Tesla’s much-anticipated Cybertruck electric pickup is expected to be delayed a full year, based on a statement made by CEO Elon Musk to Tesla employees, Electrek reports. Musk told employees that the amount of new technology in the Cybertruck has led to production complications that the company expects will cause complications in ramping up output.
The Cybertruck won’t be expected to start production until late 2022 and production at scale won’t begin until the end of 2023, according to Electrek’s anonymous sources.
Rumors had already been circulating about the potential of production issues resulting in the Cybertruck’s release date to be pushed back, largely bolstered by cautionary remarks by Elon Musk himself over the past several months. In April, Musk revealed the Cybertruck would be powered by a new, higher-capacity battery cell produced on a pilot line out of California. Musk warned that manufacturing the new battery cells at scale wouldn’t happen for at least a year and could take up to 18 months. The official Tesla webpage where customers can make reservations for the all-electric pickup was also recently updated to refer to a production time of 2022 instead of the previously expected period of late 2021.
Tesla Inc.’s Cybertruck was first revealed to the public in November of 2019. Its distinctive, sharp-edged, retrofuturistic aesthetic turned heads, as did the all-electric truck’s advertised tow capacity of up to 14,000 pounds with a driving range of around 500 miles. Tesla claims the Cybertruck will have a top speed of 110mph and will go from zero to 60mph in 6.5 seconds, but Tesla says those who opt for the most expensive three-motor model will be able to go from zero to 60mph in only 2.9 seconds.
The reveal event made headlines when a demonstration of its novel “armor glass” famously ended with the prototype’s driver’s-side windows smashed to bits.
Tesla Inc. shares fell 0.5 percent after news of the delay spread.
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