In the years since Tesla first unveiled the Cybertruck the world has changed in dramatic ways and the pickup has seen a number of delays. Now, as we approach what CEO Elon Musk is calling the start of production in late November, he’s admitted that the Cybertrck is very hard to build. During a recent earnings call, he went as far as to say “We dug our own grave with the Cybertruck.”
For anybody watching the news that has surrounded the EV over the last few years, that’s probably not too shocking. Aside from its numerous delays, something that Tesla is somewhat known for, there are technical challenges unique to Cybertruck. An email purportedly from Musk to employees in recent weeks stressed how important it was to get the panel gaps tight and uniform.
That’s not all that easy on any car but on one with large expanses of stainless steel, the errors are all the more obvious. That’s been somewhat obvious based on the number of release candidate units we’ve documented rolling around in the USA.
Read: Elon Musk Won’t Push To Increase Tesla Production Over Economic Uncertainties
“I do want to emphasize that there will be enormous challenges in reaching volume production with the Cybertruck and then making the Cybertruck cashflow positive – this is simply normal,” Musk said. He points at the technology within the truck as the main pain point though.
“When you’ve got a product with a lot of new technology or any brand new vehicle program, especially one that is as different and advanced as the Cybertruck, you will have problems proportionate to how many new things you’re trying to solve at scale,” he added.
With all of that in mind, Musk says that a ramp-up to maximum production, around 250,000 units annually, won’t happen until 2025. If true, that’ll be some six years after the Cybertruck was initially announced.
At least we won’t have to wait much longer to get our first look at the very first batch of production-ready units. They’re slated for a special delivery event on November 30th at Giga Texas. We should learn more about pricing, powertrains, and other specifications between now and then.
