Tesla plans to stop making the Cybertruck next year and repurpose the factory space for its two-seat Cybercab robotaxis, CEO Elon Musk said in a post on X. The move marks a sharp retreat from a vehicle once positioned as a defining product for the company.
The decision follows several years of sales well below Musk’s early ambitions. When Tesla delivered its first Cybertrucks in late 2023, he forecast annual sales of roughly 250,000. Instead, the company has sold only tens of thousands in total over the past three years.
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A Factory Reoriented Around Autonomy
Ending Cybertruck production is part of Tesla’s broader effort to position itself as an artificial intelligence and robotics company, with autonomous vehicles central to that strategy. The company has spent the past two months operating Cybercabs on public streets in its hometown of Austin, Texas. Tesla says it plans to expand the service to other cities, beginning with Dallas later this month.
Tesla also operates robotaxi versions of its Model Y SUVs in Austin, Houston and Dallas, as well as three cities in Florida. The company has reported no major incidents involving its Cybercab operations to date.
The Cybertruck is the third Tesla product to be discontinued as the company reallocates production capacity to newer ambitions. Earlier this year, Tesla said it would end production of the Model S sedan and Model X SUV, converting the factory space used for those vehicles to make Optimus humanoid robots.
A Long-Awaited Truck That Missed Its Targets
First announced in 2019, the Cybertruck was a personal passion project for Musk. “Probably my personal favorite for the next product is the pickup truck,” he said on a Tesla earnings call that year, promising an “amazing” vehicle.
The design drew on cyberpunk science fiction, including Blade Runner, and delivered the radical look Musk had promised. But the truck’s original specifications proved harder to achieve. At its 2019 unveiling, Tesla said the Cybertruck would start below $40,000 and offer up to 500 miles of range. It ultimately met neither target.
Production was delayed by two years, partly because of the Covid-19 pandemic. When deliveries began in late 2023, the event was a subdued affair by Tesla’s standards. Musk described the vehicle as “the finest in apocalyptic equipment,” suited to “late civilization vibes.” The starting price had climbed to about $60,000, while the maximum range had fallen by more than 100 miles from the original promise. Coverage of the launch captured the gap between the truck’s early specifications and the version customers received.
Design, Price And Politics Weighed On Demand
The Cybertruck struggled to find a broad market. Its divisive design did not resonate with many buyers, particularly at a price well above the initial target. The truck’s visibility also made it a focal point for political protest.
During the vehicle’s first full year of sales in 2024, Musk became a major financial backer of Donald Trump. In 2025, Musk led the Department of Government Efficiency, which oversaw the firing of thousands of federal workers. Those developments added political baggage to a vehicle already facing questions about affordability and demand.
By shifting factory capacity from the Cybertruck to robotaxis, Tesla is making a consequential bet: that autonomous mobility and robotics offer greater long-term value than a pickup that failed to meet its original sales expectations.
