Peter Lyon
April 4, 2023
- Musk revealed this week that the Cybertruck is definitely on the way
- After several false starts, initial production will start this summer
- Production delays were partly caused by the COVID pandemic, which exacerbated battery cell availability and disrupted supply chain efficiency
The on-again, off-again, on-again saga of the Tesla Cybertruck is reaching a crescendo as Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed this week that the vehicle is definitely on the way. At last. He confirmed the news after walking the Cybertruck production line for several hours and then revealing that the first phases of the all-electric pickup’s manufacturing are just around the corner.
“Walked whole Cybertruck production line at Giga Texas for several hours earlier today – gonna be awesome!” Musk tweeted on Monday. “Feels like the future.”
Musk’s tweet finally confirmed what many had been wondering— and that is the fact that Cybertruck manufacturing lines are completed, and that the truck has a bonafide production area. Tesla has endeavored to get Cybertruck production up and running for well over a year, but earlier in 2023, Musk revealed that initial production would begin this Summer, and volume production would kick off in 2024.
Since it was unveiled in November 2019, the Cybertruck, has been a hot topic for Tesla fans, especially for those who saw Tesla chief designer Franz von Holzhausen—at the vehicle’s California launch—throw a steel ball at the truck’s side windows, smashing both of them. It was later revealed that a previous sledgehammer impact on the door’s metal allow finish had cracked the base of the window’s glass, weakening it to von Holzhausen’s steel ball pitch. Sounds plausible to us.
There are several reasons for the production delays, including the COVID pandemic, which exacerbated battery cell availability and disrupted supply chain efficiency. The delays also gave Tesla precious extra time to reevaluate the truck’s design, even though von Holzhausen confirmed that the truck’s dimensions and features are basically decided.
Strategic hints that the angular truck is on the way have been prevalent for months. One very public hint is testing prototypes on public roads, a sign that the vehicles are close to the initial production phase. The Cybertruck has been spotted cruising public roads near Tesla’s Fremont Factory test track, and yesterday it was seen on the track.
Manufacturing and production equipment specific to the truck has been appearing regularly at the Gigafactory Texas since mid-2022. Sources tell us that Tesla will employ the IDRA 9,000-ton Giga Press for the Cybertruck’s castings, with one press already installed. The heavy-duty IDRA press is actually made in Italy, with at least one more press expected to be delivered to Texas in the very near future.
The hype around the Cybertruck is massive, with Musk saying during a recent test drive that the truck was “incredible.” Even if his evaluation is generous, the one million strong pre-orders are sure to grow once the truck lands in showrooms.
OUR THOUGHTS
News of a Cybertruck production kick-off has been a long time coming. Now, Musk, after waking through the factory, has confirmed that the truck will commence limited production this year with full production to come online in 2024. In addition to the truck’s radical specs and extremely competitive range, the Cybertruck’s damage-resistant Space-X developed steel allow body has many potential buyers drooling at being able to buy a truck that can resist scratches, chips, and dings suffered in the shopping mall carparks of America.
