For a vehicle that arrived with so much hype behind it, Tesla’s Cybertruck has struggled to live up to expectations. What was once pitched as a futuristic pickup capable of reshaping the auto industry has instead become associated with delays, recalls, manufacturing flaws, legal complications, weak sales, and growing public criticism.
But it wasn’t just the truck that changed during that period. Elon Musk’s public image shifted, too. A recent Gallup poll found the Tesla CEO held a net favourability rating of -28, with 61% of Americans viewing him unfavourably.
Whether fairly or not, both trajectories increasingly became linked. As Tesla’s brand perception weakened, the Cybertruck gradually transformed from one of the company’s boldest ideas into one of its most polarising products.
Here’s a breakdown of how that happened:
