New $59k Cybertruck version announced

[Dweezil]

Outside of "the looks" the Cybertruck actually is a far better vehicle than the R1T. Price, technology, features, functions, performance, charging, service ect...
Again, take the physical looks out of the equation.

I’d almost be willing to take looks out of the equation (and the SUV version of the Cybertruck, while still bad, is much better looking than the Cybertruck IMHO), but I have a hard time with the aluminum alloy frame, glued on body parts that come loose in the wind, all the sharp angles and corners, and warnings about car washes and getting wet. I’m also not keen on a truck that requires a rear view camera when the tonneau is closed because it blocks the view out of the rear of the truck. And now, if you want simple autopilot which all Teslas have had from day one for free, you have to purchase FSD for $99 per month. Hard pass. And again, I’m not doing business with a cracked out Nazi who has a superiority complex. Rivians have their weak points and sore spots too, but I rather like their idea of a vehicle over Tesla’s interpretation. But if you like Tesla better, that’s cool, you do you. We can all still be friends. At the end of the day, it’s just a truck.

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[tmbm50]

Comparable. But again, What's Rivian's excuse for "declining" R1S sales 2 full years in a row. Declining R1S sales and severely declining R1T sales. Negative growth!
2022 24.1k X, 800 R1S
2023 24.7k X, 23.4k R1S
2024 19.8k X, 19.7k R1S
2025 13k X, 18.1k R1s

Where are those numbers coming from for the X? I dont think they ever officially broke them out. They lump S,X, CT, Semi as others in reporting.

 

[VSG]

A very unpopular opinion but I do think, if they ever discontinue the Cybertruck, that people 20 years from now will really be interested in it and consider it a classic and ahead of its times.

Or, IMO, more likely this:

​

"While 1958 Edsels introduced multiple advanced features for the price segment, the launch of the model line became symbolic of commercial failure."​

​

(From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edsel)​

 

[NY_Rob]

Again, take the physical looks out of the equation.

That's kind of hard to do since they're part of the vehicle design. Maybe some great features (??) but the looks are preventing people from buying it so the features go unrealized.

 

[skyguyscott]

Outside of "the looks" the Cybertruck actually is a far better vehicle than the R1T. Price, technology, features, functions, performance, charging, service ect...
Again, take the physical looks out of the equation.

I am one of the few that appreciate the boldness of the styling, and there are some real interesting technical advances with the 48 volt system and drive by wire for sure. The battery technology and accomplishments in autonomy are laudable (but its deployment is both premature and marketing irresponsible). If the styling had been a bit more refined, and if, if only the execution had not been so fatally flawed, and if the CT had lived up to its promises and and price points, I think it could have been a real star. But compromises such as the AL frame, apparently made to meet efficiency targets (reminds me of the Fierro) are at fundamental odds with its job of towing and hauling long term. And yes, at this point, I can't in good conscience give my own money to someone who is doing such damage to my country.

And, in comparison, the R1T, while not as technologically advanced in many ways as the CT, does best it in a number of metrics, some critical depending on your use case, such as tow rating, torque, build quality, robustness, durability, among other parameters. Then there are the intangibles dealing with the brand and baggage; I don't worry about attracting as much attention (or vitriol) driving a Rivian; brand image of being "adventurous" or family friendly, or focus on off-roading; and the praise and accolades it has earned over the years from industry observers who recognize it's overall functionality and utility over and above that of the CT.

 

[Kaiju]

If I were to guess, the declining sales of the R1 are exactly in line with the increases to its price just as competitors came into the same space about 2 years down the line. As much as people talk about the brand and whatnot, the R1 line kept getting more expensive over time and after a couple years there were options other than the R1 for people with the money to still buy one. There just aren't enough early adopters to keep feeding the beast and the whole market for expensive trucks cratered fairly hard in the inflation era.

The Cybertruck has sorta gone the opposite way with firesale pricing because after there were no more people buying them for the look-at-me energy, nobody wants them for what they are at the price it costs to make them. Tesla is big enough that it can hide offloading the surplus at a loss even without the fact that they didn't disclose how many were bought by decree by other companies with the same CEO. You make something cheap enough people will buy it. They definitely could hit their 250k sales target if they gave them away, so 'outselling' the R1T while being about twenty times bigger as a production entity is basically meaningless. Of course we're also ignoring the fact the Silverado/Sierra EV also outsells the R1T by more than 2 to 1 and is comparable to supposed Cybertruck sales. Is that a victory for GM too?

Did you know they also sold 16k Hummer EV pickups in 2025? It would seem that Tesla is...losing handily to GM in the expensive pickup-thing space despite the fact they're outselling the R1T.

 

[Time2Roll]

There seems to be a market for a Tesla truck because a lot of people bought the CT.

In two years CT has sold fewer vehicles than Ford Edsel sold in the first year.
And CT has a market twice the size.

I would say CT has sold a token amount at best.

 

[ENVErider]

All the GM EV trucks can fit 18s. I'm running the Hummer EV ones on my Sierra for winter. My winter tires are 33" vs the summer 35" tires, so the Speedo is way off and it accumulates miles faster. But no physical issues.

An R1 could fit 18s out back, but anything under 19's would be impossibly tight up front. And there are no good 19" tires that would work well for a Rivian.

Thanks for the correction; I'm officially jealous. I love my R1T, but when offroading, I wish I had more rubber to absorb bigger hits. My buddy's Bronco has 18's but doesn't have the air shocks, so maybe that closes some of the gap.

 

[bbonkk]

It’s in the configurator… wonder how long it will last. I have to say that at that price it made me think about it (very briefly) but there are still too many issues for it to be tempting.

I just read that it’s gonna be only good for 10 days on Electrek I kind of doubt it, but that’s what they said in a tweet by Elon.
https://electrek.co/2026/02/20/elon...aign=the-electrek-daily-report-for-02-20-2026

 

[Thedude]

I’m tempted to buy one for a portable home battery backup. The max Tesla powerwall configuration you can select online is 4+3 expansions for $50k with 94.5kwh capacity. A little bit more money and you get an extra 30kwh and a vehicle to drive around.

 

[Rade]

Just think of how much less glue they will be using at that price point.

 

[Redline]

This is coming. There was a hidden easter egg showing it on an actual Tesla corporate promo video of future products. I would dump my R1S in a heartbeat.

Hahahahahahhaaha


Hahahahahhahahahahhaha


Hahahahahahahhahahahhahahahhahahahhahahah

 

[Supratachophobia]

There seems to be a market for a Tesla truck because a lot of people bought the CT. Why not take the lessons from the CT and make the necessary changes. I'd start with the design. Bring someone experienced in to do that. Not a lot of EV competitors for a "R2 sized" pickup at $59k.

Have you seen the fan renderings from 2018? Every single one was a million times better than what actually came out on stage. They should just use one of those.

 

[Time2Roll]

I’m tempted to buy one for a portable home battery backup. The max Tesla powerwall configuration you can select online is 4+3 expansions for $50k with 94.5kwh capacity. A little bit more money and you get an extra 30kwh and a vehicle to drive around.

I thought it was 3 expansion for each powerwall so max is 4 + 12.

I would not have space for another vehicle.

 

[Thedude]

I thought it was 3 expansion for each powerwall so max is 4 + 12.

I would not have space for another vehicle.

That would change the equation quite a bit. Based on the price structure I think it’s just three total expansions not three per power wall but could easily be wrong. One wall plus three expansions is $26,800 and two walls plus three expansions is $35,000 or about the price of a single additional powerwall.

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