Tesla has announced that the first production electric pickup, the Cybertruck, has rolled off the assembly line, although the delay from the initial schedule was almost two years.
“The first Cybertruck has been built at Giga Texas!” Tesla tweeted, adding an emoji of a cowboy hat. The company’s owner, Elon Musk, retweeted the post.
Musk introduced the truck in late 2019, and Tesla announced that production would only begin at the end of 2021, noting that production would be slower and in smaller quantities compared to other Tesla vehicles.
With its wedge shape and stainless steel body, which Tesla calls an exoskeleton, the Cybertruck looks nothing like a traditional pickup. Some analysts believe it is a niche product that won’t gain widespread popularity.
In April, Musk said the company expects to release the first truck, likely in the quarter between July and September. He noted that, as with other new products, production would start slowly and then accelerate.
“It takes time to ramp up the production line,” he said. “In fact, this is a completely unique product. It’s not made the same way as other cars. So we’ll see.”
The truck’s 2019 presentation veered off course when the glass, which had been touted as shatterproof, cracked with a web of fractures after being struck by a large metal ball, leading Musk to make some expressive remarks.
Initially, Tesla stated it would offer three versions of the truck, priced between $40,000 and $70,000. However, the company later removed the prices from the page that allowed customers to decide whether to place a $100 reservation.
There are already competitors in the electric vehicle market: the Ford F-150 Lightning and Rivian Automotive R1T. However, they resemble traditional pickups.