The automaker’s Gigafactory in Austin, Texas was originally supposed to start pre-production of Cybertruck in 2021.
American automaker Tesla announced over the weekend that it has built its first all-electric pickup truck called Cybertruck after a delay of two years. The much-awaited vehicle was built at built Tesla’s Gigafactory located in Austin, Texas.
The company plans to commence deliveries of the Cybertruck later this year. Tesla chief executive officer Elon Musk first unveiled a prototype of the vehicle in November 2019. The automaker’s Gigafactory in Austin, Texas was originally supposed to start pre-production of the electric pickup truck in 2021 but was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Design changes and shortages in sourcing components were other reasons cited by the automobile company for the delay in Cybertruck’s manufacturing.
Musk said at a shareholder’s meeting in May that once the production of Cybertruck begins, Tesla aims to produce between 250,000 to 500,000 units per year. Additionally, the electric truck is expected to be more expensive than the originally planned price of $39,900, due to inflation and other factors and Musk previously said that “a lot has changed” since the unveiling of the vehicle.
Tesla Cybertruck represents an ambitious foray into the electric pickup truck market. Its design is unique and futuristic which resembles a large metal trapezoid on wheels, with its exteriors made from a stainless-steel alloy. While more details about the vehicle’s specifications are still under wraps, Cybertruck is expected to come with various options, including a quad-motor all-wheel-drive configuration, a battery range of 500+ miles, and a towing capacity of over 14,000 pounds. Tesla has also offered features like Autopilot and an optional Full Self-Driving option for the Cybertruck, showcasing Tesla’s advanced autonomous driving technology
Elsewhere, the company delivered the first batch of heavy-duty Semi trucks to PepsiCo in December last year, after a long wait. In December 2017, when Semi was first unveiled, Pepsi ordered 100 trucks from the automaker. Tesla then estimated the shipping in 2019. However, due to delays, some because of the pandemic and supply chain problems, the shipment got postponed to 2021. It was later pushed to 2022.
