Cybertruck Production to Wind Down by Mid-2027, Far Short of Musk’s 250,000-a-Year Goal

Tesla will begin winding down Cybertruck production at its Texas factory around the middle of 2027, CEO Elon Musk said Friday, bringing a potential early end to one of the most divisive vehicles of the past decade. In a post on X, Musk said the space at Gigafactory Texas is needed for increased output of the Cybercab, the company’s robotaxi.

What Musk said about the Cybertruck’s future

“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,” Musk wrote. He did not say whether the truck would be built at another plant. The Texas facility is the only known site where it is made, and it also builds the Model Y and the two-seat Cybercab.

Asked by an X user whether this marked the “end of an era,” Musk 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. Tesla did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.

How far sales fell short

The numbers explain why the decision is not a shock. Before launch, Musk predicted annual sales of about 250,000. Cox Automotive estimates, cited by CNBC, put U.S. sales at 38,965 in 2024 and 20,237 in 2025, a drop of roughly 48%. Tesla does not break out sales by model. Engadget calculates that only around 71,000 trucks have been sold since deliveries began in late 2023.

The truck’s price was another sore point. Engadget notes that Tesla never delivered on the promised $39,900 starting price, and that the cheapest version ended up at $59,900. CNBC reports that specifications also fell short of early claims, and in some cases trailed those of gasoline pickups. The 2024 model drew 11 voluntary recalls, covering problems from a risk of a “trapped” accelerator pedal to software defects and an inverter fault that could cause sudden loss of drive power.

One notable buyer propped up the figures. According to a financial filing cited by CNBC, SpaceX, also led by Musk, spent $131 million on Cybertrucks last year at Tesla’s suggested retail price.

A vehicle tangled up in politics

The angular stainless-steel design divided opinion from the 2019 unveiling, when a demonstration of “shatterproof” windows ended with cracked glass. Later, Musk’s political activity added a new layer. After he became a major funder of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and briefly led the Department of Government Efficiency, the truck became a symbol of opposition to him for some. One owner told CNBC of rude gestures and road rage, and Wired reported owners being spit on and sworn at.

Al Jazeera reports that Musk spent nearly half a billion dollars in this year’s U.S. midterm campaign backing Republican candidates, yet Democrats took control of both the House and the Senate. That could bring scrutiny of his work with the federal government, though the sources do not link politics directly to the production decision.

The Cybercab bet carries its own risks

By ending Cybertruck production in Texas, Tesla is moving capacity toward a product with no steering wheel or pedals. Engadget points out that the Cybercab is not a guaranteed success. It faces a federal investigation, and Tesla has yet to deliver fully autonomous driving after more than a decade of trying.

For now, the picture is clear but incomplete. A truck once billed as the future of pickups has a roughly eight-month runway in Texas. Whether Cybertruck production continues elsewhere, or simply ends, is a question Musk has not answered.

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