Tesla Cybertruck
The Tesla Cybertruck is a battery-electric full-size pickup truck manufactured by Tesla, Inc. since 2023. It was first unveiled as a prototype in November 2019, featuring a distinctive angular design composed of flat, unpainted stainless steel body panels, drawing comparisons to low-polygon computer models.
Originally scheduled for production in late 2021, the vehicle faced multiple delays before entering limited production at Gigafactory Texas in November 2023, with initial customer deliveries occurring later that month., two variants are available: a tri-motor all-wheel drive model marketed as the "Cyberbeast" and a dual-motor AWD model. EPA range estimates vary by configuration, from.
, the Cybertruck is sold in the United States, Mexico, Canada, South Korea, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. The Cybertruck has been criticized for its production quality and safety concerns while its sales have been described as disappointing.
History
Background
Tesla CEO Elon Musk's ideas for a pickup truck were first stated publicly in 2012 and 2013, envisioning to build a "Tesla supertruck with crazy torque, dynamic air suspension, and corners like it's on rails". In early 2014 Musk predicted 4–5 years before work could start on the product, then in a 2015 interview with CNN, Musk stated that the Tesla pickup would be the equivalent of a Ford F-150. In mid-2016, the outline for a consumer pickup truck was included in part 2 of the Tesla Master Plan. Musk suggested that the same chassis could be used for a van and a pickup truck. In 2017, Musk teased the picture of a "pickup truck that can carry a pickup truck" was displayed at the official reveal for the Tesla Semi and Roadster.In March 2019, following the Tesla Model Y launch, Musk distributed a teaser image of a vehicle described as having a cyberpunk or Blade Runner style, with the form resembling a futuristic armored personnel carrier. It was rumored to be named the Model B. On November 6, 2019, Tesla filed for a trademark on "Cybrtrk", which was granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office but was later abandoned on August 10, 2020.
2019 concept
A concept Cybertruck was unveiled in Los Angeles, California, on November 21, 2019—the same month, year, and location in which the film Blade Runner was set. The Cybertruck was launched under a graffiti-themed "Cybertruck" logo.During the unveiling, Tesla claimed that the Cybertruck's "Armor Glass" windows were virtually unbreakable, but two windows shattered when Franz von Holzhausen threw a metal ball at each of them. Musk later claimed that the windows were damaged because, in an earlier demonstration, the door had been hit by a sledgehammer that cracked the base of the glass. Tesla released a video of Cybertruck pulling a rear-wheel-drive Ford F-150 uphill in a tug of war. News outlets pointed out this was due to the Cybertruck's heavier weight.
Tesla's stated goal was to provide a sustainable energy substitute for the roughly 6,500 fossil-fuel-powered pickup-trucks sold per day in the United States.
At the end of the presentation, a concept Tesla Cyberquad all-terrain vehicle was driven onto the bed of the Cybertruck using a built-in ramp in the tailgate. The Cyberquad was plugged into the Cybertruck's onboard power outlet to charge its batteries. The ATV was anticipated for future sale as a Cybertruck option.
In 2019, many social media commentators criticized the sharp contours and unusual exterior shown in the concept vehicle. The prototype was exhibited at the Petersen Automotive Museum in June 2020 and returned in November 2022.
Reservations
Beginning in November 2019, Tesla accepted Cybertruck reservations with a refundable US$100 deposit. On November 23, 2019, Musk tweeted that Tesla had received 146,000 reservations in the first 1.5 days after the unveiling. Musk updated the number of preorders to 250,000 on November 26.In October 2021, Tesla removed the Cybertruck's pricing and specifications from its website without explanation while still accepting deposits. At the 2022 annual shareholders meeting, in response to a question, Elon Musk stated that final specifications and pricing would be different from those unveiled on the concept vehicle in 2019.
Preorders were temporarily shut down prior to the delivery event on November 30, 2023. Since the delivery event, the price for a deposit was increased to $250. In August 2024, the Cybertruck was readily available for delivery in the U.S. and Tesla shut down the reservation process.
Production and offerings
In 2019, Elon Musk announced that the Cybertruck would launch in late 2021 with a starting price of US$39,900. The release date was later delayed to 2022, and subsequently to late 2023, with an updated base price of US$60,990. In May 2022, Tesla stopped taking orders from customers outside North America, and in December 2023, it confirmed that the Cybertruck would be available exclusively in that region. While individual imports into the European Union and United Kingdom are possible, type approval restrictions prevent registration for public road use in many countries.In June 2023, chief designer Franz von Holzhausen drove an early build Cybertruck to an event at the Petersen Automotive Museum. The first unit was assembled at Gigafactory Texas in July 2023, though Tesla later clarified that this was part of pilot production.
