SpaceX and xAI Purchase Thousands of Unsold Cybertrucks Before Tax Credit Deadline

Just before the September 30, 2025 deadline for locking in orders with unrefundable deposits to qualify for Q4 EV tax credits, Elon Musk’s companies SpaceX and xAI ordered thousands of Tesla Cybertrucks, effectively bailing out Tesla’s struggling electric pickup sales. Through the first nine months of 2025, Tesla sold just 16,097 Cybertrucks, a 38% decline compared to 2024, with Q3 sales of only 5,385 units representing a 63% year-over-year drop. Hundreds of Cybertrucks were subsequently delivered to SpaceX’s Starbase in Boca Chica, the Starlink facility in Bastrop, and xAI sites. This self-dealing transaction allows Musk to artificially inflate Tesla’s vehicle sales figures, claim federal tax credits across his corporate empire, and mask the Cybertruck’s commercial failure—all while consolidating his conglomerate’s resources in ways that benefit his personal wealth at potential taxpayer expense.