- Registration data shows the Tesla Cybertruck is no longer the electric pickup king.
- The Ford F-150 Lightning overtook the angular EV in the first quarter.
The Tesla Cybertruck has lost the top spot on the list of best-selling electric pickup trucks in the United States. After finishing 2024 as a best-seller, Tesla’s only pickup has fallen to second place in the first quarter of this year.
After the first three months, the Cybertruck had amassed 7,126 registrations. The Ford F-150 Lightning overtook it with 7,913 registrations, according to the most recent data from S&P Global Mobility. The Chevrolet Silverado EV finished the first quarter in third place, followed by the GMC Sierra EV, Rivian R1T and GMC Hummer EV.
Tesla recently introduced a cheaper Cybertruck without all-wheel drive.
Photo by: Tesla
Tesla doesn’t break down vehicle sales by individual models, so looking at registration data is the only way to compare sales numbers with the competition.
Compared to last year’s first quarter, this year’s numbers are a huge improvement for the Cybertruck. However, that’s to be expected because deliveries of Tesla’s pickup officially started in late November 2023, making Q1 of 2024 its first full quarter on sale. The Cybertruck had three quarters of increasing sales, but the trend stopped in the last quarter of last year.
After this year’s first three months, the stainless steel truck officially recorded its second quarter in a row of declining sales. In Q3 2023, the Cybertruck sold 16,692 units, according to Cox Automotive. In the following quarter, the number fell to 12,991. In Q1 2025, the number of registrations was 7,126, per S&P Global Mobility. According to Cox Automotive, the number of Cybertrucks sold from January to March was even lower: 6,404. Ford reported 7,187 sales of the F-150 Lightning in Q1.
As a result, Ford’s electric pickup, which debuted in 2022, has regained the title it lost last year to the Cybertruck. That being said, celebrations aren’t exactly welcome, seeing how even the best-selling EV truck in the U.S. has struggled to move over 7,000 units in three months.
Carmakers bet their fortunes on what has traditionally been a very lucrative segment in America. The gas-powered F-150 has been one of the best-selling vehicles in the country for decades, so offering a battery-powered one made sense. However, sales figures show otherwise, and even Ford’s CEO, Jim Farley, admitted that for big electric trucks and SUVs, “the economics are unresolvable.”
Due to their size, pickups need big batteries to enable a decent driving range, but big batteries also make vehicles heavier. Plus, a pickup truck has to be capable of doing everything. “These customers have very demanding use cases for an electric vehicle,” Farley said during Ford’s fourth-quarter 2024 earnings call. “They tow, they go off-road, they take long road trips. These vehicles have worse aerodynamics and they’re very heavy, which means very large and expensive batteries.”
Ram recently delayed its upcoming all-electric 1500 REV and range-extended 1500 Ramcharger for a second time. Rivian’s deliveries in Q1 dropped year-over-year and quarter-over-quarter. In other words, it’s not looking good for electric trucks. Meanwhile, EVs in general are having a great time, with an overall sales increase of 11.4% in Q1 compared to the same period last year.
