Tesla to wind down Cybertruck production next year

Tesla chief executive Elon Musk announced in a post on the social network X on Friday that the electric carmaker will wind down production of its Cybertruck pickup at its factory in Austin, Texas, around the middle of next year. The move is intended to make room for increased output of the Cybercab, Tesla's self-driving robotaxi.

The Austin plant is the only Tesla facility known to assemble the Cybertruck and to be equipped to produce the specialised components the vehicle requires. Musk has not said whether production could shift elsewhere. According to The Verge, relocating it would be difficult, particularly for a vehicle that has never sold well.

Sales figures

Tesla does not publish separate Cybertruck sales numbers. Even the highest analyst estimates put total deliveries since the 2023 launch at roughly 70,000 units, far below the 250,000 a year that Musk once predicted.

A troubled history

Since its introduction, the model has been surrounded by controversy. Its design has divided opinion and is not road legal in many parts of the world. It has been subject to numerous recalls over faulty or dangerous components and has been involved in fatal accidents.

If the Cybertruck does end in 2027, Tesla will have another unconventional vehicle in the pipeline that could serve as its spiritual successor: the Cybercab.