Musk's failure: Tesla stops producing its promising vehicle
Tesla is shutting down the Cybertruck production line within eight months, following a 48% drop in sales. Musk confirmed that resources will be redirected to the Cybercab robotaxi. The company will refund deposits to buyers who will not receive the vehicle.
Tesla is closing the production line of the Cybertruck electric pickup truck within about eight months, and will refund deposits to buyers who will not receive the vehicle. The move comes after a collapse in sales – last year only about 20,000 units were sold in the US, a 48% drop – and is intended to free up factory space in Texas for the Cybercab robotaxi. CEO Elon Musk confirmed the decision in a series of posts on X, explaining that the opportunity cost of the Cybertruck's manufacturing complexity outweighs its value. The truck has suffered 11 recalls and regulatory safety issues in Europe. The decision joins Tesla's trend of moving away from conventional vehicles toward robotics and AI, after it already stopped production of the Model S and Model X in favor of the Optimus robot. The article notes that the announcement comes during a difficult week for Musk, who suffered a political defeat in the US midterm elections.