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Elon Musk used one sentence on X to put the Cybertruck, one of the most divisive vehicles Tesla has ever built, on a public countdown. The post went up on Friday, November 6, and it concerned the Texas factory that has built the stainless-steel pickup since 2023. Musk attached a reason to the announcement. Plenty of owners and analysts have questioned whether that reason tells the full story.
Tesla Will Wind Down Cybertruck Production in Texas Around Mid-2027, Musk Says
Musk wrote that Tesla will wind down Cybertruck production at Gigafactory Texas around the middle of next year to “make room for increased Cybercab production.” The Cybercab is Tesla’s two-seat robotaxi, which has no steering wheel or pedals and already gives paid rides in parts of Austin. Musk did not say whether the Cybertruck would move to another factory or disappear. The truck’s lead engineer also posted on X, and his wording pointed toward an answer.
Lead Engineer Wes Morrill Suggests the Cybertruck’s Technology Will Live On in the Cybercab
Wes Morrill, the Cybertruck’s lead engineer, wrote on X: “Cybertruck was an incredible technology development platform and lives on through Cybercab.” Many readers took that as a sign the pickup is being discontinued, and fans online began mourning it. Musk replied to one of them with a single word confirming it, adding that existing trucks would stay on the road for a long time. The truck’s public debut in 2019 had already gone wrong in front of a live audience.
Two Windows Shattered When a Tesla Designer Threw a Steel Ball at the Cybertruck on Stage
Tesla unveiled the Cybertruck on November 21, 2019, at its Hawthorne, California design studio. Head of design Franz von Holzhausen hurled a metal ball at the driver-side window to show off supposedly unbreakable glass, and it shattered. A softer throw at a rear window did the same. Musk said the team had thrown the ball at the glass several times beforehand without a scratch. Tesla’s stock fell about 6% the next day. Two days after the unveiling, Musk posted a number on X.
Musk Said 146,000 Cybertruck Orders Came In Within Two Days, Then Raised the Figure to About 200,000
On November 23, Musk announced 146,000 orders: 42% dual-motor, 41% tri-motor, 17% single-motor. He later raised the figure to 187,000 and then 200,000. Each order required only a $100 refundable reservation. By October 2023, Musk was telling investors that more than 1 million people had reserved a truck. On that call he also said, “We dug our own grave with Cybertruck,” and stressed how hard it would be to build one at a price people can afford.
The Cybertruck Was Promised at $39,900, and Its Top Trim Now Costs $102,000
When Tesla first showed the truck, it said the entry-level version would start at $39,900. Deliveries began in late 2023 after delays tied to the stainless-steel body, with prices starting around $61,000. The Associated Press reported that Spencer Penn, a former Tesla executive, reserved a truck but never took delivery because the sub-$40,000 promise went unmet. The top-end Cyberbeast trim costs $102,000 this year. Owners who paid those prices soon received notices from safety regulators.
Regulators Recalled 46,096 Cybertrucks Over a Steel Panel That Could Detach While Driving
The March 2025 recall covered 46,096 trucks built between November 13, 2023, and February 27, 2025, nearly every Cybertruck on the road. Regulators warned that a stainless-steel trim panel beside the windshield could separate while driving and create a road hazard. It was the eighth Cybertruck recall in about 15 months, and viral videos showed people pulling the panels off by hand. Tesla replaced the part for free. Kelley Blue Book’s 2025 sales estimate put numbers on how the truck was faring.
Cybertruck Sales Fell 48% in 2025 to 20,237, and 2026 Is Running Another 28% Lower
Musk once forecast 250,000 Cybertrucks a year. Kelley Blue Book estimates Tesla sold 38,965 in 2024 and 20,237 in 2025, and sales through September this year are down another 28%. Tesla does not report Cybertruck deliveries separately, but Electrek estimates only 7,000 to 8,000 of the 8,295 vehicles in a catch-all category last quarter were Cybertrucks. S&P Global Mobility data cited by Electrek shows SpaceX bought 1,279 of them in the final quarter of 2025.
Musk Says Cybertruck Orders Outpace Production and Many Deposits Will Be Refunded
Musk wrote on Monday that Cybertruck orders far exceed Tesla’s production rate, so the company will add a shift for the roughly eight months left and return deposits to many customers. He rejected claims the truck lost money. Electrek’s Fred Lambert notes that Giga Texas has more than 10 million square feet, the Cybertruck line runs at about a quarter of capacity, and Texas had 463 registered Cybercabs in late October. Lambert has a blunt view of what the Cybercab explanation covers.
Cybertruck Production Ends in Texas Around Mid-2027, With Sales a Fraction of Musk’s Forecast
Lambert argues Tesla is ending the truck because too few people buy it to justify its unique stainless-steel body and supply chain, and that the Cybercab explanation gives the decision a forward-looking frame. Musk’s account puts Cybercab output ahead of Cybertruck output. The record shows a production line set to close around mid-2027 and U.S. sales near 20,000 a year against a 250,000 forecast. Existing Cybertrucks will remain on the road for years.