1 in Q3.
"This is a little surprising to me," wrote one commenter on Electrek's article. "Tesla still needs to fine-tune this product and get the price down."
"But that will certainly happen, the recent recalls are part of the process," added the same commenter. " ... The virtue of [the Cybertruck] is that it is absolutely unmistakable … people who see it KNOW they have seen an all-electric truck."
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