The Tesla Cybertruck is a battery-electric full-size pickup truck manufactured by Tesla, Inc. since 2023. It was presented as a prototype concept in November 2019, with an angular design composed of flat, unpainted stainless steel body panels, drawing comparisons to low-polygon computer models.
While scheduled for production in late 2021, the vehicle had multiple delays before entering limited production at Gigafactory Texas in 2023, with customer deliveries beginning in November 2023. , two variants are available: a tri-motor all-wheel drive (AWD) model marketed as the "Cyberbeast" with an EPA range of and a dual-motor AWD model with a range of .
, the Cybertruck is marketed in the United States, Mexico, Canada, South Korea, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. The Cybertruck has been extensively criticized for its production quality issues, unusual appearance, and safety problems. In response to its disappointing sales, multiple news publications have described it as an "automotive flop".
History
Background Tesla CEO Elon Musk's presented his ideas in 2012, envisioning building a "Tesla supertruck with crazy torque, dynamic air suspension, and corners like it's on rails" with load-compensating suspensions comparable to a Ford F-250. In early 2014 Musk predicted 4–5 years before work could start on the product. In a 2015 interview with CNN, Musk said 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 late 2017, Musk teased the picture of a "pickup truck that can carry a pickup truck" at the official reveal for the Tesla Semi and the new Roadster.
In late 2018, Musk anticipated that a prototype would be ready to show in 2019.
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, resembling a futuristic armored personnel carrier. It was rumored to be named the Model B. In November 2019, Tesla filed for a trademark on "Cybrtrk", which was granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office but was abandoned in August 2020.
In mid-2019, the towing capacity of the vehicle was stated to meet or exceed that of a Ford F-150. In June 2019, Musk noted that an amphibious vehicle design concept based partly on Wet Nellie, the submarine car from the 1977 film The Spy Who Loved Me was possible.
In July 2019, regarding a release date, Musk stated "We're close, but the magic is in the final details. Maybe 2 to 3 months", indicating late 2019. The unveiling was then scheduled for November 21, 2019 at the Tesla Design Studio, next to the SpaceX headquarters in Los Angeles. The truck was launched under the graffiti-themed logo of "Cybertruck", and a new trademark request was filed with the graffiti logo.
2019 concept
A Cybertruck concept was unveiled in Los Angeles, California, on November 21, 2019 the same month, year, and location in which the 1982 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 the two windows on the truck shattered when Franz von Holzhausen threw a metal ball at each of them. Musk later stated 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 the 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 Tesla Cyberquad all-terrain vehicle (ATV) concept 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 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 again in November 2022.
In January 2020, The Automobile Magazine named Cybertruck the 2019 "Concept Car of the Year".
Reservations Beginning in November 2019, Tesla accepted Cybertruck reservations with a refundable US$100 deposit. On November 26, Musk announced 250,000 preorders in the five days since the unveiling.
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, Musk stated that final specifications and pricing would be different from those unveiled for the concept vehicle in 2019.
Preorders were temporarily shut down prior to the November 30, 2023 delivery event. The price for a deposit was increased to $250 after the event. 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 November 2019, Elon Musk announced that the Cybertruck production would launch in late 2021 with a starting price of $39,900 and offer more configurations in 2022. 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 North America. 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. 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 , 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 (RWD), a dual-motor all-wheel drive (AWD), and a tri-motor AWD model branded as the "Cyberbeast". The RWD variant, priced at $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 $79,990, with a range of and a top speed of . The tri-motor Cyberbeast, also scheduled for 2024, was priced at $99,990, with a range of . Compared to initial projections in 2019, prices had increased by $21,000–39,000, representing a 53–64% price increase.
In August 2024, Tesla discontinued reservations for the base RWD model. Until October 2024, only the limited Foundation Series was sold, priced at a $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 all of the vehicles.
Sales of the RWD model, rebranded as the "Long Range" Cybertruck, resumed in April 2025. Now with a range of , it was priced at $69,990, a $9,000 increase from its original price. The Long Range trim omitted several features: 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 $39,900 target. The Long Range trim was discontinued in September 2025.
In February 2026, Tesla updated the dual-motor AWD's price to $59,990 with delivery beginning in April 2027.
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 [by] unpacking existing pick-up trucks and realis[ing] 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.
In 2019, the Cybertruck was reportedly going to use a stainless-steel alloy developed by Tesla in partnership with Aperam.
Powertrain Tesla has stated that it employs a platform-based approach to the Cybertruck’s powertrain architecture, using a standardized set of components across all drivetrain variants. These include a single design each for the permanent magnet motor, induction motor, motor inverter, and the 15:1 reduction gear set. All powertrain components are integrated into a liquid-cooled subassembly.
The single-motor RWD variant uses a permanent magnet motor mounted on the rear axle, producing up to . In the dual-motor AWD configuration, the same permanent magnet motor is used on the rear axle but is downrated to , paired with a front induction motor producing , resulting in a combined output of . The tri-motor AWD model reconfigures the layout by placing the permanent magnet motor on the front axle and incorporating two induction motors on the rear axle, delivering a peak combined output of with from the front motor and from each rear motor.