Tesla’s original cybertruck appears on the stock page and indicates weakness

On By Littum

The Tesla Foundation Series is now listed on the Cybertruck inventory page, an indication of reduced demand for Tesla’s most expensive electric pickup truck.

In fact, the Foundation Series only Cybertruck available on stock page from December 24 in the afternoon. (Note that inventory is very dynamic and levels can rise and fall rapidly).

Quick refresh of the Cybertruck Foundation series

The Foundation series was the only Cybertruck delivered to customers for most of the year (until October). It was available to early adopters, but there was a catch: you had to pay a premium of about $20,000 over the price of a “regular” Cybertruck. That means you’ll pay around $100,000 for the Foundation Series AWD Cybertruck (versus $79,990 for the non-Foundation Series) and $120,000 for the Cyberbeast (versus $99,990). You get something extra like Full Self Driving (an $8,000 option for non-Foundation Series), a Foundation Series badge, Powershare Home Backup capability and bragging rights for owning a Foundation Series.

What has changed (not the price)

The fact that the Foundation series appears on the inventory page is an indication of weaker demand, as this page is devoted to unsold vehicles. What else has changed: The cachet of owning a Foundation Series Cybertruck has faded as supply has caught up with demand in recent months. It has become very evident in places like Los Angeles (where I live). Cybertrucks are by no means an uncommon sight now. But Tesla – for now – is sticking to the original price. The dual-motor AWD Foundation Series is still $100K ($99,990) and the tri-motor Cyberbeast is still $120K ($119,990). An advantage is that both FS AWD and Cyberbeast are available for immediate pickup.

Cybertruck demand weaker

Since the Foundation series was aimed at the early adopters, the unsold inventory is likely an indication that enthusiasm peaked at levels below what Tesla predicted. Also non-Foundation Cybertrucks on regular (non-inventory) CT landing page in some cases shows “available today” indicating backorders and wait times are a thing of the past. S&P Global Mobility said demand for the Cybertruck had fallen in September and October, according to a Reuters report. That said, it was the third best-selling electric vehicle in the third quarter in the US, according to Kelley Blue Book.