Finally! First Cybertruck rolls off Tesla's production line in Texas
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Christmas has come early for the nearly two million Tesla enthusiasts looking to own a Tesla Cybertruck. After years of delays, the company has finally rolled off the first-ever piece of the electric vehicle from its Texas factory, raising hopes that production will pick up soon.
First Cybertruck built at Giga Texas! 🤠 pic.twitter.com/ODRhHVsd0t
— Tesla (@Tesla) July 15, 2023
Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiled the futuristic-looking Cybertruck in November 2019, promising it would start deliveries by 2021. The ever-so-hopeful Musk kept pushing the production dates by a quarter or two, and before we knew it, the electric vehicle was already two years late.
Earlier in May, Musk again told investors that the vehicle would be ready for deliveries later in the year. So, even though the roll-off of the first vehicle is major news, one would need to be extremely cautious before getting their hopes high that they would drive around in a Cybertruck later this year.
The long queue
Earlier this month, Musk posted a picture of the Cybertruck, which he drove around Austin. But that's the privilege of being the CEO of the company.
Just drove Cybertruck around Austin! pic.twitter.com/QN19Agqa7R
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 8, 2023
When the rest get to drive, their Cybertruck will depend on how far down the long queue they are on the waitlist. As per a reservation tracker maintained by Electrek, more than 1.9 million pre-orders have been received by Tesla for the Cybertruck.
The rollout of the first physical is a significant milestone for a car company. Still, with a planned production capacity of 250,000 vehicles, people on the list could be four years away from getting their hands on the Cybertruck.
This is also subject to constraints such as supply-chain issues or other unforeseen circumstances that might delay production.
Is the Cybertruck still an attractive buy?
In 2019, the Cybertruck concept was attractive and among the few options available to users who wanted an EV pickup. In the following years, a flurry of choices is open to buyers, whether from new-age manufacturers like Rivian or legacy carmakers like Ford.
Some potential owners might also be put off by the price of the Cybertruck when it eventually becomes available. Musk had introduced the pickup with a starting price of $40,000, but four years and a pandemic have sent a meteoric increase in input prices.
Musk and Tesla could also be tempted to slash the prices of the Cybertruck much like they have done for their other offerings to stay competitive in the market. But the appeal for the vehicle might be on the wane after seeing only images and videos but never the actual product.
Production delays were also attributed to changes in certain features which, according to Musk, make the Cybertruck "better than expectations". Tesla will need to showcase these new changes and their advantages over competing EVs if the Cybertruck is the futuristic car it portrays to be.
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