Tesla did not hold a delivery event for its Cybertruck in the third quarter (Q3) of 2023 as initially planned by CEO Elon Musk.
Last April, Musk said “The Cybertruck handover… will hopefully be around the end of Q3 this year.” Although this statement indicates a target rather than a promise, the delayed Cybertruck still represents a setback for Tesla.
The futuristic Tesla EV was originally scheduled for production in 2021. According to Owen Bellwood at Jalopnik, the missed Q3 target is Tesla’s fifth missed Cybertruck target.
As Tesla delays the Cybertruck, the number of reservations for the vehicle continues to increase. A recent estimate suggests that the number of Cybertruck preorders now exceeds 2 million.
Despite the absence of a Q3 delivery event, there are signs that the delivery event may be forthcoming. According to The Verge, Tesla employees received launch event apparel last week. In addition, there have been dozens of Cybertruck sightings following the production of the first Cybertruck at Giga Texas in July.
As such, skeptics who predict that the vehicle will never be produced are unduly pessimistic.
The Cybertruck’s unique design and construction, particularly its stainless steel angular shape and large single wiper blade, have contributed to the lengthy development process.
Some analysts have also blamed Elon Musk’s perfectionist tendencies on the missed deadline. In August, Musk told employees that Cybertrucks must be designed to an accuracy of less than 10 microns. Sam Fiorani told Business Insider that instructions like this should have been given years ago.
In addition to straining Tesla’s current vehicle lineup, the Cybertruck delays are also likely to impact the Cybertruck’s pricing.
Originally priced at $39,900 for the base model, inflation may cause the final price to increase.
On Monday, Tesla announced its third-quarter global sales figures. The sales figure announcement didn’t include any updates regarding the Cybertruck delivery event.
