- The long-awaited Tesla Cybertruck is set to be released this year.
- Tesla’s CEO has promised the new truck will redefine what a pickup can be.
- Elon Musk talked Cybertruck difficulties on Tesla’s Q3 2023 earnings call.
Tesla is finally ready to throw its hat into the most important vehicle segment in the US.
The long-awaited Cybertruck, with its futuristic design and embarrassing shattered-window reveal, is finally set to enter production in 2023. Its arrival could be a turning point for the market with its alien looks, high-tech features, and unique body shape.
The company announced it would have a Cybertruck delivery event on November 30 at its Texas Gigafactory.
“We dug our own grave with Cybertruck,” Elon Musk said.
The Tesla CEO says the EV pickup truck will require a “staggering” amount of work to ramp up because “it’s the nature of the newness.” However, he says the company is doing its best to simplify the vehicle.
“It will be cool, but it’s utilitarian,” he says.
Musk has previously talked about “production hell” during Tesla’s past Model 3 ramp.
In the years since its first reveal, Musk has slowly revealed new details about the truck and its performance. Here’s what we know so far.
New details from Q3 earnings call
Musk says he expects to reach production of about a quarter million Cybertrucks a year.
“But I don’t think we’ll reach that output next year …. probably sometime in 2025,” he says.
He also talks about the challenges of the ramp-up period.
“The ramp is going to be extremely difficult. There’s no way around that,” Musk says. “If you want to do something radical and innovative and something’s really special like the Cybertruck, it is extremely difficult because there is nothing to copy.”
“The more uncharted the territory, the less predictable the outcome,” he added.
Musk says he wants to “temper expectations” for the Cybertruck, predicting it will take a year to 18 months before the vehicle can become a significant cash flow contributor, he cites the difficulties of scaling production on a new vehicle, as well as selling the EV at a “price people can afford.”
The CEO says demand for the Cybertruck is high, and he believes it is one of Tesla’s best products.
What are the features of a Tesla Cybertruck?
Musk has made numerous claims about the truck’s purported capabilities that remain to be seen. He said the Cybertruck will be able to “serve briefly as a boat,” and have rear-wheel steering. Its exoskeleton-based body is the opposite of how trucks are usually produced — and how they usually look.
What actually makes it into the final list of Cybertruck features is anyone’s guess.
“This is a vehicle that competes against everybody and nobody,” Ivan Drury, an automotive analyst for the car-shopping website Edmunds, told Insider earlier this year. “If the Cybertruck comes to fruition looking like it did at the debut, that should be more than enough — everything else from tech and features is just icing on the cake.”
He compared the Cybertruck to Hummer, a similarly large and impractical vehicle that could attract enthusiasts and wealthy luxury buyers alike.
When will a Tesla Cybertruck come on the market?
Musk confirmed in May that Tesla will make the Cybertruck available to customers later in 2023.
“Sorry for the delay, we’re finally going to start delivering production Cybertrucks later this year,” he said. “And I think the product, if anything, is better than expectations.”
It’s the first completely new Tesla product in years and comes at a time when both Tesla and the pickup truck market need some fresh ideas.
How much does Tesla’s Cybertruck cost?
It’s unclear how much a Cybertruck will cost. Originally, in 2019, the company said the Cybertruck would cost $40,000, but Musk has since said that the price will change.
Generally, the Tesla price range starts around $40,000 for the cheapest variant of the Tesla Model 3 and goes up to $108,490 for the Plaid variant of the Tesla Model X. The Tesla Roadster is expected to be the most expensive model once it goes into production, at a base price around $200,000.
Tesla is currently taking refundable $100 deposits.
How long does it take to charge a Cybertruck?
Tesla has said that the Cybertruck will use its new Mega Charger V4 technology and become the quickest-charging EV.
Depending on its battery size, that could mean a full charge in less than a half an hour, though details remain to be seen.
Source link: https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-truck-cybertruck
