Cybertruck Has Failed and Now They Are Trying to Sell It in a Country ‘Full of Gasoline’
American sales figures reveal why expanding sales territories has become an absolute necessity for Tesla. During 2025, the automaker sold only 20,237 Cybertrucks in the United States, representing a massive 48 percent drop compared to the previous year. When Elon Musk announced the vehicle years ago, he spoke of a potential market for up to 500,000 units annually. The vision of a futuristic electric pickup truck was supposed to shake up the American market and open a completely new chapter for the company. The reality has proven to be significantly more modest as interest in the US has completely collapsed.
After demand in its home market dried up, Tesla is now attempting to market the Cybertruck in a region where electric cars have almost no economic advantage. At the beginning of the year, the first Cybertrucks were officially delivered to customers in the United Arab Emirates. During a promotional event held in the Dubai desert, about 63 vehicles were handed over to new owners, although some units had been seen in the region earlier due to private imports. For Tesla, this is a logical step for expansion but also an admission that the vehicle did not turn into the sales hit expected in America.
The irony of this move is obvious to industry observers and consumers alike. The UAE is one of the world’s largest oil producers and a country with extremely low fuel prices. In such an environment, it is difficult to sell an electric car using rational arguments about savings, and even harder to sell a pickup that was never imagined as a work tool in this region. The Cybertruck is primarily playing the card of being a status symbol, a design provocation, and a piece of technological exoticism.
The pricing structure in this new market clearly confirms its position as a luxury toy rather than a utility vehicle. In the Emirates, the dual-motor version costs approximately 110,000 dollars, which is significantly higher than the starting price in the United States. The top-of-the-range ‘Cyberbeast’ with three motors costs approximately 123,000 dollars. For buyers in the Emirates, the high price is likely not an obstacle, but it clearly shows that Tesla is not targeting the mass market here.
Meanwhile, the American numbers continue to paint a worrying picture for the long-term viability of the model. The final quarter of 2025 was particularly alarming, with only 4,140 vehicles delivered, which is 68 percent less than the year prior. The initial enthusiasm has faded, and the futuristic design that initially attracted attention is evidently not enough to sustain long-term demand. The Middle East remains a relatively small market and cannot fully compensate for the severe decline in American sales.
Tell us what you think about this pivot to petrol-rich countries in the comments.
