AUSTIN, November 7, 2026 — Tesla will wind down Cybertruck production at its Gigafactory Texas around the middle of 2027, CEO Elon Musk announced on X. The move clears capacity for the Cybercab robotaxi, the vehicle Musk now bets the company’s future on.
The prototype that became a punchline
The Cybertruck arrived in November 2019 as a prototype concept, its angular body composed of flat, unpainted stainless steel panels that drew immediate comparisons to low-polygon computer models. At the unveiling, a Tesla designer threw a metal ball at the supposedly unbreakable glass. It shattered. He threw it at the other window. That shattered too. Musk later told Automotive News he simply wanted “a futuristic battle tank — something that looks like it could come out of ‘Blade Runner’ or ‘Aliens’” that was also “a better sports car than a Porsche 911” and “a better truck than an F-150.”
Deliveries begin, promises break
Customer deliveries finally started in November 2023, four years after the reveal and two years behind the original schedule. The starting price had ballooned to $60,990, well above the sub-$40,000 target Musk touted in 2019. Early on, Musk predicted annual production of 250,000 units. The technical reality never caught up.
The demand collapse in numbers
Tesla sold 38,965 Cybertrucks in 2024. That figure fell to 20,237 in 2025. Through the first three quarters of 2026, the company moved just 11,586 units. By any measure, that is roughly 10 percent of the original goal. Nearly 20 percent of the vehicles built went to Musk’s other companies — SpaceX, xAI and Neuralink — according to the Los Angeles Times. The State Department also budgeted $400 million for armored Teslas, rumored to be Cybertrucks, before abandoning the plan. Tesla does not break out Cybertruck revenue in its financials, lumping it into an “Other models” line.
Recalls, panels and fingers
The truck has been recalled more than eight times since deliveries began. U.S. regulators are currently recalling nearly all Cybertrucks on the road — the eighth such action — over an exterior panel that can detach at speed. An earlier 2025 recall addressed wheel studs separating from the hub. Owners have also reported the frunk closing on fingers, a design quirk that became a running joke in forums. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened multiple investigations.
The pivot
Musk’s post on X was blunt: production winds down to “make room for increased Cybercab production.” The Cybercab, a gold-colored two-seater with no steering wheel or pedals, debuted in 2024. Tesla began offering rides in Austin in early September, prompting an immediate federal safety investigation. Musk hopes it will compete with Waymo and Zoox, though both are far ahead in deployment. The Cybertruck joins the Model S and Model X, discontinued in January to make room for Optimus humanoid robot production at Fremont. As ever, the detail that matters is capacity: Texas built an estimated 125,000 units of annual Cybertruck capacity. Most of it sits idle.
Sources
- Tesla’s Cybertruck heads for an exit after years of hype and division
- Tesla Cybertruck
- Musk says Tesla will end Cybertruck production in 2027
- Tesla Will Kill the Cybertruck in 2027
- Good Riddance: Tesla to End Cybertruck Production in 2027 – CNET
- Tesla will phase out Cybertruck production next year, Musk says
Photo: RECARDO DAVIDSON / Unsplash (Unsplash License)
