First Tesla Cybertruck Deliveries Take Place in the USA
Four years ago, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced the company’s intention to deliver its innovative Cybertruck to its first owners by 2021. Two years after Tesla failed to meet this initial delivery target, the keys to the first Cybertrucks were handed over during an event at Gigafactory Texas on Thursday, November 30, 2023.
At VIP Gateway, we’re excited by this latest news from Tesla because we’re fans of the company’s vehicles, such as the Tesla Model 3 and the Tesla Model Y. These EVs are part of the range of Tesla vehicles that are popular EV lease options for our customers.
So, we’re interested to see what the Cybertruck has to offer. However, we’re tempering excitement slightly because the live stream featuring Elon Musk handing over around a dozen “production Cybertrucks” provided little information about the vehicle’s future.
Is the Cybertruck out in America?
Given the recent delivery event, you may think the answer to this question is yes. But the situation is not quite as simple as that. As we mentioned, Elon Muck made no mention of future production targets for the Cybertruck. He also failed to mention the fact that the new proposed retail price is 50% higher than the originally quoted price of $40,000 before any tax breaks or other incentives.
Instead, Musk chose to concentrate on the attributes of the Cybertruck. For example, he spoke about the vehicle’s bulletproof hard steel body and its acceleration abilities of 0 to 60 mph in 2.6 seconds. We love the sound of this, but we also know that experts are cynical. There’s a belief that Tesla will find it hard to scale up production of the Cybertruck, especially given the delays that have happened so far.
Musk himself referred to the challenges in an October earnings call. He stated that it would be difficult to reach high production volume and positive cash flow for Cybertruck. So, although a small number of people in the US are now driving a Cybertruck, it’s too early to say that it’s out in America in general.
Right now, it’s guesswork as to how many Cybertrucks will be produced. It’s also worth mentioning that although hundreds of thousands of people placed a $100 refundable deposit on the vehicle, there’s no record of the number of people who have a firm intention to purchase If they’re able to do so.
What is known so far is that general deliveries for the all-wheel drive model are expected to begin in 2024, with deliveries of the base model following in 2025.
What specs does the Tesla Cybertruck have?
The material for the Cybertruck is shiny stainless steel. Its shape consists of flat planes and only a limited amount of curvature. According to Musk, the design of the vehicle was partly inspired by the car-turned-submarine in “The Spy Who Loved Me.”
Digging deeper into the features of the Cybertruck, the specs are expected to be as detailed in the table below.
Model
Range
Acceleration (0-60 mph)
Top Speed (mph)
Base
250 miles
6.5 seconds
112
All-wheel drive
340 miles
4.1 seconds
112
Cyberbeast
320 miles
2.6 seconds
130
The estimated retail prices for the Cybertruck models are as follows:
Base model - $60,990
All-wheel drive model - $79,900
Cyberbeast - $99,990
Has Tesla missed its opportunity?
If you’re wondering, “When was the Tesla Cybertruck first announced?” the answer is 2019. At the time, vehicle deliveries were promised for 2021. The date was pushed back to 2022. However, pandemic-related issues and supply chain problems caused further delays.
Meanwhile, competitors such as Ford, General Motors, and Rivian began to sell electric pickups. These vehicles were designed to be more utilitarian than the Cybertruck, but they nevertheless beat Tesla’s product to the market.
You also have to look at the US electric pickup truck market. It hasn’t expanded as much as was envisaged. The appetite for this type of vehicle isn’t as strong as it was expected to become when the Cybertruck was first announced. Both GM and Ford have announced plans to scale back some truck plans amongst several EV-related projects.
So, when its general release happens, the Cybertruck will enter a less-than-optimum market and will face competition from other brands. It remains to be seen whether this means Tesla has missed the opportunity to capture the public’s imagination and optimise Cybertruck sales.
In the meantime, Tesla’s other much sought-after EVs remain popular in the market. At VIP Gateway, they’re a feature of our electric vehicle leasingopportunities. You may also be interested in our special car leasing offers that provide you with the best value car leasing opportunities. For more advice and information about personal car leasing or business car leasing, call us on 0161 814 9623 or email [email protected]. Our team is always up to date with market news, such as Cybertruck’s progress, and we’re happy to help you find your ideal vehicle lease deal.