The Tesla Cybertruck May Never Get Here

When the Tesla Cybertruck debuted as a prototype back in November 2019, Elon Musk confidently announced the Blade Runner-inspired electric SUV will enter production in late 2021. Since then, the global pandemic and superconductor chip shortage has made that target increasingly difficult to achieve.

Recent comments made by Lars Moravy, Tesla's vice president of vehicle engineering, saying that the Cybertruck is still in "beta" phase seemed to suggest the Cybertruck is being delayed - but now it's official. On the reservation website, Tesla has quietly confirmed that production of the Cybertruck will now start in 2022.

No specific timeframe was given, but the delay could give Tesla's competitors a huge advantage. Production of the Ford F-150 Lightning is expected to start next spring. Before then, deliveries of the Rivian R1T are due to begin as early as next month and the GMC Hummer EV Pickup Edition 1 is due to arrive later this year.

Considering that Tesla still hasn't revealed the production version of the Cybertruck, the delay doesn't come as a massive shock. Despite this, Tesla has already secured 1.2 million reservations for the Cybertruck. Reserving a Tesla Cybertruck requires a refundable $100 deposit.

Pricing for the Single Motor RWD model starts at $39,900, which offers over 250 miles of range and will accelerate from 0-60 mph in under 6.5 seconds. Slotting above it is the Dual Motor AWD configuration, which will travel over 300 miles on a single charge and accelerate from 0-60 mph in under 4.5 seconds. This variant starts at $49,900.

At the top of the range, the $69,900 Tri Motor AWD Cybertruck has a range of over 500 miles and will accelerate from 0-60 mph in under 2.9 seconds. Originally, the Tri Motor AWD was slated for a 2022 launch, so we'll have to wait and see if the range-topping Cybertruck gets delayed until 2023.