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Elon Musk first unveiled the electric pickup to a lot of speculation and what not in 2019. The question that remains unanswered since then is: ‘When is the Cybertruck coming out?’
Around two and a half years have passed since the Tesla CEO and his unconventional prototype design became the talk of town back in Los Angeles. It’s hard to believe but time passes by so quickly, right? Estimates have told than more than 1 million customers have pledged 100 bucks a piece for their Cybertruck reservations. 1 mil and counting, even though it’s still not on the road. Pretty fine numbers for an unconventional design!
Launch Date Pushed Back
Tesla’s Q4 and complete 2021 earnings made financial history for the company. The news coupled with Musk’s promise of updating the ‘Product Roadmap’ had fans anticipating for the Cybertruck launch date and updates about the Semi, Roadster, and Optimus. But not everything was going right within the company. It was officially announced that all upcoming models including the Cybertruck were bring pushed further to 2023. Musk deemed the global chip shortage as the delay’s main factor. It’s obvious that the world’s most valuable carmaker would not want incomplete models running on the roads. They have to maintain their quality, even if takes a little more time.
The chip shortage’s latest casualty?
A global chip shortage has been plaguing us in parallel with the COVID pandemic. The Cybertruck and other upcoming Tesla models may have just been the latest in a long list of the shortage’s casualties. It has proven to be undoubtedly the toughest hurdle for the company. Back in the company’s Q2 2021 earnings call, Musk explained the reason for the connection. The Tesla Cybertruck and Tesla Semi are heavily dependent on cell capacity to function properly. The company would need to ensure constant availability of the chips if they wish to start mass production. Sure, they have enough resources to still make it work, but the results won’t be what you expect. Musk briefed that the chip shortage is hampering the economies of scale, and without the component each Cybertruck would cost a whopping million dollars to produce. Pretty sure not much of the public would be happy at this price tag.
The Tesla Cybertruck has gone through many ups & downs since its inception (Source)
What do we know so far?
The latest update on the Cybertruck price and variants was publicly available on the company website, but has been removed in wake of the launch date pushback.
- Single motor RWD priced at $39,900
- Dual motor AWD priced at $49,900
- Tri motor AWD priced at $69,900
- Quad motor AWD, price undisclosed
The first three variants have seen many ups and downs regarding production. As of now, reports suggest that Tesla will begin their production near the end of Q1 2023 (Jan-Mar). Musk also announced a quad motor Cybertruck as the latest top-end variant, featuring separate motors for an ultra-fast response. It can possibly outrun the tri-motor version, which is said to jump from 0-60 mph in 2.9 seconds, per Tesla’s claims. Supercar speeds indeed!
The latest spy pictures that surfaced online this January revealed some distinct design changes for the exterior. The new additions include a big windshield wiper along with a redesigned bumper and nose section. The latter change is expected to be for complying with safety regulations. Other significant changes include removed door flush handles and a new digital instrument cluster for the Cybertruck interior.
One of the Cybertruck’s latest spy shots from a road test recently surfaced online (Source)
Final Thoughts
The official Cybertruck release date still remains unclear. The 2023 production announcement is nothing solid as of now. The project has had quite the rocky journey since its inception. The Cybertruck was slated to be the world’s first electric pickup truck at one time. It won’t achieve that milestone in the current scenario given that Ford and Rivian launch their respective models first.
Tesla has a lot on their plate right now. With business booming at an all-time high and productions plagued by worldwide supply chain issues, fans have no choice but to wonder ‘When will the Cybertruck be available?’ Let’s hope that 2023 is the year that we finally see the electric pickup on the roads in its full glory.
