SEMA 2025: Cybertrucks

Tesla’s Cybertruck is one of the most controversial and interesting cars of the 21st Century. Today we’re going to look at the Cybertrucks that were at the 2025 SEMA Show.

The concept was simple enough – In 2012 through 2013 Elon Musk saw a gap in the market for an electric Ford F150 competitor. It was teased until 21st November 2019 (the date the cyberpunk film Blade Runner was set) when the prototype was unveiled.

From the get go, the Cybertruck had a rocky start. At the unveiling chief designer Franz von Holzhausen was to demonstrate the Cybertruck’s ‘virtually unbreakable’ windows by throwing metal balls at them. They broke. Musk claims that the windows broke during an earlier demonstration, where the doors were hit with a sledgehammer cracking the base of the glass.

Reservations began to be taken in 2019 with a $100 refundable deposit. In 5 days 250,000 units were reserved.

The Cybertruck was meant to launch in late 2021. The rear wheel drive base model was to start at $39,900. The truck was delayed to 2022, then to 2023 with an updated starting price of $60,990. (That’s a $21,090 increase.) Production finally began in November 2023 with customers taking delivery of the first cars in early 2024.

I was last in the U.S in November 2023 (for SEMA) and because of the harsh angles on the bodywork the Cybertruck doesn’t meet European safety standards for pedestrians – so I’ve never actually seen one in person.

Through early to mid 2024 Musk became a lot more involved in U.S politics. His Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE (yes like the old meme, because of course government organisations are named after a stupid internet meme, it’s the 2020s you know!)) was highly controversial around the world and Tesla’s sales and reputation suffered. Though Musk has since distanced himself and Tesla stocks have rebounded.

The truck itself has had very mixed reviews. I dare say some of those reviews, both positive and negative, have been driven by political bias. So I’m not going to comment on it until I’ve driven one or at least got to spend some time examining one outside of a massive car show where I’m rushing about trying to get content.

Despite it’s difficult start, I genuinely find the Cybertruck fascinating. It’s cyberpunk inspired design is incredibly unique, especially with all the flat angles and harsh edges. It’s a design that divides opinion but it deviates from the norm, which I always admire.

Although, it’s not necessarily a SEMA truck. Another of Elon Musk’s companies, The Boring Company, are building a network of tunnels under Vegas, where Teslas will shuttle people back and forth like taxis. The Convention Centre acts as a hub for them and a couple of stations have opened at other resorts. The Boring Company guys are using them as, I assume, works trucks.

Considering the uniqueness of the vehicle I was expecting to see quite a few at SEMA but there weren’t a tremendous amount. Those that were there only seemed to be lightly modified too in comparison to a lot of the other trucks.

One of the biggest criticisms of the Cybertruck is that because the body is made of stainless steel, in certain environments the body can be tarnished with iron particles, which oxidise and form what looks like surface rust.

It isn’t rusting, and it is cleanable. It’s just not a good look and its a bit of a pain. A lot of owners have taken to having their trucks covered with PPF (paint protection film) or they get their trucks wrapped in vinyl. This truck was a demonstration vehicle for a vinyl company.

There were a trio of wrapped trucks outside the West Hall.

This one was advertising for spraybooths outside the South Hall.

Inspired Overland make rooftop tents. I was just doing a bot of research into this and there are a few kits to convert Cybertrucks into campers utilizing that downward slope at the back of the truck. As a fan of microcampers I think these are fantastic!

There will be a proper post about overlanding at SEMA coming soon.

This one had ramps on the back to carry an off-road utility vehicle. I like the wrap on this one too – it plays into the cyberpunk inspired styling.

Finally we have this truck from Custuning, from Taiwan, who make all sort of upgrade bits for the Tesla line up. This one boasts a carbon wide body and aftermarket wheels from Anemoi Forged.

Because the Cybertruck was never sold in Taiwan, the car was 3d scanned in the States, the parts made in Taiwan, and then shipped to the States. I’m sure that’s a common practise these days but I thought it was really cool!

Thanks for joining me on this short tour of the Cybertrucks of SEMA ’25. I know this was a shorter post, but the Cybertruck is such a unique thing that a lot of the world simply don’t have the opportunity to see, so I thought they were worth sharing.

There’s still a lot more SEMA coverage to come! If you don’t want to miss out, subscribe to the blog via email using the box at the bottom of the page!

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By Richard Francis.