Entry-level Tesla Cybertruck: 'It's over'

It was supposed to make the Cybertruck more "low cost," but Tesla is calling it a day just 5 months after its launch, and without making a sound. Tesla is thus discreetly removing its entry-level rear-wheel drive model from its catalog. A far from insignificant decision, which speaks volumes about the brand's strategy... and the limits of the electric dream.

Initially announced at $40,000 less than the previous, cheapest model, the Long Range RWD Tesla promised to make its Cybertruck accessible to as many Americans as possible and thus boost sales of its flagship product. In reality, the entry-level Cybertruck never really existed. After an excessively slow launch and performance well below that of its bigger siblings, Tesla decided to quietly discontinue the cheapest version of its futuristic pickup. The entry price now climbs to $79,990. This decision illustrates the strategic, even ideological, shift of a brand that seems to be drawing a definitive line under the fantasy of the affordable electric car.

This is true for a product that had the ambition to make Americans used to large pickup trucks dream, offering a low-cost version with rear-wheel drive, a single engine, 18-inch rims, fabric seats, without a rear screen, without a bed cover or air suspension remains the opposite of their expectations and can even be considered an insulting proposition.

In reality, this model is listed at $69,990 (far from the original advertised price) and the much more powerful dual-motor AWD version is only $10,000 more, which justifies his dislike for this version.