Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk said on Tuesday that the company can turn out more than 125,000 of its long-awaited pickup truck, the Cybertruck. But he also warned that it would likely take quite a while for the EV maker to get the Cybertruck into total production. “This is the most challenging product we’ve ever attempted to launch,” he said, explaining that many steps are involved in going from prototype to production car.
Tesla’s brash CEO has long been known to miss his projections about timelines and delivery dates, but the Cybertruck is a particularly challenging case. The company first announced the truck in 2019 and has since postponed its start of production three times, from late 2021 to late 2022 to early 2023.
The company’s unusual pickup has received a mixed reception. Some analysts have panned it as a niche product that won’t appeal broadly, while others have praised it for pushing the boundaries of electric vehicle technology. Its wedge-like silhouette and stainless steel bodywork, which it refers to as an exoskeleton, look nothing like traditional pickups. There are no side mirrors, either, which could create a regulatory headache regarding federal safety requirements. But there are some impressive numbers behind the hype, including a 500-mile range, a 0-to-60-mph sprint time of 2.9 seconds, and a 14,000-pound towing rating.
When production does begin, it will likely be a limited run of units. Musk said the company will only produce 200,000 trucks a year, though he added that there is potential for that number to rise to 250,000 in 2025. He didn’t specify how much each of those vehicles will cost but did say that he expects them to be priced at the bottom end of the pickup market.
Tesla plans to hold a delivery event for the Cybertruck on Nov. 30, though the exact date is subject to change. It will be the first time buyers can get their hands on a Cybertruck, though production prototypes have been spotted with tweaked design elements as recently as February. A new yoke steering wheel, for example, was featured in one of these updated prototypes.
For now, interested parties can reserve a Cybertruck by plopping down $100 on the company’s website. That’s not a binding commitment to purchase once the truck goes on sale, and Tesla will ask customers to confirm their interest closer to the start of production, currently penciled in for late 2023. But it’s a good sign that the company is progressing on getting the Cybertruck to the road. It will face competition from rivals such as Ford and Rivian Automotive, which are rushing to bring their electric pickups to the marketplace. They may even be able to steal some of the spotlight from Tesla’s unique ute. Then again, they might not.
