CRA Technology & Market News
Written by Simon Alvarez, Teslarati
Elon Musk updates Tesla cybertruck delivery target date that will indeed see some notable delays, but the wait for the all-electric pickup truck will likely be worth it.
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This was highlighted by CEO Elon Musk during a recent all-hands meeting with the Tesla team, as per information shared by several individuals familiar with the topics discussed.
The Tesla Cybertruck was initially intended to be released in late 2021, with volume production at Gigafactory Texas hitting its stride in 2022. Amidst the ongoing chip shortage and supply chain issues, however, it appeared Tesla was meeting substantial challenges in ramping its all-electric pickup truck. These challenges were highlighted by brief updates and hints the company posted on its official website, as well as some information mentioned during AI Day.
In early August, Tesla formally moved the Cybertruck’s estimated customer deliveries to 2022. This delay was practically reiterated during AI Day, when Musk noted Tesla’s next-generation Autopilot computer, HW 4.0, would likely make its debut with the Cybertruck in “about a year or so.”
These, together with reports that Tesla’s 4680 production line is meeting some challenges, suggested the Cybertruck’s deliveries may be moved back.
Citing individuals who were part of the meeting, EV blog Electrek added Musk’s Cybertruck comments during the meeting were not all conservative. While the CEO admitted the all-electric pickup truck would be delayed to late 2022 with volume production starting in 2023, Musk reportedly said the Cybertruck is a “special project” that almost seems like a “glitch in the Matrix,” as if the franchise’s main character, Neo, had a vehicle.
Musk’s comments during the meeting could easily be interpreted as the CEO hyping the all-electric pickup truck, but they do suggest the Cybertruck would be a one-of-a-kind vehicle, even among Tesla standards.
The Cybertruck, after all, would be loaded with a ton of new technology such as the company’s 4680 cells and HW 4.0 computer—but that’s not all. Tesla also aims to offer all of these innovations and more at a price point below the present cost of a base Tesla Model S.
That’s a tough endeavor, and one that would take everything that the company has learned over the past years as a producer of mass-market cars to accomplish.
Delaying the Cybertruck to late 2022 will result in competitors such as Rivian R1T, expected to start deliveries in September after a year’s worth of delays, and the Ford F-150 Lightning, expected to start its deliveries in early 2022, saturating the all-electric pickup truck market earlier.
The Tesla Cybertruck would then have to demonstrate it is really a cut above the rest when it enters the market, especially as it would be following on the heels of two formidable, traditionally-designed competitors.
We thank Teslarati for the article.
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