Elon Musk’s Tesla Delays the Long-Awaited Cybertruck Until 2022

  Rassegna Stampa
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5 min read

This article was translated from our Spanish edition using AI technologies. Errors may exist due to this process.

Tesla fans have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of Cybertruck, the first electric pick-up truck from Elon Musk’s company, for years. Production of the futuristic vehicle was scheduled to begin later this year, but the company decided to delay it until 2022 for various reasons.

Until a few days ago, on the order page where you can set aside your Cybertruck for $100, it said, “The amount of the reservation is fully refundable. You will be able to complete your configuration as production approaches at the end of 2021.” However, on Saturday, August 7, the caption changed to “You will be able to complete your setup as production approaches in 2022.”

Related: Tesla’s New Cybertruck Will Be Able to Move Like a Crab

Last month, Lars Moravy, Tesla’s vice president of vehicle engineering, said the Cybertruck was “at a stage where we finished the basic engineering of the vehicle architecture.” During the same second-quarter earnings call, he added that he was “moving into the beta phases of Cybertruck.”

What’s so special about Tesla’s Cybertruck?

Tesla’s electric van prototype was unveiled in November 2019 and immediately caused a sensation. Cybertruck stands out for its futuristic design, which perfectly reflects the state-of-the-art technology it houses. Its body is capable of withstanding the impact of a nine-millimeter bullet and features unbreakable glass.

Cybertruck offers a range from 400 to 800 kilometers, depending on the version, and allows you to accelerate from 0 to 100 km / h in less than 2.9 seconds, very similar to a sports car. In addition, the adaptive air suspension helps you reduce drag and increase your efficiency.

The Tesla Cybertruck will be marketed in three versions:

  • Single RWD motor. A single engine and rear-wheel drive for $39,000.
  • Dual Motor AWD. Two engines and four-wheel drive for $49,900.
  • Tri Motor AWD. Three engines and four-wheel drive for $ 69,900, whose production was delayed to 2023.

Optionally, you can add the autonomous driving package for $10,000 or get it under Tesla’s new subscription scheme.

Related: A Drunken Man Tests His Tesla’s Autopilot: VIDEO

Why was production of the Cybertruck delayed?

Although the company has not officially clarified the reasons for the postponement, it has made it clear that the main culprit is the shortage of components.

It has been known for months that there are problems in the supply chain caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Factories stopped their operations, which led to a delay in the production of semiconductors, without which the chips that are essential for the systems of the companies cannot be manufactured. 

In fact, Last February, Elon Musk confirmed the temporary closure of a Tesla plant due to a lack of electronic components.

Furthermore, the Cybertruck is very difficult to manufacture. For example, they need to design entirely new manufacturing processes just to build their peculiar 30-time cold-rolled stainless steel frame, called the Exoskeleton.

In this sense, Tesla has said that it still lacks certain equipment and machines to start production. And not only that, but the Cybertruck will also be built at Tesla’s new factory in Austin, Texas, which itself is still under construction.

It has also gone through several redesigns and changes, not to mention those that still need to be made to the prototype presented to achieve homologation in North America and Europe.

The other vehicles that Tesla will not launch this year

In late July, the company announced that its Tesla Semi, the company’s long-awaited heavy-duty electric truck, will be delayed until 2022.

As with Cybertruck, the reason is a lack of battery cell components due to “issues with the supply chain and regional permits,” as well as the intention to focus its resources on its Berlin and Austin factories, the company said. 

For its part, the Tesla Roadster model, which was revealed alongside the Tesla Semi in 2017 and would be the most sporty and affordable car of the firm ($25,000), does not even have a date to start production, despite the fact that Elon Musk himself said it would hit the market in 2020.

Related: A Tesla X Gets Caught in the Center of a Tornado and Its Camera Records the Disaster

Rival firms are hot on Tesla’s heels

Interestingly, production will also begin in 2022 on the F-150 Lightning, Ford’s electric pickup that could represent the greatest competition for Cybertruck.

Chevrolet plans to launch the electric version of its Silverado pickup in 2023 or 2024, and Ram has promised to build an EV 1500 pickup by 2024.

Production of the GMC Hummer EV Edition 1 electric pickup is scheduled for this fall, and the Rivian R1T Launch Edition electric pickup, although recently delayed, will hit customers in September.

Despite the delay in the production of Tesla’s Cybertruck, the vehicle already has more than 1.25 million reservations.

Related: ‘I Have to Launch the F ***** Rocket!’: This Is Elon Musk According to a New Book

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/379891