Here's how many Tesla Cybertrucks are registered in Texas
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A Tesla Cybertruck sits on a lot in Austin earlier this year. Photo: Brandon Bell/Getty Images
It's not just your imagination: Tanklike, straight-out-of-"Dune" electric Cybertrucks have grown more visible on San Antonio streets.
The big picture: Tesla's electric truck is considered the fastest pickup by Car and Driver.
- It was the third best-selling electric vehicle in the U.S. in the third quarter this year with nearly 17,000 sales, per Forbes.
Catch up quick: Tesla debuted the Cybertruck in late November 2023.
By the numbers: After its first month, there were five Cybertrucks registered in Texas, per Texas Department of Motor Vehicles data Axios obtained through an open records request. That jumped to 3,711 registered Cybertrucks in the state by early October this year.
- In San Antonio, there were 199 registered Cybertrucks as of early October.
- That's compared to 388 in Austin, 330 in Houston and 175 in Dallas.
- San Antonio didn't have any registered Cybertrucks in the EV's first month.
How it works: CPS Energy programs let EV owners earn bill credits for allowing the utility to adjust their charging when energy demand is high, or agreeing to charge outside peak demand hours.
Context: Federal safety regulators have fined Tesla nearly $7,000 for violations at an Austin factory that produces Cybertrucks, the Express-News reported.
Reality check: Tesla recalled about 27,000 Cybertrucks in October for delayed rear-view camera images.
- The EV has had six recalls this year, most recently for a defect that could cause it to lose drive power, increasing the risk of crashes.
Zoom in: Tesla's sales had been lagging earlier this year because of its controversial founder Elon Musk, the New York Times reported.
- His alliance with President-elect Trump helped shape the 2024 election, and Musk is poised to wield significant influence over future federal policy on everything from artificial intelligence to government job cuts once Trump takes office.
The latest: Tesla this fall reported its first sales bump in 2024, which could be attributed to falling interest rates.
State of play: Fewer people are ordering the Cybertruck than Tesla predicted partly because of the recalls, Consumer Guide Automotive publisher Tom Appel tells Axios.
- One issue for anyone actually using it as a pickup truck is that towing cuts the mileage in half, Appel says.
- The Cybertruck starts at $79,990. Tesla predicts $6,000 in gas savings over five years.
- Musk promised to release a cheaper version of the truck, but that didn't happen.
What they're saying: "It could perform as a regular truck, [it's] not doing that, though. There's profound anecdotal evidence to suggest that people are just buying these as showpieces," Appel says.
Editor's note: This story has been corrected to say the Cybertruck starts at $79,990 (not $99,900).