It appears that Tesla’s mass production of the Cybertruck might be more than a year away, according to a Tuesday report from Reuters, citing experts.
During its quarterly investor update call last month, Musk stated that the company is “in the final stretch for Cybertruck,” with an “early production” start around mid-2023. Historically, all Tesla models, except for the Model Y, which benefited from a lot of shared components with the Model 3 at its introduction, required a fairly long runway to reach volume production.
The Cybertruck was unveiled in November 2019, resembling more of a concept car at the time but boasting impressive specs like 0-60 mph acceleration in less than 2.9 seconds and a range of over 500 miles in some versions. The company claimed at that time that the Cybertruck offers “better utility than a truck with more performance than a sports car.”
With a stainless-steel body, flat front and rear glass that meets at a point, wheel arches shaped like hexagonal nuts, and an overall design inspired by a retro supercar, the Cybertruck entered new design territory for trucks. After the Cybertruck’s debut, it became even clearer that the truck was far from ready for production, as Musk confirmed a final decision on the size of the production Cybertruck in mid-2020 and clarified how his choice of materials would require new production tools. Since then, Tesla has hinted at a possible switch to 800 volts for the Cybertruck.
Earlier this year, Tesla confirmed delays for the Cybertruck, Roadster, and Semi, pushing all three back to 2023. However, Tesla has since begun manufacturing the Semi, with the first deliveries scheduled for December 1. Musk recently stated that Tesla is “tentatively aiming” for an annual production of 50,000 Semi units in North America.
Pricing could remain a contentious point. Tesla originally priced the Cybertruck at $41,100, with Dual Motor AWD versions starting at $51,100 and the Tri Motor AWD model at $71,100. This was when the Cybertruck was supposed to be delivered in 2021, and at that time, a base Model 3 cost around $40,000. Since then, the Model 3 base price has risen to around $48,000.
