The Cybertruck era is over, but America’s electric truck experiment isn’t

9:59

supplementary video · Business Casual on YouTube ↗

money & economicsanalysisGrist

The Cybertruck era is over, but America’s electric truck experiment isn’t

the gist

Tesla plans to wind down Cybertruck production next year after barely three years, freeing its Texas factory for the Cybercab robotaxi. Before launch in 2023, Musk told investors Tesla would sell 250,000 a year; last year it sold just over 20,000. It is not alone: Ford discontinued the electric F-150 Lightning as a money-loser, Rivian's pickup sales have slid every year since 2023, and the Hummer EV has been called the worst-selling pickup of 2026. Automakers had bet that big, aggressive electric trucks would win over traditional pickup buyers, but sticker prices thousands higher than gas trucks put many off.

how it works

Pickups are the most profitable vehicles for US automakers. Electric versions cost more to build because of big batteries, so they sell at a premium that buyers worried about living costs wouldn't pay.

so what

Electric pickups are a test of whether EVs can win the vehicle category Americans buy most. Their price, not just their image, was the barrier, so industry hopes now rest on cheaper, less polarizing trucks.

the bigger pattern

Pricey, divisive flagship products have flopped before, like the Edsel, when design and pricing misread what buyers wanted.

fun fact

Ford's 1957 Edsel, the car often compared with the Cybertruck, was a heavily promoted flop that lasted only about three model years.

source: Grist ↗

historyWikipediaclassic1336–1565 · Karnataka, India

Hampi was once one of the world's largest cities, until its Vijayanagara capital was destroyed in 1565

the gist

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.

how it works

The city was built around a fortified core with temples, markets and water structures along the river, supplied by an extensive network of roads and waterworks. When the empire fell, the city was not rebuilt, so its stone monuments were left standing.

so what

Hampi shows how quickly a great city can vanish after a military defeat, and how a ruined capital can remain sacred. Its ruins give historians a view of medieval South Asia that few other sites can match.

fun fact

The name Hampi comes from Pampa, an old name for the Tungabhadra River.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · text CC BY-SA 4.0

Image: Wikimedia Commons

source: Wikipedia ↗

2 min

politicsshortCNA2:01

False allegations about Singapore’s hand in Indonesia’s markets and a made-up meeting

from CNA

CNA Verify has found close to 400 posts pushing falsehoods tying Singapore to Indonesia’s stock market rout and to a secret meeting that never took place. Together, they drew nearly 12 million views, and some were circulated by accounts that appeared to be working in concert, across multiple social media platforms.

Here’s how the disinformation campaign targeting Singapore was uncovered.

on YouTube: CNA ↗