“In order to work through more of the Cybertruck order backlog, production will be extended through the end of summer 2027,” said Tesla CEO Elon Musk in a Wednesday post on X, a social media platform he owns.
Not even a week before, Musk said in another X post that Tesla would wind down production of the controversial, unique-looking stainless steel vehicles that first debuted in 2019 at Tesla’s Texas Gigafactory. In that post, he said production would end in the middle of 2027 to make room for increased production of the Cybercab.
In a Nov. 9 post, Musk said that the Cybertruck order rate “far exceeds our production rate,” but that it would try to make as much as possible over the next eight months. He also said the company expected to return deposits for a lot of people.
According to Car and Driver, new Cybertrucks sell for more than $100,000. CBS News reported that Musks announcement sparked backlash online.
“This is not a case of Cybertruck being unprofitable, as has been misreported by legacy media, but rather that the opportunity cost of the complexity of Cybertruck is vastly outweighed by the value of incremental Cybercab production,” Musk said.
Reuters reported that Tesla has seen “years of persistently weak sales” for the Cybertruck. It noted that the futuristic-looking truck developed to compete with traditional pickup trucks has faced issues since its debut.
“Pickup truck purists mocked its angular design, and safety experts predicted it would be hard to gain approval for sale in key markets like Europe,” said Reuters. The latter proved to be true. At the unveiling event in 2019, Musk tried to prove that its windows were shatterproof, but ended up cracking them with rocks.
Delivery on the Cybertrucks didn’t start until 2023. Since then, they have faced nearly a dozen recalls and they became the target of vandalism from critics of Musk. Reuters noted that automotive data platform Kelley Blue Book indicates that Tesla company only sold 20,237 Cybertrucks in the U.S. last year, down 48% from 38,965 in 2024.
“Around the start of production in 2023, Musk had predicted annual sales of 250,000 units,” Reuters said. Musk’s other company, SpaceX was one of the model’s biggest customers as of last year.
Regarding the decision to extend Cybertruck production through the end of next summer, Musk said: This is not the smartest move from a profit-maximizing standpoint btw, but there must be some room in this world for sentimentality or what’s the point?”
Musk has stressed the importance of the Cybercab, a model of robotaxi with butterfly doors, . Reuters said he has made the vehicle “central to the automaker's autonomous-vehicle ambitions, but one that has yet to prove itself commercially.”
The Cybercab, which has butterfly doors and no steering wheel, pedals or mirrors, is part of Musk’s plan to turn electric vehicle powerhouse “Tesla into an AI and robotics company rather than just an automaker,” Reuters said. Yet, it noted that Tesla still has to address safety questions posed by U.S. regulators.
“The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an audit in September to review the basis for that certification,” said the outlet.
