Cybertruck Production to Wind Down by Mid-2027 After U.S. Sales Fell 48% to 20,237

Tesla plans to wind down Cybertruck production at its Texas factory around the middle of 2027, CEO Elon Musk said in a post on X, so the plant can build more of the company’s two-seat Cybercab robotaxi. The announcement marks a notable retreat for a vehicle Musk once pitched as the future of the pickup truck.

Musk wrote that Tesla “will be winding down production of the Cybertruck at Gigafactory Texas around the middle of next year to make room for increased Cybercab production.” Outlets differ slightly on timing, with some describing the post as late Thursday and others as early Friday, but they agree on the substance. Tesla did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.

What happens to Cybertruck production?

The key unanswered question is whether the truck survives anywhere else. Musk did not say whether Cybertruck production would shift to another facility, and the reports note that the Austin-area plant is the only known Tesla factory set up to build it. That plant also makes the Model Y and the Cybercab, so the Cybertruck is competing for floor space with products Tesla considers more central to its future.

When a user on X called the news the “end of an era,” Musk agreed and again called the Cybertruck the “best vehicle Tesla has ever made.” He added that “the Cybertruck fleet will be around for a long time,” a nod to the trucks already on the road.

A sales story that never matched the hype

The numbers help explain the decision. Musk predicted before launch that annual sales could reach 250,000 units. Estimates cited by CNBC and Fox Business, attributed to Cox Automotive and Kelley Blue Book, put U.S. Cybertruck sales last year at 20,237, down 48% from 38,965 in 2024. That is a small fraction of the original forecast. Tesla does not break out sales by model, so these figures are estimates rather than company-reported data.

One notable buyer was SpaceX, Musk’s aerospace company, which according to a company financial filing spent $131 million on Cybertrucks at Tesla’s suggested retail price. Decrypt’s report framed the move as a response to sales running well below the plant’s capacity.

The truck also had a bumpy road. Deliveries began in late 2023 after years of delays, and the federal safety regulator’s website lists 11 recalls. They range from a “trapped” accelerator pedal risk that could cause unintended acceleration to software defects and an inverter fault that could cause sudden loss of drive power. Some were fixed with over-the-air software updates, and others needed physical repairs. CNBC also noted that the truck’s specifications fell short of what Tesla advertised early on, and in some cases trailed rival gas-powered pickups.

The vehicle’s image became tangled in politics as well. After Musk’s high-profile role in Donald Trump’s campaign and the Department of Government Efficiency, some owners reported harassment on the road, according to CNBC’s reporting.

Betting on robotaxis

The shift fits Tesla’s broader pivot toward autonomy. Fox Business reported that Tesla plans to launch a Cybercab service in Dallas next month and to expand its autonomous transportation network, while Musk said vehicle demand is outpacing production as Full Self-Driving gains traction. Those claims come from Musk and Tesla and have not been independently verified in the reports.

Tech-focused coverage suggested the announcement has unsettled some fans, who worry other Tesla models could eventually be cut too. The reports offer no evidence of such plans. For now, the confirmed facts are narrower: the Cybertruck has about eight months left on the Texas line, and Tesla is clearing space for the robotaxi it believes will define its next chapter.

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File photo: 2024 Tesla Cybertruck, Moab 02.jpg by A1C6, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.