Tesla to discontinue Cybertruck production next year

Although Tesla's CEO Elon Musk refers to the Cybertruck as "the best vehicle Tesla has ever made," the sales numbers tell a whole different story. From the projected 250,000 annual sales, Tesla was able to ship only 20,237 units this year, which is a 48% slump from the year below. So unsurprisingly, Elon Musk announced on X that the company will "wind down production" next year.

Perhaps the carmaker's CEO was trying to put it more nicely, but "winding down" production likely means "discontinue." We saw the signs about a year ago when the Cybertruck boss left the company, while sales continued to decline. And in late October this year, Australia and New Zealand joined the growing list of countries where the boxy pickup is banned from being officially sold.

The design and weight of the vehicle are one of the key reasons Cybertruck wasn't the hit it was supposed to be. It raises a lot of safety concerns, and in some countries, you need a special driver's permit to drive since it's too heavy, which means it basically only has the US to rely on for decent sales.

Elon Musk clarified that the Texas Gigafactory will ramp up production of the Cybercab - Tesla's next big bet. The robotaxi service is already being deployed in Texas and will soon reach other states and countries, so Tesla will have to step up its game to produce enough cars to support its fleet of driverless cabs.

Even though Tesla doesn't explicitly say the Cybertruck will be gone for good next year, the Texas Gigafactory is the only facility in the world equipped to produce the truck. And if those production lines are busy assembling Cybercabs, we doubt that any other Tesla Gigafactory will take on the job.

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