AD #4415 – Tesla Axes the Cybertruck; BYD Yangwang U9 Tops 500 KM/H; Used Ford F-150 Lightning Sales Soar

This is Autoline Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry.

TESLA AXES THE CYBERTRUCK
When Tesla unveiled the Cybertruck 7 years ago, it made headlines around the world. Elon Musk said the base, single motor version would be priced just under forty grand. Within a week, it racked up 250,000 pre-orders, which then grew to well over a million. That announcement shook Detroit to its core. GM, Ford and Ram raced to develop their own electric pickups, hoping to cash in on the EV craze and to protect their most important profit franchise. But then, the Cybertruck turned out to be a sales flop. Instead of a $40,000 single motor version, it came with AWD and costs anywhere from $80,000 to $100,000. Despite Musk bragging they’d sell 250,000 a year, Tesla is only tooled up to make 125,000 Cybertrucks a year. And it never even came close to that number. We estimate it made less than 50,000 a year on average. So at 1:30 this morning, in a brief one-sentence post on X, Elon Musk announced they’re “winding down production of the Cybertruck.” It ends in the middle of next year and the Cybercab will take its place. 

USED FORD F-150 LIGHTNING SALES SOAR
But even with traditional pickup styling, electric trucks with premium price tags have not sold well in the U.S. Ford also launched the F-150 Lightning with a higher than promised price in 2021 and 4 years later announced it was discontinuing the model. However, used Lightnings are selling for 50%, 60% off in some cases, which puts them right around that original promised starting price, and now they’re flying off dealer lots at twice the rate of the average used vehicle. According to Edmunds, a used Lightning sells in about 20 days versus 44 days on average. But with demand soaring, those deals are getting harder to find. The average price is now about $50,000, up 4% from the start of the year.

  

AUDI CONSIDERS EXPANDING GEORGIA PLANT
We were a little surprised last week when Audi announced plans to build a new $4 billion assembly plant in Georgia. We don’t think it needs the extra capacity. So we’re even more surprised to learn today that Audi is considering expanding the facility even more. The company initially announced the plant will produce 200,000 vehicles a year starting in the early 2030s and employ 4,500 workers. But according to state documents, Audi is considering a second phase that would cost another $3 billion and hire an additional 3,000 workers by 2033. We think Audi’s decision to build the new plant is being driven by U.S. tariffs, which cost the automaker $1.4 last year. But the Trump Administration has promised tariff relief for opening the plant. And Audi will receive over $1 billion in tax incentives and grants from Georgia to build it.

BYD YANGWANG U9 TOPS 500 KM/H
BYD’s YangWang brand can now claim its U9 Xtreme is the first production car to top 500 km/h. The all-electric hypercar, which has nearly 3,000 horsepower, officially went just over 503 km/h or over 312 miles an hour on an open road in Abu Dhabi. The car had already claimed the title as world’s fastest, previously topping out at just over 496 km/h. But it worried other companies were hot on its heels, so it announced in July that it would do another speed run with the hopes of being the first to top 500 km/h. And now it can claim that title as well. 

DAIMLER TRUCK Q3 PROFITS SURGE
Daimler Truck had a very strong third quarter. The truck maker sold more than 91,000 vehicles in Q3, a 26% gain from a year ago. That brought in €11.6 billion in revenue, up 20% and it posted an adjusted EBIT of €1.1 billion, a 73% increase from last year. A lot of the growth came in North America because sales in the third quarter of 2025 dropped off significantly due to tariff uncertainty. So sales in Q3 of this year were up 51% in the region and adjusted EBIT soared 169%.

   

RISING EV SALES HURT ICE RESALE VALUES
Rising sales of electric vehicles in Europe caused by high fuel prices is starting to impact profits at BMW and Volkswagen. The automakers say falling resale values for combustion engine vehicles is hurting lease profits because more used buyers are switching to battery electric vehicles. Volkswagen Financial Services lowered its annual operating profit because of the shift and Audi partly blamed lower ICE vehicle residual values for a 26% drop in its operating profit this year. BMW says it also has experienced “a slight deterioration” in ICE residual values. But it’s not just the automakers. French leasing company Ayvens lost €21 million on used-car sales in the third quarter because of lower ICE resale values.

FIRESTONE LAUNCHES NEW PATHWAY ALL-SEASON TIRE
Firestone, which is an Autoline sponsor, is coming out with a new line of all-season tires specifically designed to reduce braking distance, especially in the wet. They’re called Pathway AS and Firestone claims they will out brake equivalent tires from its competitors. They come with a 65,000-mile warranty and suggested retail prices for the Pathway AS start at $140.  

Well, it’s Friday and that means we’re ready to post the next interview with former auto executive Chris Theodore on how to run a car company, which is based on the lessons he learned from the masters he worked with in his career. Part 3 of Chapter 4, which is all about Engineering, goes out to everyone. Chris explains the different engineering tools that are available today, and looks at future trends in engineering. And all our Patreon and YouTube members will get access to the first part of Chapter 5, which dives into manufacturing, with some great historical background and insights. We love giving our members special treatment as a show of gratitude for your support. Thank you!

And that wraps up this week’s news, please join us again on Monday.