Tesla’s Cybertruck Is An Internet Sensation — But Will It Sell Well?

Tesla’s upcoming electric-powered truck model, the Cybertruck — which looks like it came straight off the set of a 1980s sci-fi film — thundered its way into the hearts of millions of Americans at its unveiling last week. 

Later, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the company had already received at least 200,000 refundable $100 deposits for the truck, which won’t hit the roadways until at least 2021. 

CivicScience surveyed more than 2,000 U.S. adults about the Cybertruck, and found that, while it may not set the market on fire, some Americans are certainly considering it. 

About half of American adults at large say they don’t like the Cybertruck, which is understandable, considering its bold design. The real question is whether truck owners will jump on board.

The answer is somewhat complicated. Truck owners are actually a little bit more likely than non-truck owners to have either put a deposit down on a Cybertruck or to consider doing so. However, just about two-thirds of truck owners say they “don’t like” the Cybertruck, a figure 37% higher than that of the general population. 

It’s equally possible, though, that the Cybertruck will bring in customers who otherwise wouldn’t buy a truck. The data show that early tech adopters are more than twice as likely as others to consider buying a Cybertruck, and 58% more likely to say they like the upcoming Tesla model.

Digging deep into the numbers, fans of Ford are the truck owners most likely to say they “like” the Cybertruck but don’t plan to buy it (33%). Fans of RAM trucks, though, were the truck owners most likely to say they’re considering buying a Cybertruck (6%). As one might have guessed, men were more than twice as likely as women to have considered buying one, and were 58% more likely to say they like it. However, income did not play a major role; higher earners were actually more likely to say they “don’t like” the nearly-$40,000 truck. 

While the Cybertruck probably won’t make a big dent in the American truck market, it has attracted some interest among early adopters, truck owners, and men at large.