Musk's futuristic Cybertruck rolls toward exit

WASHINGTON (AFP) -- Production of Cybertrucks -- the pickups hailed by enthusiasts as a symbol of Elon Musk's futuristic ambitions and equally hated as ugly reminders of the Donald Trump era -- will wind down, the Tesla CEO said Friday.

Tesla will stop building the truck at its Texas factory around the middle of 2027 to free up space for its Cybercab robotaxi, Musk said.

"Tesla will be winding down production of the Cybertruck at Gigafactory Texas around the middle of next year to make room for increased Cybercab production," Musk wrote on X.

Musk did not say whether the truck would be built elsewhere or discontinued altogether, nor what would happen to outstanding orders.

Wes Morrill, the Cybertruck's lead engineer, wrote in a separate post that the truck "was an incredible technology development platform and lives on through Cybercab."

"Thanks to everyone who contributed to making the future (look) like the future," he added.

Tesla fans lamented the departure of the Cybertruck on X, the social media platform Musk owns, but the tycoon reassured them that the Cybertruck fleet "will be around for a long time."

The truck came to be seen as an extension of Musk himself, and its image became entangled with his politics as he took on a high-profile role leading the Trump administration's cost-cutting Department of Government Efficiency. Some owners reported vandalism and harassment.

The angular stainless-steel behemoth was unveiled in November 2019, and Musk said at the time it had drawn 250,000 preorders within days.

Production was originally slated for 2021 but was repeatedly delayed, with customer deliveries starting in late 2023.

Tesla built its Texas lines with planned capacity of 250,000 trucks a year, but sales have come nowhere near that figure.

As US demand slumped, Tesla began selling the truck abroad, starting deliveries in South Korea in November 2025 and in the United Arab Emirates in January.

Tesla does not break out Cybertruck revenue, but its "other models" category, which includes the pickup, accounts for just a small percentage of sales.

Cox Automotive estimated total sales of just 72,702, with more than half in 2024 and fading thereafter.

The truck has also been subject to multiple recalls and complaints over build quality.

The Cybercab, a two-seat vehicle with no steering wheel or pedals, was unveiled in October 2024.

Tesla began production at the Texas plant in April and started offering paid Cybercab rides in Austin in September through its existing Robotaxi service.

"The decision to discontinue the Cybertruck highlights how difficult it can be to translate strong initial attention and enthusiasm around a new vehicle into sustainable mainstream demand," said Stephanie Valdez Streaty, director of industry insights at Cox Automotive.

Tesla saw the vehicle as a bid for the giant US pickup truck market, but it quickly became a "niche" product, Valdez Streaty said.

The robotaxi is central to Musk's effort to recast Tesla as an artificial intelligence and robotics company rather than a carmaker, though its success depends on the company delivering fully driverless technology, which it has yet to demonstrate at scale.