Tesla Cybertruck Is Definitely-Maybe Coming Next Year For Real, Possibly

It almost seems cruel to keep reporting on it, but the Tesla Cybertruck is the possibly most delayed vehicle we can remember. Originally shown in late 2019, the electric truck was first slated to arrive in 2021 before being delayed until 2022. Tesla then scrapped the 2022 estimate, removing all pricing information from its reservation site. There have been several Cybertruck sightings since then with the design looking a bit more production-ready, but Tesla has been pretty quiet regarding any exact production timing.

In an hour and 14 minute long interview with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, the Tesla Owners Club of Silicon Valley was able to squeeze out a bit more information on the Cybertruck. At around the 21-minute mark, Musk says, "we need to get on that [referring to Cybertruck to production]. At least, the design is finally locked. We got too carried away."

Many Tesla fans may remember that the Model X faced similar delays because Elon Musk wanted its falcon-wing doors to be perfect.

Musk said even without the design struggles, it would have been difficult to produce the Cybertruck due to the chip shortage that's been impacting the global supply chain. He then provides a more concrete "mid-2023" timeline for Cybertruck production, which is technically another delay from the previously rumored early 2023 estimate. If every previous Cybertruck announcement is any indication, this latest claim will be as true as the Mayan calendar predicting the end of the world in 2012.

In the time since Tesla showed the Cybertruck, several automakers have launched fully electric pickup trucks. The Ford F-150 Lightning, GMC Hummer EV Pickup, and Rivian R1T are already on sale, and the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 EV, GMC Sierra 150 EV, and unnamed Ram EV could still potentially beat the Cybertruck to production. In fact, the first Lightning customer in the US had a Cybertruck pre-order and got their deposit back.

In this same video interview, Musk is asked about his overoptimistic timelines for full self-driving, which he jokingly responds to by saying, "next year." He later says, "I didn't understand the scope of the problem. It always feels like it's right there."