The Tesla Cybertruck has been delayed. Again.
Days after Tesla removed references to 2022 production on its Cybertruck ordering page, an unnamed source has told Reuters the electric car maker is planning to begin making the pickup truck in the first quarter of 2023 before ramping output up in the second quarter.
The delay, according to the source, is because Tesla is adding new features and functionality to make it more compelling against competitors.
These include the recently unveiled Chevrolet Silverado EV and the Rivian R1T, both of which ride on dedicated EV architectures. Although deliveries of the Silverado EV aren’t due until 2023, the R1T is slowly trickling out of Rivian’s factory in Illinois.
Meanwhile, the Ford F-150 Lightning is set to be available from later this year. Thanks to strong pre-orders, Ford has increased its production target for the electric pickup truck several times, and is now aiming to make 150,000 Lightnings per year.
Earlier Cybertruck delays were blamed on supply chain problems.
We will hopefully learn more about the Cybertruck and other upcoming Tesla models during the company’s next earnings call, which will be held on January 26, US time.
CEO Elon Musk is expected to be in attendance, and there will be an open question and answer section where he is likely to be quizzed about the timeline for the Cybertruck, second-generation Roadster, and Semi truck.
Both the Roadster and Semi are currently pencilled in to begin production in 2023.
The Cybertruck’s polarising design and stainless steel body were unveiled at an event in November 2019.
At its reveal, the company said it will begin production of the pickup in 2021 at the company’s new factory in Austin, Texas.
Late last year the company removed the car’s specifications from its website, but Musk later stated the quad-motor variant will be the first to roll down the production line.
The Cybertruck is designed to accommodate single-, dual-, tri- and quad-motor configurations. The less powerful models are expected to debut further into the pickup’s lifecycle.
Spy photos taken at the end of 2021 revealed the Cybertruck will keep its radical design, but will be fitted with wing mirrors in order to conform with US regulations.
