Tesla is still overdue in the production of its highly anticipated Cybertruck, which is now apparently scheduled for the first quarter of 2023. At least according to a source told Reuters news agency. This delay is not the first, and comes after Tesla’s statements who had announced that production of the Cybertruck was due to start by the end of the current year.
According to the source consulted by Reuters, the delay has to do with the changes made by Tesla to the Cybertruck. The company is therefore expected to start production limited model in the first quarter of 2023 and then increased it at a later time.
Tesla falls behind in the production of the Cybertruck, but the others do not wait
CEO Elon Musk unveiled the futuristic-looking vehicle in 2019. Production was initially scheduled to start in late 2021, but a first slip has brought it (in words) to late 2022. Musk is expected to provide more details on the plans production of the Cybertruck during the presentation of the quarterly results to be announced later this month. Meanwhile Tesla recently removed references to its production schedule from Cybertruck’s ordering website. Last month, the website announced: “You will be able to finalize your setup when production starts in 2022”. Now “the year 2022” has been removed and the words “as production approaches” has been added.
For sure the model will be built at the Tesla plant in Texas and, despite the delays, it seems the company has already received many orders for its electric pickup. Cybertruck is an electric pick-up made of armored metal with tempered glass windows. Tesla should offer it in different single-engine, rear-wheel drive, two- and three-engine and four-wheel drive versions. The cheapest version is expected to cost around $ 40,000, while the more expensive version will start at $ 70,000.
With the Cybertruck, Tesla wants to respond to the great popularity of pickups in the American domestic market. Rivals like Ford Motor and Rivian are already launching electric models. For example, Ford has announced that it will double annual production of the electric F-150 Lightning to 150,000 units. This model is expected to go on sale at retailers this spring and customer anticipation is very high.