Tesla's boss has once again disappointed his fans. The price of the Cybertruck turns out to be much higher than what Elon Musk had announced in 2019, adding to the long list of his unfulfilled promises.
Cybertruck significantly more expensive than expected
Elon Musk's broken promises no longer surprise many people. The controversial owner of Tesla and X (formerly Twitter) has often been wrong in his predictions, like some politicians.
His latest promise is the Tesla Cybertruck. According to Business Insider, during its 2019 presentation, Musk touted this futuristic electric pickup as a competitor to the Ford F-150, with a starting price of $39,900.
Nearly five years later, that dream seems more distant than ever. Today, the cheapest Cybertruck costs $100,000 in the United States, or about €91,500 at the current exchange rate.
Affordable versions of the Cybertruck questioned
Tesla has quietly raised the price of the all-wheel-drive version of the Cybertruck to nearly $100,000. The company also removed the option to reserve the $61,000 rear-wheel-drive version for 2025.
Currently, the only options available to potential buyers are:
The fate of the planned cheaper versions of the Cybertruck remains uncertain, though the project's lead engineer, Wes Morrill, appeared to confirm on X that they weren't completely abandoned.
Cybertruck Production Challenges
In 2019, Musk said the Cybertruck would start at $39,900, with the top-of-the-line version reaching around $70,000. The actual price of the electric vehicle, however, disappointed many of its supporters.
Tesla had announced the arrival of more affordable versions in 2025, but the company faces enormous challenges in increasing its production. These difficulties are mainly due to:
Additionally, Tesla has had to deal with several recalls, including when it was discovered that the accelerator pedal could become stuck, posing a high safety risk.
Increased availability but uncertain demand
One positive for future Cybertruck owners is that Tesla is now listing deliveries of the all-wheel-drive and Cyberbeast versions for this year, instead of 2025. This suggests that the company is finally making progress on ramping up production.
According to Sam Abuelsamid, an analyst at Guidehouse Insights, “they currently have a large inventory of two- and three-engine units.” However, the large inventory could be explained by lower demand, with some customers likely waiting for the cheaper version.
Elon Musk's unfulfilled promises regarding the Cybertruck once again illustrate the entrepreneur's difficulties in realizing his ambitions on time and at the announced prices. Despite these setbacks, the vehicle continues to fascinate, even becoming a status symbol, especially among celebrities like Kim Kardashian.