Elon Musk has confirmed that Tesla will stop building the Cybertruck at its Austin, Texas factory around the middle of 2027, ending a troubled three-and-a-half-year run for one of the most divisive vehicles in modern automotive history. The announcement came in a short post on X on Friday, November 6, 2026, where Musk said the space is needed for increased production of the Cybercab, Tesla’s autonomous robotaxi. The decision follows a steep decline in sales, multiple recalls and lawsuits, and a broader shift in Tesla’s priorities toward self-driving vehicles.
What Elon Musk Said About the Cybertruck
Musk’s announcement was brief and direct. In his post on X, he wrote:
“Tesla will be winding down production of the Cybertruck at Gigafactory Texas around the middle of next year to make room for increased Cybercab production”.
The Cybertruck’s lead engineer, Wes Morrill, posted a separate message on X that read more like a farewell:
“Cybertruck was an incredible technology development platform and lives on through Cybercab”.
Morrill also thanked everyone who contributed to the project, adding, “Thanks to everyone who contributed to making the future (look) like the future”. Musk did not say whether the Cybertruck would be built at another factory or dropped entirely, but Morrill’s language strongly suggested the truck is being retired for good.
Musk later replied to a fan on X with the word “true” when the user described the truck as discontinued, adding: “But the Cybertruck fleet will be around for a long time”.
Cybertruck Sales Fell Far Short of the 250,000 Goal
Tesla never publicly broke out Cybertruck sales on its own. The company grouped the pickup into an “Other Models” category alongside the Model S, Model X and Semi. Industry estimates tell the story clearly.
Cox Automotive data shows U.S. Cybertruck sales fell from 38,965 units in 2024 to 20,237 units in 2025, a drop of about 48%. Sales fell another 28% in the first nine months of 2026, reaching just 11,586 units.
Tesla built the Cybertruck production line at Gigafactory Texas to handle 250,000 units a year. The truck has been selling at roughly 10% to 12% of that plan, according to Electrek’s analysis. In the third quarter of 2026, Tesla delivered 8,295 vehicles in its “Other Models” category, the lowest level since the second quarter of 2021.
A strange detail emerged from registration data: SpaceX, another company owned by Musk, bought 1,279 Cybertrucks in the fourth quarter of 2025. Musk’s companies together took 1,339 units, about 19% of U.S. registrations that quarter, according to S&P Global Mobility data cited by Electrek.
Recalls and Lawsuits Added to the Truck’s Problems
The Cybertruck faced safety and quality issues that hurt its reputation. In March 2025, Tesla recalled 46,096 Cybertrucks because an exterior stainless-steel trim panel could come loose or fly off while driving. The recall affected nearly every Cybertruck built up to that point.
Lawsuits also piled up. The parents of two college students who died in a Cybertruck crash sued Tesla, claiming the vehicle’s electronic doors made it nearly impossible to escape the burning truck. The sole survivor of another fiery crash in Piedmont, California, filed a similar lawsuit in March 2026, alleging the lack of mechanical door handles trapped occupants inside.
A Polarizing Truck From the Very Beginning
The Cybertruck was never a neutral vehicle. Musk first showed a prototype in 2019, promising a futuristic, stainless-steel pickup. During the live demonstration, a Tesla designer threw a metal ball at the window to prove its strength, but the glass shattered on stage.
Musk remained confident. He called it Tesla’s “best product ever” during a 2019 earnings call, saying, “This could be totally wrong. I could be totally out to lunch here, but I think the Tesla Cyber Truck is our best product ever”. He later described the design as “a futuristic battle tank” that looked like it came “out of ‘Blade Runner’ or ‘Aliens’”.
The truck found a devoted following, but critics were harsh. Some called it “ugly as sin,” and social media users joked about its angular shape. A former Tesla executive, Spencer Penn, told the Associated Press he initially felt “revolted” by the design but eventually signed up for a pre-sale reservation. He ended up not buying one after the promised price under $40,000 turned into actual prices of $80,000 to $100,000.
By late 2026, prices had climbed even higher. After the wind-down announcement, Tesla raised prices on the remaining models. The Premium AWD version started at $92,490, and the top Cyberbeast model reached $102,490.
Tesla Stock and the Cybercab Bet
Tesla shares rose about 4.7% on Friday after the announcement. The gain came after a difficult week for Musk, whose net worth had dropped by $113 billion following the U.S. midterm elections and a sell-off in AI stocks.
The Cybertruck’s end is tied to Tesla’s bigger bet on autonomy. The Cybercab, a two-passenger vehicle with no steering wheel or pedals, began production at the Austin factory in July 2026, and Tesla started demonstrations in September. Musk has said Tesla’s future lies in robotaxis and robotics rather than selling traditional cars.
Electrek questioned Musk’s “make room” explanation, noting that Giga Texas has more than 10 million square feet of factory floor and the Cybertruck line was already running at about a quarter of its installed capacity. Only 463 Cybercabs were registered in Texas as of late October 2026, and Tesla built a separate line for Cybercab production.
What Happens to Cybertruck Owners and Workers
Morrill confirmed that Tesla will keep supplying spare parts and service for existing Cybertrucks. Tesla has not said how long it will provide parts, though U.S. regulations generally require automakers to supply parts for a certain number of years after production ends.
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It also remains unclear how many workers will be affected by the line shutdown. Reports suggest Cybertruck production workers at Gigafactory Texas may face reassignment or job displacement as the factory shifts toward Cybercab production.
Tesla has not announced a timeline for how long the remaining Cybertruck inventory will stay on sale. Inventory levels had already reached roughly 3,000 units in the U.S. by mid-2026, with some reports suggesting the number climbed higher.
The Cybertruck’s story is one of the most watched product launches in recent auto history. For more updates on Tesla, electric vehicles and the entertainment world, keep reading VvipTimes.
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