Tesla to End Cybertruck Production as the EV Market Shifts Toward Smaller Models
Tesla will stop building the Cybertruck at its Texas Gigafactory next year. Wired argues that, along with Ford's cancellation of the F-150 Lightning, it signals a move toward smaller, cheaper electric vehicles.
Electric carmaker Tesla will end production of the Cybertruck pickup at its Gigafactory in Texas next year. Wired places the decision in a wider context: the era of big electric vehicles, especially trucks, appears to be fading as automakers turn to smaller models.
Large batteries
The Cybertruck uses a 123-kilowatt-hour battery weighing about 1,600 pounds, roughly a quarter of the vehicle's weight. Ford's electric F-150 Lightning pickup had a comparable pack, with capacities from 98 to 131 kilowatt-hours. Ford canceled that model late last year, and in 2024 it also dropped a three-row EV.
Smaller models arrive
Next year Ford plans to launch the Fathom, an electric pickup priced under $30,000 and about the size of its compact gas-powered Maverick. The company also intends to relaunch the Lightning as an extended-range model. Startup Slate is preparing a small electric pickup that can be converted into an SUV, with a base version starting below $25,000. Rivian launched the R2 SUV this year, with an 88-kilowatt-hour battery weighing around 1,200 pounds, and has teased an even smaller R3.
Big models have not vanished. The Kia EV9 and the Rivian R1S are among the ten best-selling EVs in the US. The rest of the top ten, however, are crossovers, sedans or mid-sized SUVs with moderately sized batteries.
Price and demand
The battery is the most expensive component of an EV, so smaller vehicles can be cheaper. According to Cox Automotive, the average transaction price of a new EV is now $55,800. After President Donald Trump's administration ended EV incentives last year, sales dropped sharply. The war with Iran and rising gas prices have lifted interest somewhat, though sales still trail the global average.
Tesla said it is ending Cybertruck production to make room for more Cybercabs, whose battery capacity is just 48 kilowatt-hours.
