What to know about the Tesla Cybertruck ahead of its delivery event
Written by ABC AUDIO on November 29, 2023
(NEW YORK) — Since Tesla unveiled a prototype of its Cybertruck four years ago, the electric pickup truck has remained in the realm of preorders and earnings-call updates — until this week.
On Thursday, the company will make its first deliveries of the Cybertruck at a high-profile event sure to be closely watched by consumers and Wall Street investors alike.
Encased in stainless steel, the Cybertruck boasts a payload and tow capacity that rival some other pickup trucks on the market.
But the ramp-up to full production will likely stretch into 2025, well-behind an initial rollout goal, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on an earnings call last month.
Here’s what to know about the Tesla Cybertruck, the delivery event on Thursday and when the car will be made widely available for purchase:
What do we know so far about the Cybertruck?
The Cybertruck made headlines for a miscue at a prototype-reveal event in 2019, when Musk touted its “armored” glass but a window unexpectedly shattered seconds later during a demo.
The signature feature of the Cybertruck, meanwhile, may be its stainless steel frame. The steel resists dents, allows customers to forego a paint job and is “literally bulletproof,” according to Musk.
The Cybertruck has a 3,500-pound payload capacity and 100 cubic feet of storage space, Musk said. The vehicle has room to seat six adults, the company says.
A 17-inch touchscreen rests atop the center of the dashboard, alongside an otherwise spare interior. Drivers can raise or lower the suspension 4 inches, Tesla says.
Tesla will offer three versions of the vehicle, ranging in price from $39,000 to $69,000, according to the release event in 2019. The lowest-cost option will offer a 250-mile range while the most expensive option will provide a 500-mile range, Musk said.
Those prices no longer appear on the Tesla website, however, leaving open the possibility of changes before the Cybertruck is made widely available.
More than one million people have pre-ordered the Cybertruck, Musk said last month.
What will happen at the Cybertruck delivery event?
On Thursday, Tesla will announce the delivery of an initial batch of Cybertrucks at an event in Austin, Texas, the company says.
The event, hosted at a manufacturing plant, will take place at 3 p.m. ET, the company said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Tesla says it plans to live-stream the event but the company has not announced where the video can be viewed.
The company plans to to deliver just 10 Cybertrucks at the event, according to remarks made by Tesla global director of product design Javier Verdura earlier this month, Mexican outlet Milenio reported.
When will the Cybertruck be widely available for purchase?
Tesla faces “enormous challenges” scaling up production of the Cybertruck, Musk told investors on an earnings call last month. On a previous earnings call, Musk said the company “dug our own grave” with the decision to develop the Cybertruck.
Last month, Musk cited innovative features of the Cybertruck as a key reason for the delay.
“Prototypes are easy,” Musk said. “Production is hard.”
“You will have problems proportionate to how many new things you’re trying to solve at scale,” Musk added.
Ultimately, Tesla will produce 250,000 Cybertrucks per year, Musk said, noting that the company likely won’t reach that output rate until 2025.
“You have to invent not just the car but the way to make the car,” he added. “So, the more uncharted the territory, the less predictable the outcome.”
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