Tesla Cybertruck Begins Production at Texas Plant
Nearly four years after the first electric pickup truck was unveiled, the first Cybertruck was produced at the Tesla plant near Austin, Texas.
Tesla announced on Twitter on July 15 that the first example had been completed, posting a photo of the truck with many of the staff responsible for its production.
The photo shows the truck with the same grating design as when the CyberTruck was first unveiled as a concept in 2019. Examples of prototypes spotted in the wild also confirm that the design has changed little in the transition from concept to production.
Changes include the addition of side mirrors and a single windshield wiper. It is also believed that the production version will be slightly smaller than the concept, especially in overall width. Rumors are for an overall length of 231 inches, a wheelbase of 145 inches, and an overall width of 84 inches. These figures are similar to some of the longer versions of the hot-selling Ford F-150.
Tesla did not say whether the first truck would be for customers. The company also did not say when customer deliveries of the cyber trucks would begin.
An update may be released during Tesla's Q2 earnings release scheduled for Wednesday.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said in January that the CyberTruck will not be delivered in significant numbers until 2023, with production beginning in 2024. Tesla had previously stated that it was aiming to produce 250,000 vehicles per year, depending on demand.
Cybertruck production was originally scheduled to begin in late 2021. Due to multiple delays, production is behind schedule.
At the CyberTruck reveal, Musk said the truck will offer battery options of 250+ miles, 300+ miles, and 500+ miles, with prices starting at $39,900, $49,900, and $69,900 respectively. It is not clear if these numbers will change, although Tesla has often changed the price of its cars in both directions.
Initially, one-motor rear-wheel drive, two-motor all-wheel drive, and three-motor all-wheel drive models were announced, but Musk also announced a four-motor and rear-wheel steering model for 2021. Again, it is not clear whether Tesla will stick to these plans.