Serial production began by November 2023, with production-specification units appearing in Tesla showrooms later that month. On November 30, 2023, Tesla hosted a delivery event at Gigafactory Texas, during which it handed over the first trucks to a small selection of customers. The event featured a demonstration of the vehicle's armored glass withstanding a baseball thrown by von Holzhausen, and a promotional video showing the Cybertruck winning a drag race against a Porsche 911 while towing another 911. Although Musk claimed the race occurred over a distance, analysis of the footage suggested it was likely.
At the same event, Tesla announced pricing and specifications for three variants: a single-motor rear-wheel drive, a dual-motor all-wheel drive, and a tri-motor AWD model branded as the "Cyberbeast". The RWD variant, priced at US$60,990, was scheduled for release in 2025 with an estimated range of and a top speed of. The dual-motor AWD model was planned for 2024 at US$79,990, with a range of and a top speed of. The tri-motor Cyberbeast, also scheduled for 2024, was priced at US$99,990. Compared to initial projections in 2019, base prices had increased by US$21,000–39,000, representing a 53–64% price hike.
In August 2024, Tesla discontinued reservations for the base RWD model. Until October 2024, only the limited Foundation Series was sold, priced at a US$20,000 premium. This edition, capped at 25,000 units, included early delivery, unique badging, nearly all available accessories, and bundled features such as Full Self-Driving and Powershare capabilities. Sales of the Foundation Series ended in January 2025, with the company reportedly struggling to sell out all of the vehicles.
Sales of the RWD model, now rebranded as the "Long Range" Cybertruck, resumed in April 2025. Now equipped with a battery that delivered a range of up to, it was priced at US$69,990, a US$9,000 increase from its original listing. Despite offering the longest battery range of any configuration, the Long Range trim omitted several features: it lacked ventilated seats, a rear-seat display, motorized tonneau cover, power outlets, and adaptive air suspension. MotorTrend noted that given the number of omitted features, further price reductions appeared unlikely, casting doubt on Tesla's ability to meet its original US$39,900 price target. The long range trim was discontinued a few months later in September.
Design
Inspiration and styling
According to Musk, the design of the Cybertruck was inspired by Blade Runner and "Wet Nellie", the Lotus Esprit driven by James Bond in The Spy Who Loved Me, which doubled as a submarine.In a Musk biography by Walter Isaacson, Musk's son Saxon was quoted as asking, "Why doesn't the future look like the future?", which Musk used as an inspiration for the design and repeated during the delivery event. Lars Moravy confirmed Musk's involvement: "Elon threw in that it had to drive like a sports car but have all the utility of a pick-up truck... basically, we were sweating bullets". Franz von Holzhausen stated the design process "started unpacking existing pick-up trucks and realis that the market hasn't changed at all. Like Gandini, we wanted to do something dramatic that changed everything. I had this simple idea right in the beginning: this exoskeleton idea, a low-resolution-looking type of truck. And out of that side project, we made a full-size clay model to show Elon. And he's like, 'that's what we're doing.
Automotive designer Frank Stephenson was critical of the Cybertruck, calling it "almost repulsive" but tempered his criticism by noting it "has the potential to be extremely beautiful" by softening the hard lines. Fellow designer Adrian Clarke was more unsparing: "The Cybertruck is a low polygon joke that only exists in the fever dreams of Tesla fans that stands high on the smell of Elon Musk's flatulences." Giorgetto Giugiaro, credited with originating the "origami" car design trend with the Lotus Esprit, BMW M1, and DeLorean, stated in 2023 that "when you step outside the norms, it's almost always seen as a provocation the Cybertruck will surely be successful I'm convinced it will find its admirers".
Exterior
The 300-series stainless-steel panels have a thickness of for the doors and body, respectively, according to a factory tour video. These panels cannot be stamped like conventional automobile parts, but instead are laser-cut and then bent along straight lines. According to Tesla's VP of Vehicle Engineering Lars Moravy, Tesla had to invent a manufacturing process called "air bending" which shapes the steel with high air pressure without actually touching the surface. The Cybertruck's stainless steel finish is prone to rust spots and requires special care such as avoiding washing the vehicle in direct sunlight.In 2019, it was reportedly going to use a stainless-steel alloy developed by Tesla in partnership with Aperam.