After two years of delays and production problems, Tesla is finally ready to deliver its Cybertrucks style Blade Runner to customers.
CEO Elon Musk will deliver the first vehicles this Thursday at Tesla headquarters in Austin as part of a live streamed launch. The company is also expected to provide key details about the Cybertruck, including its price, configurations, and battery range.
The Cybertruck marks Tesla’s first entry into the highly competitive pickup truck market in the United States, and the move has been met with enthusiasm, but also with strong criticism and doubts.
One analyst suggested last week that the fAutomaker should cancel Cybertruck entirely because it is unlikely to be profitable, while Musk himself lamented how “incredibly difficult” the vehicle is to produce.
It’s also unclear whether the vehicle, with its unusual design, will appeal to work truck owners and commercial fleet buyers who value function over flashiness.
“Truck buyers don’t waste time. If it doesn’t work for them, they won’t buy it,” said Stephanie Brinley, associate director of S&P Global Mobility in Detroit.
What are Tesla Cybertrucks like and how much will they cost?
Tesla’s Cybertruck will compete in a segment long dominated by a handful of companies that repeat tried-and-true designs. Ford Motor’s F-Series, Stellantis NV’s Ram and General Motors’ Chevrolet Silverado have been the best full-size pickup trucks for years and are consistently top sellers among all vehicles in the United States.
Ford and GM started launching plug-in trucks and Rivian Automotive started selling its electric truck R1T in 2021.
All of those trucks are made to perform a variety of tasks, from hauling hay, lumber, and other loads to towing horses, RVs, and boats. The free space, the ctowing capacity and platform sizeas well as ease of access, are key issues for consumers, who tend to be brand loyal and see their truck as a tool to get the job done.
When Musk presented the Cybertruck in 2019, He said it would improve the design of traditional trucks. It touted several unique features, including the bulletproof glass and a body clad in stainless steel, a material not used for car exteriors since the ill-fated DMC DeLorean in the 1980s. Tesla set the starting price at 39 thousand 900 dollars and promised that it would come in three variants.
Then came the pandemic, supply chain shortages, inflation and the engineering challenges associated with manufacturing what Musk called “one of those special products that come around only once in a while.”
Kelley Blue Book hopes that the Cybertruck start in around 50 thousand dollars for the single engine model, roughly in line with the electric Ford F-150 Lightning. Tesla, which has since removed pricing and specifications for the Cybertruck from its website, may first offer a more expensive variant with three motors.
Although the first Cybertruck deliveries are imminent, it is unlikely to enter volume production for at least a year. Musk said last month that Tesla could increase its production at a rate of 250,000 vehicles a year in sometime in 2025.
