In what appears to be Elon Musk's ongoing quest to make everyone on Earth drive what looks like a prop from a straight-to-DVD sci-fi movie, Tesla has announced a "cheaper" version of its controversial Cybertruck. And by cheaper, I mean it still costs more than what many people paid for their first home.The new 2025 Cybertruck Long Range single-motor trim enters the lineup as the base model, priced at a wallet-obliterating $71,985 including destination charges. For context, that's about the same price as a high-end Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado, or Ram 1500 with four-wheel drive – except those trucks don't look like they were designed by a five-year-old using only a ruler. What the new 2025 Tesla Cybertruck gives you for your $72,000 Despite being the "budget" option, the new 2025 Cybertruck Long Range actually offers more range than its more expensive siblings, with Tesla claiming it can travel 350 miles on a single charge. That's about 25 miles more than the All-Wheel Drive model, which costs an additional $10,000.The extra range comes at the expense of performance and capability. The single motor drives only the rear wheels, resulting in a 0-60 mph time of 6.2 seconds – quick for a truck, but practically glacial by Tesla standards. The maximum payload drops to 2,006 pounds (compared to 2,500 in the AWD version), and towing capacity falls to 7,500 pounds, which is still enough to pull a decent-sized boat or camper. Tesla has also stripped away some of the features that make the more expensive Cybertrucks feel somewhat worth their astronomical price tags. Instead of leather seats, you get "textile" seats (which is marketing speak for cloth). They're heated but not ventilated, so prepare for some sweaty summer drives. The speaker count drops from 15 to 7, and the powered tonneau cover gets binned entirely, though you can add a soft cover as an option.Perhaps most significantly, the air suspension is replaced with adaptive coil springs, meaning you can't adjust the ride height. For a vehicle with supposed off-road pretensions, this seems like a significant compromise. At least it retains the steer-by-wire system with four-wheel steering, which is one of the few genuinely innovative features on this stainless steel doorstop. Why the new 2025 Tesla Cybertruck still doesn't make much senseEven at this "reduced" price point, the new 2025 Cybertruck faces stiff competition. The Ford F-150 Lightning starts at $65,190 and comes with a dual-motor setup. The Chevrolet Silverado EV can be had in single-motor form for $57,095. Even the premium Rivian R1T – widely regarded as one of the best electric trucks on the market – starts at $71,900 with a dual-motor powertrain producing 533 horsepower.All of those alternatives look like normal trucks, which means you can park them without becoming a social media sensation. They also don't require special car washes or paint repair techniques, and their bodywork won't show fingerprints from half a mile away.The timing of this announcement is particularly interesting, coming amid what Tesla itself describes as "tariff chaos and sharply declining sales." It seems the initial enthusiasm for the Cybertruck has waned significantly. The novelty factor can only carry a product so far, especially when that product costs as much as a luxury condo in many parts of the country.The comments section under the announcement tells its own story. One user joked about trying to trade in a nearly-new Cybertruck with under 2,000 miles, only to have the Tesla dealer respond, "You actually bought one of those things?" Another simply asked, "Who cares what it costs, what's its scrap value?" According to Tesla's website, this base model will be available between June and July this year. Whether anyone will actually buy it remains to be seen. At this point, the Cybertruck seems less like a serious attempt at revolutionizing the pickup truck market and more like an expensive vanity project that's outstayed its welcome.The electric truck market is evolving rapidly, with genuinely practical options arriving from established manufacturers who understand what truck buyers actually want. Meanwhile, Tesla is offering slightly different versions of a vehicle that looks like it was designed for a post-apocalyptic movie set, at prices that make financial advisors weep.Perhaps the most damning thing about the new 2025 Cybertruck is that it's still trying to solve problems that don't exist, while ignoring the ones that do. A pickup truck doesn't need to look like it came from the future; it needs to be practical, reliable, and reasonably priced. On all three counts, the Cybertruck – even in this "cheaper" form – continues to miss the mark by the width of Texas.
