Elon Musk's SpaceX has become the largest buyer of Tesla Cybertrucks, purchasing nearly one in five of the electric pickups sold in the United States during the fourth quarter of 2025, according to registration data from S&P Global Mobility.
The private space company spent more than $100 million (£74m) on the vehicles, propping up sales that would otherwise have fallen by 51 per cent in the period, Bloomberg News reported.
Tesla has suffered two consecutive years of declining sales, losing its position as the world's leading electric car maker to Chinese rival BYD, which recently unveiled a battery capable of charging as quickly as filling a petrol tank.
The Cybertruck, nicknamed the 'MAGAmobile' and 'Deplorean' by critics, has been a polarising vehicle. Musk had predicted annual sales of 250,000 by 2025, but fewer than 21,000 were sold last year, down from nearly 39,000 in 2024.
Sales have also been hit by boycotts linked to Musk's political support for US President Donald Trump and far-right European figures. In a ranking by Axios Harris, Tesla placed last for 'character' and near the bottom for 'ethics' and 'citizenship'.
