Is A $53,490 Tesla Cybertruck About To Launch?

By Gary Gastelu |

Mar 3, 2025

Tesla Cybertruck production has apparently met demand, at least for the current models.

Tesla has been offering a variety of incentives to move the (stainless steel) metal, including free supercharger access for life on certain trucks in inventory and lower-priced lease deals.

The Cybertruck launched with two all-wheel-drive trims priced at $79,990 and $99,990 that were initially bundled with a $20,000 Foundation Series package of special equipment. It is no longer required, but Foundation Series trucks are still available in stock.

Tesla originally promised to offer a rear-wheel-drive Cybertruck with a starting price of $60,990 that would enter production in 2025. It was listed with 250 miles of range, a 7,500-pound towing capacity and 6.5-second 0-60 mph acceleration. However, Tesla removed it from its website last April and it hasn’t yet returned. At least not on the order form.

The Cybertruck wasn’t eligible for the $7,500 federal electric vehicle purchase tax credit last year, but when the IRS added it to the list this year it included two models: the Cybertruck Dual Motor and the Cybertruck Single Motor. That would bring the effective entry price to $53,490 for many buyers, not including destination fees.

That does’t guarantee that the rear-wheel-drive model will ever be released, but it is proof that Tesla went to the trouble of getting it certified for the credit and it’s not the only recent move that suggests it will be on sale soon.

In January, the Tesla Apps Updates X account discovered a couple of changes made to Tesla’s software that said the Cybertruck’s power tonneau cover and AC outlets would no longer be standard on all models. No further details were mentioned, but deleting features like that is exactly the sort of thing Tesla would be expected to do in order to get the Cybertruck’s price anywhere near the $60,990 target.

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Based on the originally advertised 250-mile range, it’s likely the rear-wheel-drive trim will also use a smaller battery pack than the all-wheel-drive models. The current $79,990 Cybertruck has a maximum range of 325 miles per charge, according to Tesla, which would more likely increase with the removal of a motor while retaining the same battery pack. Battery prices are the main reason electric vehicles cost more than internal combustion engines.

While the rear-wheel-drive Cybertruck launch remains a wait and see proposition, Elon Musk and other Tesla executives have said the company will be releasing a few other all-new models this year. These include the long-awaited second-generation Roadster, a new low-cost entry level vehicle many are calling the Model Q and the fully autonomous Cybercab, which Tesla said will debut this June in a ride-hailing service in Austin, Texas.