Elon Musk's futuristic Cybertruck rolls toward exit

Why This Matters

Key context: <p>Production of Cybertrucks — the pickups hailed by enthusiasts as a symbol of Elon Musk’s futuristic ambitions and equally hated as ugly reminders of the Donald Trump era — will wind down, the Tesla CEO said Friday.</p> <p>Tesla will stop building the truck at its Texas factory around the middle of 2027 to free up space for its <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1864611">Cybercab</a> robotaxi, Musk said.</p> <p>“Tesla will be winding down production of the Cybertruck at Gigafactory Texas around the middle of next year to make room for increased Cybercab production,” Musk wrote on X.</p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media-- media--embed media--uneven media--tweet' data-original-src='https://x.com/elonmusk/status/2118591788701421573'> <div class='media__item media__item--twitter '><span> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"> <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/2118591788701421573"></a> </blockquote> </span></div> </figure> <p>Musk did not say whether the truck would be built elsewhere or discontinued altogether, nor what would happen to outstanding orders.</p> <p>Wes Morrill, the Cybertruck’s lead engineer, wrote in a separate post that the truck “was an incredible technology development platform and lives on through Cybercab”.</p> <p>“Thanks to everyone who contributed to making the future (look) like the future,” he added.</p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media-- media--embed media--uneven media--tweet' data-original-src='https://x.com/wmorrill3/status/2118598887258644883'> <div class='media__item media__item--twitter '><span> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"> <a href="https://twitter.com/wmorrill3/status/2118598887258644883"></a> </blockquote> </span></div> </figure> <p>Tesla fans lamented the departure of the Cybertruck on X, the social media platform Musk owns, but the tycoon reassured them that the Cybertruck fleet “will be around for a long time”.</p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media-- media--embed media--uneven media--tweet' data-original-src='https://x.com/elonmusk/status/2118628806277951825'> <div class='media__item media__item--twitter '><span> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"> <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/2118628806277951825"></a> </blockquote> </span></div> </figure> <p>The truck came to be seen as an extension of Musk himself, and its image became entangled with his <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1901658">politics</a> as he took on a high-profile role leading the Trump administration’s cost-cutting <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1960311">Department of Government Efficiency</a>.</p> <p>Some owners reported vandalism and harassment.</p> <p>The angular stainless-steel behemoth was unveiled in November 2019, and Musk said at the time it had drawn 250,000 preorders within days.</p> <p>Production was originally slated for 2021 but was repeatedly delayed, with customer deliveries starting in late 2023.</p> <p>Tesla built its Texas lines with planned capacity of 250,000 trucks a year, but sales have come nowhere near that figure.</p> <p>As US demand slumped, Tesla began selling the truck abroad, starting deliveries in South Korea in November 2025 and in the United Arab Emirates in January.</p> <p>Tesla does not break out Cybertruck revenue, but its “other models” category, which includes the pickup, accounts for just a small percentage of sales.</p> <p>The truck has also been subject to multiple recalls and complaints over build quality.</p> <p>The Cybercab, a two-seat vehicle with no steering wheel or pedals, was unveiled in October 2024.</p> <p>Tesla began production at the Texas plant in April and started offering paid Cybercab rides in Austin in September through its existing Robotaxi service.</p> <p>The robotaxi is central to Musk’s effort to recast Tesla as an artificial intelligence and robotics company rather than a carmaker, though its success depends on the company delivering fully driverless technology, which it has yet to demonstrate at scale.</p> This development from dawn.com highlights ongoing changes in the sector.