Tesla’s stainless steel Cybertruck was supposed to redefine the electric pickup. Instead, the company is confronting a demand slump that has left thousands of trucks reportedly sitting idle. In a surprise twist, Elon Musk’s other companies, SpaceX and xAI, have begun purchasing hundreds of Cybertrucks, a move presented as part of a broader push to electrify their fleets.
Supporters see this as a practical way to replace gasoline-powered vehicles at fast-growing operations. Critics argue it’s also a convenient way to reduce unsold inventory and pad delivery numbers at a time when Cybertruck sales are falling short of early expectations.
The scale of the gap is hard to ignore. Tesla once floated the potential for annual Cybertruck sales to reach hundreds of thousands of units. Yet estimates suggest only about 5,000 were sold in the first quarter of 2025, with inventory building up around the Austin factory even after price cuts. The trucks’ polarizing design, production challenges, and a maturing EV market haven’t helped.
The newly purchased trucks are being deployed at SpaceX sites like Starbase in Boca Chica, at the Starlink facility in Bastrop, and at xAI locations. Observers have spotted multiple Cybertrucks arriving at Starbase in recent days. While the official line is fleet electrification, some speculate the vehicles could also be distributed to employees as perks or pool vehicles.
From an operations standpoint, shifting company fleets to EVs makes sense. The Cybertruck’s torque, payload potential, and on-site charging infrastructure can be a good fit for private campuses and facilities. It also puts more of the trucks into real-world use, generating data and feedback that can inform software updates and future revisions.
But the broader market question remains. If sales momentum depends on affiliated companies, it raises concerns about organic demand for the electric pickup outside the Musk ecosystem. For the strategy to pay off long term, Tesla likely needs to convert more mainstream truck buyers, boost perceived value, and address any lingering quality or usability concerns that hold fence-sitters back.
For now, these internal purchases give Tesla breathing room. They ease the inventory overhang and create visible activity around the Cybertruck at high-profile sites. Whether that translates into sustained demand from everyday buyers is the real test ahead.
