If you have Q1 2023 in your betting pool for when production of the oft-delayed Tesla Cybertruck will begin, you’re the new favorite to win.
The new pause in pickup progress, according to a Reuters report, is due to some last-minute updates designed to keep the truck competitive with the influx of new battery-electric pickups that are already on the road or set to arrive this year.
Cybertruck was the first battery-electric pickup shown to the public, debuting in November 2019, with a scheduled arrival date of “late 2021.” Last August, the delay until 2022 was formalized when it showed up on the company’s website.
When a reservation holder — of which there were reportedly more than 250,000 — went to check the configurator on the Tesla website it read: “You will be able to complete your configuration as production nears in 2022.” Now it reads, “You will be able to complete your configuration as production nears.”
Now what?
A variety of things have conspired to add time to the arrival date, such as Gigafactory Austin, where Cybertruck will be built, being a bit behind in its construction and some materials shortages, in addition to the aforementioned tweaks.
Since then, the leader of the pack has fallen to middle of the pack as Rivian’s R1T began rolling off the line in September with 1,015 being produced in 2021. Perhaps the biggest competitor to the unconventionally styled Cybertruck is the GMC Hummer SUT, and it began rolling off the line at General Motors new Factory Zero EV production center during the last two weeks of December.
Additionally, Ford’s F-150 Lightning is set to begin production in late Spring and it has 200,000 reservations for the pickup. It’s actually allowing reservation holders to configure their vehicles and place orders.
GM’s looking to strike twice, revealing the new all-electric Chevrolet Silverado EV at the recently concluded CES 2022. It’s slated to arrive in “early 2023” meaning Cybertruck could be behind another competitor.
What’s the excitement about?
Cybertruck will have an estimated range of 250 miles with options to push that to 350 and 500 miles. It will run from 0 to 60 mph in just under 6.5 seconds, and perhaps most importantly, it will tow 7,500 pounds.
The new truck has a starting price of $39,900 for the single motor rear-wheel drive model. It jumps to $49,900 for the dual motor all-wheel drive version and up to $69,900 for the tri motor all-wheel drive version.
While the hubbub about Cybertruck has generated a lot of buzz, one person’s remained largely unaffected by the potential success or failure of the pickup.
“To be frank, there is always some chance that Cybertruck will flop, because it is so unlike anything else,” Tesla CEO Elon Musk said last July, adding, “I don’t care. I love it so much even if others don’t.”
That relaxed attitude may have changed by the time he hosts the EV maker’s earnings call Jan. 26.
