Abstract:
The road to mass production of Tesla’s electric pickup truck Cybertruck is about to come to an end. The recent actual sales of this model are only about 10% of the planned production capacity, and the launch of a low-priced version has failed to boost demand. Its production line will give way to the Cybercab, which is under federal regulatory investigation. According to media reports on November 6, local time, Tesla CEO Musk posted on the social platform X that the company will gradually end Cybertruck production at the Texas Super Factory around the middle of next year to make room for Cybercab expansion.
Musk did not disclose the exact date of production suspension and existing order arrangements. The report pointed out that since the Texas factory is the only production base of Cybertruck, it is still unclear whether the model will be completely discontinued.
Wes Morrill, chief engineer of Cybertruck, later posted that Cybertruck is an important carrier for Tesla to develop new technologies and its life will continue on Cybercab. According to media reports, Cybertruck’s steering-by-wire system and other technologies have been applied to Cybercab.
Musk predicted at the shareholder meeting in May 2023 that after Cybertruck production capacity is fully ramped up, annual sales will reach 250,000 to 500,000 vehicles.
Tesla does not disclose Cybertruck delivery data separately, but counts it together with Model S, Model X and other models into "other models". Since the production of Model S and Model
According to estimates from Cox Automotive, a U.S. auto industry data agency, Cybertruck sales in the United States in 2025 will be 20,237 units, a year-on-year decrease of 48%. In the first quarter of this year, it dropped to a historical low of 3,519 units.
It is reported that Musk’s companies were once important buyers of Cybertruck. According to data from S&P Global Mobility, an automotive data service provider, Musk's companies purchased a total of 1,339 Cybertrucks in the fourth quarter of 2025, accounting for approximately 19% of U.S. registrations in the quarter, of which SpaceX purchased 1,279.
Tesla has successively launched cheaper rear-wheel drive versions and dual-motor versions to boost demand, but with little success. Just before the news of the discontinuation of production was announced, Tesla stopped selling the entry-level model and raised the price. The starting price of the Premium all-wheel drive version increased by US$7,500 to US$92,490.
As for the reason for "freeing up production capacity", some media raised questions, pointing out that most of the Cybertruck production lines have been idle, and as of late October, there were only 463 Cybercabs registered in Texas.
Cybercab, which took over, also faced regulatory resistance. After the Cybercab began carrying passengers for a fee in Austin in early September, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) immediately launched a compliance review of about 1,000 of the model to verify whether Tesla, a vehicle without steering wheels and pedals, complies with federal safety standards without applying for an exemption and adopting self-certification.
Before the news of this production suspension was announced, Tesla’s stock price had just suffered a heavy fall. On November 5, Tesla closed down 10.77% at $343.69. The Democratic Party won control of the House and Senate in the midterm elections, raising concerns in the market that Musk's companies will face more regulatory resistance, and the prospects of a potential merger between Tesla and SpaceX are also cast into uncertainty.
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