Elon Musk Called Cybertruck Tesla’s ‘Best Product Ever,’ but Sales Are Now Tracking Lower Than Ford’s Edsel — the Biggest Car Flop in History

Automakers have spent decades trying to avoid one comparison above all others: the Ford Edsel. Nearly 70 years after its spectacular failure, the ill-fated sedan remains the gold standard for automotive flops. Now, Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) may have built a contender.

New vehicle registration data analyzed by Bloomberg suggest the Cybertruck is falling even further short of expectations than Ford’s infamous Edsel, despite years of CEO Elon Musk touting the stainless-steel pickup as Tesla’s "best product ever" and "alien technology."

Don’t Miss:

• Most AI Robotics Companies Are Still Building. This One Is Already Working In Restaurants.
• Big Pharma Has Spent Years Searching For Better Osteoarthritis Treatments. This Biotech Is Taking A Different Approach.

From ‘Alien Technology’ to Sales Reality

Musk has never been shy about the Cybertruck’s potential.

In 2021, after an opinion piece predicted the truck would become Tesla’s first major flop, Musk fired back on X.

"Cybertruck looks like it was made by aliens from the future," he wrote.

Musk suggested the pickup could become the company’s defining vehicle during Tesla’s Q2 2022 earnings call. 

"It might actually be our best product ever," he said.

During the truck’s delivery event in November 2023, he told customers, "Finally the future will look like the future."

Even after sales began slowing, Musk continued defending the vehicle. "A Cybertruck is alien technology, OK," he said on "The Joe Rogan Experience" last November. Musk added that it was like "an elephant that runs like a cheetah."

"Cybertruck is an incredible vehicle. Our best ever from Tesla," he wrote on X last December. 

Trending: Deloitte’s #1 Fastest-Growing Software Company Lets Users Earn Money Just by Scrolling — Investors Can Still Get In at $0.52/Share

The Numbers Never Matched the Hype

Tesla began delivering the Cybertruck in late 2023 after years of delays.

Musk previously suggested Tesla could eventually produce more than 250,000 Cybertrucks annually. Instead, the truck’s first full year fell well short of that pace.

Cox Automotive estimated U.S. sales at roughly 39,000 vehicles in 2024. Sales then dropped to about 20,000 in 2025.

The slowdown has continued.

Through this past May, just 7,133 Cybertrucks had been registered in the United States, according to S&P Global Mobility data cited by Bloomberg. Even that figure includes purchases made by Musk’s other companies, including SpaceX (NASDAQ:SPCX), which has added Cybertrucks to its fleet. 

A Familiar Lesson for Investors

The comparison to the Edsel isn’t just about disappointing sales. Ford expected to sell about 200,000 Edsels during the model’s first year after its 1957 debut. 

See Also: This Energy Company Says It Can Turn Coal Into Hydrogen, Diesel And Other Products—Without Burning It.

It sold fewer than one-third of that target before Ford Motor (NYSE:F) discontinued the Edsel in 1959, costing the automaker an estimated $350 million at the time—roughly $2.5 billion in today’s dollars.

The Cybertruck’s struggles are also a reminder that even the world’s most successful companies can misjudge consumer demand. For some investors, that’s one reason to look beyond established public companies and follow emerging technologies before they become mainstream.

One company drawing attention in that space is Immersed, which develops spatial computing software and the Visor headset designed to create expansive virtual workspaces where professionals can collaborate with AI-powered applications. Unlike Tesla, Immersed remains privately held, giving eligible investors an opportunity to invest before any potential public offering.

Musk has built a career proving skeptics wrong. Whether the Cybertruck eventually joins that list or remains one of Tesla’s biggest disappointments is a question only future sales can answer.

Read Next: If there was a new fund backed by Jeff Bezos offering a 7-9% target yield with monthly dividends would you invest in it?

Building Wealth Across More Than Just the Market

Building a resilient portfolio means thinking beyond a single asset or market trend. Economic cycles shift, sectors rise and fall, and no one investment performs well in every environment. That’s why many investors look to diversify with platforms that provide access to real estate, fixed-income opportunities, precious metals, and even self-directed retirement accounts. By spreading exposure across multiple asset classes, it becomes easier to manage risk, capture steady returns, and create long-term wealth that isn’t tied to the fortunes of just one company or industry.

Arrived

Backed by Jeff Bezos, Arrived Homes makes real estate investing accessible with a low barrier to entry. Investors can buy fractional shares of single-family rentals and vacation homes starting with as little as $100. This allows everyday investors to diversify into real estate, collect rental income, and build long-term wealth without needing to manage properties directly.

Realberry

Institutional-quality real estate has traditionally been difficult for individual investors to access. Realberry gives accredited investors direct access to private real estate opportunities backed by a team with 35 years of experience, $3.4 billion in assets under management, and $481 million in cumulative distributions paid to investors as of Q4 2025, according to the company. With a portfolio spanning 13 million square feet across seven U.S. states, Realberry focuses on acquiring, developing, and managing real estate with an emphasis on long-term value creation while its principals often invest alongside clients to help align interests.

FarmTogether

Farmland has historically held its value through market volatility and delivered returns uncorrelated to stocks and bonds. For accredited investors, FarmTogether offers direct access to high-quality U.S. farmland starting at $15,000 — fully managed, with no landlord headaches.

Immersed

Immersed is building technology for the future of work through spatial computing. Known for its AR/VR productivity platform that enables users to work across multiple virtual screens, the company has grown to more than 1.5 million users worldwide. Immersed is also developing Visor, a lightweight headset designed specifically for professional productivity, positioning the company at the intersection of remote work, extended reality (XR), and next-generation computing.

Fundrise

Private real estate and private credit can add income and stability to a stock-heavy portfolio. Fundrise offers access to diversified private real estate and credit strategies through an easy-to-use platform, with professionally managed portfolios designed to generate passive income and long-term growth.

Mode Mobile

Mode Mobile is changing the way people interact with their phones by letting users earn money from the same apps and activities they already use every day. Instead of platforms keeping all the advertising revenue, Mode Mobile shares a portion back with users who engage with content, play games, and scroll on their devices. Named one of Deloitte’s fastest-growing software companies in North America, the company has built a large beta user base and is scaling a model that turns everyday smartphone usage into a potential income stream. 

EquityMultiple 

For accredited investors looking beyond stocks and bonds, EquityMultiple provides access to vetted commercial real estate deals starting at $5,000, with only ~5% of opportunities passing their due diligence process.

Image: Shutterstock