Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images
Tesla has never been fantastic at meeting deadlines, so it’s not too surprising that the company’s ambitious electric pickup — the Cybertruck — is running a little late. Recently, reference to a 2022 production schedule was scrubbed from its website.
The Cybertruck was originally announced in 2019, with Tesla promising that the vehicle would be rolling off production lines in late 2021. Then, in August that year, full production was delayed to some time in 2022. Now, that deadline seems to have been waived, too.
As first spotted by Edmunds, the order page on Tesla’s Cybertruck site previously told buyers: “You will be able to complete your configuration as production nears in 2022.” Now, it just says: “You will be able to complete your configuration as production nears,” with archives of the site showing reference to the year was removed towards the end of December 2021.
Lots of factors could contribute to a delay. These include external challenges, like the ongoing pandemic and global chip shortage (which has affected all automakers), as well as Cybertruck-specific problems. The vehicle’s angular look is controversial, attracting awe and scorn in equal measure, but it certainly comes with unique design challenges, like the problem of creating a huge windshield wiper to cover the mammoth front window.
Ramping up production on the Cybertruck might also be a relatively low priority for Tesla considering its other vehicles have had fantastic years. The Model 3 became the first EV to top monthly sales charts in Europe, for example, while the company delivered close to 1 million cars in 2021 — an impressive 87 percent increase on shipments in 2020.
At the same time, Tesla’s competitors are moving into what could prove to be a very lucrative market for electric trucks. Ford committed to doubling production of its F-150 Lightning, which it says will start shipping in the first half of 2022; buzzy newcomer Rivian finally started shipping its first R1Ts to customers; while brands like Hummer and Chevy have their own electric trucks scheduled for late 2022 and late 2023 releases respectively.
Tesla’s Cybertruck can afford to delay a little, but the company risks losing potential customers as it does. We should know more about the vehicle’s future soon, though. Tesla CEO Elon Musk promised to share a “Product roadmap update” for the Cybertruck on the next Tesla earnings call. That’s scheduled for January 26th. Not long to wait.