Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced on Friday that the company will begin winding down Cybertruck production at its Texas Gigafactory around mid-2027. Musk stated in an X post that this move is intended to make room for increased production of the newly launched Cybercab, a vehicle Musk has positioned as central to Tesla’s robotaxi ambitions.
While it is not immediately clear if production will be moved to another facility or phased out entirely, the Austin plant is currently the only known Tesla facility equipped to manufacture the Cybertruck's specialized components. Musk described the wind-down as the “end of an era,” while also calling the Cybertruck the “best vehicle Tesla has ever made.”
The move follows years of persistently weak sales for the futuristic pickup. Although Musk previously predicted annual sales of 250,000 units, the vehicle has struggled to meet those targets. According to Kelley Blue Book, the company sold only 20,237 Cybertrucks in the US last year, which represents a 48 per cent decrease from the 38,965 units sold in 2024. Other analyst estimates place total deliveries since the 2023 launch at roughly 70,000 units.
Former Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer noted that it does not make sense to keep the model going when it is not meeting targets, adding that while it might only be a rounding error on Tesla's balance sheet, the statistics speak for themselves. Palmer also highlighted that the Cybertruck's design made regulatory approval impossible in markets like Europe due to pedestrian impact rules.
The Cybertruck has faced controversy since its 2019 unveiling, including a design mocked by purists and a demonstration where Musk attempted to show shatterproof windows but left massive cracks in two of them. During its 2023 launch, Musk marketed it as a futuristic competitor to Ford and General Motors, stating, “finally, the future will look like the future.”
