Tesla CEO Elon Musk says the company will start producing the future-funky Cybertruck, sporty Roadster, and semi truck in 2023. That’s the news out of a heavily-hyped event called the Cyber Rodeo — part grand opening, part investor update, and part rave. The event took place at the company’s new Austin, Texas headquarters this week.
The company celebrated its move from California to Texas and the opening of its Austin factory and headquarters with live music, art installations, carnival games, a petting zoo, fireworks, and by rolling out the latest prototypes.
Some Changes to the Cybertruck
For the uninitiated, the Cybertruck is Tesla’s first attempt at an electric pickup truck. It’s meant to serve practical roles as a hauler and tower. But it can also serve as a radical reconsideration of what a pickup can be.
Accordingly, it looks like something out of a cyberpunk future, with an angular design in slab-sided stainless steel.
Tesla rolled out a new Cybertruck prototype at this week’s event. It included side-view cameras in place of mirrors, placed low in the plastic cladding around the front wheels. They don’t replace the side mirrors. U.S. law still requires mirrors, though federal regulators are reportedly considering a proposal to allow cameras alone.
The rear glass on the prototype lowers – a new feature.
3 million Orders, but Several Delays
The company says it has received more than 3 million reservations for the truck, though we should note that buying a reservation costs just $100, and not all reservations will become orders. It would be stunning if they did — last year, America’s best-selling vehicle (the Ford F-150 pickup) sold fewer than 800,000 copies.
Tesla says the Cybertruck will start at just $39,900 for a single-motor, rear-wheel-drive (RWD) version, with prices climbing to over $80,000 fully equipped. But Tesla has a long history of frequent price increases for its cars – last year, it increased the price of its Model S sedan by almost 37% in at least nine increments.
Musk’s announcement that the truck will start production development next year is new. The Cybertruck has been delayed three times, with Tesla recently removing all information from its website about delivery dates.
Several rivals, meanwhile, have brought electric trucks to market. Startup Rivian has begun deliveries of its R1T electric truck. The first GMC Hummer EVs have reached customer driveways. Ford reports that it is on schedule to begin delivering its F-150 Lightning electric pickup later this year.
A late 2023 production date means Chevrolet could also beat Tesla to market. Its Silverado EV is scheduled to enter production late this year.
The Roadster
Musk did not display a new Roadster prototype. But he promised the little two-seater would also make it into production in 2023.
Tesla built an open-top roadster on a Lotus Elise chassis — its first product — from 2008 through 2012. There’s even one in space. Musk launched his own copy as the dummy payload in a 2018 test of the Falcon Heavy rocket built by SpaceX, one of his other projects.
Its replacement is reportedly not a drop-top but a sports coupe. The company has claimed a 0-to-60 time under two seconds and a driving range of 620 miles. The price is about $250,000.
