Farewell, Cybertruck: why the winding down of the ‘Maga hat on wheels’ is a sign of the times

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Eccentric and overhyped, Tesla’s Cybertruck became a stand-in for Elon Musk during his ascent in the Republican party. It will join the ranks of other vehicles symbolic of their…

Eccentric and overhyped, Tesla’s Cybertruck became a stand-in for Elon Musk during his ascent in the Republican party. It will join the ranks of other vehicles symbolic of their eras – for better or for worse

Three days after a historic blue tsunami changed America’s political landscape, Elon Musk announced Tesla would end production of its hulking Cybertruck next year.

Was it a coincidence? Maybe. Musk said the move was “to make room for increased Cybercab production”, referring to Tesla’s Robotaxi. But the combined circumstances felt highly appropriate: it was the end of an era.

Eccentric and overhyped, the Cybertruck became a kind of automotive stand-in for Musk himself amid his political ascent. Like so many of his projects, it was massively promoted, heavily delayed, and ultimately fell short: Musk once predicted he could sell 250,000 a year but ultimately sold 70,000 in three years, losing $1.9bn in the process, according to Quartz.

The design seemed to prioritize science fiction over robust engineering: the unveiling was in November 2019, when the film Blade Runner was set, as Musk proudly pointed out – but it didn’t arrive on the roads until four years later. At that unveiling event, Musk infamously showed off the Cybertruck’s durability by having a designer throw a ball at its window, which cracked. While Musk called it apocalypse-proof, it often seemed like the opposite: Cybertrucks suffered at least five vehicle fires, four of them deadly – making them deadlier than the notorious Ford Pinto, according to an analysis.

Like its creator, the Cybertruck was highly divisive. Many observers were repulsed by its bizarre, boxy appearance and its road-hogging size (a parallel parking nightmare). “It is the ugliest vehicle I think I have ever laid eyes on,” the automotive expert Mike Caudill told Fox Business. Others, however, were deeply devoted to their Cybertrucks.

Indeed, the Cybertruck had its strong points, according to experts.

“Why is that important to you that…

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